The Influence of Climate Change and Variability on Spatio-Temporal Rainfall and Temperature Distribution in Zanzibar

Climate change has resulted in serious social-economic ramifications and extremely catastrophic weather events in the world, Tanzania and Zanzibar in particular, with adaptation being the only option to reduce impacts. The study focuses on the influence of climate change and variability on spatio-temporal rainfall and temperature variability and distribution in Zanzibar. The station observation datasets of rainfall, Tmax and Tmin acquired from Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) and the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment program (CORDEX) projected datasets from the Regional climate model HIRHAM5 under driving model ICHEC-EC-EARH, for the three periods of 1991-2020 used as baseline (HS), 2021-2050 as near future (NF) and 2051-2080 far future (FF), under two representative concentration pathways (RCP) of 4.5 and 8.5, were used. The long-term observed Tmax and Tmin were used to produce time series for observing the nature and trends, while the observed rainfall data was used for understanding wet and dry periods, trends and slope (at p ≤ 0.05) using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Mann Kendall test (MK). Moreover, the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) under the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation techniques were used for mapping the three decades of 1991-2000 (hereafter D1), 2001-2010 (hereafter D2) and 2011-2020 (hereafter D3) to analyze periodical spatial rainfall distribution in Zanzibar. As for the projected datasets the Climate Data Operator Commands (CDO), python scripts and Grid analysis and Display System (GrADS) soft-wares were used to process and display the results of the projected datasets of rainfall, Tmax and Tmin for the HS, NF and FF, respectively. The results show that the observed Tmax increased by the rates of 0.035℃ yr-1 and 0.0169℃ yr-1, while the Tmin was increased by a rate of 0.064℃ yr-1 and 0.104℃ yr-1 for Unguja and Pemba, respectively. The temporal distribution of wetness and dryness indices showed a climate shift from near normal to moderate wet during 2005 at Zanzibar Airport, while normal to moderately dry conditions, were observed in Pemba at Matangatuani. The decadal rainfall variability and distributions revealed higher rainfall intensity with an increasing trend and good spatial distribution in D3 from March to May (MAM) and October to December (OND). The projected results for Tmax during MAM and OND depicted higher values ranging from 1.7℃ - 1.8℃ to 1.9℃ - 2.0℃ and 1.5℃ to 2.0℃ in FF compared to NF under both RCPs. Also, higher Tmin values of 1.12℃ - 1.16℃ was projected in FF for MAM and OND under both RCPs. Besides, the rainfall projection generally revealed increased rainfall intensity in the range of 0 - 25 mm for Pemba and declined rainfall in the range of 25 - 50 mm in Unguja under both RCPs in perspectives of both NF and FF. Conclusively the study has shown that the undergoing climate change has posed a significant impact on both rainfall and temperature spatial and temporal distributions in Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba), with Unguja being projected to have higher rainfall deficits while increasing rainfall strengths in Pemba. Thus, the study calls for more studies and formulation of effective adaptation, strategies and resilience mechanisms to combat the projected climate change impacts especially in the agricultural sector, water and food security.

Spatial and Temporal Variability of N, P and K Balances for Agroecosystems in China

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium balances for agroecosystems in China from 1993 to 2001 were calculated at national and provincial levels using statistical data and related parameters, and their spatial and temporal variabilities were analyzed with GIS to estimate the potential impacts of nutrient N, P and K surpluses or deficits to soil, water and air. At the national scale, the N and P balances from 1993 to 2001 showed a surplus, with the nitrogen surplus remaining relatively stable from 1997—2001. Although during this period the P surplus pattern was similar to N, it had smaller values and kept increasing as the use of phosphate fertilizer increased year by year. However, K was deficient from 1993 to 2001 even though from 1999 to 2001 the K deficit decreased. The spatial analysis revealed higher N surpluses in the more developed southeastern provinces and lowest in the western and northern provinces where there was less chemical fertilizer input. The serious K deficit mainly occurred in Shanghai and Beijing municipalities, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Hubei provinces, and Xinjiang autonomous regions. For the years 1992, 1996 and 2001, N surpluses and K deficits had significant positive spatial correlations with per capita gross domestic product (GDP), per capita gross industrial output value, and per capita net income of rural households. This showed that the level of economic development played an important role on nutrient balances in the agroecosystems.

