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Dr. Remus Pravalie
Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu str., 010041 Bucharest, Romania

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0 Climate Change
0 Environmental Impact Assessment
0 environmental pollution
0 Land degradation
0 Desertification

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Journal article
Published: 26 June 2021 in Environmental Research
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Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a critical indicator for healthy and fertile lands across the world. It is also the planet's largest terrestrial carbon pool, so any changes of this pool may have profound implications for both land productivity and climate stability. However, SOC changes have so far remained largely unexplored, although their understanding is essential for many international environmental policies. Here we investigate for the first time recent global SOC changes, based on some SOC stock interannual data that were processed for the 2001–2015 period on a planetary scale. We analysed the global SOC dynamics using the Mann-Kendall test and Sen's slope estimator, which are widely acknowledged to be reliable geostatistical tools for detecting various environmental trends from global to local scale. We explored SOC changes via three metrics (averages, quantities, areas) of negative and positive trends, but also of the balance between soil carbon trends, a key statistic for monitoring land quality stability and soil–atmosphere carbon fluxes in the global environmental policies. Globally, we estimated a net average decrease of −58.6 t C km2 yr−1, a total loss of ~3.1 Pg C, and an area affected by net SOC losses of ~1.9 million km2. Using this triple statistic, we found that 79% of countries worldwide have been affected by net declines of SOC after 2001, which suggests that halting land degradation and mitigating climate change through the SOC pathway are still far from being achieved by international policies.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Ion-Andrei Nita; Cristian Patriche; Mihai Niculiță; Marius-Victor Birsan; Bogdan Roșca; Georgeta Bandoc. Global changes in soil organic carbon and implications for land degradation neutrality and climate stability. Environmental Research 2021, 201, 111580 .

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Ion-Andrei Nita, Cristian Patriche, Mihai Niculiță, Marius-Victor Birsan, Bogdan Roșca, Georgeta Bandoc. Global changes in soil organic carbon and implications for land degradation neutrality and climate stability. Environmental Research. 2021; 201 ():111580.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Ion-Andrei Nita; Cristian Patriche; Mihai Niculiță; Marius-Victor Birsan; Bogdan Roșca; Georgeta Bandoc. 2021. "Global changes in soil organic carbon and implications for land degradation neutrality and climate stability." Environmental Research 201, no. : 111580.

Review article
Published: 25 May 2021 in Earth-Science Reviews
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Land degradation has become one of the biggest environmental challenges human society is currently facing, which is why understanding the global pattern of this land crisis is absolutely necessary. However, so far, the multiple forms of this environmental issue have mainly been analysed in international scientific literature in a narrow traditional manner, frequently based on approaching a relatively low number of ordinary land degradation processes. Consequently, as this complex process has not been sufficiently well explored, this study aims to investigate global land degradation in an interdisciplinary and holistic manner, in terms of the multidimensional nature, causes, spatial footprint, multiple consequences (for the ecological and anthropogenic systems worldwide, but also for the global climate system) and various solutions to mitigate worldwide land multi-degradation. Based on various information investigated in more than 500 reliable scientific papers, the findings of this review paper showed that there currently are 17 land degradation pathways (aridity, biological invasions, coastal erosion, land erosion by water, land erosion by wind, land pollution, land subsidence, landslides, permafrost thawing, salinization, soil acidification, soil biodiversity loss, soil compaction, soil organic carbon loss, soil sealing, vegetation degradation and waterlogging), which are active on various spatial scales across the planet. Five of the seventeen land degradation dimensions were considered major land degradation pathways and explored in detail in this study (aridity, land erosion by water, salinization, soil organic carbon loss and vegetation degradation), considering several relevant criteria outlined in the paper (global spatial footprint, data availability, and impact on agricultural, ecological and climate systems). Essentially, it was found that the five global degradation processes significantly erode the multiple ecosystem functions and services of worldwide land systems, which are crucial for human wellbeing, life support and the Earth systems’ stability. Nonetheless, other land degradation processes can also be considered major land degradative pathways, although a main current impediment in their detailed investigation is the general lack of global data availability. Therefore, the study highlights the complexity and severity of global land degradation, and draws attention to the need for other studies to approach land degradation multidimensionally, which goes beyond the traditional perspectives focused on the conventional processes of water erosion, wind erosion or soil salinization. At the same time, the study highlights the fact that land degradation must be an urgent priority in governmental and international policies, which can rely on a wide range of control measures that are currently available (some of the relevant ones are explored in this paper) for combating this disrupting environmental process rapidly, efficiently and on a large scale throughout the world.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie. Exploring the multiple land degradation pathways across the planet. Earth-Science Reviews 2021, 220, 103689 .

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie. Exploring the multiple land degradation pathways across the planet. Earth-Science Reviews. 2021; 220 ():103689.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie. 2021. "Exploring the multiple land degradation pathways across the planet." Earth-Science Reviews 220, no. : 103689.

Journal article
Published: 08 January 2021 in Environmental Research
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While agricultural systems are a major pillar in global food security, their productivity is currently threatened by many environmental issues triggered by anthropogenic climate change and human activities, such as land degradation. However, the planetary spatial footprint of land degradation processes on arable lands, which can be considered a major component of global agricultural systems, is still insufficiently well understood. This study analyzes the land degradation footprint on global arable lands, using complex geospatial data on certain major degradation processes, i.e. aridity, soil erosion, vegetation decline, soil salinization and soil organic carbon decline. By applying geostatistical techniques that are representative for identifying the incidence of the five land degradation processes in global arable lands, results showed that aridity is by far the largest singular pressure for these agricultural systems, affecting ~40% of the arable lands' area, which cover approximately 14 million km2 globally. It was found that soil erosion is another major degradation process, the unilateral impact of which affects ~20% of global arable systems. The results also showed that the two degradation processes simultaneously affect an additional ~7% of global arable lands, which makes this synergy the most common form of multiple pressure of land degradative conditions across the world's arable areas. The absolute statistical data showed that India, the United States, China, Brazil, Argentina, Russia and Australia are the most vulnerable countries in the world to the various pathways of arable land degradation. Also, in terms of percentages, statistical observations showed that African countries are the most heavily affected by arable system degradation. This study's findings can be useful for prioritizing agricultural management actions that can mitigate the negative effects of the two degradation processes or of others that currently affect many arable systems across the planet.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Pasquale Borrelli; Panos Panagos; Bogdan Roșca; Monica Dumitraşcu; Ion-Andrei Nita; Ionuţ Săvulescu; Marius-Victor Birsan; Georgeta Bandoc. Arable lands under the pressure of multiple land degradation processes. A global perspective. Environmental Research 2021, 194, 110697 .

