Changes in some elements of the water cycle in the easternmost part of the Baltic Sea Drainage Basin between 1945 and 2010

Soil moisture and evaporation are the most important elements of the terrestrial water cycle. In situ data from 14 stations with soil moisture observations, 13 stations with pan evaporation and 200 stations with precipitation measurements are used to analyse temporal changes in these elements of the terrestrial water cycle over the Russian part of the Baltic Sea Drainage Basin. It was determined that soil moisture, pan evaporation and visible evaporation have exhibited significant changes during the past 45 years. These changes reflect the non-uniform character of moistening changes over the Russian part of the Baltic Sea region.