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.

Delineation of Site-Specific Management Zones Based on Temporal and Spatial Variability of Soil Electrical Conductivity

A coastal saline field of 10.5 ha was selected as the study site and 122 bulk electrical conductivity (ECb) measurements were performed thrice in situ in the topsoil (0-20 cm) across the field using a hand held device to assess the spatial variability and temporal stability of the distribution of soil electrical conductivity (EC), to identify the management zones using cluster analysis based on the spatiotemporal variability of soil EC, and to evaluate the probable potential for site-specific management in coastal regions with conventional statistics and geostatistical techniques. The results indicated high coefficients of variation for topsoil salinity over all the three samplings. The spatial structure of the salinity variability remained relatively stable with time. Kriged contour maps, drawn on the basis of spatial variance structure of the data, showed the spatial trend of the salinity distribution and revealed areas of consistently high or consistently low salinity, while a temporal stability map indicated stable and unstable regions. On the basis of the spatiotemporal characteristics, cluster analysis divided the site into three potential management zones, each with different characteristics that could have an impact on the way the field was managed. On the basis of the clearly defined management zones it was concluded that coastal saline land could be managed in a site-specific way.

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF NORTHWEST PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY IN A GLOBAL WARMING SCENARIO

Utilizing the Joint Typhoon Warning Center(JTWC) and Tokyo-Typhoon Center of the Japan Meteorological Agency(JMA RSMC TOKYO) best-track tropical cyclone(TC) data for the period 1951-2014,variations in spatial and temporal characteristics of Northwest Pacific TC activity for a global warming scenario are discussed.The results suggest that since the early 1960 s,there has been an overall decreasing trend in the frequency of occurrence,intensity,peak intensity,length of movement,and lifetime of TCs.However,global wanning has led to a linearly increasing trend in TC activity in eastern Asia,which indicates that Northwest Pacific TC activity decreases,but the frequency of landfalls and intensity are likely strengthened.Therefore,the threat of TCs towards eastern Asia is enhanced.The increase in TC activity in eastern Asia is likely the result of a strengthened Walker circulation due to an increasing temperature gradient between the northwest Pacific Ocean and the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.The strengthening Walker circulation could increase the magnitude of the vertical wind shear,relative vorticity,and meridional wind shear of low-level easterlies near the equator in the tropical Northwest Pacific,which affects the spatial and temporal variations of TC activity in the Northwest Pacific.

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Soil Moisture

The characterization of temporal and spatial variability of soil moisture is highly relevant for understanding the many hydrological processes, to model the processes better and to apply them to conservation planning. Considerable variability in space and time coupled with inadequate and uneven distribution of irrigation water results in uneven yield in an area Spatial and temporal variability highly affect the heterogeneity of soil water, solute transport and leaching of chemicals to ground water. Spatial variability of soil moisture helps in mapping soil properties across the field and variability in irrigation requirement. While the temporal variability of water content and infiltration helps in irrigation management, the temporal correlation structure helps in forecasting next irrigation. Kriging is a geostatistical technique for interpolation that takes into account the spatial auto-correlation of a variable to produce the best linear unbiased estimate. The same has been used for data interpolation for the C. T. A. E. Udaipur India. These interpolated data were plotted against distance to show variability between the krigged value and observed value. The range of krigged soil moisture values was smaller than the observed one. The goal of this study was to map layer-wise soil moisture up to 60 cm depth which is useful for irrigation planning.