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Cristian Patriche, Pasquale Borrelli, Panos Panagos, Bogdan Roșca, Monica Dumitraşcu, Ion-Andrei Nita, Ionuţ Săvulescu, Marius-Victor Birsan, Georgeta Bandoc. Arable lands under the pressure of multiple land degradation processes. A global perspective. Environmental Research. 2021; 194 ():110697.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Pasquale Borrelli; Panos Panagos; Bogdan Roșca; Monica Dumitraşcu; Ion-Andrei Nita; Ionuţ Săvulescu; Marius-Victor Birsan; Georgeta Bandoc. 2021. "Arable lands under the pressure of multiple land degradation processes. A global perspective." Environmental Research 194, no. : 110697.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2020 in Ecological Indicators
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The analysis of land degradation based on sensitivity models has become a widely used scientific method for understanding the spatial pattern of this complex environmental process that is affecting numerous countries globally, including Romania. However, most specialized studies have been dealing with a static analysis of land sensitivity to degradation, and studies focusing on the process from a dynamic perspective are extremely rare or even lacking altogether in certain states, such as Romania. Given this knowledge gap, the study performs the first dynamic analysis of land sensitivity to degradation across Romania, in the key-period 1990–2018, marked by considerable changes in climate and anthropic driving forces of land degradation. This approach is based on the analysis of spatio-temporal trends of land susceptibility to degradation over the past three decades, based on the Land Degradation Sensitivity Index (LDSI) geospatial tool, computed for the years 1990 and 2018, and analyzed in detail in terms of the cartographic and statistical differences between the two analyzed years. Our investigations showed an expansion of ~1300 km2 (<1% of Romania’s territory) of the LDSI classes critically sensitive to degradation, the national spatial footprint of which was estimated in 1990 at ~67,300 km2 (28.4%), and at ~68,600 km2 (29%) in 2018. Although this recent net expansion does not seem to be exceedingly high, our results are in fact alarming considering the very high territorial differences in the intensification of land degradative conditions throughout the country. The most apparent such territorial discrepancies were detected in Romania’s extra-Carpathian regions, which, post-1990, seem to have become the most susceptible to degradation nationally, amid intense climate change (intensification of aridity) and anthropogenic changes (various changes in land use/cover classes and other unsustainable anthropogenic activities). These findings are alarming, considering, first and foremost, the large-scale presence of arable systems in these regions of the country, the agricultural productivity of which can be seriously eroded due to the intensification of land degradation. Our results can be useful for a more effective implementation of measures against land degradation, which can be applied throughout the country as a priority based on the recent accelerating national trends of land degradation.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Adrian Tişcovschi; Monica Dumitrascu; Ionuţ Săvulescu; Igor Sîrodoev; Georgeta Bandoc. Recent spatio-temporal changes of land sensitivity to degradation in Romania due to climate change and human activities: An approach based on multiple environmental quality indicators. Ecological Indicators 2020, 118, 106755 .

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Cristian Patriche, Adrian Tişcovschi, Monica Dumitrascu, Ionuţ Săvulescu, Igor Sîrodoev, Georgeta Bandoc. Recent spatio-temporal changes of land sensitivity to degradation in Romania due to climate change and human activities: An approach based on multiple environmental quality indicators. Ecological Indicators. 2020; 118 ():106755.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Adrian Tişcovschi; Monica Dumitrascu; Ionuţ Săvulescu; Igor Sîrodoev; Georgeta Bandoc. 2020. "Recent spatio-temporal changes of land sensitivity to degradation in Romania due to climate change and human activities: An approach based on multiple environmental quality indicators." Ecological Indicators 118, no. : 106755.

Journal article
Published: 13 December 2019 in CATENA
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Land degradation is a major environmental issue affecting numerous countries worldwide, including certain European states. An in-depth understanding of this complex process’s spatial pattern requires multicriteria approaches such as MEDALUS (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use) model, which can be extremely useful in identifying lands that are sensitive to degradation in countries that have yet to be explored in this respect, such as Romania. This paper aims to apply the well-established MEDALUS methodology for the first time in a nationwide analysis of Romania, based on various spatial data used as main indicators and sub-indicators (environmental parameters) considered to be driving forces of land degradation. The study aims to map and statistically assess lands with different degrees of sensitivity to degradation, considering seven main environmental quality indicators, four of which are featured in the original MEDALUS method (Climate Quality Index – CQI, Soil Quality Index – SQI, Vegetation Quality Index – VQI and Management Quality Index – MQI), while three were proposed and added (Water Quality Index – WQI, Geomorphological Quality Index – GQI and Anthropic Quality Index – AQI) in order to capture the particularities of potentially degraded lands in Romania as accurately as possible. The seven quality indicators were processed by considering 24 geographical parameters, 14 of which were featured in the standard MEDALUS method, while 10 parameters were added in order to reflect the specific land degradation conditions in Romania. The final results, analysed using the Land Degradation Sensitivity Index (LDSI), showed that 29% (~68,600 km2) of the country’s total area is critically sensitive to degradation, if considering the most complex LDSI model, assessed based on all biophysical/natural (CQI, SQI, GQI, VQI and WQI) and anthropogenic (MQI and AQI) indicators. If considering the LDSI obtained based only on biophysical indicators (which highlight the natural degradation of lands, not directly influenced by anthropogenic pressures), then only 18% (~42,400 km2) of Romania’s territory is critically susceptible to degradation. Spatially, it was found that extra-Carpathian areas are by far the most heavily threatened by degradation. The results provide a full overview of this process in Romania and can constitute a basic scientific support for implementing current and future policies aimed at fighting the negative ecological and socio-economic effects of this disrupting environmental process.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Ionuţ Săvulescu; Igor Sirodoev; Georgeta Bandoc; Lucian Sfîcă. Spatial assessment of land sensitivity to degradation across Romania. A quantitative approach based on the modified MEDALUS methodology. CATENA 2019, 187, 104407 .

