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The aim of this study is to examine the impact of the regional vegetation change on the seasonal surface air temperature and is performed using the Max-Planck-Institute Earth System Model. The research area is located in the Pannonian Basin and is one of many regions in which the anthropogenic impact on geophysical changes in the environment is significant. The vegetation system in this region is constantly changing, and its impact on the Earth’s climate system is very complicated to present. The study covers a 10-year period from years 2002 until 2011, and it shows that the change in percentage between certain types of vegetation leads to heating and cooling of surface air during the summer season. The highest cooling is in the northern area of the Pannonian Basin, which is approximately − 0.3 (°C/year) while in the central area is around − 0.1 (°C/year). Warming occurs only in the southern area, where the air heating trend coefficient is 0.1 (°C/year). The largest vegetation cover changes are made in the northern area while smaller ones in the central and southern. These changes in vegetation cover lead to an increase of surface albedo in the northern and central areas, while in the southern there is a decrease. It also has been shown that these changes in vegetation cover affected the surface sensible heat flux and total cloud cover.

The Köppen–Geiger climate classification is used to determine climate types in region of Pannonian Basin with data from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. The study covers a period from years 2021 until 2100, and it shows how certain climate types are changing in percentage in thirty-year averages for six periods. In the period 1960-1990 years of the last century, the dominant climate type was warm summer humid continental climate (Dfb) with 98% presences in the region. The results show that the change of this climate type to the humid subtropical climate type (Cfa) began in the first half of the 21st century. The complete dominance of humid subtropical climate type in the most areas of the Pannonian Basin characterized the second half of the 21st century. Also, results show creation of a warm summer Mediterranean climate type (Csa), which according to certain simulations, is present from 10% to 30% on average in the region. In the central part of the region, a cold desert climate type (Bsk) was formed with approximately 6% presences in the region. This creation of climate types in some parts of the region shows that in the second half of 21st century drier and a warmer climate is expected compared to the last century.

The influence of land surface vegetation on the atmosphere processes in the planetary boundary layer is of great importance for the study of weather and climatic conditions in the Earth’s climate system. Vegetation, as an integral part of the Earth’s climate system, has a great influence on the exchange of energy between land and the atmosphere and, consequently, a significant role in defining weather and climate patterns at the global, regional and local scales. However, due to the constant anthropogenic impact, this vegetation system is continuously changing mostly due to deforestation, afforestation, and forest fires which make it difficult to present them during the research of the Earth’s climate system. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of the regional vegetation change on the seasonal surface air temperature and was performed using the Max-Planck-Institute Earth System Model. The region of our research is located in the Pannonian Basin and is one of many regions in which the anthropogenic impact on geophysical changes in the environment is considerable. The study was carried out over a ten-year period, from 2002 to 2011, during which we showed that the change in the presence percentage between certain types of vegetation leads to warming up as well as cooling down of air during the summer season. We have also shown to what extent this change in vegetation has an impact on the surface air temperature trend as well as on the change in the albedo and flux of sensible heat.

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. This study utilizes four different methodological approaches to examine the prevailing surface winds and their associated aeolian processes in Northern Serbia, focusing on the southeastern part of the Carpathian Basin. We utilized wind and atmospheric pressure data from 1939–2014 and 1960–2010 for the climatological analyses. Geomorphological data and numerical simulations were used to estimate prevailing paleowind systems. Northern Serbia is currently dominated by surface winds coming from the fourth (270°–360°) and second (90°–180°) quadrants, with frequencies of ca. 116 and 105 days/year, respectively. Comparable frequencies within Banatska Peščara are 115 and 129 days/year, respectively. Crestal orientations of the vast majority of the ≈1300 parabolic dunes here suggest that they have formed from winds derived from the second quadrant, indicating formation during the early Holocene. The remaining dunes, of the transverse type, have orientations aligned to the third quadrant. Grain size analysis of loess deposits near Banatska Peščara points to deposition driven by southeasterly winds, probably during the period between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the early Holocene. Modern wind measurements and geomorphological data showed that the prevailing winds in the recent and past periods were from the same quadrant, in and around Banatska Peščara. These results were confirmed with an explicit numerical simulation that modelled prevailing winds from the second quadrant during the LGM. Thus, the various geomorphologic and climatic data analyzed in this study show that the general air circulation patterns in the recent period are not dissimilar to those operative during the LGM.

© 2017, Springer-Verlag Wien. Seasonal prevailing surface winds are analyzed in the territory of Northern Serbia, using observational data from 12 meteorological stations over several decades. In accordance with the general definition of prevailing wind, two special definitions of this term are used. The seasonal wind roses in 16 directions at each station are analyzed. This study shows that the prevailing winds in Northern Serbia have northwestern and southeastern directions. Circulation weather types over Serbia are presented in order to determine the connections between the synoptic circulations and prevailing surface winds. Three controlling pressure centers, i.e., the Mediterranean cyclone, Siberian high, and the Azores anticyclone, appear as the most important large-scale factors that influence the creation of the prevailing winds over Northern Serbia. Beside the synoptic cause of the prevailing winds, it is noted that the orography of the eastern Balkans has a major influence on the winds from the second quadrant. It was found that the frequencies of circulation weather types are in agreement with those of the prevailing winds over Northern Serbia.

The complete drying out of the Aral and Caspian seas, as isolated continental water bodies, and their potential impact on the climate and environment is examined with numerical simulations. Simulations use the atmospheric general circulation model (ECHAM5) as well as the hydrological discharge (HD) model of the Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie. The dry out is represented by replacing the water surfaces in both of the seas with land surfaces. New land surface elevation is lower, but not lover than 50 m from the present mean sea level. Other parameters in the model remain unchanged. The initial meteorological data is real; starting with January 1, 1989 and lasting until December 31, 1991. The final results were analyzed only for the second, as the first year of simulation was used for the model spinning up.The drying out of both seas leads to an increase in land surface and average monthly air temperature during the summer, and a decrease of land surface and average monthly air temperature during the winter, above the Caspian Sea. The greatest difference in temperature between dry and not dry cases have the same values, about 7–8 °C in both seasons, while daily extremes of temperature are much more pronounced. In the wider local/regional area, close to both seas, drying out leads to a difference in average annual temperatures by about 1 °C. On a global scale, the average annual temperature remains unchanged and the configuration of the isotherms remain unchanged, except for over some of the continents. In winter, Central Asia becomes cooler, while over Australia, southern Africa, and South America, it becomes slightly less warm. Furthermore, a new heat island occurs in western Sahara during summer.