Empirical models of rain-spells characteristics – A case study of a Mediterranean-arid climatic transect

Environmental (geomorphological, hydrological and ecological) processes are controlled by rainfall, particularly in the Mediterranean, semi-arid and arid regions. Rainfall was analyzed using the concept of rain-spells, i.e., a period of successive rain days preceded and followed by at least one day without rainfall. Daily data from 13 stations along a climatic transect extending from the Judean Mountains with a Mediterranean climate to the Dead Sea arid region in Israel were studied. Rain-spell characteristics (number, yield and duration), based on these data, are presented for different rainfall thresholds, which might be used for different environmental processes such as rock weathering, soil organic matter dynamics, landslides, overland flow and floods and soil erosion. Three estimation models have been developed in order to predict the mean annual Number of Rain-Spells (NRS), mean Rain-Spell Yield (RSY), and mean Rain-Spell Duration (RSD) for the mean annual rainfall and for any given rainfall threshold. These models can be used for current climatic conditions and for scenarios in which the rainfall total changes.     

Soil sodium and potassium adsorption ratio along a Mediterranean–arid transect

Changes in the relationship between soil soluble ions and rainfall were studied on hillslopes at seven research sites that represent four climatic regions: Mediterranean, semi-arid, mildly arid and arid. At each site, soil samples were taken in several seasons and the ratio between the Na⁺ plus K⁺ content and the Ca²⁺ plus Mg²⁺ content (sodium and potassium adsorption RATIO=SPAR) was determined. In general, SPAR increased with increasing aridity except for the most arid site in which the soil contains a gypsic layer. The relationship between SPAR and rainfall was non-linear. An abiotic threshold, characterized by a sharp change in the SPAR, was found around the 200 mm isohyet: sites that receive less than 200 mm annual rainfall showed significantly higher SPAR than those that receive more than 200 mm, where SPAR was very low.     

Variation of Dry Days Since Last Rain (DDSLR) as a measure of dryness along a Mediterranean – Arid transect

Dry periods between rainstorms control the soil moisture conditions, and are the antecedent conditions for various geomorphological, hydrological and ecological processes. An annual distribution of dry condition, based on the Dry Days Since Last Rain (DDSLR) approach is presented, showing the duration and timing of dry periods for various daily rainfall thresholds and probabilities.Daily rainfall data from five stations along a climatic transect in Israel, extending from the Judean Mountains, which have a Mediterranean climate, to the Dead Sea arid region were studied. The results show that DDSLR values increased with increasing aridity. At a 0.1 mm rainfall threshold, the DDSLR values were similar along this transect. However, at higher daily thresholds, differences among different locations along the transect, become more noticeable.     

Climate and surface properties: hydrological response of small arid and semi-arid watersheds

A positive relationship between annual rainfall and geomorphic processes (runoff and erosion rates) and environmental factors (water regime, soil and vegetation cover) is often assumed for arid and semi-arid areas with an annual rainfall in the range of 100–300 mm. This assumption disregards the fact that changes along a climatic gradient, at desert margins, are not limited to purely climatic factors. They are often accompanied by a parallel change in surface properties; especially the relative extent of rocky or soil covered surfaces that differ greatly in their response to rainfall. This raises the issue whether the change in surface properties along a climatic gradient enhances the assumed positive effects of rainfall increase or limits it. The hypothesis advanced in this paper is that runoff generation and rate in arid and semi-arid areas are primarily controlled by surface properties rather than by the absolute amounts of storm and annual rain amounts. Hydrological data collected at two instrumented watersheds, located one in an arid rocky area, and the second in a semi-arid soil covered area, support this hypothesis. The implications of data obtained for runoff generation and flow continuity under changing climatic conditions are analyzed. They point to the fact that the same regional climatic change may have different, and even opposite effects, on the hydrological response of different adjoining surface units. This response is expected to be strongly controlled by the specific local surface conditions that prevailed in the area prior to the climatic change.     

Soil-water behaviour of sandy soils under semi-arid conditions in the Duero Basin (Spain)

This paper examines the soil-water behaviour of sandy soils representative of a broad area in the Duero river basin (Spain), with semi-arid bioclimatic characteristics. Soil-moisture measurements of the first 25 cm of soil profile were taken using time domain reflectometry (TDR) methodology. The infiltration process was studied by means of field experiments combining rainfall simulations and TDR techniques. Finally, a set of hydrodynamic variables was calculated in the laboratory (i.e. available soil-water content, soil-water-retention curves and hydraulic conductivity).The average available soil-water content is 0·07 cm³ cm⁻³, in accordance with the predominance of the sandy textural fraction (85%). The rainfall simulation experiments show that infiltration prevails over overland flow, with a steady-state infiltration rate higher than rainfall application (40mmh⁻¹) in most cases; a low water-retention capacity was also observed. The evolution of soil-moisture over time indicates a close dependence on intra-annual rainfall variability due to the low water-retention capacity of sandy soils. With a maximum water-storage capacity of around 0·18 cm³ cm⁻³, the soils studied show high sensitivity to dry spells and may remain with <50% of the available soil-water content for several months during the year.     