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Cristian Patriche, Ionuţ Săvulescu, Igor Sirodoev, Georgeta Bandoc, Lucian Sfîcă. Spatial assessment of land sensitivity to degradation across Romania. A quantitative approach based on the modified MEDALUS methodology. CATENA. 2019; 187 ():104407.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Ionuţ Săvulescu; Igor Sirodoev; Georgeta Bandoc; Lucian Sfîcă. 2019. "Spatial assessment of land sensitivity to degradation across Romania. A quantitative approach based on the modified MEDALUS methodology." CATENA 187, no. : 104407.

Journal article
Published: 13 December 2019 in Agricultural Systems
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The impact of climate change on agricultural systems has become a reality that currently threatens food security in numerous regions worldwide. However, concrete consequences of climate change on agricultural yields still remain unknown in many countries around the world, including Romania. This study conducts a first-ever analysis of the impact of climate change on maize productivity in Romania, the European Union's leader in maize harvested production, which holds almost 30% of the European maize production. The paper explores complex statistical relationships between the climatic water balance (CWB)/its constituting parameters precipitation (P) and reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and maize yields (Zea mays L.) recorded nationally from 1990 to 2013, a key-period in Romania in terms of climate and socio-political changes. The analysis of various agro-climatic data, based on well-established methods (linear regression and bootstrapping), showed that the countrywide dependence of maize yields variability to changes in the analyzed climatic variables was considerable and reached peak values of roughly 60% for the CWB-yield relationship and around 50% for the P-yield and ETo-yield relationships. At the same time, a significant sensitivity of maize yield dynamics was found in response to a 1-unit climate change, which, on average, was quantified at 5 kg/ha/yr for a 1-mm variation of the CWB, and at 19 kg/ha/yr and 11 kg/ha/yr for a 1-mm change in P and ETo, respectively. In addition to this agricultural impact, our findings regarding the economic impact associated to concrete climatic trends (CWB decreases and ETo increases over the 24 years, consistent with an overall increase of the humidity deficit, and P increases, consistent with humidity surplus) indicate total costs of approximately 53 mil € (or almost 1% of the national agricultural gross domestic product) for the CWB-yield relationship, and of ~200 mil € (~3%) for ETo-yield. It was found that the separate influence of P in maize dynamics was positive, with net financial gains of up to ~130 mil € (~2%). However, our findings show that only the economic costs associated with the impact of ETo on maize productivity are highly statistically reliable. Our results issue a warning about the urgent measures to fight climate change effects on agriculture in Romania, which are necessary especially in the counties located in the Extra-Carpathian regions, highly vulnerable to climate dynamics.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Igor Sirodoev; Cristian Patriche; Bogdan Rosca; Adrian Piticar; Georgeta Bandoc; Lucian Sfîcă; Adrian Tişcovschi; Monica Dumitrascu; Carmen Chifiriuc; Valentina Mănoiu; Ştefan Iordache. The impact of climate change on agricultural productivity in Romania. A country-scale assessment based on the relationship between climatic water balance and maize yields in recent decades. Agricultural Systems 2019, 179, 102767 .

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Igor Sirodoev, Cristian Patriche, Bogdan Rosca, Adrian Piticar, Georgeta Bandoc, Lucian Sfîcă, Adrian Tişcovschi, Monica Dumitrascu, Carmen Chifiriuc, Valentina Mănoiu, Ştefan Iordache. The impact of climate change on agricultural productivity in Romania. A country-scale assessment based on the relationship between climatic water balance and maize yields in recent decades. Agricultural Systems. 2019; 179 ():102767.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Igor Sirodoev; Cristian Patriche; Bogdan Rosca; Adrian Piticar; Georgeta Bandoc; Lucian Sfîcă; Adrian Tişcovschi; Monica Dumitrascu; Carmen Chifiriuc; Valentina Mănoiu; Ştefan Iordache. 2019. "The impact of climate change on agricultural productivity in Romania. A country-scale assessment based on the relationship between climatic water balance and maize yields in recent decades." Agricultural Systems 179, no. : 102767.

Short communication
Published: 09 July 2019 in Journal of Environmental Management
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In their critical comments, Davies et al. (2019) claim that our paper (Prăvălie and Bandoc, 2018) features a series of shortcomings, such as the lack of quantitative or qualitative weighting of the nuclear energy trilemma, the insufficient analysis of specialized scientific literature or the presence of certain inconsistencies and inaccuracies throughout the paper. Starting from the idea that debate in the nuclear energy sector, in this particular instance, or in science, in general, is constructive, as long as based on credible arguments, we acknowledge these comments and wish to provide pertinent responses for each critical observation. Given this context, this scientific communication is meant to provide explanations and justify the fact that the findings of the original review-type paper (Prăvălie and Bandoc, 2018) are real and supported by various relevant scientific data and papers, and that our vision on the global nuclear energy trilemma is sufficiently substantiated.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Georgeta Bandoc. Response to “Regarding nuclear energy: Between global electricity demand, worldwide decarbonisation imperativeness, and planetary environmental implications”. Journal of Environmental Management 2019, 247, 776 -779.

