Temporal and Spatial Variations of Precipitation Change from Southeast to Northwest China during the Period 1961–2017

Abstract

Global climate change is significant, and the spatiotemporal variations of precipitation associated with it are pronounced. Based on the daily precipitation data from 10 weather stations located from southeast to northwest across China from 1961–2017, the Mann–Kendall trend test was generally applied to analyze the spatiotemporal variations of precipitation. The factors influencing the precipitation changes were investigated. The results revealed that (1) the annual, summer, and winter rainfall amount (RA) exhibited increasing rates of 16.36, 12.31, and 2.49 mm/10 year, respectively. The change rates of annual rainfall days (RD) were 2.68 day/10 year in the northwest region and −1.88 day/10 year in the southeast. The annual and seasonal daily precipitation on rainy days (RP) exhibited an increasing trend. (2) All of the RA, RD, and RP values initially increased, then decreased, and then slightly increased from Southeast to Northwest China. These results proved that the RA increased with the increase of light rain in Northwest China and heavy rain in Southeast China. In addition, changes in the monsoon have altered the rate at which RA, RD, and RP vary with distance from the sea. These findings may help to provide suggestions for the rational spatial utilization of water resources in China.

Keywords

• rainfall amount
• rainfall days
• daily precipitation
• Mann Kendall trend test
• Sen’s slope
• climate change