Water regime in soils and plants along an aridity gradient in central Baja California, Mexico

The Central Desert of Baja California has pronounced climatic gradients. Water storage in the upper metre of soil and leaf water potentials in Larrea tridentata, Simmondsia chinensis and Fouquieria columnaris were monitored during 28 months at six sites. Estimated annual evapotranspiration was 75-150 mm in sandy loams, and 45-60 mm in sandy soils. Cumulative recharge accounted for 80% of precipitation in loams, but only 50% in sands. During the study period, increased aridity was expressed as longer periods of drought, but there was no less recharge. Weak to moderate relationships were found between soil water content and predawn leaf water potential.     

近50年来中国干湿气候界线的10年际波动

利用中国北方1951～1999年降水量和年蒸发量资料，计算了干燥度指数（D）。并据此将中国划分为干旱区（D（0.20）），半干旱区（0.20-0.50）和湿润区（D(0.50）），近50a中国干湿气候波动显著，区域差异大；50a波动幅度东北区为20～400km，华北区为40～400km，西北东部为30～350km，西南区为40～370km，以80年代为界，在20世纪80年代以前（包括80年代），西南区气候具有显著变湿趋势；西北东部稍变湿；华北区和东北区具有变干趋势，且华北区变干程度比东北区严重。进入90年代。西南区和西北东部气候有变干迹象。华北区西部气候的干旱程度有所增加，华北区东部有所减弱，东北区气候进一步变湿，半干旱区是湿润区与干旱区之间的过渡区，是中国季风的边缘地带，也是环境变化的敏感区，20世纪60～70年代中国（北方）干湿气候存在一次突变，由较湿润变为干旱。50年来干湿气候界线呈现出整体移动和东西、南北相异波动的特征，当干湿气候界线同时向西或向北移动时，中国北方气候就变得相对湿润；当同时向东或向南移动时，北方气候就变得相对干旱；当干湿气候界线东西、南北相异移动时，北方气候的干旱程度就介于二者之间。     

中国沙漠(地)深层渗漏量及动态特征

土壤水分深层渗漏是沙区水循环的重要环节,深层渗漏的定量测定对沙区水资源评估及水量平衡研究具有重要意义。本文采用YWB-01型土壤深层水量渗漏测试记录仪对中国毛乌素沙地等六大沙漠(地)降雨入渗到深层土壤的渗漏水量进行实时动态监测。结果表明:流动沙丘降雨渗漏补给量存在明显的时空差异,与降雨时空变化特征具有相对一致性,降雨格局是影响深层渗漏过程的主要因素,随降雨增大渗漏补给量增加,半干旱区降雨量与渗漏量显著正相关(p<0.05),干旱区相关性不显著(p>0.05);观测期内正镶白旗、伊金霍洛旗、阜康流动沙丘土壤200 cm以下渗漏量为48.5、146.8、1.0 mm,分别占同期降雨的21.4%、33.3%、1.3%;乌审旗、磴口150 cm以下渗漏量为1009.6、52.6mm,分别占同期降雨的55.7%、12.7%。不同气候区固定沙丘渗漏量基本没有差异,降雨格局不是影响水分深层渗漏的主导因素,而植被覆盖的影响占主要作用,且沙丘植被盖度>45%时深层渗漏量不超过同期降雨的2.0%。中国沙区深层土壤水分补给主要来自于强降雨或高频次小降雨事件,特别是干旱区降水少、频次低,其深层土壤水分补给更加依赖于强降水。     

Sub-daily rainfall events in an arid environment with marked climate variability: Variation among wet and dry years at Fowlers Gap,New South Wales,Australia

The nature of rainfall events is explored through six years of below average rainfall, associated with negative Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and three years of above average rainfall, associated with positive SOI (and strong La Niña conditions), at arid Fowlers Gap, Australia. There is a greater probability of rainfall in wet years, but the events themselves also change significantly. Rainfall depth per event was 116% larger on average in wet years than dry, and average event rainfall rate was 85% higher. However, these results are influenced by a small number of very large events in the wet years, and events of <2 mm occur at about the same rate in dry and wet years. Rainfall event profiles in dry years showed more Huff first quartile events likely to promote partitioning of rain into infiltration. In contrast, larger events in wet years showed a preponderance of Huff third quartile profiles likely to be associated with greater partitioning of rainfall into overland flow. This co-variation in rainfall event profile with annual rainfall, not previously described, is reasoned to increase the amplitude of ecological impacts of the SOI-related rainfall variability at this site.     