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Georgeta Bandoc. Response to “Regarding nuclear energy: Between global electricity demand, worldwide decarbonisation imperativeness, and planetary environmental implications”. Journal of Environmental Management. 2019; 247 ():776-779.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Georgeta Bandoc. 2019. "Response to “Regarding nuclear energy: Between global electricity demand, worldwide decarbonisation imperativeness, and planetary environmental implications”." Journal of Environmental Management 247, no. : 776-779.

Journal article
Published: 18 March 2019 in CATENA
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Drying of terrestrial areas is a critical issue in our era of climate change. However, there is limited knowledge on the current spatial status of drylands, which can be assessed using updated and more rigorous data than information used in the initial dryland estimations. Here we investigate the current extent of drylands globally, continentally and nationally by analysing one of the most recent aridity database (1950–2000 period) and compare statistically, for the first time, with the initial dryland estimations (1951–1980). Using diachronic analysis between the databases, we found that drylands are currently almost 4% larger worldwide than expected and cover 45.4% of the Earth's land surface. This net increase of global dryland areas is due to the expansion of arid (+3.4%) and semi-arid (+0.9%) areas, whilst hyper-arid zones decreased (−0.8%) and dry sub-humid areas remained stable. Except for Europe and South America, all continents have experienced a net expansion of arid environments in the recent climate database. Our findings show that Asia is home to the world's largest increases in dryland areas, where China alone accounts for almost one third of the new lands exposed to aridity worldwide. The Earth's drier conditions can generally be attributed to climate changes occurring after 1980. Our results highlight large-scale drying processes and therefore the exacerbation of land degradative conditions at low and middle latitudes. Also, our findings signal the danger of triggering certain positive feedbacks in global warming, considering the newly-identified drylands migration towards higher latitudes in North America and Asia, which can modify the albedo and destabilize the large carbon pools in permafrost, peatlands or boreal forests.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Georgeta Bandoc; Cristian Patriche; Troy Sternberg. Recent changes in global drylands: Evidences from two major aridity databases. CATENA 2019, 178, 209 -231.

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Georgeta Bandoc, Cristian Patriche, Troy Sternberg. Recent changes in global drylands: Evidences from two major aridity databases. CATENA. 2019; 178 ():209-231.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Georgeta Bandoc; Cristian Patriche; Troy Sternberg. 2019. "Recent changes in global drylands: Evidences from two major aridity databases." CATENA 178, no. : 209-231.

Review article
Published: 02 November 2018 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Solar energy is a key renewable source for decarbonization and the future sustainable development of human society. However, the success of the worldwide governments in the large-scale implementation of solar technologies largely depends on the in-depth knowledge of global solar radiation distribution and intensity levels, which is a difficult endeavour due to the fact that up-to-date global-scale information is generally limited. This study primarily aims to analyse solar radiation distribution and intensity globally, continentally (all continents, except for Antarctica) and nationally (194 countries), based on the global horizontal irradiation (GHI) and direct normal irradiation (DNI) data, released at the best spatial resolution currently available in reliable international databases. By means of a statistical analysis of seven potential classes, delimited based on established geostatistical methods, the results showed that, globally, there are 6 major GHI hotspots (western South America, northern, eastern and southwestern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Australia), with annual values of >2200 kWh/m2, and 6 other well-defined DNI hotspots (southwestern North America, western South America, southwestern Africa, northwestern Arabian Peninsula, Tibetan Plateau and Australia), with values of >2500 kWh/m2. These regions, with the most intense solar radiation values, assigned to the seventh potential class (superb) of the two parameters, comprise most of the total global GHI (∼15 mil km2, 10% of the world's land area) and DNI (∼8 mil km2, 5%) superb class areas. Continentally, Africa holds the most considerable GHI solar resources (almost 10 mil km2 of the superb class, approximately one third of the continental area), while Australia holds the most abundant DNI resources (∼4 mil km2, ∼50%). Nationally, there are 12 epicentre countries for GHI, considering at least 50% superb potential threshold within national limits (9 in Africa – Namibia, 96%, Sudan, 86%, Niger, 84%, Egypt, 77%, Western Sahara, 72%, Chad, 69%, Eritrea, 58%, Libya, 56%, and Djibouti, 52%, and 3 in Asia – Oman, 92%, Yemen, 87%, and Saudi Arabia, 74%), while for DNI only 3 countries reach this percentual threshold of the maximum solar potential (Namibia, 77%, Jordan, 53%, and Australia, 51%). Our results suggest these epicentre countries (as well as others with extensive absolute GHI and DNI superb class areas, such as the US, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and China) are among the most favourable for the large-scale installation of photovoltaic and concentrating solar power systems, which are currently the most important technologies used in solar energy production.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Georgeta Bandoc. Spatial assessment of solar energy potential at global scale. A geographical approach. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 209, 692 -721.

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Cristian Patriche, Georgeta Bandoc. Spatial assessment of solar energy potential at global scale. A geographical approach. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 209 ():692-721.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Georgeta Bandoc. 2018. "Spatial assessment of solar energy potential at global scale. A geographical approach." Journal of Cleaner Production 209, no. : 692-721.

