Study area
The Banat Plain is situated in western Romania and covers approximately half of the Banat region . It extends westward to the border with Serbia and eastward into hilly areas , resembling bays of varying widths .
The region ' s elevation ranges from 80 to 180 meters , with exceptional lows of 75-77 meters at the exit of Aranca and Timiș rivers and peaks around 200 meters in certain terraces near the Pogăniș Hills .
The Banat Plain forms part of the broader sedimentation basin known as the Pannonian Depression , which experienced subsidence due to fault alignments , mainly during the Badenian and Pannonian periods . Subsidence led to the creation of a landscape characterized by meandering rivers , changing watercourses , large swampy areas , lakes , and alluvial plains .
Continued excess moisture in the future could lead to rising groundwater levels and further sodium accumulations , particularly in areas with ion exchange positions .
Climate : The climate of the Banat Plain is characterized by the influence of western circulation patterns , with Atlantic nuances . The region also experiences strong climatic impacts .
Objective : To analyze the thermal regime of the Banat Plain and its impact on evapotranspiration calculations .
Methods
The study considers the brightness coefficient ( K ) based on the latitude of the study area , calculated from the average hours of daylight for each month . The thermal index ( I ) is calculated as the sum of monthly thermal indices ( i ), where each i is determined by a formula based on average multiannual temperatures .
The study focuses on months with positive temperatures when calculating monthly indices ( i ). The Thornthwaite formula is used to calculate potential evapotranspiration ( ETP ), which must be corrected for the specific crops in the Banat Plain area .
Results
Evolution of the thermal regime
Data from the Regional Meteorological Center Banat-Crisana for 122 years ( 1897 – 2019 ) were analyzed , with a gap between 1917 and 1920 due to World War I ( Fig . 1 ). Annual temperature shows a slight upward trend , particularly in the last decade , indicating a warming trend in the Banat region . The lowest annual temperature occurred in 1939 – 1940 ( 8.8 ° C ), while the highest was recorded in 2008 – 2009 ( 13 ° C ).
Vegetation period temperature The average temperature during the vegetation period is slightly
40