Spatial and temporal variability of daily precipitation in Haihe River basin, 1958-2007

The seasonal variability and spatial distribution of precipitation are the main cause of flood and drought events. The study of spatial distribution and temporal trend of precipitation in river basins has been paid more and more attention. However, in China, the precipitation data are measured by weather stations （WS） of China Meteorological Administration and hydrological rain gauges （RG） of national and local hydrology bureau. The WS data usually have long record with fewer stations, while the RG data usually have short record with more stations. The consistency and correlation of these two data sets have not been well understood. In this paper, the precipitation data from 30 weather stations for 1958-2007 and 248 rain gauges for 1995-2004 in the Haihe River basin are examined and compared using linear regression, 5-year moving average, Mann-Kendall trend analysis, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Z test and F test methods. The results show that the annual precipitation from both WS and RG records are normally distributed with minor difference in the mean value and variance. It is statistically feasible to extend the precipitation of RG by WS data sets. Using the extended precipitation data, the detailed spatial distribution of the annual and seasonal precipitation amounts as well as their temporal trends are calculated and mapped. The various distribution maps produced in the study show that for the whole basin the precipitation of 1958-2007 has been decreasing except for spring season. The decline trend is significant in summer, and this trend is stronger after the 1980s. The annual and seasonal precipitation amounts and changing trends are different in different regions and seasons. The precipitation is decreasing from south to north, from coastal zone to inland area.

Trends of Urban Air Pollution in Zhengzhou City in 1996-2008

Urban air pollution is a commonly concerned environmental problem in the world. Identification of air quality trend using long-term monitoring data is helpful to understand the effectiveness of pollution control strategies. This study, using data from six monitoring stations in Zhengzhou City, analyzed the changing trend in concentrations of SO2, NOJNO2 and TSP/PM10 in 1996-2008, based on non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and Sen＇s slope estimator, and evaluated the comprehensive air pollution level using Multi-Pollutant Index （MPI）. It was found that the concen- tration of each pollutant exceeded obviously the World Health Organization （WHO） guideline value, but the changing trend varied： SO2 and NO2 were significantly increased mainly due to an increase in coal consumption and vehicle number, while NOx, TSP and PM10 decreased. The air pollution was serious, and differed markedly among the three functional regions： it is the most severe in the Industrial and Residential Area （IRA）, followed by the Transportation Hub and Business District （THBD）, and then the High-tech, Cultural and Educational Area （HCEA）. Different from NO2 concentration that had a similar change trend/rate among the function regions, the change rate of PM10 concentra- tion differed spatially, decreased much more obviously in THBD than other two regions. For the whole city, the com- prehensive air pollution level declined gradually, illustrating that the air quality in Zhengzhou was improved in the last decade.

Climate change characteristics of Amur River

Unusually severe weather is occurring more frequently due to global climate change. Heat waves, rainstorms, snowstorms, and droughts are becoming increasingly common all over the world, threatening human lives and property. Both temperature and precipitation are representative variables usually used to directly reflect and forecast the influences of climate change. In this study, daily data （from 1953 to 1995） and monthly data （from 1950 to 2010） of temperature and precipitation in five regions of the Amur River were examined. The significance of changes in temperature and precipitation was tested using the Mann-Kendall test method. The amplitudes were computed using the linear least-squares regression model, and the extreme temperature and precipitation were analyzed using hydrological statistical methods. The results show the following： the mean annual temperature increased significantly from 1950 to 2010 in the five regions, mainly due to the warming in spring and winter; the annual precipitation changed significantly from 1950 to 2010 only in the lower mainstream of the Amur River; the frequency of extremely low temperature events decreased from 1953 to 1995 in the mainstream of the Amur River; the frequency of high temperature events increased from 1953 to 1995 in the mainstream of the Amur River; and the frequency of extreme precipitation events did not change significantly from 1953 to 1995 in the mainstream of the Amur River. This study provides a valuable theoretical basis for settling disputes between China and Russia on sustainable development and utilization of water resources of the Amur River.

Streamflow responses to climate change and LUCC in a semi-arid watershed of Chinese Loess Plateau

Climate change and Land Use/Cover Change（LUCC） have been identified as two primary factors affecting watershed hydrological regime. This study analyzed the trends of streamflow, precipitation, air temperature and potential evapotranspiration（PET） from 1962 to 2008 in the Jihe watershed in northwestern Loess Plateau of China using the Mann-Kendall test. The streamflow responses to climate change and LUCC were quantified independently by the elasticity method. The results show that the streamflow presented a dramatic decline with a turning point occurred in 1971, while the precipitation and PET did not change significantly. The results also show that the temperature rose markedly especially since 1990 s with an approximate increase of 1.74°C over the entire research period（1962–2008）. Using land use transition matrix, we found that slope cropland was significantly converted to terrace between 1970 s and 1990 s and that forest cover increased relatively significantly because of the Grain for Green Project after 2000. The streamflow reduction was predominantly caused by LUCC and its contribution reached up to 90.2%, while the contribution of climate change to streamflow decline was only 9.8%. Although the analytical results between the elasticity method and linear regression model were not satisfactorily consistent, they both indicated that LUCC（human activity） was the major factor causing streamflow decline in the Jihe watershed from 1962 to 2008.

Changing Trend and Mutation Analysis of Number of Fog and Haze Days in Baoji City during 1981-2013

Based on data of number of fog and haze days in Baoji City from 1981 to 2013,the changing trends and mutation of number of fog and haze days in Baoji over the past 33 years were analyzed by using trend coefficient,tendency rate,linear regression analysis,anomaly percentage,Mann-Kendall mutation test and sliding t test.The results showed that during the 33 years,the number of fog and haze days in Baoji declined by 16.253d/10 a,and there was a cyclical turbulence every 6,15 or 28years.The frequency of fog and haze weather was the highest in winter,followed by spring and autumn,while it was the lowest in summer.According to the anomaly percentage of the number of fog and haze days in 12 months during 1981-2013,the anomaly percentage changed most greatly in July,followed by September,October,April,May,June,August,February and March,but it fluctuated less greatly in January.The number of fog and haze days from 1981 to 2013had obvious mutation trends in a single year and a single season,and mutation types are different.

Regional long-term trend of ground solar radiation in China over the past 50 years

Based on global solar radiation and related meteorological data from 57 stations in China between 1961 and 2009, we analyze the variation of surface global solar radiation (G) and its relationship to meteorological elements using linear-trend estimation, wavelet analysis, and the Mann-Kendall test. The results show that of the 33 stations with time series longer than 45 years, G is significant at the 95% confidence level. G has a decreasing trend at many stations, but results vary across different areas. The decadal departure percentage of G increased from the 1960s to 1970s, declined gradually after the 1970s, and decreased significantly in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the trend at a few sites slightly increased. The trend of cumulative variance is of four types, i.e. rise-fall, rise-fall-slight rise, rise-fall-rise, and not obvious. For changes within a year, the most obvious decline was in winter, and the rest of the year had a slight decrease. The major cycles of annual G were 6-9, 10-13, and 29-33 a. The inflection points were mostly in the 1970s. The reasons for greater changes were complex. Relevant meteorological elements were selected and analyzed by statistical methods. Trends in climatic parameters, such as annual average percentage of sunshine, annual average wind speed, and annual average of low cloud cover, were closely related to G. Thus, this indicated the potential causes of the observed trends in G. The long-term trend for annual G in some regions was also influenced by anthro- pogenic activities. Annual average percentage of sunshine and annual average wind speed were positively correlated with annual G, respectively.