Review article
Published: 31 July 2018 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Wind power is a renewable source of great value for the sustainable development of society in the context of global environmental changes. This power source features many advantages such as accessibility, inexhaustibility and sustainability, and its harvest and conversion have experienced a rapid growth in both developed and developing countries. The present study aims to geographically analyze the distribution and intensity of onshore wind resources (assessed using the wind power density parameter) globally, continentally and nationally. Using the most recent and detailed global spatial data on wind power density, which were classified after NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) in seven potential classes, our results showed that, globally, there are five major hotspots of abundant wind resources, delimited based on the large-scale presence of the most favourable potential classes, i.e. Excellent (500–600 W/m2), Outstanding (600–800 W/m2) and Superb (> 800 W/m2), also called in our paper EOS classes. These hotspots consist of the central-northern region of North America, southern South America, northern/north-western Europe, northern Asia and the central-south-eastern region of the Asian continent. These regions bring together most of the entire global area of EOS classes, which totals ∼4 mil km2 or ∼3% of the world's land area. Continentally, the most extensive EOS areas are found in Asia (∼1.5 mil km2, 3.5% of the continent), followed by North and Central America (∼1 mil km2, 4.3%), South America (∼0.7 mil km2, 4.1%), Europe (∼0.5 mil km2, 5%), Africa (∼0.1 mil km2, 0.4%), and Australia and Oceania (∼0.1 mil km2, 1.3%). Nationally, it was found there are 8 epicentre-countries for wind potential (with absolute EOS areas that range between 0.1 and almost 1 mil km2 across the countries), namely China (∼0.9 mil km2, 10% of the country), followed by Canada (∼0.6 mil km2, 6%), the United States (∼0.5 mil km2, 5%), Argentina (∼0.4 mil km2, 14%), Russia (∼0.4 mil km2 in total, in Europe and Asia, 2%), Chile (0.2 mil km2, 28%), Norway (∼0.1 mil km2, 30%) and Afghanistan (∼0.1 mil km2, 16%). Results show these countries are the most suitable for large-scale wind power installations in the world. Also, our findings not only provide an overall image of wind resources availability worldwide, but they can also be a useful tool for the transition towards a carbon-free global economy, by helping world governments better understand – and subsequently use – their wind resources at regional or local levels.

ACS Style

Georgeta Bandoc; Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Mircea Degeratu. Spatial assessment of wind power potential at global scale. A geographical approach. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 200, 1065 -1086.

AMA Style

Georgeta Bandoc, Remus Prăvălie, Cristian Patriche, Mircea Degeratu. Spatial assessment of wind power potential at global scale. A geographical approach. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 200 ():1065-1086.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Georgeta Bandoc; Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Mircea Degeratu. 2018. "Spatial assessment of wind power potential at global scale. A geographical approach." Journal of Cleaner Production 200, no. : 1065-1086.

Review
Published: 01 March 2018 in Journal of Environmental Management
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For decades, nuclear energy has been considered an important option for ensuring global energy security, and it has recently started being promoted as a solution for climate change mitigation. However, nuclear power remains highly controversial due to its associated risks - nuclear accidents and problematic radioactive waste management. This review aims to assess the viability of global nuclear energy economically (energy-wise), climatically and environmentally. To this end, the nuclear sector's energy- and climate-related advantages were explored alongside the downsides that mainly relate to radioactive pollution. Economically, it was found that nuclear energy is still an important power source in many countries around the world. Climatically, nuclear power is a low-carbon technology and can therefore be a viable option for the decarbonization of the world's major economies over the following decades, if coupled with other large-scale strategies such as renewable energies. These benefits are however outweighed by the radioactive danger associated to nuclear power plants, either in the context of the nuclear accidents that have already occurred or in that of the large amounts of long-lived nuclear waste that have been growing for decades and that represent a significant environmental and societal threat.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Georgeta Bandoc. Nuclear energy: Between global electricity demand, worldwide decarbonisation imperativeness, and planetary environmental implications. Journal of Environmental Management 2018, 209, 81 -92.

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Georgeta Bandoc. Nuclear energy: Between global electricity demand, worldwide decarbonisation imperativeness, and planetary environmental implications. Journal of Environmental Management. 2018; 209 ():81-92.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Georgeta Bandoc. 2018. "Nuclear energy: Between global electricity demand, worldwide decarbonisation imperativeness, and planetary environmental implications." Journal of Environmental Management 209, no. : 81-92.

Original paper
Published: 01 September 2017 in Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment
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The analysis of phenological changes in vegetation is essential for the assessment of the response and adaptation of ecosystems/agro-ecosystems to climate change. This study analyses spatial and temporal changes in phenological events (phenophases) and in the climatic growing season in southern and south-eastern Romania, based on mean monthly temperature values recorded between 1961 and 2010 at 24 weather stations, spread out uniformly in the study area. By using the histophenogram method for extracting the mean phenophases length (eight in total, i.e. growing season onset, budding–leafing, flowering, fruiting, maturing, dissemination, start of leaf loss and end of leaf loss) and that of the overall growing season, this paper aims to analyse current phenological changes (in three periods, 1991–2000, 2001–2010 and 1991–2010) in relation to 1961–1990, which is the reference interval in various global climatic studies. Following the analysis of the theoretical phenology length, based on the temperature thresholds (between 5 and 25 °C) that differentiate biological cycles of vegetation, results showed an overall increase in phenological activity (especially in the past decade, 2001–2010), except for two phenophases (fruiting and dissemination), for which largely dominant length decreases were identified. Quantitatively, increases (and null changes, in a few cases) in phenological length generally range between 0–5 days/0–10% (e.g. in the budding–leafing phenophase) and 11–15 days/10.1–20% (maturing), considering the absolute changes or percentages in the three periods, compared to the reference interval 1961–1990. For the most part, the current decrease in the fruiting and dissemination phenophases falls in the interval −1 to −5 days/−10.1 to −20%, compared to the reference period. At the same time, it was noticed that the entire growing season has been expanding, especially in the past decade, when numerous increase instances of up to 15 days were recorded, corresponding to a dominant interval of 0–10% from the period 1961–1990. The results can be particularly useful for adapting the different types of crops to future climate changes, considering that the study area has a high agro-ecological importance.

