An integrated, model-based estimation of the projected impact of climate change on the Upper-Tisza, with the quantification of uncertainty

Keywords: Climate change impact analysis, frequency analysis of hydrological variables, spatially distributed stochastic weather generator, distributed hydrological modelling, RegCM4 regional climate model, bias correction, Monte Carlo simulation, case study, Upper-Tisza

Abstract

The effects of climate change on hydrological time series are evaluated, based on an integrated, model-based projection. Simulations were completed for the past and future using the distributed, physically based DIWA hydrological model adapted for the Upper-Tisza catchment. The hydrological simulations were driven by meteorological time series: the observation based CARPATCLIM dataset (1961-2010) and the RegCM4 regional climate model simulation (1971-2099). Several possible meteorological time series were created for the historical and the future period as well by a weather generator (DIWA-SDSWG) embedded in a Monte Carlo cycle resulting in hundreds of independent, equally probable time series, hence uncertainty can be assessed, too. The systematic errors of the RCM simulations were eliminated by fitting the parameters of the weather generator based on the differences in the historical period. According to our results, a decrease of the daily average water discharge is likely to occur at Tiszabecs in the 21st century, especially in July and August, while for January and February a moderate increase is projected. On the one hand, the third level of flood warning is projected to occur less frequent in the future (both in the middle and at the end of the 21st century), however, occasionally, they will tend to become more severe than in the historical time period. On the other hand, the occurrence of water discharges below the critical low water level is likely to increase remarkably between July and October, especially by the end of the 21st century.

Author Biographies

Anna Kis , ELTE, Institute of Geography and Earth sciences Department of Meteorology

ANNA KIS is a researcher at the Department of Meteorology, Eötvös Loránd University. She completed her BSc studies in Earth Sciences in 2011, and her MSc studies in Meteorology in 2013. Then she was a PhD student at the Earth Sciences Doctoral School and defended her PhD thesis on the precipitation extremes in the past and the projected future tendencies with a special focus on hydrological effects in 2018 at ELTE. In 2017 she won the ÚNKP scholarship. She was awarded by the Lászlóffy Woldemár Award in 2013 and by the Szádeczky-Kardoss Elemér Award in 2018.

Affiliation: ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Department of Meteorology, Budapest, Hungary

Rita Pongrácz , ELTE, Institute of Geography and Earth sciences Department of Meteorology

RITA PONGRÁCZ is a faculty member at the Department of Meteorology, at the ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, since 2000. She graduated as a meteorologist with an additional minor in hydrology at ELTE in 1996. Then, she completed her PhD studies and research at ELTE. She defended her PhD thesis on the analysis of the joint regional effects of large scale circulation and oscillation phenomena (i.e. ENSO and NAO) in 2003 at ELTE. Her research interests cover several areas of climatology and meteorology, but the main research activities are related to regional climate modeling, the analysis of extreme climatological conditions, urban climatology, and satellite climatology. She received the Bolyai János Fellowship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2001-2004, she was awarded by the Szádeczky-Kardoss Elemér Award in 2003 and 2009. She is an active member of the Section of Earth Sciences via the Subcommittee on Climatology of the Scientific Committee on Meteorology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (currently she is the secretary since 2015). She was awarded by the Pro Meteorologia Award in 2016, and the Hegyfoky Kabos Award in 2021.

Affiliation: ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Department of Meteorology, Budapest, Hungary

Judit Bartholy, ELTE, Institute of Geography and Earth sciences Department of Meteorology

JUDIT BARTHOLY is a professor of climatology at the Department of Meteorology, at the ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, since 2000 (professor emeritus since 2022). She graduated as meteorologist and teacher of mathematics at ELTE in 1976. Then, she started to work for the Hungarian Meteorological Service until 1991 where her research and operational activities primarily focused on long-range meteorological and climatological forecasts, and the classification of large scale synoptic patterns. She completed her CSc degree in 1988, and started to work for ELTE in 1992 (served as the head of department in 1996-2017). Her research interests include the regional downscaling of global climate change, the urban climate effects, the renewable energy sources, and the analysis of extreme climate events. She became DSc (Academic Doctor of Science) in 2006 with a dissertation on the reconstruction of past and the projection of future climatic conditions for the Carpathian basin. She is the member of the Committee of the Hungarian Meteorological Society, the Scientific Committee on Meteorology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (she acted as the chair in 2014-2020). She was awarded by the Steiner Lajos Award and Pro Meteorologia Award in 2000, Schenzl Guido Award and Hegyfoky Kabos Award in 2014. She received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2009.

Affiliation: ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Department of Meteorology, Budapest, Hungary

János Adolf Szabó , HYDROInform Ltd.

JÁNOS ADOLF SZABÓ is a hydroinformatics researcher, system and algorithm developer at HYDROInform Ltd, which is a research, system development, and consulting private company in the field of hydroinformatics. He completed his studies at ELTE (Eötvös Loránd University), where he obtained an MSc degree in 1985 as a mathematician, then he specialized in the field of mathematical description of water management systems. The pillars of his professional activity include the mathematical modelling of complex hydrological and hydraulic processes, the development of integrated water management decision support and operational management hydroinformatics systems, and the analysis of the effects of climate change on aquatic environments. Highlights of his professional career: − at VITUKI (1981-1989) as research associate; − at MOL-SzKFI Research-Development-Laboratory (1989-2000) as model-developer mathematician; − at MTA Water Management Research Group, BME (2000-2003) as research associate; − at European Commission, Joint Research Center (JRC), Institute of Environment and Sustainability (2003-2007) as scientific researcher and model-developer; − at HYDROInform Ltd. (2000-present) as general manager, senior researcher, modeller, algorithm and software developer.

Affiliation: HYDROInform Ltd.

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Published
2023-11-27
How to Cite
KisA., PongráczR., BartholyJ., & SzabóJ. A. (2023). An integrated, model-based estimation of the projected impact of climate change on the Upper-Tisza, with the quantification of uncertainty. Hungarian Journal of Hydrology, 103(4), 35-51. https://doi.org/10.59258/hk.13172
Section
Tudományos közlemények