Potential predictability of dry and wet periods: Sicily and Elbe-Basin (Germany)

Summary The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a viable tool for the potential predictability of dry and wet spells. We select two regions in Europe that have distinct precipitation regimes: Sicily and Elbe basin (Germany). The analysis of dryness and wetness in these regions from 1951 to 2000 is based on the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) computed on a long-time scale (two years) and the evaluation of their time-space variability is carried out using Principal Component Analysis. Results suggest that periodicities ranging from 3.4 to 12 years characterise the SPI signals in both regions and essentially drive the main dry and wet occurrences. In Sicily, at variance with the Elbe basin, superimposed to this variability there is also a clearly detectable linear trend that is perhaps related to long-term periodicity. Moreover, the shift in phase found between the common periods implies that often on the longer time scale if the Elbe region has dry conditions, Sicily is wet and viceversa. The reconstruction of the SPI time series by considering the periodicity that greatly contribute to the total power spectrum variance gives good results and provides good opportunities for predictability.     

Extreme value analysis of wet and dry periods in Sicily

Summary For assessing risk of highly unusual events extreme value statistics needs to be applied, which plays an important role in engineering practices for water resources design and management. In hydrology, the typical application of extreme value theory concerns floods in river basins or landslides. The present paper is, instead, focused on the analysis of extreme wet and dry periods in a sample area (Sicily). First, we have studied monthly precipitation extremes both using the annual maximum and partial duration methods, and return times have been estimated by standard statistical techniques. Next, we studied the extremes of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), which has been proposed as an indicator for monitoring wet and dry conditions. We found considerable differences both in the return periods and in the time location of the extremes. From our study it appears that the SPI better describes wet and dry periods than the precipitation does. Maps of return times for extreme conditions in Sicily are also presented, which cluster the territory into areas of different extreme return periods. Finally, the occurrence of extremes in Sicily has been related to large-scale atmospheric circulation.     

Climatic regime shift and decadal anomalous events in China

Climatic time series from historical documents and instrumental records from China showed temporal and regional patterns in the last two to three centuries, including two multidecadal oscillations at quasi-20-year and quasi-70-year timescales revealed by signal analysis from wavelet transform. Climatic anomalous events on the decadal timescale were identified based on the two oscillations when their positive (or negative) phases coincide with each other to amplify amplitude. The coldest event occurred in the decade of 1965–1975 in eastern China, while the periods of 1920–1930, 1940–1950, and 1988–2000 appeared to be warmer in most parts of China. For the precipitation series in northern China, the dry anomalous event was found in the late 1920s, while the wet anomalous event occurred in the 1950s. A severe drought in 1927–1929 in northern China coincided with the anomalous warm and dry decade, caused large-scale famine in nine provinces over northern China. Climatic anomalous events with a warm-dry or cold-wet association in the physical climate system would potentially cause severe negative impacts on natural ecosystem in the key vulnerable region over northern China. The spatial pattern of summer rainfall anomalies in the eastern China monsoon region showed an opposite variations in phase between the Yellow River Valley (North China) and the mid-low Yangtze River Valley as well as accompanied the shift of the northernmost monsoon boundary. Climatic regime shifts for different time points in the last 200 years were identified. In North China, transitions from dry to wet periods occurred around 1800, 1875, and 1940 while the transitions from wet to dry periods appeared around 1840, 1910, and the late 1970s. The reversal transition in these time points can also be found in the lower Yangtze River. Climatic regime shifts in China were linked to the interaction of mid- and low latitude atmospheric circulations (the westerly flow and the monsoon flow) when they cross the Tibetan Plateau in East Asia.     