ACS Style

Georgeta Bandoc; Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Elena Dragomir; Maria Tomescu. Response of phenological events to climate warming in the southern and south-eastern regions of Romania. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment 2017, 32, 1113 -1129.

AMA Style

Georgeta Bandoc, Remus Prăvălie, Cristian Patriche, Elena Dragomir, Maria Tomescu. Response of phenological events to climate warming in the southern and south-eastern regions of Romania. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. 2017; 32 (4):1113-1129.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Georgeta Bandoc; Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Patriche; Elena Dragomir; Maria Tomescu. 2017. "Response of phenological events to climate warming in the southern and south-eastern regions of Romania." Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment 32, no. 4: 1113-1129.

Article
Published: 29 August 2016 in Journal of Earth System Science
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The present paper examines hydroclimatic dynamics in southwestern Romania drylands, which is one of the country’s most heavily affected regions by climate change. The analysis focuses on two of the region’s representative catchments (Drincea and Desnatui), covers the past five decades (1961–2009), and is based on climate data (mean monthly and annual climatic water balance values – CWB, expressed in mm) and hydrological data (mean monthly and annual streamflow rate values – SFR, expressed in m3/s). The data were provided by five regional weather stations, i.e., by five gauging stations located within the two catchments. The analysis was conducted on three temporal scales (annual, seasonal and monthly), and used statistical methods, such as Mann–Kendall test/Sen’s slope method for trend analysis, and Spearman/Student test for the statistical association between climatic and hydrological parameters. The results indicated an overall increase in climatic water deficit, with direct effects on streamflow reduction. Statistically significant trends (climatic water deficit increase and streamflow decrease) were identified especially in spring (with maximum rate values of (−1.66 mm/yr)/(−81.3 mm/49 yrs), for the CWB, and (−0.02 m3/s/yr)/(−0.9 m3/s/49 yrs), for the SFR). In some cases (mainly in the autumn months) it was found that, while climatic water deficit has decreased, the streamflow rate has increased. Statistical correlations revealed the relationship between the considered hydroclimatic parameters, with a particularly high statistical significance in spring and summer. Weak and inverse correlations between climatic and hydrological parameters can be explained by the role of other factors controlling the streamflow, both natural (soil and lithology) and anthropogenic (wetland drainage, water body conversion, dam and reservoirs building).

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Liliana Zaharia; Georgeta Bandoc; Alexandru I Petrişor; Oana Ionuş; Iulian Mitof. Hydroclimatic dynamics in southwestern Romania drylands over the past 50 years. Journal of Earth System Science 2016, 125, 1255 -1271.

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Liliana Zaharia, Georgeta Bandoc, Alexandru I Petrişor, Oana Ionuş, Iulian Mitof. Hydroclimatic dynamics in southwestern Romania drylands over the past 50 years. Journal of Earth System Science. 2016; 125 (6):1255-1271.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Liliana Zaharia; Georgeta Bandoc; Alexandru I Petrişor; Oana Ionuş; Iulian Mitof. 2016. "Hydroclimatic dynamics in southwestern Romania drylands over the past 50 years." Journal of Earth System Science 125, no. 6: 1255-1271.

Journal article
Published: 13 June 2016 in Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment
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Climate change analysis is essential, considering the numerous economic and ecological implications of this critical global environmental issue. This paper analyzes the spatial and temporal trends of mean air temperature in Romania’s most important agricultural area, the south and south-eastern region, between 1961 and 2009. In this respect, multiannual (the entire period) and multidecadal (1961–1990, 1971–2000, 1981–2009) trends were analyzed using the Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s slope method at 23 weather stations, annually, seasonally and for the growing season of the region’s main agricultural crops (maize and wheat). Multiannually, the results showed statistically significant temperature increases, on all temporal scales (maximum rate of 0.06 °C/year recorded in summer, equivalent to a net temperature rise of 2.82 °C), except for the autumn season (cooling without statistical significance). Multidecadally, the 1961–1990 period is marked by a general cooling, especially in autumn (maximum values of −0.07 °C/year or over 2 °C net cooling). In the 1971–2000 and 1981–2009 periods, a general warming was observed (maximum in summer for both multidecades, when positive rates peaked at 0.09 °C/year, or 2.5–3 °C net warming), but the warming of the last three decades is the most prominent in terms of spatial average magnitude and trend significance. Upon analysis of the impact of climate warming on agricultural yields (maize) through linear regression, in the 1991–2000 decade, considered as case study, it was found that in 32 % of the total analyzed area there are evident relationships between the two variables (p value <0.05). In this case, a dependency of 33–50 % (40 %, on average) of maize to climate was found, and a sensitivity (loss) ranging between 0.9 and 1.5 t/ha/year (1.2 t/ha/year, on average) for a 1 °C temperature rise. At the same time, significant losses (of up to 1.7 t/ha/year) of maize for a 1 °C temperature rise were identified in 51 % of the area, but with little p value significance (between 0.05 and 0.1). It is however necessary to analyse the agro-climatic results cautiously, considering that only one decade of climate-agriculture relationship was studied. The results can be useful first and foremost for mitigating the climate change impact on agricultural systems, by prioritizing future adaptation strategies enforced by policy makers.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Georgeta Bandoc; Cristian Patriche; Maria Tomescu. Spatio-temporal trends of mean air temperature during 1961–2009 and impacts on crop (maize) yields in the most important agricultural region of Romania. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment 2016, 31, 1923 -1939.

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Georgeta Bandoc, Cristian Patriche, Maria Tomescu. Spatio-temporal trends of mean air temperature during 1961–2009 and impacts on crop (maize) yields in the most important agricultural region of Romania. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. 2016; 31 (8):1923-1939.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Georgeta Bandoc; Cristian Patriche; Maria Tomescu. 2016. "Spatio-temporal trends of mean air temperature during 1961–2009 and impacts on crop (maize) yields in the most important agricultural region of Romania." Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment 31, no. 8: 1923-1939.

