Abstract
Observations in the semi-arid Loess Plateau area of north-west China are utilized to reveal the characteristics and variations in the seasonal distribution of dewfall (frost) and the influence of micrometeorology, precipitation, and other weather conditions. Precipitation is the dominant water source in the Loess Plateau; however, non-rainfall water accounts for 13 % of the total land-surface water source. Dew is the second largest non-rainfall component next only to soil adsorption water. Observations show that dew (frost) occurrence is likely to occur when an inversion occurs between the heights of 1 and 4 m with a temperature difference of 0.25 K, surface wind speed of 1.5 m s\(^{-1}\), and surface relative humidity greater than 80 %.
Highlights
In a water-limited environment, the availability of surface water has significant effects on crop yield (Wallin 1967; Zhang and Huang 2004; Cai et al 2011)
Aside from the precipitation in semi-arid areas, we assessed the contributions of nonrainfall water sources, such as dew, fog, and soil adsorption water
Precipitation is still the dominant water source; non-rainfall surface water accounts for approximately 15 % of the total land-surface water source
Summary
In a water-limited environment, the availability of surface water has significant effects on crop yield (Wallin 1967; Zhang and Huang 2004; Cai et al 2011). The water transfer process in arid/ semi-arid areas exhibits unique features (Garratt and Segal 1988; Ma et al 2005); in particular, the effect of non-rainfall water sources has been assessed in arid regions (Agam and Berliner 2006). Previous studies have reported that in arid and semi-arid areas, Q.
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