Estimation of the monthly precipitation predictability limit in China using the nonlinear local Lyapunov exponent

By using the nonlinear local Lyapunov exponent and nonlinear error growth dynamics, the predictability limit of monthly precipitation is quantitatively estimated based on daily observations collected from approximately 500 stations in China for the period 1960–2012. As daily precipitation data are not continuous in space and time, a transformation is first applied and a monthly standardized precipitation index (SPI) with Gaussian distribution is constructed. The monthly SPI predictability limit (MSPL) is quantitatively calculated for SPI dry, wet, and neutral phases. The results show that the annual mean MSPL varies regionally for both wet and dry phases: the MSPL in the wet (dry) phase is relatively higher (lower) in southern China than in other regions. Further, the pattern of the MSPL for the wet phase is almost opposite to that for the dry phase in both autumn and winter. The MSPL in the dry phase is higher in winter and lower in spring and autumn in southern China, while the MSPL values in the wet phase are higher in summer and winter than those in spring and autumn in southern China. The spatial distribution of the MSPL resembles that of the prediction skill of monthly precipitation from a dynamic extended-range forecast system.     

Centennial-scale dry-wet variations in East Asia

This study attempts to combine four independent long-term climatic data and modern observations into one cohesive set; to describe the spatial and temporal patterns of variability of dry and wet periods in East Asia over the past one thousand years; and to examine physical causes of the pattern variations. The data include the 220-year observed precipitation in Seoul, South Korea, the dryness-wetness intensity data in eastern China for the last 530 years, and other two independent chronologies of dryness-wetness grades in the past millennium in eastern China based on instrumental observations and historical documents. Various analysis methods including wavelet transform and rotated empirical orthogonal function were used in revealing climate variations from these datasets. Major results show that the dry and wet anomalies initially appeared in the north part of eastern China and then migrated southward to affect south China. This process is repeated about every 70 years. However, in contrast in the last two decades of the twentieth century a dry situation appeared in north China and a wet climate predominated in the south part of the country. The multidecadal variations of the monsoon circulation in East Asia and the thermal contrast between inland Asia and its surrounding oceans may contribute to the dry-wet phase alternation or the migration of dry-wet anomalies. In regional scale variations, a consistent dry or wet pattern was observed spreading from the lower Yangtze River valley to South Korea. Frequencies of severe dry-wet situations were low in the eighteenth and nineteenth century and they were higher in the twentieth century. The recent increasing trend in frequencies of severe dry-wet chances occurred along with global warming and regional climatic changes in China.     

Characteristics of Temperature Change in China over the Last 2000 years and Spatial Patterns of Dryness/Wetness during Cold and Warm Periods

This paper presents new high-resolution proxies and paleoclimatic reconstructions for studying climate changes in China for the past 2000 years. Multi-proxy synthesized reconstructions show that temperature variation in China has exhibited significant 50–70-yr, 100–120-yr, and 200–250-yr cycles. Results also show that the amplitudes of decadal and centennial temperature variation were 1.3℃ and 0.7℃, respectively, with the latter significantly correlated with long-term changes in solar radiation, especially cold periods, which correspond approximately to sunspot minima. The most rapid warming in China occurred over AD 1870–2000, at a rate of 0.56°± 0.42℃(100 yr)~(-1); however, temperatures recorded in the 20 th century may not be unprecedented for the last 2000 years, as data show records for the periods AD 981–1100 and AD1201–70 are comparable to the present. The ensemble means of dryness/wetness spatial patterns in eastern China across all centennial warm periods illustrate a tripole pattern: dry south of 25°N, wet from 25°–30°N, and dry to the north of 30°N. However, for all centennial cold periods, this spatial pattern also exhibits a meridional distribution. The increase in precipitation over the monsoonal regions of China associated with the 20 th century warming can primarily be attributed to a mega El Nino–Southern Oscillation and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. In addition, a significant association between increasing numbers of locusts and dry/cold conditions is found in eastern China. Plague intensity also generally increases in concert with wetness in northern China, while more precipitation is likely to have a negative effect in southern China.     