Original articles
Published: 12 April 2016 in Arid Land Research and Management
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Water deficit (WD) typically associated with drylands and poor land use currently represent a major limiting factor for agricultural systems in numerous regions of the world. The present study aims to analyze the relationship between water deficit and corn (Zea mays L) crop yields in southern Oltenia drylands. The study includes the post-1990 period, which is representative for Romania in terms of ample climate changes and poor land planning decisions affecting water resources. This analysis targeted the vegetation period of corn (April–September), the reference period covering a 14-year interval, from 1990 to 2003. The entire analysis was based on spatialized WD data (mm), obtained by interpolation methods used on climate data provided by regional weather stations, and agricultural yield data (tons/hectare/year), recorded in 113 administrative territorial units. Both data sets were analyzed in terms of interannual statistical relationships, established in compact climate zones delineated by Thiessen-Voronoi polygons. The results showed a clear statistical relationship between the two variables, with an average dependence of corn yields on water of approximately 65%. The range was from 55 to 78%, depending on region. The results showed an average yield decrease of 16.5 kg/ha/year for each mm rise of the WD, or loss of 1.65 t/ha/year when considering a deficit rise of 100 mm. Therefore, in the context of increasing future WD, urgent action is needed in order to reintroduce irrigation systems.

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Valeriu Patriche; Igor Sirodoev; Georgeta Bandoc; Monica Dumitrascu; Daniel Peptenatu. Water deficit and corn productivity during the post-socialist period. Case study: Southern Oltenia drylands, Romania. Arid Land Research and Management 2016, 30, 239 -257.

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Cristian Valeriu Patriche, Igor Sirodoev, Georgeta Bandoc, Monica Dumitrascu, Daniel Peptenatu. Water deficit and corn productivity during the post-socialist period. Case study: Southern Oltenia drylands, Romania. Arid Land Research and Management. 2016; 30 (3):239-257.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Cristian Valeriu Patriche; Igor Sirodoev; Georgeta Bandoc; Monica Dumitrascu; Daniel Peptenatu. 2016. "Water deficit and corn productivity during the post-socialist period. Case study: Southern Oltenia drylands, Romania." Arid Land Research and Management 30, no. 3: 239-257.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2015 in Present Environment and Sustainable Development
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Land degradation is presently an important environmental issue in many regions of the Globe, including Central South-Eastern Europe, where Romania is located. This study aims to quantify areas with significant sensitivity to degradation at national level, based on data provided by the European Environment Agency, obtained relatively recently through the DISMED project (Desertification Information System for the Mediterranean) in the Mediterranean and Central South-Eastern regions of Europe. The analysis is based on extracting SDI index (Desertification Sensitivity Index) information for the country’s entire territory, as well as for certain major regional, natural (landforms) and anthropogenic (counties) units. Thus, the areas corresponding to the most representative classes for land degradation potential in Romania were extracted, i.e. the ones with moderate and high sensitivity. The study also attempts to differentiate the degradation / desertification processes spatially, by delimiting drylands, for which the land degradation process is considered to be equivalent to desertification. The results showed that, at national level, there are ~ 72 000 km2 of lands with moderate and high degradation potential (30% of the country’s total surface), of which 80% (~ 57 000 km2) can be classified as sensitive to desertification. It was noticed that most degradation-prone areas are concentrated in the Romanian Plain (~ 30000 km2 moderate sensitivity) and the Dobrogea Plateau (~ 4150 km2 high sensitivity), in terms of the natural criterion, and in Braila (~ 4200 km2 moderate sensitivity) and Constanta (~ 3200 km2 high sensitivity) counties, in terms of the anthropogenic one. It was also found that land degradation in these areas corresponds to desertification, considering the existence of dry sub-humid and semi-arid climates, which are components of dryland systems.

ACS Style

Remus Pravalie. Cuantification Of Land Degradation Sensitivity Areas In Romania Using European DISMED Data. Present Environment and Sustainable Development 2015, 9, 73 -86.

AMA Style

Remus Pravalie. Cuantification Of Land Degradation Sensitivity Areas In Romania Using European DISMED Data. Present Environment and Sustainable Development. 2015; 9 (2):73-86.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Pravalie. 2015. "Cuantification Of Land Degradation Sensitivity Areas In Romania Using European DISMED Data." Present Environment and Sustainable Development 9, no. 2: 73-86.

Journal article
Published: 21 August 2015 in Journal of Geographical Sciences
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The analysis of a territory’s climatic water balance dynamics against the background of climate change is a key component for increasing water resource management efficiency. The present study aims to analyse climatic water balance (CWB) dynamics in Romania’s most arid region, Dobrogea, located in the southeast. The study covers the 1961–2009 period, and is based on annual and seasonal CWB values (mm), provided by nine weather stations located throughout the region. The study, based on statistical and GIS techniques, is divided into two main stages, both carried out at annual and seasonal scales–trend analysis using the Mann-Kendall test, the Sen’s slope method, and CWB value distribution type analysis. In order to identify the probabilistic types of distributions, four mathematical models were identified–Pearson, Gamma, Chi-Squared and Wakeby, statistically verified with the P-P Plot, Q-Q Plot and Probabillity Difference Graph (PDG) curve tests. Thus, in terms of trends, the results showed a deficit increase especially at the northern stations, mainly for annual values (with a peak in the northeast, where CWB rates reached –3.2 mm/yr). While general CWB declines occurred in winter, spring and summer, apparent decrease rates were found in the northern region (highest negative rates–summer, northwest, –1.4 mm/yr). Autumn is an exception, due to overall increase rates which peaked in the southwest (2.3 mm/yr). However, the entire trend analysis indicated a general lack of statistical significance. The distribution type histogram analysis showed that, annually and seasonally, deficit values are generally dominant (more noticeable in the northern region), except for the winter season, mainly characterized by surplus intervals. Thus, the results suggest a climatic water deficit increase over the last five decades especially in northern Dobrogea, which signals the need for a spatial prioritization targeting a more efficient water resource management, necessary first and foremost for increasing regional agricultural system productivity.

