The trend towards a warmer and wetter climate observed in arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China from 1959 to 2019

Zheng, S; Zhang, B; Peng, D; Yu, L; Lin, B; Pan, Y; Xie, Q

The trend towards a warmer and wetter climate observed in arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China from 1959 to 2019

Zheng, S Zhang, B Peng, D Yu, L Lin, B Pan, Y Xie, Q

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Publisher:: IOP Publishing
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Environmental Research Communications, 2021, 3, (11), pp. 1-20
Issue Date:: 2021-11-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Zheng, S
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, B
dc.contributor.author	Peng, D
dc.contributor.author	Yu, L
dc.contributor.author	Lin, B
dc.contributor.author	Pan, Y
dc.contributor.author	Xie, Q https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1576-6610
dc.date.accessioned	2022-02-16T00:45:37Z
dc.date.available	2022-02-16T00:45:37Z
dc.date.issued	2021-11-01
dc.identifier.citation	Environmental Research Communications, 2021, 3, (11), pp. 1-20
dc.identifier.issn	2515-7620
dc.identifier.issn	2515-7620
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/154568
dc.description.abstract	The observed trend towards a warmer and wetter climate in northwest China is a controversial issue lacking sufficient scientific research. Based on monthly meteorological data from 201 weather stations in northwest China and surrounding regions from 1959 to 2019, we calculated potential evapotranspiration using Penman-Monteith (PM) equation. By analyzing the spatial–temporal variations in temperature and precipitation and by studying changing drought trends, we systematically explored the climate trends in northwest China over the past 60 years. Our findings include: (1) From 1959 to 2019, during the growing season, there was a significant upward trend in temperature across northwest China. The most obvious trend, ranged between 0.4 °C–0.6 °C per decade, was observed in northern Qinghai and northeastern Xinjiang. On a per-month basis, the average temperature increased in all months, with April showing a maximum rate of 0.41 °C per decade. (2) The amount of precipitation in the growing season increased in most regions, especially in western Xinjiang and Qinghai. The areas of reduced precipitation were mainly concentrated in the south of Gansu and Ningxia, the west of Shaanxi and the northeast of Xinjiang. The average precipitation also increased in all months, with June showing a maximum change rate of 1.8 mm per decade. (3) There were obvious spatial differences in the climate trends in northwest China with the warming shifting from areas of bare land to grassland and the trend towards increased rainfall shifting from grassland to bare land. These effects were most obvious in Xinjiang's Tarim Basin. (4) From 1959 to 2019, the degree of drought in northwest China significantly decreased in most areas. The areas where drought decreased and precipitation increased were fairly consistent, which produced a strong spatial correlation between them.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	IOP Publishing
dc.relation	University of Technology Sydney
dc.relation.ispartof	Environmental Research Communications
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1088/2515-7620/ac39f7
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	The trend towards a warmer and wetter climate observed in arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China from 1959 to 2019
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-02-16T00:45:35Z
pubs.issue	11
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	3
utslib.citation.issue	11

Abstract:

The observed trend towards a warmer and wetter climate in northwest China is a controversial issue lacking sufficient scientific research. Based on monthly meteorological data from 201 weather stations in northwest China and surrounding regions from 1959 to 2019, we calculated potential evapotranspiration using Penman-Monteith (PM) equation. By analyzing the spatial–temporal variations in temperature and precipitation and by studying changing drought trends, we systematically explored the climate trends in northwest China over the past 60 years. Our findings include: (1) From 1959 to 2019, during the growing season, there was a significant upward trend in temperature across northwest China. The most obvious trend, ranged between 0.4 °C–0.6 °C per decade, was observed in northern Qinghai and northeastern Xinjiang. On a per-month basis, the average temperature increased in all months, with April showing a maximum rate of 0.41 °C per decade. (2) The amount of precipitation in the growing season increased in most regions, especially in western Xinjiang and Qinghai. The areas of reduced precipitation were mainly concentrated in the south of Gansu and Ningxia, the west of Shaanxi and the northeast of Xinjiang. The average precipitation also increased in all months, with June showing a maximum change rate of 1.8 mm per decade. (3) There were obvious spatial differences in the climate trends in northwest China with the warming shifting from areas of bare land to grassland and the trend towards increased rainfall shifting from grassland to bare land. These effects were most obvious in Xinjiang's Tarim Basin. (4) From 1959 to 2019, the degree of drought in northwest China significantly decreased in most areas. The areas where drought decreased and precipitation increased were fairly consistent, which produced a strong spatial correlation between them.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/154568