基于SPI的1961－2020年昌吉地区作物生长季气象干旱时空特征研究

基于昌吉地区7个气象站1961－2020年降水量资料，计算昌吉地区作物生长季标准化降水指数（SPI-7）。运用趋势分析法、M-K突变检验法和小波分析法探究了昌吉地区作物生长季SPI-7指数的年际和年代变化特征；在此基础上分析了作物生长季干旱的站次比和干旱强度的年际变化,并结合该区实际发生的旱灾对SPI进行了验证。结果表明：1961—2020年昌吉地区作物生长季标准化降水指数以0.08/10 a的速率呈微弱的正趋势（变湿），在年代变化趋势中呈现出变干-变湿-变干的变化波动, 1981年标准化降水指数由低到高突变；干旱强度呈增加趋势，干旱发生的区域面积有轻微减少的趋势；干旱强度在全区范围内主要为轻旱和中旱等级，并表现为全域性干旱和区域性干旱；空间分布上看干旱率最高区域在东部地区，轻旱主要集中在东部，中旱、重旱和特旱集中在西部地区，干旱强度大的区域大致分布在西部地区；在周期性变化方面，SPI指数存在着6年、9年、16年周期震荡；历史旱灾与SPI指数干旱评价结果吻合率较高，SPI指数在昌吉地区作物生长季的干旱监测与分析中具有较好的实用性。     

西北地区东部旱涝气候特征

利用中国气象科学研究院收集、整理的西北地区东部代表站1470~2003年的旱涝等级资料,根据不同的地形地貌特征和气候特征,将西北地区东部分为3个气候区,利用周期分析、coif3小波变换等统计分析方法对3个气候区534年旱涝指数的年代际气候特征及地域之间旱涝变化的差异进行分析。结果表明,西北地区东部不同区域旱涝的时空分布特征不尽相同,旱涝演变趋势、旱涝周期变化既有一致性,也存在明显的差异。534年以来北部、中部由偏旱趋于正常或偏涝,南部1724年以前的变化趋势由偏旱趋于偏涝,1724年以后由偏涝趋于偏旱;3个气候区都存在25年和10年的显著周期,其中中部还存在14~15年的显著周期,说明中部旱涝交替较北部和南部明显。     

1961—2014年我国西南地区干湿季变化特征

利用中国1961—2014年逐日降水观测等资料,分析了西南地区的干湿季变化特征。结果表明：西南地区东部和西北部最早进入湿季;干季由四川盆地、贵州南部开始。西南中东部以及南部等地的湿季长度较长,干季则与之相反。干湿季开始日期以及干湿季长度均具有明显的年代际变化特征,在1970年代中期到1980年代发生了气候突变,呈现湿季长度变短,干季变长的趋势。湿季降水呈现东南多、西北少的特征,并表现出中东部减少,西部增加的趋势;干季降水则表现为东多西少的特点,在东部呈增加,在四川等地呈减少趋势。进一步分析表明：湿季异常偏湿(干)年,开始日期易偏早(晚),结束易偏晚(早),长度偏长(短);干季开始异常偏早(晚）年,干季长度长(短),干季略偏湿(干);太平洋、印度洋海温异常影响东亚大气环流的异常是造成西南地区干湿季出现异常的主要原因。     

大兴安岭气候干湿变化及对森林火灾的影响

明确气候变化背景下大兴安岭林区气候干湿状况特征,揭示其对森林火灾的影响,可为该区域森林火灾管理和森林资源保护提供科学依据。基于大兴安岭林区1974—2016年标准化降水指数（SPI）,采用统计分析和对比分析方法,系统研究不同干湿情景对森林火灾发生次数及过火面积的影响,并讨论不同等级干旱对其影响的异同性。结果表明:1974—2016年,年、季尺度上大兴安岭林区气候均呈湿润化趋势。森林火灾发生次数多（少）和过火面积大（小）与气候的干湿状况（等级）基本一致,但森林火灾的发生次数与气候干湿状况相关更为密切。年尺度上,SPI与火灾次数呈负相关,与过火面积的自然对数则呈较弱的负相关;季尺度上,各季节SPI与对应的林火次数和过火面积自然对数均呈显著的负相关,但与过火面积的相关程度差异较大,以春季相关最为显著,秋季次之,夏季则相对较弱;不同季节SPI与年林火次数和过火面积自然对数呈负相关,前一年冬季SPI对当年火灾次数的贡献最大。可见,气候干湿状况对森林火灾的影响存在明显的滞后效应。SPI不仅能较好地反映区域气候的干湿状况,亦能较好地指示森林火灾发生的可能性及发生火灾的过火面积的相对变化情况,可为森林火灾预测和管理提供科学依据。     

