Elevation-Dependent Trends in Precipitation Observed over and around the Tibetan Plateau from 1971 to 2017

Wenfeng Hu,Junqiang Yao,Qing He,Jing Chen

doi:10.3390/w13202848

Wenfeng Hu, Junqiang Yao + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/w13202848

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Abstract

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) are regions that are most sensitive to climate change, especially extreme precipitation changes with elevation, may increase the risk of natural disasters and have attracted attention for the study of extreme events in order to identify adaptive actions. Based on daily observed data from 113 meteorological stations in the Tibetan Plateau and the surrounding regions in China during 1971–2017, we calculated the annual total precipitation and extreme precipitation indices using the R ClimDex software package and explored elevation-dependent precipitation trends. The results demonstrate that the annual total precipitation increased at a rate of 6.7 mm/decade, and the contribution of extreme precipitation to total precipitation increased over time, and the climate extremes were enhanced. The annual total, seasonal precipitation, and precipitation extreme trends were observed in terms of elevation dependence in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and the surrounding area of the Tibetan Plateau (TPS) during 1971–2017. There is growing evidence that the elevation-dependent wetting (EDWE) is complex over the TP. The trends in total precipitation have a strong dependence on elevation, and the EDWE is highlighted by the extreme precipitation indices, for example, the number of heavy precipitation days (R10) and consecutive wet days (CWD). The dependence of extreme precipitation on elevation is heterogeneous, as other extreme indices do not indicate EDWE. These findings highlight the precipitation complexity in the TP. The findings of this study will be helpful for improving our understanding of variabilities in precipitation and extreme precipitation in response to climate change and will provide support for water resource management and disaster prevention in plateaus and mountain ranges.

Highlights

IPCC (2007) reported that the air temperature of the global surface has increased by0.75 ◦ C during the last century [1]
The results have indicated that precipitation increases continuously with elevation up to the mountain peaks or an elevation below the top, above which precipitation amounts did not increase any more considering the amplification of elevation-dependent wetting at high elevations, studies have focused on the precipitation trends along elevation gradients in the mountains [22,23,24,25]
Beusekom et al [25] studied the rainfall in Northeastern Puerto Rico and indicated that the precipitation in the strated that the simulated seasonal total precipitation generally increased with elevation

Summary

Introduction

IPCC (2007) reported that the air temperature of the global surface has increased by0.75 ◦ C during the last century [1]. Under the context of global warming, mountainous regions may be more sensitive to warming than other land areas at the same latitude [2,3]. Many previous studies have quantified and identified elevation-dependent warming, and strong evidence has been gathered that suggests that warming occurs more rapidly at higher elevations than at lower elevations [7,10]. This phenomenon may exhibit regional differences, and researchers have evaluated climate change in the mountains of the American West [11], the European Alps [12], the Andes

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Discussion

Conclusion