ISSN 1006-9895

CN 11-1768/O4

Decadal Variability of Water Resources in North China and Its Linkage to Global Warming
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    Abstract:

    On the basis of the water budget equation, we discuss the decadal variability of water resources and available precipitation in North China, and address its link to boreal large-scale circulation and global warming between 1951 and 2011. The data sets utilized include monthly station-observed surface air temperature and precipitation, sounding-observed air temperature and geopotential height, and NCEP/NCAR and ERA40 reanalyzed atmospheric components. Our results suggest that annual average evaporation accounts for 69% of the total water resource in contrast to 31% by the available precipitation in North China. Most of North China's water resources come from the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) season. The water resources in this region exhibit an obvious decadal decrease around the 1980s, and drops further in the first decade of 21st century with the increase of local evaporation. Analysis suggests that westerly winds and the EASM jointly supply the water resources in North China, and the lower and higher geopotential height (GPH) around Lake Baikal and the western North Pacific may enhance water resources in this region. This is clearly supported by the NCEP/NCAR and ERA40 reanalyzed data sets, but also by the atmospheric sounding over East Asia. Evidence indicates that the global warming-related low-level warming that caused an anomalous anti-cyclone around Lake Baikal resulted in a decrease in water resources in North China. Therefore monitoring the surface air temperature around Lake Baikal may provide a good indicator for long-term forecasting of water resources and the EASM.

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History
  • Received:July 30,2013
  • Revised:January 24,2014
  • Adopted:
  • Online: September 26,2014
  • Published: