Spatio-temporal Variation Characteristics of Extreme Climate Events and Their Teleconnections to Large-scale Ocean-atmospheric Circulation Patterns in Huaihe River Basin,China During 1959–2019

Huaihe River Basin(HRB) is located in China’s north-south climatic transition zone,which is very sensitive to global climate change.Based on the daily maximum temperature,minimum temperature,and precipitation data of 40 meteorological stations and nine monthly large-scale ocean-atmospheric circulation indices data during 1959–2019,we present an assessment of the spatial and temporal variations of extreme temperature and precipitation events in the HRB using nine extreme climate indices,and analyze the teleconnection relationship between extreme climate indices and large-scale ocean-atmospheric circulation indices.The results show that warm extreme indices show a significant(P < 0.05) increasing trend,while cold extreme indices(except for cold spell duration) and diurnal temperature range(DTR) show a significant decreasing trend.Furthermore,all extreme temperature indices show significant mutations during 1959-2019.Spatially,a stronger warming trend occurs in eastern HRB than western HRB,while maximum 5-d precipitation(Rx5day) and rainstorm days(R25) show an increasing trend in the southern,central,and northwestern regions of HRB.Arctic oscillation(AO),Atlantic multidecadal oscillation(AMO),and East Atlantic/Western Russia(EA/WR) have a stronger correlation with extreme climate indices compared to other circulation indices.AO and AMO(EA/WR) exhibit a significant(P < 0.05) negative(positive)correlation with frost days and diurnal temperature range.Extreme warm events are strongly correlated with the variability of AMO and EA/WR in most parts of HRB,while extreme cold events are closely related to the variability of AO and AMO in eastern HRB.In contrast,AMO,AO,and EA/WR show limited impacts on extreme precipitation events in most parts of HRB.

Distribution and Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Mussels from the Middle and Lower Main Stream of Huaihe River

[ Object] The aim was to discuss the pollution status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） in mussels from the middle and lower main stream of Huaihe River, which will provide a scientific basis for dietary safety of mussels. [ Method] Suspended matter, sediment, and mussel samples were collected from Wuxiaojie and Fushanji in middle and lower reaches of Huaihe River. All samples were extracted with Soxhlet, separated through Silica GeI-Al2O3 column, and determined by GC-MS, and then 16 typical PAHs contents in the prior table listed by American EPA were obtained. [ Result] The results indicated that total PAHs concentrations in suspended matters and sediments of Wuxiaojie were significantly higher than those in Fushanji respectively. However, PAHs concentrations in mussels of the two samplings showed little difference; as for single PAH component, low-ring PAHs were more advantaged in suspended matters of two sampling sites, while high-ring PAHs were more advantaged in mussels. PAHs in sediments of Wuxiaojie assumed low-ring aspect, though PAHs in sediments of Fushanji assumed high-ring aspect. [ Conclusion] In spite of that sediments and mussels were not yet contaminated according to the ecological risk assessment of PAHs, its potential hazards couldn＇t be ignored any more.

Changes of Wetland Landscape Pattern Indexes in the Middle Reaches of the Huaihe Valley in China

Relief map of the middle reaches of the Huaihe Valley in 1950s, remote sensing images of 1980 and 2000 are utilized to abstract and interpret land use maps of the study area in different periods and also the distribution map of different wetland types on the basis of secondary classification of wetland. Landscape index analysis is applied to analyze and evaluate ecological changes of wetland landscapes in the middle reaches of the Huaihe Valley. The analysis results show that landscape pattern indexes change greatly from 1950s to 1980, but change slightly since 1980. Such a trend demonstrates that wetland landscapes in the study area change from "diversified and complicate" to "unitary and fragmented", wetland system has drastically-reducing components, a great number of transitional zones become extinct, connectivity and heterogeneity of wetland landscapes are largely reduced, integrity and balance of wetland system is broken, as a result, ecological service functions of wetland degrade or cannot be fully utilized.

Semivolatile organic compounds, organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals in sediments and risk assessment in Huaihe River of China

The concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds, organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals in sediments from Jiangsu reach of Huaihe River, China, were presented. The organic compounds were extracted by acetone： n-hexane using a Soxhlet apparatus and concentrations were performed using HP6890 gas chromatography coupled by FID and ECD detector. The total contents of 8 heavy metals by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry or cold-vapor/atomic absorption spectrometry were developed. 30 semivolatile organic compounds were detected, including substituted benzenes, phenols, phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, from 0.01 to 3.01 mg/kg. 16 organochlorine pesticides were almost detected and from 0.010 to 2.339 μg/kg. Concentrations of major metals were 50 mg/kg or less, mean level of mercury was only 0.055 mg/kg. Compared to sediment quality guidelines （SQGs）, concentrations of some semivolatilc organic compounds were high enough to cause possible toxic effects to living resources. The organochlorine pesticides presented relatively low, lower than threshold effect concentrations （TECs）, harmful effects on sediment-dwelling organisms were not expected. Chromium posed probable toxic effects to the living resources, other heavy metals had no threat temporarily according to SQGs.

Contrasts of Atmospheric Circulation and Associated Tropical Convection between Huaihe River Valley and Yangtze River Valley Mei-yu Flooding

The significant differences of atmospheric circulation between flooding in the Huaihe and Yangtze River valleys during early mei-yu （i.e., the East Asian rainy season in June） and the related tropical convection were investigated. During the both flooding cases, although the geopotential height anomalies always exhibit equivalent barotropic structures in middle to high latitudes at middle and upper troposphere, the phase of the Rossby wave train is different over Eurasian continent. During flooding in the Huaihe River valley, only one single blocking anticyclone is located over Baikal Lake. In contrast, during flooding in the Yangtze River valley, there are two blocking anticyclones. One is over the Ural Mountains and the other is over Northeast Asia. In the lower troposphere a positive geopotential height anomaly is located at the western ridge of subtropical anticyclone over Western Pacific （SAWP） in both flooding cases, but the location of the height anomaly is much farther north and west during the Huaihe River mei-yu flooding. Fhrthermore, abnormal rainfall in the Huaihe River valley and the regions north of it in China is closely linked with the latent heating anomaly over the Arabian Sea and Indian peninsula. However, the rainfall in the Yangtze River valley and the regions to its south in China is strongly related to the convection over the western tropical Pacific. Numerical experiments demonstrated that the enhanced latent heating over the Arabian Sea and Indian peninsula causes water vapor convergence in the region south of Tibetan Plateau and in the Huaihe River valley extending to Japan Sea with enhanced precipitation; and vapor divergence over the Yangtze River valley and the regions to its south with deficient precipitation. While the weakened convection in the tropical West Pacific results in moisture converging over the Yangtze River and the region to its south, along with abundant rainfall.

Relationship Between Persistent Heavy Rain Events in the Huaihe River Valley and the Distribution Pattern of Convective Activities in the Tropical Western Pacific Warm Pool

Using daily outgoing long-wave radiation （OLR） data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration （NOAA） and the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research （NCEP/NCAR） reanalysis data of geopotential height fields for 1979-2006, the relationship between persistent heavy rain events （PHREs） in the Huaihe River valley （HRV） and the distribution pattern of convective activity in the tropical western Pacific warm pool （WPWP） is investigated. Based on nine cases of PHREs in the HRV, common characteristics of the West Pacific subtropical high （WPSH） show that the northern edge of the WPSH continues to lie in the HRV and is associated with the persistent ＂north weak south strong＂ distribution pattern of convective activities in the WPWP. Composite analysis of OLR leading the circulation indicates that the response of the WPSH to OLR anomaly patterns lags by about 1-2 days. In order to explain the reason for the effects of the distribution pattern of convective activities in the WPWP on the persistent northern edge of the WPSH in the HRV, four typical persistent heavy and light rain events in the Yangtze River valley （YRV） are contrasted with the PHREs in the HRV. The comparison indicates that when the distribution pattern of the convective activities anomaly behaves in a weak （strong） manner across the whole WPWP, persistent heavy （light） rain tends to occur in the YRV. When the distribution pattern of the convective activities anomaly behaves according to the ＂north weak south strong＂ pattern in the WPWP, persistent heavy rain tends to occur in the HRV. The effects of the ＂north weak south strong＂ distribution pattern of convective activities on PHREs in the HRV are not obvious over the seasonal mean timescale, perhaps due to the non-extreme status of convective activities in the WPWP.