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Water Vapor Content during 1961-2011 in Tianshan Mountains,China

Based on the climate factors data and surface vapor pressure （SVP） data of 44 weather stations in Tianshan Mountains during the years 1961-2011, this paper establishes a water vapor content （WVC） estimation model according to the relationship between monthly WVC of radiosonde and corresponding SVP and analyzes the spatial and temporal variability of WVC and their causes. The results show that the WVC is linearly and negatively related to the elevation and longitude （Vertical zonality and Longitude zonality）, while it was not linearly related to the latitude. The westerly wind, geographical situation and sea level elevation composed complex surface conditions to influence the spatial distribution of WVC in the Tianshan Mountains. The Mann-Kendall （M-K） statistical test shows a significant increasing trend in the mean annual WVC in Tianshan Mountains during 1961- 2011（P 〈 0.001）, with a rate of 0.23 mm/decade, and indicates an abrupt turning point in 1985 （P.〈0.001）. Correlation analysis shows that the WVC are significantly correlated to the temperature, especially during the winter, but the summer WVC are significantly correlated to the precipitation. In addition, the North Atlantic Oscillation Index （NAOI） and the Arctic Oscillation Index （AOI） are significantly correlated to the winter WVC in the Tianshan Mountains. As a new Microwave radiometric profilers （MWRPs） instrument, the MP- 3000A provides continuous, real-time and high temporal resolution atmospheric profiles up to 10 km. In order to monitor water vapor and atmosphere profiles in Tianshan Mountains, an MP-3000A was established in Urumqi （43.8°N, 87.58°N） in May 2008. The results indicated that the MP-3oooA was applicable to this area, and the evolutionary process of water vapor and the WVC peak values of MP- 3000A were a strong signal for rainstorm and flood forecasts for Urumqi and the Tianshan Mountains.

Spatial and temporal variation of nitrogen exported by runoff from sandy agricultural soils

The eutrophication problem has drawn attention to nutrient leaching from agricultural soils, and an understanding of spatial and temporal variability is needed to develop decision-making tools. Thus, eleven sites were selected to monitor, over a two-year period, spatial and temporal variation of runoff discharge and various forms of N in surface runoff in sandy agricultural soils. Factors influencing the variation of runoff discharge and various forms of N in surface runoff were analyzed. Variation of annual rainfall was small among 11 sites, especially between 2001 and 2002. However, variation of annual discharge was significant among the sites. The results suggest that rainfall patterns and land use had significant effect on discharge. The concentrations of total N, total kjeldahl N （TKN）, organic matter-associated N （OM-N）, NO3- -N, and NHn＋-N in the runoff ranged widely from 0.25 to 54.1, 0.15 to 20.3, 0.00 to 14.6, 0.00 to 45.3, and 0.00 to 19.7 mg/L, respectively. Spatial and temporal variations in the N concentration and runoff discharge were noted among the different sites. Annual loads of N in the runoff varied widely among monitoring sites and depend mainly on runoff discharge. High loads of total N, OM-N, NO3--N, and NHn＋-N in the runoff either in citrus groves or on vegetable farms occurred from June to October for each year, which coincided with the rainy season in the region. This study found that N in surface runoff was related to rainfall intensity, soil N level, and fertilizer use.

Spatial-temporal variability of throughfall in a subtropical deciduous forest from the hilly regions of eastern China

Throughfall variability plays a crucial role in regulating hydrological and biogeochemical processes in forest ecosystems. However, throughfall variability and its potential influencing factors remain unclear in the subtropical deciduous forest because of its complex canopy and meteorological conditions. Here, the spatial variability and temporal stability of throughfall were investigated from October 2016 to December 2017 within a deciduous forest in the subtropical hilly regions of eastern China, and the effects of meteorological variables and distance from nearest tree trunk on throughfall variability were systematically evaluated. Throughfall variability during the leafed period was slightly higher than that during the leafless period inferred from the coefficient of variation of throughfall amounts(CVTF), with 13.2%-40.9% and 18.7%-31.9%, respectively. The multiple regression model analysis suggested that the controlling factors of throughfall variability were different in studied periods: Maximum 10-min rainfall intensity, wind speed and air temperature were the dominant influencing factors on throughfall variability during the leafed period, with the relative contribution ratio(RCR) of 25.9%, 18.7% and 8.9%, respectively. By contrast, throughfall variability was affected mainly by the mean rainfall intensity(RCR=40.8%) during the leafless period. The temporal stability plots and geostatistical analysis indicated that spatial patterns of throughfall were stable and similar among rainfall events. Our findings highlight the important role of various meteorological factors in throughfall variability and are expected to contribute to the accurate assessment of throughfall, soil water and runoff within the subtropical forests.