贵州夏季降水异常的区域特征

利用贵州省19个测站1951～2000年夏季逐月降水资料,计算了降水量的月平均（区域平均）标准化距平。并进行模糊聚类分析、经验正交函数分解（EOF）和小波分析,研究了贵州夏季降水异常的区域特征。结果表明,贵州夏季降水在近50 a中存在5个明显的气候段：20世纪50年代前期为多雨期;50年代中期到60年代前期为少雨期;60年代中后期为多雨期;70～80年代为少雨期;90年代以后进入多雨期;降水呈增多的趋势。全省一致性是贵州夏季降水的最主要特征,同时还存在区域差异。贵州夏季降水异常有5种空间分布型,即：全省旱（涝）型、东旱（涝）西涝（旱）型、南旱（涝）北涝（旱）型、中东旱（涝）西南涝（旱）型和西南旱（涝）其余涝（旱）型。各型降水具有多时间尺度振荡的特点,存在10～12 a、4～5 a、2～3 a的周期。     

西北地区东部降水的大气环流及水汽特征

基于西北地区东部81站1961—2010年夏季(6—8月)逐月降水资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,利用距平合成分析,探讨其多雨年和少雨年逐月500 hPa高度场和700 hPa湿度场特征。结果表明:西北地区东部多雨年,影响降水的天气特征表现为乌拉尔山脊逐月偏强,7月鄂霍次克海脊偏强,贝加尔湖高压脊转为低槽,7月巴尔喀什湖低槽较6月偏强。8月贝加尔湖长波槽较7月偏强;少雨年天气系统表现为6—8月西北地区东部受高压脊前西北气流控制。西太平洋副热带高压(以下简称:副高)多雨年较少雨年偏西偏强。6—8月多(少)雨年比湿的变化表明,西北地区东部降水多雨年,大气的含水量较高,西北地区东部降水少雨年,大气的含水量较低。     

Rainfall characterisation by application of standardised precipitation index (SPI) in Peninsular Malaysia

The interpretations of trend behaviour for dry and wet events are analysed in order to verify the dryness and wetness episodes. The fitting distribution of rainfall is computed to classify the dry and wet events by applying the standardised precipitation index (SPI). The rainfall amount for each station is categorised into seven categories, namely extremely wet, severely wet, moderately wet, near normal, moderately dry, severely dry and extremely dry. The computation of the SPI is based on the monsoon periods, which include the northeast monsoon, southwest monsoon and inter-monsoon. The trends of the dry and wet periods were then detected using the Mann–Kendall trend test and the results indicate that the major parts of Peninsular Malaysia are characterised by increasing droughts rather than wet events. The annual trends of drought and wet events of the randomly selected stations from each region also yield similar results. Hence, the northwest and southwest regions are predicted to have a higher probability of drought occurrence during a dry event and not much rain during the wet event. The east and west regions, on the other hand, are going through a significant upward trend that implies lower rainfall during the drought episodes and heavy rainfall during the wet events.     

Observed,reconstructed, and simulated decadal variability of summer precipitation over eastern China

Based on observations made during recent decades, reconstructed precipitation for the period A.D. 1736–2000, dry–wet index data for A.D. 500–2000, and a 1000-yr control simulation using the Community Earth System Model with fixed pre-industrial external forcing, the decadal variability of summer precipitation over eastern China is studied. Power spectrum analysis shows that the dominant cycles for the decadal variation of summer precipitation are: 22–24 and quasi-70 yr over the North China Plain; 32–36, 44–48, and quasi-70 yr in the Jiang–Huai area; and 32–36 and 44–48 yr in the Jiang–Nan area. Bandpass decomposition from observation, reconstruction, and simulation reveals that the variability of summer precipitation over the North China Plain, Jiang–Huai area, and Jiang–Nan area, at scales of 20–35, 35–50, and 50–80 yr, is not consistent across the entire millennium. We also find that the warm (cold) phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation generally corresponds to dry (wet) conditions over the North China Plain, but wet (dry) conditions in the Jiang–Nan area, from A.D. 1800, when the PDO became strengthened. However, such a correspondence does not exist throughout the entire last millennium. Data–model comparison suggests that these decadal oscillations and their temporal evolution over eastern China, including the decadal shifts in the spatial pattern of the precipitation anomaly observed in the late 1970s, early 1990s, and early 2000s, might result from internal variability of the climate system.     