Impact of Holocene environmental change on temporal-spatial distribution of Neolithic sites in Huaihe River Basin, Anhui Province

The Huaihe River basin of Anhui is not only a transitional zone of physical geography, but also a convergent area of many cultures in China. It is one of the sensitive ecotones to global changes and the birthplace of Chinese civilization. Using the field archaeological data and the sporo-pollens and the age data of the drilling cores, we analysed Neolithic cultural development and environmental evolution in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui. According to the combination of some research results in archaeology with environmental evolution research, this paper discusses the relationship between culture and environment in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui. The Neolithic cultural development was strongly impacted by the environmental change. The primitive culture （Shishanzi） was developed in the beginning of the Holocene Megathermal Period with distinct regional feature of the culture. From 6.5 kaBP to 5.5 kaBP, the climate changed warmer and wetter. The frequent occurrence of flood and waterlog due to such a climate regime and high sea level caused the earth＇s surface environment deteriorated in the Huaihe River basin of Anhui and the interruption of the Neolithic cultural development, hence a lack of archaeological sites. From 5.5 kaBP to 4.0 kaBP, the climate changed from wet to dry, the natural environment was propitious to human survival. Dawenkou Culture and Longshan Culture flourished in this period. The Neolithic cultural development, the number of the sites and their distribution characteristics of the sites in the study area differed apparently from those in Central China and Shandong Province.

Dust source of the Holocene loess-soil and pedogenic environmental changes in the upper Huaihe River

Based on field surveys,soil samples were collected at the YPC site,Yuzhou City,Henan Province for analysis of contents of major and trace elements and their variations with XRF and comparison with the curves of magnetic susceptibility,pH value distribution,loss on ignition and particle-size distribution.It was concluded that the dust source of loess in the upper reaches of the Huaihe River Basin was different from that in the Loess Plateau.And the Holocene pedogenic environmental changes in the upper reaches of the Huaihe River Basin were revealed.

Flood and Waterlogging Monitoring over Huaihe River Basin by AMSR-E Data Analysis

In this paper, we investigated the potential of Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observation System (AMSR-E) for flood monitoring. The proposed approach was based on the polarized ratio index (PRI), which was computed by using AMSR-E data at 37GHz, vertically and horizontally polarized brightness temperature values and the water surface fraction (WSF) got by using the PRI at 37GHz. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrora-diometer (MODIS) data were used to validate the WSF values. The analysis of flood and waterlogging using the WSF map on July 6, 2003 indicates that the use of WSF for flood and waterlogging disaster assessment is feasible. Utilizing the correlation of WSF derived from AMSR-E and water area derived from MODIS, the water area of the Huaihe River Basin were computed by only using AMSR-E data in the summer of 2003, which overcame the influence of cloud on water estimation using MODIS data during flood.

Characteristics of Heavy Metals and Their Evaluation in Sediments from Middle and Lower Reaches of the Huaihe River

We have collected 18 samples corresponding to 18 locations in the middle and lower reaches of the Huaihe River. The sediment samples were tested for their pH level,percentage of solids,organic matter and five heavy metals (Cr,Cu,Zn,Cd and Pb). The average concentrations of Cr,Cu,Zn,Cd and Pb of the 18 sampling locations were re-spectively 56.1,22.2,70.0,0.17 and 20.4 μg/g. Compared with their background values,the average concentrations of Zn and Cu in sediment samples from the Huaihe River were slightly higher,while the average concentrations of Cr and Pb were slightly lower. The concentration of Cd in all sediment samples was higher than its background value,while the average concentration of Cd in all sediment samples was about twice the amount of the background value. The concen-tration of the five heavy metals was lower than that of the Yangtze River. A correlation analysis revealed that heavy metals have similar geochemical feautures. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) was used to evaluate the degree of pollu-tion of the Huaihe River sediments. The index reveals that the sediment samples are largely ranked from zero pollution to no to medium pollution.

