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Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2018, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (4): 317-325.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2018.00317

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Change in summer daily precipitation and its relation with air temperature in Northwest China during 1957–2016

CaiXia Zhang*(),XunMing Wang,YongZhong Su,ZhiWen Han,ZhengCai Zhang,Ting Hua   

  1. Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
  • Received:2018-03-31 Accepted:2018-06-04 Online:2018-08-01 Published:2018-11-22
  • Contact: CaiXia Zhang E-mail:zhangcaixia@lzb.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41101006 and 31570467) and the Key Frontier Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. QYZDJSSW-DQC043).

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Abstract:

On the basis of the summer daily-precipitation meteorological data collected from weather stations across Northwest China from 1957 to 2016, this study evaluated the trends in 12-daily precipitation indices in the summer season and their relations with air temperature. Precipitation-event intensity, which was averaged over the total study area, increased in recent decades although the total precipitation continuously decreased. In particular, intensity generally decreased in the northern and eastern parts and increased in the southern and western parts of the study area. None of the 12 precipitation indices was significantly correlated with temperature in Xinjiang; R95N (number of events with precipitation greater than the long-term 95th percentile), RX1day (greatest 1-day total precipitation), PI (simple daily intensity), and R10 (number of heavy-precipitation days) were significantly and positively correlated with temperature in Qinghai–Gansu. However, low correlation coefficients were observed. In the Loess Plateau, P (total precipitation), WS (maximum number of consecutive wet days), R95N, and WD (number of wet days) were significantly and negatively correlated with temperature, whereas Gini (gini concentration index) and DS (maximum number of consecutive dry days) were significantly and positively correlated with temperature. Results of the study suggested that climate shift was evident in terms of daily precipitation, and the study area faced new challenges involving precipitation-event intensity increasing in the southwestern part and unevenly dispersing in the northwest.

Key words: summer daily precipitation, temperature, China

Figure 1

Summer-season precipitation (averaged during 1957–2016) across the study area and distribution of meteorological stations"

Table 1

Acronyms and definitions of the 12 selected precipitation indices"

Acronyms Definitions Unit
PRCPtot* Total precipitation mm
R95T Percentage of total precipitation from events above long-term 90th percentile %
RX1day Greatest 1-day total precipitation mm
RX5day Greatest 5-day total precipitation mm
WS (CCW) Maximum number of consecutive wet days (precipitation ≥1 mm) day
PI Simple daily intensity (P/WD) mm
C95 Annual 95th percentile mm
R95N Number of events with precipitation greater than the longterm 90th percentile day
R10 Number of heavy-precipitation days (annual count of days when PRCP ≥10 mm) day
Gini (GCI) Gini concentration index fraction
DS (CCD) Maximum number of consecutive dry days (precipitation <1 mm) day
WD Number of wet days (precipitation ≥1 mm) day

Table 2

Trends in 12 precipitation indices during 1957–2016 in three subregions in Northwest China. The trends were estimated as the slopes of regional M–K trend tests"

Precipitation indices Xinjiang Qinghai-Gansu Loess Plateau
P 0.222** 0.303** ?0.354**
R95T 0.074** 0.068** ?
RX1day 0.051** 0.039* ?0.038*
RX5day 0.068** 0.068* ?0.072**
WS ? ? ?
PI 0.008* 0.009** ?
C95 0.013** 0.015** ?0.016**
R95N 0.020** ? ?
R10 ? ? ?
Gini ? ? ?
DS ?0.051** ? ?
WD 0.028** 0.023** ?0.038**

Figure 2

Spatial distribution of the trends of different precipitation indices describing the magnitude of precipitation events in the summer season"

Figure 3

Trends in daily-precipitation indices during the summer seasons of 1957–1976 and 1977–2014"

Table 3

Abrupt changes in 12 precipitation indices during 1957–2016 in the three subregions in Northwest China"

Precipitation indices Xinjiang Qinghai?Gansu Loess Plateau
P 1986** 1978** ?
R95T 1986** 1993** ?
RX1day 1986** ? ?
RX5day 1986** ? ?
WS 1986** ? ?
PI ? 1986* ?
C95 1986** 1978** ?
R95N 1986** 1978** ?
R10 1986** 1978** ?
Gini 1986** 1973* 1996**
DS 1986* ? 1996*
WD 1986** ? 1996*

Table 4

Relationship of precipitation indices with air temperature"

Precipitation indices Xinjiang Qinghai?Gansu Loess Plateau
P ? ? ?0.28*
R95T ? 0.26* ?
RX1day ? 0.27* ?
RX5day ? ? ?
WS ? ? ?0.39**
PI ? 0.27* ?
C95 ? ? ?
R95N ? ? ?0.26*
R10 ? 0.27* ?
Gini ? ? 0.71**
DS ? ? 0.58**
WD ? ? ?0.62**

Figure 4

Abrupt changes occurred in all three subregions during the total time series of 1957–2016"

Figure 5

Abrupt changes occurred in mean temperature (a) Xinjiang, (b) Qinghai–Gansu, (c) Loess Plateau"

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