An hourly shallow landslide warning model developed by combining automatic landslide spatial susceptibility and temporal rainfall threshold predictions

Landslide warning models are important for mitigating landslide risks.The rainfall threshold model is the most widely used early warning model for predicting rainfall-triggered landslides.Recently,the rainfall threshold model has been coupled with the landslide susceptibility(LS)model to improve the accuracy of early warnings in the spatial domain.Existing coupled models,designed based on a matrix including predefined rainfall thresholds and susceptibility levels,have been used to determine the warning level.These predefined classifications inevitably have subjective rainfall thresholds and susceptibility levels,thus affecting the probability distribution information and eventually influencing the reliability of the produced early warning.In this paper,we propose a novel landslide warning model in which the temporal and spatial probabilities of landslides are coupled without predefining the classified levels.The temporal probability of landslides is obtained from the probability distribution of rainfall intensities that triggered historical landslides.The spatial probability of landslides is then obtained from the susceptibility probability distribution.A case study shows that the proposed probability-coupled model can successfully provide hourly warning results before the occurrence of a landslide.Although all three models successfully predicted the landslide,the probability-coupled model produced a warning zone comprising the fewest grid cells.Quantitatively,the probabilitycoupled model produced only 39 grid cells in the warning zone,while the rainfall threshold model and the matrix-coupled model produced warning zones including 81 and 49 grid cells,respectively.The proposed model is also applicable to other regions affected by rainfall-induced landslides and is thus expected to be useful for practical landslide risk management.

Dependence of the Accuracy of Precipitation and Cloud Simulation on Temporal and Spatial Scales

Precipitation and associated cloud hydrometeors have large temporal and spatial variability, which makes accurate quantitative precipitation forecasting difficult. Thus, dependence of accurate precipitation and associated cloud simulation on temporal and spatial scales becomes an important issue. We report a cloud- resolving modeling analysis on this issue by comparing the control experiment with experiments perturbed by initial temperature, water vapor, and cloud conditions. The simulation is considered to be accurate only if the root-mean-squared difference between the perturbation experiments and the control experiment is smaller than the standard deviation. The analysis may suggest that accurate precipitation and cloud simulations cannot be obtained on both fine temporal and spatial scales simultaneously, which limits quanti- tative precipitation forecasting. The accurate simulation of water vapor convergence could lead to accurate precipitation and cloud simulations on daily time scales, but it may not be beneficial to precipitation and cloud simulations on hourly time scales due to the dominance of cloud processes.

Temporal and Spatial Scale Dependence of Precipitation Analysis over the Tropical Deep Convective Regime

Data from Goddard cumulus ensemble model experiment are used to study temporal and spatial scale dependence of tropical rainfall separation analysis based on cloud budget during Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment （TOGA COARE）. The analysis shows that the calculations of model domain mean or time-mean grid-scale mean simulation data overestimate the rain rates of the two rainfall types associated with net condensation but they severely underestimate the rain rate of the rainfall type associated with net evaporation and hydrometeor convergence.

Spatial and temporal patterns of solar radiation in China from 1957 to 2016

Solar energy is clean and renewable energy that plays an important role in mitigating impacts of environmental problems and climate change.Solar radiation received on the earth's surface determines the efficiency of power generation and the location and layout of photovoltaic arrays.In this paper,the average daily solar radiation of 77 stations in China from 1957 to 2016 was analyzed in terms of spatial and temporal characteristics.The results indicate that Xinjiang,the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,North,Central and East China show a decreasing trend with an average of 2.54×10^(−3)MJ/(m^(2)⋅10a),while Northwest and Northeast China are basically stabilized,and Southwest China shows a clear increasing trend with an average increase of 1.79×10^(−3)MJ/(m^(2)⋅10a).The average daily solar radiation in summer and winter in China from 1957 to 2016 was 18.74 MJ/m^(2)and 9.09 MJ/m^(2),respectively.Except for spring in Northwest,East and South China,and summer in northeast China,the average daily solar radiation in all other regions show a downward trend.A critical point for the change is 1983 in the average daily solar radiation.Meanwhile,large-scale(25−30 years)oscillation changes are more obvious,while small-scale(5−10 years)changes are stable and have a global scope.The average daily solar radiation shows an increasing-decreasing gradient from west to east,which can be divided into three areas west of 80°E,80°E−100°E and east of 100°E.The average daily solar radiation was 2.07 MJ/m^(2)in the 1980s,and that in 1990s lower than that in the 1960s and the 1970s.The average daily solar radiation has rebounded in the 21st century,but overall it is still lower than the average daily solar radiation from 1957 to 2016(13.87 MJ/m^(2)).