Flood risk control of dams and dykes in middle reach of Huaihe River

Three stochastic mathematical models for calculation of the reservoir flood regulation process, river course flood release, and flood risk rate under flood control were established based on the theory of stochastic differential equations and features of flood control systems in the middle reach of the Huaihe River from Xixian to the Bengbu floodgate, comprehensively considering uncertain factors of hydrology, hydraulics, and engineering control. They were used to calculate the flood risk rate with flood regulation of five key reservoirs, including the Meishan, Xianghongdian, Nianyushan, Mozitan, and Foziling reservoirs in the middle reach of the Huaihe River under different flood frequencies, the flood risk rate with river course flood release under design and check floods for the trunk of the Huaihe River in conjunction with relevant flood storage areas, and the flood risk rate with operation of the Linhuaigang Project under design and check floods. The calculated results show that （l） the five reservoirs can withstand design floods, but the Xianghongdian and Foziling reservoirs will suffer overtopping accidents under check floods; （2） considering the service of flood storage areas under the design flood conditions of the Huaihe River, the mean flood risk rate with flood regulation of dykes and dams from Xixian to the Bengbu floodgate is about 0.2, and the trunk of the Huaihe River can generally withstand design floods; and （3） under a check flood with the flood return period of 1 000 years, the risk rate of overtopping accidents of the Linhuaigang Project is not larger than 0.15, indicating that it has a high flood regulation capacity. Through regulation and application of the flood control system of the Linhuigang Project, the Huaihe River Basin can withstand large floods, and the safety of the protected area can be ensured.

CHARACTERISTICS AND CAUSE ANALYSIS OF WESTERN PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL HIGH DURING THE HUAIHE RIVER FLOODS IN 2003

1 INTRODUCTION In summer, different assembly of the intensity, location and vertical structure of the subtropical high and the earlier/later time of its seasonal northwards jump bring about different precipitation patterns over China. Therefore, subtropical high activity and its cause during the occurrence of extreme climatic event over China and the cause of China drought/flood are studied to improve weather forecasting.

Assessing the Seasonal Predictability of Summer Precipitation over the Huaihe River Basin with Multiple APCC Models

Seasonal rainfall predictability over the Huaihe River basin is evaluated in this paper on the basis of 23-year(1981-2003) retrospective forecasts by 10 climate models from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) Climate Center(APCC) multi-model ensemble(MME) prediction system.It is found that the summer rainfall variance in this basin is largely internal,which leads to lower rainfall predictability for most individual climate models.By dividing the 10 models into three categories according to their sea surface temperature(SST) boundary conditions including observed,predicted,and persistent SSTs,the MME deterministic predictive skill of summer rainfall over Huaihe River basin is investigated.It is shown that the MME is effective for increasing the current seasonal forecast skill.Further analysis shows that the MME averaged over predicted SST models has the highest rainfall prediction skill,which is closely related to model's capability in reproducing the observed dominant modes of the summer rainfall anomalies in Huaihe River basin.This result can be further ascribed to the fact that the predicted SST MME is the most effective model ensemble for capturing the relationship between the summer rainfall anomalies over Huaihe River basin and the SST anomalies(SSTAs) in equatorial oceans.

A New Precipitation Index for the Spatiotemporal Distribution of Drought and Flooding in the Reaches of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers and Related Characteristics of Atmospheric Circulation

Characteristics of the spatiotemporal distributions of precipitation anomalies in the reaches of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River （YHR） were studied using EOF method. Four main precipitation pat-terns for the YHR in summer identified by the first two modes： a region-wide flood over the entire YHR （RWF）; a region-wide drought over the entire YHR （RWD）; a flood in the south with a drought in the northern region of the Yangtze River （FS-DN）; and a drought in the south with a flood in the northern region of the Yangtze River （DS-FN）. Based on the first two modes and the actual precipitation departure percentage, a new precipitation index is defined in this paper. The typical flood/drought years associated with the various rainfall patterns defined by this precipitation index are more representative and closer to reality compared to some existing precipitation indexes which just use the area-mean precipitation or the EOF time components individually. The characteristics of atmospheric circulation in summer corresponding to the four main precipitation patterns over the YHR in summer show the features of atmospheric circulation differ in different precipitation pattern years. Although the different patterns share a common main influential circulation system, such as the blocking high over northeastern Asia, the low trough of westerly flows in the mid latitudes, the West Pacific Subtropical High （WPSH）, and the high ridge over the Tibet Plateau, the difference in location and intensity of these systems can lead to different distributions of precipitation anomalies.

