CHANGES IN RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS

Abstract

Modern climate change, both globally and in specific regions, is one of the most pressing and important issues facing the world.

The objective of this study is to analyze long-term changes in relative air humidity in the steppe (Prokhladnaya), foothill (Nalchik), and mountain (Akhty, Teberda) climate zones of the North Caucasus region over a long period (1961–2024). Air humidity changes were estimated based on the difference in average values for the compared periods: 1961–1992 and 1993–2024. To assess the rate of change in meteorological parameters, linear trends were constructed for the entire period 1961-2024 and two subperiods: 1961–1992 and 1993–2024. It has been found that the highest average annual relative humidity values for all periods were observed at stations in the lowland and foothill zones, and they had a coherent intraseasonal distribution. At weather stations in the mountain zone, no general pattern in the annual and seasonal distribution of relative humidity was observed.

An analysis of the difference in relative humidity over the two subperiods (1961–1992 and 1993–2024) revealed a decrease in relative humidity values in the second time interval at the Prokhladnaya, Nalchik, and Akhty weather stations in all seasons, while at Teberda, this decrease occurred only in the spring and summer.

In the 1961–1992 period, statistically insignificant upward trends were observed, while in 1993–2024, the trends reversed, becoming statistically significant. Overall, for the period 1961–2024, linear trend calculations revealed a statistically significant decrease in average annual relative humidity at the Prokhladnaya and Nalchik weather stations. At the mountainous weather stations (Akhty and Teberda), the trends were mixed: at Akhty, relative humidity decreased statistically significantly in all periods, while at Teberda, it increased, but not statistically significantly.