Geographia Technica, Vol 21(4), Special Issue: Atlas of Romania’s Main Climatic Parameters. Recent Changes, 1961–2020, and Projections for 2021–2050, 2026, pp. 1-134
ATLAS OF ROMANIA’S MAIN CLIMATIC PARAMETERS. RECENT CHANGES, 1961–2020, AND PROJECTIONS FOR 2021–2050
Ionel HAIDU 
, Zsolt MAGYARI-SÁSKA , Nicoleta IONAC , Adrian IRAȘOC
ABSTRACT: This abstract synthesizes the main content of the climate-atlas text, which examines the interperiod statistical change of Romania's principal climatic parameters for the reference period 1961-1990, the recent observed climatological normal 1991-2020, and the projected interval 2021-2050 based on RCP4.5 / CORDEX - ALADIN. The atlas relies on monthly mean data from 155 meteorological stations and follows a cartographic and statistical approach that combines annual and monthly maps, legend-class areas, climate-parameter-altitude profiles, difference maps, spatial indices, and standardized statistical indicators. The first chapters show that Romania's recent and projected climate change cannot be reduced to air temperature alone. The observed transition from 1961-1990 to 1991-2020 already indicates warming, increased sunshine duration, reduced relative humidity, and changes in cloudiness, while the 2021-2050 projection strengthens the signal of a warmer, sunnier, and potentially drier climate. The largest class redistributions occur for relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation, and thermal parameters, whereas atmospheric pressure and snow-cover area show smaller national changes but remain important locally and altitudinally. Low and intermediate units - the Romanian Plain, Western Plain, Moldavian Plateau, Dobrogea, the Danube Delta, and the Getic Plateau - emerge as the most vulnerable to the combined effects of higher temperature, longer insolation, declining relative humidity, and reduced precipitation. In the Carpathians, the climatic contrast remains evident, but cold, humid, and snow-related belts tend to shift upward, suggesting altitudinal compression of mountain climate zones. The monthly analysis confirms that interperiod statistical change is seasonal and regional rather than uniform. Maximum and minimum months reveal the strengthening of summer heat, the reduction of winter cold, the decrease of humidity in key warm-season months, and the contraction of wet or snow-rich classes. The interpretation of maximum and minimum months is therefore essential for detecting seasonal water stress, heat stress, and changes in snow persistence, especially at medium elevations. The chapter on spatial indices deepens the interpretation by moving beyond absolute values and mapped areas toward the spatial organization of climate signals. Local Moran I identifies coherent clusters and transition zones; Local G separates hot spots and cold spots according to each parameter; and ΔGI shows the strengthening, weakening, displacement, or fragmentation of these clusters between periods. These indices are especially valuable for relative humidity, wind, sunshine duration, precipitation, and snow cover because they demonstrate that several changes are not merely shifts in mean values, but coherent reorganizations of the climatic field. They add less to atmospheric pressure and temperature, where relief and altitudinal gradients already explain much of the spatial pattern. Finally, SI(ISC) standardizes interperiod differences by relating them to the normal variability of the reference period, while the Welch test verifies statistical significance at the 95% confidence level. Together, these methods show that the strongest and most robust signals occur in the thermal parameters, followed by relative humidity, sunshine duration, and cloudiness. The integrated conclusion is that Romania is moving toward a warmer, sunnier, and less humid climatic configuration, with more pronounced aridization risks in lowlands and plateaus and upward displacement of climatic belts in mountain areas
Keywords: Romania; Climate atlas; RCP4.5; CORDEX-ALADIN; Interperiod statistical change; Spatial indices; SI(ISC); Welch test.
The atlas is not open access, and details regarding physical or online purchase will be announced soon.
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