Distribution Characteristics of High Temperature Damage and Its Influence on the Rice Yield in the Area along Huaihe River

[Objective] The research aimed to study the distribution characteristics of high temperature damage and its influence on the rice yield in the area along Huaihe River.[Method] The meteorological data of 10 stations in the area along Huaihe River during 1965-2009 and the yield data of Anhui single-season middle rice during 1967-2006 were selected.The occurrence characteristic of summer high temperature weather and the intensity of high temperature damage in the area along Huaihe River were analyzed.Based on the previous high temperature damage index of rice,Changfeng County where was the typical rice planting zone in the area along Huaihe River was as the representation,and the yield damage loss rate risk of high temperature damage in Changfeng was analyzed by combining with the historical yield data.[Result] The high temperature weather in the area along Huaihe River frequently happened.The high temperature damage presented 'N' shape trend from west to east.The occurrence frequency of high temperature weather in Huainan and Bengbu where were in the middle area along Huaihe River was more and was less in Huoqiu and Shouxian where were near the south mountain area of Anhui.The occurrence time mainly focused from the middle and last dekads of July to the first dekad of August after the plum rain.At this time,it was the booting,heading and flowering periods of single-season middle rice,and the influence on the rice yield was obvious.The damage loss rate of single-season middle rice yield in Changfeng County along Huaihe River continued to increase as the increasing of high temperature damage duration.But the occurrence probability decreased.The intensity grade of high temperature damage disaster loss rate which happened frequently concentrated mainly in levels I and II.The longer the high temperature damage duration in the reproductive growth stage of rice was,the bigger the damage loss rate was.But the corresponding occurrence probability was small,and vice versa.[Conclusion] The research provided the reference for assessing the high temperature disaster risk.

Application of a Coupled Land Surface-Hydrological Model to Flood Simulation in the Huaihe River Basin of China

A hydrological simulation in the Huaihe River Basin(HRB) was investigated using two different models: a coupled land surface hydrological model(CLHMS), and a large-scale hydrological model(LSX-HMS). The NCEP-NCAR reanalysis dataset and observed precipitation data were used as meteorological inputs. The simulation results from both models were compared in terms of flood processes forecasting during high flow periods in the summers of 2003 and 2007, and partial high flow periods in 2000. The comparison results showed that the simulated streamflow by CLHMS model agreed well with the observations with Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients larger than 0.76, in both periods of 2000 at Lutaizi and Bengbu stations in the HRB, while the skill of the LSX-HMS model was relatively poor. The simulation results for the high flow periods in 2003 and 2007 suggested that the CLHMS model can simulate both the peak time and intensity of the hydrological processes, while the LSX-HMS model provides a delayed flood peak. These results demonstrated the importance of considering the coupling between the land surface and hydrological module in achieving better predictions for hydrological processes, and CLHMS was proven to be a promising model for future applications in flood simulation and forecasting.

Possible connection between anomalous activity of Scandinavian Atmospheric Teleconnection Pattern and winter snowfall in the Yangtze-Huaihe River Basin of China

