The Central European drought of 1947: causes and consequences, with particular reference to the Czech Lands

0464880 - ÚVGZ 2017 RIV DE eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Brázdil, Rudolf - Raška, P. - Trnka, Miroslav - Zahradníček, Pavel - Valášek, H. - Dobrovolný, Petr - Řezníčková, Ladislava - Treml, P. - Stachoň, Z.
The Central European drought of 1947: causes and consequences, with particular reference to the Czech Lands.
Climate Research. Roč. 70, 2-3 (2016), s. 161-178. ISSN 0936-577X. E-ISSN 1616-1572
Grant CEP: GA MŠMT(CZ) LO1415; GA MŠMT(CZ) LD13030; GA ČR GA13-19831S
Výzkumná infrastruktura: CzeCOS II - 90061
Institucionální podpora: RVO:67179843
Klíčová slova: 1947 drought * Meteorological drought * Hydrological drought * Agricultural drought * Drought impact * Socio-economic responses * Czech Lands
Kód oboru RIV: DG - Vědy o atmosféře, meteorologie
Impakt faktor: 1.578, rok: 2016

A drought of exceptional severity took place in Central Europe in 1947, with marked
socio-economic consequences and far-reaching political responses in the Czech Lands. A rich
body of meteorological observations from the Czech Lands is drawn upon to construct a comprehensive
picture of the various direct and indirect factors that led to this extreme event and to
describe its impacts across a range of spatiotemporal scales. In terms of the Czech Lands in their
entirety and the full 1804−2014 period of instrumental measurements, the 1947 drought, which
lasted from April to October, may be expressed as very low monthly values of Standardised Precipitation
Evapotranspiration Index for 1 month (SPEI-1), Standardised Precipitation Index for 1
month (SPI-1), and Palmer’s Z-index. Independent evidence from mean monthly patterns of sealevel
pressure suggests it originated in an anticyclone overCentral Europe and ridges of high pressure
extending over the area. Duration and deficiency volumes recorded at selected Czech hydrological
stations indicate that the 1947 event was one of the 3 most important hydrologic drought
episodes since the late 1880s. Severe agricultural drought was reflected in a low to extremely bad
harvest of cereals and other agricultural crops. A critical lack of cereals was remedied by ‘brotherly
help’, i.e. relief shipments from the Soviet Union given for reasons that were far more political
than altruistic. The whole process received considerable attention in the national media, influencing
public opinion for decades. It also led to various administrative responses and decisions at
local, regional and even state levels. This study demonstrates that the 1947 drought was a significant
climatic anomaly of great spatial extent, and with wide-ranging socio-economic consequences.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0263631