THE DEPENDENCE OF THE ANNUAL TOTAL ON THE NUMBER OF RAIN‐SPELLS AND THEIR YIELD IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Rain‐spells are a key parameter for examining the variation in rainfall amounts, especially in arid and semi‐arid areas. A rain‐spell is defined as a period of consecutive days with rainfall above a certain determined Daily Rainfall Threshold (DRT). Two different seasons or two stations may have the same average TOTAL, but different synoptic conditions are the cause for the differences in their Number of Rain‐Spells (NRS) their Rain‐Spells Yield (RSY) or both. The present study examines whether a season is drier/wetter according to its length, or whether it depends on the NRS in 41 Mediterranean stations. It analyses the relationships between dry/wet seasons and various elements of the rain‐spells. These objectives are analysed both at a basin level of the entire Mediterranean, and at a station level. The main conclusions at the basin level are that precipitation amounts are not related to the length of the seasons, and therefore, a Short or a Long season can be either Dry or Wet. The significant positive correlation between the TOTAL and the annual NRS that was found indicates that a Dry season tends to have Few rain‐spells and a Wet season tends to have Many rain‐spells. At the station level of most stations, a Dry or Wet season is caused mainly by changes in the RSY and less so by changes in the NRS. This tendency is more evident in the southern Mediterranean. Furthermore, Wet seasons are characterized by an increase in the number of Long rain‐spells (longer than three days) and mainly in the RSY of these spells. These conclusions may serve to characterize the rainfall regime under any scenario due to a climatic change.     

Revisit of event-based rainfall characteristics at Shapotou area in northern China

Distribution of rainfall event sizes and interval lengths between events are important characteristics of arid and semi-arid climates. Understanding their importance will contribute to our ability to understand ecosystem dynamics in these regions. Rainfall event timing and magnitude are important drivers of ecosystem processes and are instrumental in creating landscape heterogeneity in arid and semi-arid regions. Rainfall event characteristics were analyzed using an automatic tipping-bucket rain-gauge record across the entire summer monsoon season from 2008 to 2015 at the arid desert area of Shapotou in the Tengger Desert, China. Changing the minimum inter-event time (MIT) from 30 min to 24 h alters the number of rainfall events from 64 to 25 for the event depth larger than 0.1 mm. The mean rainfall intensity declined from 0.95 mm/h to 0.53 mm/h, and the geometric mean event duration rose from 0.55 h to 4.4 h. The number of rainfall events, mean rainfall intensity, and geometric mean event duration differed under different criteria of individual rainfall depths, except that for an individual rainfall depth of 0.5, 1.0, and 5.0 mm. The aforementioned features differed only at the lowest range of the mean rainfall intensity and depth for MIT=3 and 6 h. These findings suggest that identification of event-based rainfall in this specific arid region can be better achieved by setting the MIT at six hours. The wide variation in rainfall event properties indicate the need for paying more attention to the proper selection and reporting of event criteria in studies that adopt event-based data analysis. This is especially true in quantifying effective rainfall for soil water replenishment in terms of rainfall depth and intensity with infrequent rainfall events.     

The influence of temperature, moisture, and eolian activity on Holocene lake development in West Greenland

Holocene paleolimnological records (diatoms, organic content, spectrally inferred sediment chlorophyll-a) from three West Greenland lakes (~67°N) situated along a transect from the outer coast to a nunatak at the periphery of the Greenland Ice Sheet are used to explore the nature of regional postglacial lake development and its relationship to Holocene climate evolution. The lakes were deglaciated asynchronously by approximately 4?ka (earliest on the coast) and thus their sediment records document different starting points of Holocene ontogeny, both temporally and paleoclimatically. Despite similar time-transgressive characteristics of the diatom stratigraphies, overarching climatic factors, principally effective moisture, and eolian inputs, govern individual lake development. The transition to Neoglaciation between 5.6 and 4?ka BP marks a shift toward a cooler, moister, windier climate from the aridity and higher temperatures of the mid-Holocene (8?C6?ka BP). A shift toward increased aridity, windiness, and eolian activity is documented in the interior lakes over the last 500?years. These lake records demonstrate the sensitivity of freshwater lakes in arid regions to changes in effective moisture and highlight the role of wind and eolian activity in Arctic lake environments.     