渭河流域干旱特征及干旱指数计算方法初探

利用游程分析、马尔可夫平稳概率、随机过程等方法分析了渭河流域的干旱特征。结果表明,近44年（1958-2001年）渭河流域降水连续多水（少水）期多持续2～3年,单独多（少）水年出现的概率比连续多水（少水）年的概率大,连少年的概率比连多年的概率大,平均连续少水年数大于平均连续多水年数;枯（丰）水与偏丰（偏枯）之间的转移突变较大,对用水可能带来不利影响;偏枯年出现的概率最大,偏丰年次之,丰水年最小;渭河流域连续少水2～3年不仅发生频率较高,而且干旱强度也较大。同时根据降水和同期气温、天然径流量资料建立了适用于渭河流域的S干旱指数。     

ENSO与中国夏季降水的联系:冬季QBO的调制作用

使用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、中国气象局台站降水资料和GPCC降水资料,系统研究了在冬季平流层准两年振荡(Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, QBO)调制下,厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation, ENSO)不同阶段与中国夏季降水的可能联系。根据两者的位相和强度,可将它们的配置分为QBO西风/El Ni?o、QBO西风/La Ni?a、QBO东风/El Ni?o、QBO东风/La Ni?a。研究结果表明,在年际时间尺度上,ENSO和QBO无显著相关关系。冬季QBO西风位相时,El Ni?o发展年夏季,我国整体偏旱,而华南偏涝;衰减年夏季,华南、华东北部偏旱,东北、长江流域偏涝。La Ni?a发展年夏季,我国东部降水异常呈负-正-负的三极分布;衰减年夏季,东南沿海偏涝。冬季QBO东风位相时,El Ni?o发展年夏季,长江以北偏旱;衰减年夏季,我国东部降水异常呈负-正-负的三极分布。La Ni?a发展年夏季,江淮和华南南部偏旱;衰减年夏季,我国东部沿海偏涝。ENSO是影响我国夏季降水异常的重要因子,而QBO的调制作用在ENSO衰减年夏季更为显著。相比冬季QBO东(西)风位相,QBO西(东)风位相时El Ni?o (La Ni?a)期间赤道西太平洋负(正)海温异常更强,衰减年夏季位于西太平洋的异常下沉(上升)运动和印度洋的异常上升(下沉)运动更强更深厚,西太平洋副热带高压范围更大(小),南亚高压更偏东(西)。      

Observed changes of drought/wetness episodes in the Pearl River basin, China, using the standardized precipitation index and aridity index

Monthly precipitation data of 42 rain stations over the Pearl River basin for 1960–2005 were analyzed to classify anomalously wet and dry conditions by using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and aridity index (I) for the rainy season (April–September) and winter (December–February). Trends of the number of wet and dry months decided by SPI were detected with Mann-Kendall technique. Furthermore, we also investigated possible causes behind wet and dry variations by analyzing NCAR/NCEP reanalysis dataset. The results indicate that: (1) the Pearl River basin tends to be dryer in the rainy season and comes to be wetter in winter. However, different wetting and drying properties can be identified across the basin: west parts of the basin tend to be dryer; and southeast parts tend to be wetter; (2) the Pearl River basin is dominated by dry tendency in the rainy season and is further substantiated by aridity index (I) variations; and (3) water vapor flux, moisture content changes in the rainy season and winter indicate different influences of moisture changes on wet and dry conditions across the Pearl River basin. Increasing moisture content gives rise to an increasing number of wet months in winter. However, no fixed relationships can be observed between moisture content changes and number of wet months in the rainy season, indicating that more than one factor can influence the dry or wet conditions of the study region. The results of this paper will be helpful for basin-scale water resource management under the changing climate.     

