Baseflow Trends for Midsize Carpathian Catchments in Poland and Slovakia in 1970–2019

Abstract

Global warming affects, among many other things, groundwater recharge conditions. Over recent decades, this phenomenon in the Carpathians has been emphasized by the changing role of snowmelt recharge in winter and spring. The aim of the study was to assess baseflow trends in 20 medium-sized Carpathian catchments in Poland and Slovakia. The baseflow was calculated using Eckhardt’s digital filter. The trend analysis was performed using the non-parametric method separately for the series representing the baseflow throughout the whole year, and separately for seasons. The most evident changes were noted for the low baseflow in the summer and autumn, especially in foothill catchments. Statistically significant decreases in the low daily baseflow were expressed as a relative change, and ranged from −9% to −66% per 10 years for the summer, and from −12% to −82% per 10 years for the autumn. In winter and spring, trends in the low baseflow were not significant, except in high mountain catchments where 14% of increases in the low baseflow were noted in the winter and spring. The results indicate the changing role of snowmelt recharge in the Carpathians and the increasing problem of groundwater depletion in the summer and autumn, mainly in foothill areas.