Spatial Differentiation of the Maximum River Runoff Synchronicity in the Warta River Catchment, Poland

Based on daily flows recorded in the period 1971–2010, the synchronous occurrence of the annual (AMAXq), winter (WMAXq), and summer (SMAXq) maximum specific runoffs in 39 sub-catchments of the Warta River catchment (WRC) in Poland was analyzed. First, trends in the flows were detected using the non-parametric Mann–Kendall (M-K) test. Then, the degree of the synchronous and asynchronous occurrences of the maximum specific runoffs (MAXq) in respective sub-catchments in relation to the Gorzow Wielkopolski gauge closing the WRC was calculated. Finally, the reasons for the detected spatial and temporal differences were discussed. The study revealed a noticeable variability of the analyzed parameters. The highest synchronicity of AMAXq and WMAXq in relation to the closing Gorzow Wielkopolski gauge was revealed in the man-made Kościanski and Mosinski canals and in the sub-catchments of the Notec, Welna, and lower Prosna rivers. While compared to AMAXq and WMAXq, the summer maxima showed relatively lower degrees of synchronicity, an increase in the synchronous occurrence of SMAXq in the southern part of WRC, and a decrease in its central part were identified. It was concluded that the stronger synchronicity of WMAXq resulted from the nival regime of the investigated rivers. Consequently, the annual maxima were most often associated with the winter half-year. The detected differences of synchronicity of the annual and seasonal runoffs are conditioned by climate, more specifically by the course of winter and resulting from it snow cover thickness, and also the amount and intensity of rainfall in summer.