The temporal and spatial characteristics of winter snowfall in the Yangtze–Huaihe River Basin (YHRB) of China and its possible connection with Scandinavian Atmospheric Teleconnection Pattern (SCAND) anomalies are explored based on daily meteorological data contained in the Daily Surface Climate Dataset for China (V3.0) during the period 1960–2012. Results show that winter snowfall in the YHRB exhibits consistent anomalies over the whole region for the interannual variation during 1960–2012. Further analysis suggests that winter snowfall anomalies in the YHRB are closely linked to the anomalous wintertime SCAND activity. When there is more winter snowfall in the YHRB, SCAND is usually in a positive phase, accompanied by a strengthened Urals blocking high and East Asian trough, which is conducive to strengthened cold-air activity, intensified vertical motions, and more water vapor transport in the YHRB. In contrast, less winter snowfall in the YHRB usually happens in the negative phase of SCAND. Our results provide useful information to better understand the relevant mechanism responsible for anomalous winter snowfall in this area.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Sediments in Huainan Segment of Huaihe River

The chemical and physical properties of nitrogen and phosphorus as well as their concentrations in the over- lying water, pore-water and sediments in Huainan segment of the Huaihe river were analyzed. The chemical forms of phosphorus in sediments were differentiated by a sequential fraction method. The results revealed that the NH+4 -N content in pore-water of 6 surface sediments is obviously higher than that in overlying water, indicating that there is a dynamic tendency of releasing NH+4 -N from sediment into overlying water. Chemical compound of nitrogen differs among segments of the river, while phosphorus has no such difference. Calcium bound phosphate (Ca-P) and iron bound phosphate (Fe-P) accounts for 60 % of the total phosphorus, and occluded-P (O-P) accounts for less than 20 %. Our findings indicate that 1) industrial waste water and domestic sewage have contributed to the excessive nu- trient salts in Huaihe river, 2) decreased water flow during low water periods, and the interaction between sediments and overlying water disturbed by transport ships accelerate nutrient salt releasing into overlying water, which results in eutrophication of the river.

GEOGRAPHIC ENVIRONMENT CHANGE AND FLOOD CATASTROPHE IN HUAIHE RIVER BASIN DURING LAST 2000 YEARS

During the last 2000 years,flood and waterlogging catastrophes took place quite frequently in the Huaihe River Basin.In the authors’opinion,these natural calamities have a very close relation to the evolution of Hongze Lake.Formed initially within a man-made dyke that was built in the Han Dynasty about 2000 years ago, Hongze Lake brought out headward accumulation developing in the middle reaches of the Huaihe River, with its continuous aggravation on lake-bottom and consequent water-level rise. It was estimated that,on an average,there were 3400×104t sediment per kilometre per year deposited on the river bed from Lutaizi to Bengbu.Therefore,the rising of water-level and the drainage difficulty in the middle reaches of the Huaihe River aggravated local flood and waterlogging catastrophe here.

Hydrological Processes in the Huaihe River Basin, China： Seasonal Variations, Causes and Implications

Understanding streamflow changes in terms of trends and periodicities and relevant causes is the first step into scientific management of water resources in a changing environment. In this study, monthly streamflow variations were analyzed using Modified Mann-Kendall(MM-K) trend test and Continuous Wavelet Transform(CWT) methods at 9 hydrological stations in the Huaihe River Basin. It was found that: 1) streamflow mainly occurs during May to September, accounting for 70.4% of the annual total streamflowamount with Cv values between 0.16–0.85 and extremum ratio values between 1.70–23.90; 2) decreased streamflow can be observed in the Huaihe River Basin and significant decreased streamflow can be detected during April and May, which should be the results of precipitation change and increased irrigation demand; 3) significant periods of 2–4 yr were detected during the 1960 s, the 1980 s and the 2000 s. Different periods were found at stations concentrated within certain regions implying periods of streamflow were caused by different influencing factors for specific regions; 4) Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO) has the most significant impacts on monthly streamflow mainly during June. Besides, Southern Oscillation Index(SOI), North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) and the Ni?o3.4 Sea Surface Temperature(Ni?o3.4) have impacts on monthly streamflow with three months lags, and was less significant in time lag of six months. Identification of critical climatic factors having impacts on streamflow changes can help to predict monthly streamflow changes using climatic factors as explanatory variables. These findings were well corroborated by results concerning impacts of El Nino-Southern Oscillation(ENSO) regimes on precipitation events across the Huaihe River Basin. The results of this study can provide theoretical background for basin-scale management of water resources and agricultural irrigation.