Volume contents
Clim Res 72:73-82 (2017)

Drought assessment in northwest China during 1960-2013 using the standardized precipitation index

ABSTRACT: The standardized precipitation index (SPI) can be used to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of regional water resources. Monthly precipitation data obtained from 96 weather stations in northwest China from 1960 to 2013 were used to calculate the SPI. Changes in the SPI were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall (MK) test and the Pettitt test. The results indicated that 50 stations had a significant increasing trend in the annual SPI series. Analysis of seasonal SPI trends revealed the prevalence of serious drought conditions in the spring, while most stations exhibited a wetting trend in the winter. Significant (at α = 0.05 level) abrupt changes in the annual and seasonal SPI series occurred mostly in 1981-1985. Additionally, a significant abrupt change occurred in the year 1986 in 5 sub-basins (the Turpan-Hami Basin, Gurbantunggut Desert Basin, Northern Tianshan Mountains, Northern Kunlun Mountains, and the Tarim Desert Basin).

KEYWORDS

Peng Yang (Co-author)

  • Key Laboratory of Water Cycle & Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
  • University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China

Jun Xia (Corresponding Author)

  • Key Laboratory of Water Cycle & Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
  • State Key Laboratory of Water Resources & Hydropower Engineering Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430000, PR China
xiaj@igsnrr.ac.cn

Yongyong Zhang (Co-author)

  • Key Laboratory of Water Cycle & Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China

Longfeng Wang (Co-author)

  • Key Laboratory of Water Cycle & Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
  • University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China