Abstract: This paper presents a modification of the theory of weighted mean temperatures for rivers. Rodhe, B. (1952) assumed the dominance of sensible heat transfer on ice formation. We aimed to improve the method for the evaluation of ice and water temperature based on a relatively low number of inputs. We further developed the model by introducing the effect of pre-existing ice, hence increasing the accuracy of the model on the timing of ice disappearance. Prediction accuracy of ±1 day was reached for the timing of the appearance of ice. Additional outputs have also been added to the model, including the termination of ice and the prediction of water temperature. The temperature calculation had a coefficient of determination of 95 percent, and a root mean square error of 1.33 °C during the calibration period without the use of observed water temperatures. The validation was carried out in a forecasting situation, and the results were compared to the energy balance.
Keywords: hydrology; ice dynamics; forecast; water temperature; Danube
Abstract: Climate constitutes key resources for tourism since it influences the range of tourism activities and the development of tourism supply. Tourism is highly sensitive to changes in climate elements. It is extremely important for adaptation strategy-making to explore whether the tourism climate conditions in a given region and at a specific time are appropriate and how they may change in the future. This is described by the exposure of the tourism sector to climate conditions and climate change. In this study, we analyse the exposure of tourism for Hungary on a district level and every month (from March to November) with the help of the modified Tourism Climate Index. First, the present conditions are evaluated based on a gridded observational database CarpatClim-HU, which forms the basis for assessing the future conditions. Afterwards, the expected future circumstances are analysed using regional climate model outputs. In order to interpret the uncertainties of the climate projections properly, we use two different model results (HIRHAM5 and RACMO22E) relying on two emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The results have demonstrated that the most favourable conditions are found in spring (MAM) and autumn (SON), while in summer (JJA) a decline in climate potential is observed. According to the future tendencies, generally, a decline is expected between May and September, but the other investigated months usually bring an improvement. For a given emission scenario, the expected trend is quite similar for the two model experiments, while for a given climate model, the use of RCP8.5 scenario indicates larger changes than RCP4.5. The results prove that climate change will have an obvious impact on tourism potential in Hungary, and therefore tourism strategy development has to take into account this effect more than before.
Keywords: climate change, climate exposure, tourism, regional climate model, modified Tourism Climate Index, districts of Hungary
Abstract: This paper discusses the situation in the emerging field of accessible tourism at the Lake Balaton destination. The main objective of the study was to explore the current situation of accessible tourism at Lake Balaton, focusing on the perspectives of tourism stakeholders. Various issues were reflected upon, such as: a) the “general” accessibility of the destination in terms of the current state of accessibility of the destination as well as the accessibility of information, transportation, accommodation, food and beverage services, tourist attractions, funds and know-how; b) factors that make the destination Lake Balaton competitive as an accessible destination; and c) general attitudes of tourism stakeholders towards accessible tourism. The research focus was on the destination itself, not on individual attractions or tourism service providers. In order to assess the current situation and future prospects for accessible tourism at Lake Balaton, an exploratory quantitative online survey among stakeholders was conducted between 5 September and 5 October 2020. A total of 39 stakeholders participated in the survey, including 11 local municipality stakeholders, 8 local destination management organisations, and 20 tourism service providers (accommodation, catering or attractions/sights). The results show that the Lake Balaton destination accessibility is currently at an early stage of development and tends to target groups with low accessibility needs. Among the factors of destination competitiveness for the accessible tourism market, supportive factors (e.g. accessibility, infrastructure, and the commitment of stakeholders) are ranked first, followed by resources and attractions (landscape, climate, activities, culture, history, tourism service providers, and events) and the quality factor (including value for money, safety, perception and image). Planning and management (including positioning and branding) is the lowest ranked factor even though such aspects are critical factors and foundations for the development of accessible tourism.
Keywords: accessible tourism, stakeholder analysis, tourism service providers, Lake Balaton
Abstract: The paper tackles the issue of uneven geographical representations on Wikipedia, the most visible and powerful user-generated encyclopaedia. In particular, it addresses language imbalances on Wikipedia with regard to geographical information and uneven spatial patterns of territory coverage on the different language versions in an attempt to verify expectations about the cultural factors that influence these imbalances and uneven spatial patterns. Ukraine is a promising case for testing the formulated expectations, as it has a large number of neighbouring countries, and most of them had political and cultural influence on its territory in the past. The volumes (word counts) of articles about the Ukrainian cities were analysed for seven language versions of Wikipedia, including the Ukrainian version and the versions of all bordering countries. The results show that historical geography is the strongest and central factor, and most of the key relic borders (former boundaries) can be traced. Ethnic composition appears to be another important factor, although weaker than the previous one. The role of the border factor is often unclear, but in some cases it definitely makes an impact and therefore cannot be completely ignored. Thus, the geographies of Wikipedia are not indifferent to the issues of ethnicity and geopolitics. The research calls into question the ability of modern Wikipedia to be a reliable and balanced source of geographical knowledge, as the described imbalances may create lopsided and biased geographical representations in people from different countries and nations.
Keywords: Wikipedia, geographical representations, uneven geographies, language inequalities, word count, cultural factors, Ukraine
Abstract: The use of thematic cartography in earth sciences is a frequent task for researchers when publishing. When creating a map, researchers intend to communicate important spatial information that enhances, supplements or replaces textual content. Not only visual but substantial requirements exist for those who create maps. Cartographic visualisation has several well-established rules that must be taken into account during compilation, but not all researchers apply them correctly. The present study aims to identify the factors determining the quality of geoscientific maps and what needs to be improved during a map compilation process. To get to know the tendencies, we have investigated maps in designated journals - one Hungarian and one international per earth science branch: geography, cartography, geology, geophysics, and meteorology. A system of criteria was set up for evaluating the maps objectively; basic rules of cartography, quality of visual representation, and copyright rules were investigated. The results show that better map quality is connected to journals with strict editorial rules and higher impact factors. This assessment method is suitable for analysing any kind of spatial visual representation, and individual map-composing authors can use it for evaluating their maps before submission and publication.
Keywords: thematic mapping, cartography, data visualisation, earth sciences
Book review section