Temporal and Spatial Variation Characteristics of Precipitation in the Haihe River Basin under the Influence of Climate Change

Yuhang Han,Yanan Xu,Chaoguo Yuan,Zhiheng Xu,Jinxia Sha,Su Li,Yifan Chang,Dan Xu,Bolun Sun,Bin Liu

doi:10.3390/w13121664

Abstract

The impact of global climate change on the temporal and spatial variations of precipitation is significant. In this study, daily temperature and precipitation data from 258 meteorological stations in the Haihe River Basin, for the period 1960–2020, were used to determine the trend and significance of temperature and precipitation changes at interannual and interseasonal scales. The Mann–Kendall test and Spearman’s correlation analysis were employed, and significant change trends and correlations were determined. At more than 90% of the selected stations, the results showed a significant increase in temperature, at both interannual and interseasonal scales, and the increasing trend was more significant in spring than in other seasons. Precipitation predominantly showed a decreasing trend at an interannual scale; however, the change trend was not significant. In terms of the interseasonal scale, the precipitation changes in spring and autumn showed an overall increasing trend, those in summer showed a 1:1 distribution ratio of increasing and decreasing trends, and those in winter showed an overall decreasing trend. Furthermore, the Spearman’s correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between temperature and precipitation in the entire Haihe River Basin, at both interannual and interseasonal scales; however, most of the correlations were weak.

Highlights

Climate change has become one of the major environmental problems of the21st century, and it has attracted increasing attention from the international community as well as the governments of various countries [1]
The Mann–Kendall test was used to analyze the trends of temperature and precipitation variation at interannual and interseasonal scales as well as their significance in the Haihe River Basin
The following conclusions were drawn: (1) Annual and seasonal mean temperatures in the Haihe River Basin showed an increasing trend, with over 90% of the selected stations showing a significant increasing trend, which was more significant in spring than in other seasons

Summary

Introduction

Climate change has become one of the major environmental problems of the21st century, and it has attracted increasing attention from the international community as well as the governments of various countries [1]. According to the Fifth Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the average global temperature increased by 0.85 ◦ C between 1988 and 2012, at an average rate of 0.064 ◦ C per decade [2]; such an increase in global temperature would influence regional hydrological cycles, including changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation. Recent studies have shown that the “arid areas becoming drier and humid areas becoming wetter” notion does not apply to all regions. 1948, only approximately 11% of global precipitation over land has become "drier and wetter," and it has been reported that extreme precipitation events are likely to become more intense and frequent in some parts of the mid-latitudes and humid tropics [2].

Methods

Results

Conclusion