Original scientific paper
THERMAL COMFORT TRENDS AND VARIABILITY IN THE CROATIAN AND SLOVENIAN MOUNTAINS
K. Zaninović
; Meteorological and Hydrological Service of Croatia, Grič 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
T. Cegnar
; Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, Meteorological Office, Vojkova 1b, Ljubljana, Slovenia
A. Matzarakis
; University of Freiburg, Meteorological Institute, Werderring 10, D-79085 Freiburg, Germany
Abstract
Mountain meteorological stations played an extremely important role in weather forecasting in the past because they were the only available data source on meteorological conditions several hundred metres above the sea level. Nowadays they are mainly used to estimate the climatic variations and the climate change trends in the environment that is not under the direct influence of the local anthropogenic factors. Two mountain meteorological observatories were chosen to illustrate climatic and bioclimatic trends and variability, Zavižan in Croatian Dinaric Alps and Kredarica in Slovenian Julian Alps. Both have the same monitoring protocol and similar instruments. Because of their unchanged surrounding since time of establishment the data from both observatories are extremely valuable for studying changes in sensitive mountain
ecosystems in both countries. Data from the period 1955-2004 were used to assess mountain climatic and bioclimatic variability and trends in Croatia and Slovenia. Results point at the significant increase in the thermal bioclimate index (PET) based on the human energy balance models. At both sites the increase is mainly caused by temperature changes.
Keywords
physiological equivalent temperature (PET); variability and trends; Dinaric Alps; Julian Alps
Hrčak ID:
64521
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2005.
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