Empirical-Statistical Methodology and Methods for Modeling and Forecasting of Climate Variability of Different Temporal Scales

Main problem of modern climatology is to assess the present as well as future climate change, For this aim two approaches are used: physic-mathematic modeling on the basis of GCMs and palaeoclimatic analogues. The third approach is based on the empirical-statistical methodology and is developed in this paper. This approach allows to decide two main problems: to give a real assessment of climate changes by observed data for climate monitoring and extrapolation of obtained climate tendencies to the nearest future (10-15 years) and give the empirical basis for further development of physic-mathematical models. The basic theory and methodology of empirical-statistic approach have been developed as well as a common model for description of space-time climate variations taking into account the processes of different time scales. The way of decreasing of the present and future uncertainty is suggested as the extraction of long-term climate changes components in the particular time series and spatial generalization of the same climate tendencies in the obtained homogeneous regions. Algorithm and methods for realization of empirical-statistic methodology have been developed along with methods for generalization of intraannual fluctuations, methods for extraction of homogeneous components of different time scales (interannual, decadal, century), methodology and methods for spatial generalization and modeling, methods for extrapolation on the basis of two main kinds of time models: stochastic and deterministic-stochastic. Some applications of developed methodology and methods are given for the longest time series of temperature and precipitation over the world and for spatial generalization over the European area.

Spatial-Temporal Variations in January Precipitation over the Period of 1950-2000 in Pakistan and Possible Links with Global Teleconnections: Geographical Perspective

Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) was performed to investigate spatial variation in January precipitation over Pakistan using ground observed mean monthly precipitation data from 1950-2000 with a combination of gridded reanalysis data of sea level pressure (SLP) and 500 hPa geopotential height. The leading EOF mode captures 37.51% of the total variance and the spatial-temporal variability of January precipitation was consistent in the study area. The temporal changes explicate non-periodic interannual variability and some tacit interdecadal variation. The anomalous condition is more prominent along the western bordering mountains and northern high mountainous region than any other region of Pakistan. Based on results the study reveals spatial-temporal variation in January precipitation and possible links with global teleconnections located both in the proximity as well as in the remote areas from the study locus.

Fast spreading of surface ozone in both temporal and spatial scale in Pearl River Delta

Surface ozone(O_(3))is a major air pollutant and draw increasing attention in the Pearl River Delta(PRD),China.Here,we characterize the spatial-temporal variability of ozone based on a dataset obtained from 57 national monitoring sites during 2013-2019.Our results show that:(1)the seasonal difference of ozone distribution in the inland and coastal areas was significant,which was largely affected by the wind pattern reversals related to the East Asian monsoon,and local ozone production and destruction;(2)the daily maximum 8hr average(MDA8 O_(3))showed an overall upward trend by 1.11 ppbv/year.While the trends in the nine cities varied differently by ranging from-0.12 to 2.51 ppbv/year.The hot spots of ozone were spreading to southwestern areas from the central areas since 2016.And ozone is becoming a year-round air pollution problem with the pollution season extending to winter and spring in PRD region.(3)at the central and southwestern PRD cities,the percentage of exceedance days from the continuous type(defined as≥3 days)was increasing.Furthermore,the ozone concentration of continuous type was much higher than that of scattered exceedance type(<3 days).In addition,although the occurrence of continuous type starts to decline since2017,the total number of exceedance days during the continuous type is increasing.These results indicate that it is more difficult to eliminate the continuous exceedance than the scatter pollution days and highlight the great challenge in mitigation of O_(3)pollution in these cities.

