Clim. Past, 16, 1821–1846, 2020 https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1821-2020 © Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Low water stage marks on hunger stones: verification for the Elbe from 1616 to 2015 Libor Elleder1, Ladislav Kašpárek2, Jolana Šírová3, and Tomáš Kabelka4 1Applied Hydrological Research Department, Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Prague, Czech Republic 2T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p.r.i., Department of Hydrology, Prague, Czech Republic 3Hydrological Database and Water Balance, Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Prague, Czech Republic 4Prague Regional Office, Department of Hydrology, Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Prague, Czech Republic Correspondence: Libor Elleder (
[email protected]) Received: 30 August 2019 – Discussion started: 7 November 2019 Revised: 8 April 2020 – Accepted: 18 April 2020 – Published: 28 September 2020 Abstract. This paper deals with the issue of documenting measured in Magdeburg, Dresden and Prague, available from hydrological drought with the help of drought marks (DMs) 1851, i.e. the beginning of measurements in Deˇcín.ˇ These which have been preserved on dozens of hunger stones (HSs) series had to be reconstructed or digitised from Czech Hy- in the river channel of the Elbe in Bohemia and Saxony. So drometeorological Institute (CHMI) archive sources. Since far, the hunger stones have been regarded rather as an illus- 1851 we have been able to accurately identify the heights tration of dry seasons. Our aim was, among other issues, to and sometimes even the specific days when the minima were draw attention to the much greater value of hunger stones marked. and individual dry year marks inscribed on them.