Research Base for Mountain Hydrology in Liptovský Mikuláš

Head of the base: Ing. Michal Danko, PhD.

Established in 1986 as the external centre of the Institute of hydrology SAS based on perspective from 1982 for the needs of research task „Monitoring and analysis of the storm runoff regime in mountainous region using mathematical modelling“ in frame of the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme. The research basin location requirement was the Upper Váh river catchment down to the Liptovská Mara hydro-electric plant. Five employees are working at the centre recently.

Main scope of the centre:

• water balance components research in mountain regions
• study of hydrological processes interacting the water sources and runoff formation

Main focus of research activity:

• spatial distribution of the atmospheric precipitation,
• estimation of evapotranspiration at mountain catchment conditions,
• soil moisture spatial variability,
• proportional share of runoff components (isotopic separation - ¹⁸O a ²H)
• generation and development of storm runoff event and catchment response speed,
• snow accumulation and snow-melt, snow-melt runoff,
• climate change and land-use change influence on hydrological regime.

Experimental basin - Jalovecký potok creek

• westernmost catchment of Western Tatra mountains,
• basin area - 22,2 km2
• catchment average altitude - 1500 m (from 800 to 2178 m n.m.)

Photos by Dr. Z. Kostka