Temporal Stability of Sward Dry Matter and Nitrogen Yield Patterns in a Temperate Grassland

The objectives of the present study were to examine the spatial patterns of sward dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) yields in a grass silage field at first, second, and third cuts over a 3-year period; quantify their temporal stabilities with temporal stability maps; and assess the potential for site-specific management in each pasture-growing period using classified management maps. At cut 1, the spatial patterns of DM and N yields proved to be well defined and temporally stable and were likely to be due to differences in the net N mineralization rates across the field during spring. In contrast, at cut 2, the patterns of DM production were patchy and temporally unstable. It was concluded that, in principle, a simple site-specific approach to N fertilization would be possible in this field during spring at cut 1. At later harvests, the rationale for a site-specific approach to fertilizer management was less clear with logistics appearing to be more complex and less feasible.

Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of Runoff Generation Areas in a Small Agricultural Watershed in Southern Ontario

The identification of runoff generating areas (RGAs) within a watershed is a difficult task because of their temporal and spatial behavior. A watershed was selected to investigate the RGAs to determine the factors affecting spatio-temporally in southern Ontario. The watershed was divided into 8 fields having a Wireless System Network (WSN) and a V-notch weir for flow and soil moisture measurements. The results show that surface runoff is generated by the infiltration excess mechanism in summer and fall, and the saturation excess mechanism in spring. The statistical analysis suggested that the amount of rainfall and rainfall intensity for summer (R2 = 0.63, 0.82) and fall (R2 = 0.74, 0.80), respectively, affected the RGAs. The analysis showed that 15% area generated 85% of surface runoff in summer, 100% of runoff in fall, and 40% of runoff in spring. The methodology developed has potential for identifying RGAs for protecting Ontario’s water resources.

Real Time Monitoring of Extreme Rainfall Events with Simple X-Band Mini Weather Radar

Real time rainfall events monitoring is very important for a large number of reasons: Civil Protection, hydrogeological risk management, hydroelectric power purposes, road and traffic regulation, and tourism. Efficient monitoring operations need continuous, high-resolution and large-coverage data. To monitor and observe extreme rainfall events, often much localized over small basins of interest, and that could frequently causing flash floods, an unrealistic extremely dense rain gauge network should be needed. On the other hand, common large C-band or S-band long range radars do not provide the necessary spatial and temporal resolution. Simple short-range X-band mini weather radar can be a valid compromise solution. The present work shows how a single polarization, non-Doppler and non-coherent, simple and low cost X-band radar allowed monitoring three very intense rainfall events occurred near Turin during July 2014. The events, which caused damages and floods, are detected and monitored in real time with a sample rate of 1 minute and a radial spatial resolution of 60 m, thus allowing to describe the intensity of the precipitation on each small portion of territory. This information could be very useful if used by authorities in charge of Civil Protection in order to avoid inconvenience to people and to monitor dangerous situations.

Characteristics of Rainfall Erosivity Based on Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Data in Tibet, China

Rainfall erosivity in Tibet from 2000 to 2OlO was estimated based on simplified erosion prediction model using daily rainfall data derived from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Misssion （TRMM） 3B42 rainfall measurement algorithm. Semi- monthly erosive rainfall and rainfall erosivity were validated using weather station data. The spatial distribution of annual rainfall erosivity as well as its seasonal and annual variation in Tibet was also examined. Results showed that TRMM 3B42 data could serve as an alternative data source to estimate rainfall erosivity in the area where only data from sparsely distributed weather stations are available. The spatial distribution of rainfall erosivity in Tibet generally resembles the distribution of multi-year average of annual rainfall. Annual rainfall erosivity in Tibet decreased from the southeast to the northwest. The concentration degree of rainfall erosivity shows an increasing trend from the southeast to the northwest. High rainfall erosivity accompanies low rainfall erosivity concentration degree and vice versa. Rainfall erosivity increased in the middle and western Tibet and decreased in the southeastern Tibet during the 11 years of this study.