我国西南地区秋季干湿分类及主要类型 异常年环流特征分析

本文使用我国西南地区97站1960～2009年逐日资料,计算了考虑降水和气温的干湿指数,分析了西南地区秋季及9、10、11月干湿指数的时空变化特征。采用相似方法,构造了综合相似指数,对历年干湿分布进行分类,并给出了秋季各月各类干湿出现的概率。此外还使用再分析资料分月探讨了干湿分布主要类型异常年的大气环流特征。分析结果表明:西南地区秋季存在显著的干旱化趋势,且该地区干湿变化存在全区一致、东西相反和南北相反的特征。根据干湿变化主要模态的空间型,利用综合相似指数可以将历年秋季干湿分为全区一致偏干型、全区一致偏湿型、东湿西干型、东干西湿型、南湿北干型、南干北湿型和非典型型,共7类。全区干湿一致型出现的次数最多（不低于50%）,东西相反型次之（约25%）,南北相反型较少（约15%）,而出现非典型型次数极少（不足10%）。从季节内尺度来看,全区偏干（湿）的持续性较差,但10月份的东部偏湿区域则有较大几率（不低于50%）在下个月扩展到整个区域。全区偏干型异常年,东亚大槽偏弱或偏东,冷空气南侵困难;南海上空低层维持一个异常的气旋环流,西南地区暖湿气流输送偏弱;西太平洋副高偏强、西伸,南亚高压面积偏大,与西太副高重叠,西南地区长期受高压控制。这种异常环流形势的维持,使得该地区天气晴朗少雨,气温偏高,持续干旱。偏湿型异常年则基本呈相反的环流特征。而西南地区东、西部上空异常的垂直运动和东部低层的南、北风异常是造成东湿（干）西干（湿）型异常的重要原因。     

Standardized Precipitation Index Reconstructed from Turkish Tree-Ring Widths

May–July Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for the land area of most of Turkey and some adjoining regions are reconstructed from tree rings for the period 1251–1998. The reconstruction was developed from principal components analysis (PCA) of four Juniperus excelsa chronologies from southwestern and south-central Turkey and is based on reliable and replicable statistical relationships between climate and tree ring growth. The SPI reconstruction shows climate variability on both interannual and interdecadal time scales. The longest period of consecutive drought years in the reconstruction (SPI threshold ≤−1) is 2 yr. These occur in 1607–1608, 1675–1676, and 1907–1908. There are five wet events (SPI threshold ≥+1) of two consecutive years each (1330–1331, 1428–1429, 1503–1504, 1629–1630, and 1913–1914). A 5-yr moving average of the reconstructed SPI shows that two sustained drought periods occurred from the mid to late 1300s and the early to mid 1900s. Both episodes are characterized by low variability.     

Introducing the decile concept for studying the spatiotemporal characteristics and variability of long-lasting dry and wet periods

Changes in the persistence of dry and wet periods are of particular interest for many sectors, as long-term deviations from normal precipitation strongly affect the water availability. Here, an indicator is introduced to explore variability and trends of long-lasting dry and wet periods by using decile based thresholds. The test of three different thresholds for ending those periods revealed only slight influences of the chosen threshold on the spatiotemporal pattern and trends. The methodology of the deciles indicator is illustrated and studied exemplarily for a spatially highly resolved data set for Saxony, Germany within 1901–2010. Within that region decile wet and dry periods, respectively, occur approximately four times within 10 years, last on average 11 months and cover on average more than 35 % of the stations. Several years to decades long periods with particularly frequent and/or long decile dry or wet periods were identified. The computed trends strongly depend upon the analysis period, as frequency, duration and spatial coverage of decile periods show strong variations up to multi-decadal time scales. Nonetheless, there is some indication that dry period coverage increased within the 20th century, while wet period coverage decreased. However, in the most recent decades the long-term trends reversed.