Abstract
Extreme cold and meteorological drought in the Mongolian Plateau (MP) were investigated during 1969–2017. Several drought indices were evaluated by analyzing recorded historical drought data in the Chinese region of the MP. The evaluated drought indices were then applied to detect drought characteristics in the entire MP. The trends of extreme cold indices showed that the climate of the MP has warmed during the past 49 years; however, the frequency of cold day/night has increased in the Mongolian region. The climate of Mongolia has also become colder in the spring season. The comprehensive meteorological drought index (CMDI) and the standardized precipitation index with a six-month scale (SPI6) exhibited better performances, showing high consistency between the spatial patterns of the two indices. However, drought represented by the SPI6 was enhanced greater than that expressed by the CMDI. Drought in the MP has been enhanced during the past 49 years, particularly in the Ordos and Alashan plateaus and the Xiliao River basin in China. Moreover, drought has been enhanced from August to October, particularly in the Mongolian region. However, spring drought has shown a weakening trend, which has been beneficial for agriculture and husbandry sectors in some regions of the MP.
Highlights
IntroductionVariations and trends in extreme climate are more sensitive to climate change than the mean values and have received significantly more attention [1]
Climate change is one of the great environmental issues of the 21st century
Trends of extreme cold indices in the Mongolian Plateau (MP) were detected by the Mann–Kendall test for the period of 1969–2017
Summary
Variations and trends in extreme climate are more sensitive to climate change than the mean values and have received significantly more attention [1]. Extreme weather and climate events have received increased attention because they are associated with high losses of human life and increasing expenses [2,3]. The greatest threat to humans and the natural environment is manifested locally via changes in regional extreme weather and climate events [4,5]. Changes in the frequency or intensity of extreme weather and climate events have profound impacts on both human society and the natural environment [1]. The consecutive 1999–2002 droughts and dzuds were the worst recorded during the last 50 years and caused 30% of the national herd losses in Mongolia [9].
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