ACS Style

Georgeta Bandoc; Remus Prăvălie. Climatic water balance dynamics over the last five decades in Romania’s most arid region, Dobrogea. Journal of Geographical Sciences 2015, 25, 1307 -1327.

AMA Style

Georgeta Bandoc, Remus Prăvălie. Climatic water balance dynamics over the last five decades in Romania’s most arid region, Dobrogea. Journal of Geographical Sciences. 2015; 25 (11):1307-1327.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Georgeta Bandoc; Remus Prăvălie. 2015. "Climatic water balance dynamics over the last five decades in Romania’s most arid region, Dobrogea." Journal of Geographical Sciences 25, no. 11: 1307-1327.

Original articles
Published: 08 January 2015 in Arid Land Research and Management
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The present study constitutes a climatic approach of aridity trend analysis in the south-eastern part of Romania (Dobrogea region), over the past five decades. The analysis is based on a series of investigations on the temporal trends of certain climatic parameters that play a key role in a territory's climatic variability, such as temperature, precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration. In this respect, a series of aridity index trends (De Martonne Index, UNEP Index, and Water Deficit Index), recorded between 1961 and 2009, was analyzed, using climatic parameters provided by eight weather stations in the Dobrogea region. While the results showed that the last five decades were generally characterized by an upward climatic aridity trend (increasing temperatures and potential evapotranspiration in all considered instances), there are certain regional differences due to precipitation regime variations (higher rainfall values were recorded at four weather stations). In terms of maximum aridity conditions, the study reveals that the most critical aridity index values were reported in 1990, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2008 The Climate of Romania. 2008. National meteorology administration. Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest. [Google Scholar], especially at the weather stations located in the northern part of the Dobrogea region. The situation is slightly different in the central-southern part, where the results indicated an aridity trend decline coupled with an increase of annual precipitation amounts, especially between 1995 and 2009.

ACS Style

Remus Pravalie; Georgeta Bandoc. Aridity Variability in the Last Five Decades in the Dobrogea Region, Romania. Arid Land Research and Management 2015, 29, 265 -287.

AMA Style

Remus Pravalie, Georgeta Bandoc. Aridity Variability in the Last Five Decades in the Dobrogea Region, Romania. Arid Land Research and Management. 2015; 29 (3):265-287.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Pravalie; Georgeta Bandoc. 2015. "Aridity Variability in the Last Five Decades in the Dobrogea Region, Romania." Arid Land Research and Management 29, no. 3: 265-287.

Journal article
Published: 10 July 2014 in Journal of Geographical Sciences
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Nowadays, Southwestern Romania faces a large-scale aridization of the climate, revealed by the rise of temperatures and the decline of the amount of precipitations, with negative effects visible, among others, in the desiccation of forest vegetation. The present study means to identify the changes that occurred, quality-wise, in the past two decades (1990–2011) in forest vegetation in Southwestern Romania, and to establish the link between those changes and extant thermal stress in the region, whose particular features are high average annual and seasonal temperatures. In order to capture the evolution in time of climate aridization, a first step consisted in using climate data, the temperature and precipitation parameters from three weather stations; these parameters were analyzed both individually and as aridity indexes (De Martonne and UNEP). In order to quantify the changes in forest vegetation, NDVI indexes were used and analyzed, starting off from Landsat satellite images, acquired at three distinct moments in time, 1990, 2000 and 2011. In order to identify the link between the changes of NDVI index values and regional thermal stress, a yardstick of climate changes, statistical correlations were established between the peak values of average annual temperatures, represented in space, and negative changes in the NDVI index, as revealed by the change-detection analysis. The results obtained indicated there is an obvious (statistically significant) connection between thermal stress and the desiccation (degradation) of forest species in the analyzed area, with false acacia (Robinia Pseudoacacia) the main species to be impacted.

ACS Style

Remus Pravalie; Igor Sîrodoev; Daniel Peptenatu. Detecting climate change effects on forest ecosystems in Southwestern Romania using Landsat TM NDVI data. Journal of Geographical Sciences 2014, 24, 815 -832.

AMA Style

Remus Pravalie, Igor Sîrodoev, Daniel Peptenatu. Detecting climate change effects on forest ecosystems in Southwestern Romania using Landsat TM NDVI data. Journal of Geographical Sciences. 2014; 24 (5):815-832.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Pravalie; Igor Sîrodoev; Daniel Peptenatu. 2014. "Detecting climate change effects on forest ecosystems in Southwestern Romania using Landsat TM NDVI data." Journal of Geographical Sciences 24, no. 5: 815-832.

Journal article
Published: 02 June 2014 in Forum geografic
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Geographical studies and environment protection research

ACS Style

Remus Prăvălie; Romulus Costache. The analysis of the susceptibility of the flash-floodsʼ genesis in the area of the hydrographical basin of Bâsca Chiojdului river. Forum geografic 2014, XIII, 39 -49.

AMA Style

Remus Prăvălie, Romulus Costache. The analysis of the susceptibility of the flash-floodsʼ genesis in the area of the hydrographical basin of Bâsca Chiojdului river. Forum geografic. 2014; XIII (1):39-49.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Remus Prăvălie; Romulus Costache. 2014. "The analysis of the susceptibility of the flash-floodsʼ genesis in the area of the hydrographical basin of Bâsca Chiojdului river." Forum geografic XIII, no. 1: 39-49.