Аридизация засушливых земель Европейской части России и связь с засухами

Secular trends in humidification in seven southern regions of the European part of Russia were investigated. Land degradation trend was assessed based on satellite albedo data at the beginning of the current century. Mutual compensation of intra-centuries fluctuations of the aridity index drives to the stability of arid zones in drylands. The insignificance of linear trend of the aridity index for the period 1901-2012 does not confirm the hypothesis of systematic strengthening of the aridization under ongoing global warming. The analysis of dry and wet years’ groups of the different duration revealed the decrease of the frequency of spring droughts, and their intensity achieved the maximum in 1981-1990. Frequency and intensity of summer droughts increased during the periods corresponding to the groups of growing aridization years. In the progress absence in aridization of drylands of the European part of Russia for more than 100 years, increased land degradation becomes the dominant factor of desertification.