Colonization processes in semi-arid Mediterranean old-fields

Semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems undergo a slow process of secondary succession after disturbance which is dependent on rainfall. We tested the hypothesis that colonization of abandoned lands in semi-arid SE Spain was slowed down by seed dispersal and species-specific responses to climatic variability. In field and glasshouse experiments we analysed germination of the two main colonizer species, their appearance in the field as seedlings, their relationships with climate and the resulting population structure. Seed germination of the two dominant legume species, Anthyllis cytisoides and Retama sphaerocarpa, was enhanced by scarification, but triggered in the field by temperature and rainfall, respectively. There was no evidence of allelopathic effects affecting germination in the field. Population structure reflected high inter-annual variability in shrub establishment, which was related to rainfall in spite of self-thinning and other processes that modeled current shrub numbers. Colonization of abandoned lands in semi-arid, Mediterranean environments in SE Spain seems to be primarily limited by seed dispersal, but also affected by climatic variability, which produced temporally separated recruitment events.     

Hydrological Characteristics of the Heihe River Basin in the Arid Inland Area of Northwest China

The hydrological characteristics of the Heihe River Basin in the arid inland area of northwest China were investigated.The spatial distribution of annual precipitation in the basin indicates that it decreases from east to west and from south to north,and increases with elevation by a gradient of 24.4 mm per hundred meters below 2,810 m a.s.l.,but decreases with elevation by that of 37.0 mm per hundred meters above 2,810 m a.s.l.For the last 50 years,the mountain runoff of the ba-sin has a tendency of increase.Except in the mountain area,the aridity is very high in the basin,and the aridity index ranges from 1.6 to 7.0 at the piedmont,to 9.0～20.0 in the midstream area and up to 40.0 in the downstream Ejin region.It is estimated for the last 50 years that a 1oC increment of annual temperature causes a 21.5 mm increase of evaporation in the mountain area,and the equivalent reduction of mountain runoff is 0.215×109 m3/yr at the Yingluoxia Hydrometric Sta-tion.The estimation shows also that a 1oC increment of annual temperature causes 1,842 mm increase of farmland evapotranspiration in the midstream area,an equivalent of 0.298×109 m3/yr more water consumption.The anthropogenic influence on the hydrological processes and water resources is then discussed.     

Climatic change and rainfall patterns: Effects on semi-arid plant communities of the Iberian Southeast

The structure and functioning of semi-arid ecosystems are strongly influenced by precipitation patterns. Water availability in such environments is highly pulsed, and discrete rainfall events interspersed with drought periods are important components of the annual water supply. Plant communities do not only respond to rainfall quantity, but also to variations in time, so that relatively small changes in rainfall frequency (i.e., pulsed inputs) may have strong effects on communities. Within the Mediterranean basin, climate change models forecast a decrease in mean annual precipitation and more extreme events (i.e., less rainy days and longer drought periods between events), along with seasonal changes. However, little is known on the consequences of these future precipitation changes on plant communities, especially in semi-arid environments. Here, we summarize the few experiments that have manipulated rainfall patterns in arid and semi-arid areas worldwide, and introduce the first results of a pioneer, long-term rainfall exclusion in the semi-arid southeast region of the Iberian Peninsula. The experiment is not only manipulating the amount of rainfall, but also its frequency and seasonal distribution in a grassland-shrubland in the Tabernas desert (Almería, Spain). This work monitored the effect of precipitation changes on different ecosystem processes for five years, at the species and community level, concluding that this plant community (as other communities studied in the same area) exhibited great resilience to changes in rainfall availability, likely caused by plant adaptation to large intra- and inter-annual precipitation variability.     

紫色土坡面水流跌坑形态特征及其成因

跌坑的形成是坡面侵蚀过程中的重要一环,是细沟开始出现的临界形态,跌坑的贯穿标志着细沟的形成。本研究采用模拟降雨与微地形测量相结合的方法,调查了不同雨强下紫色土坡面跌坑的发育过程及其形态分布。试验结果表明,降雨初期紫色土坡面水流跌坑边界模糊,横断面上跌坑基本在相同水平线上,与紫色土颗粒组成较粗有关;1.83～2.33 mm/min的雨强下,顺坡跌坑平均间距变化于8.2～9.4 mm之间,跌坑深度顺坡分布呈现较大的波动性,平均深度介于1.4～1.8 cm,总体上随雨强呈增大趋势;横断面上跌坑宽度变化相对较大,平均宽度介于9.4～16.3 cm,随雨强变化趋势不明显;跌坑水平间距除边界外相对稳定,地势低洼处优先形成跌坑,但也并非尽然;基于运动波理论分析认为,紫色土坡面跌坑的连续分布是坡面流运动波的能量周期性波动作用形成。     

沙地降雨入渗水分动态

应用土壤水动力学基本原理，结合先进仪器的使用，从动力学角度，以能态观点定量研究沙地水分入渗动态。通过野外现场观测，分析不同深度含水率和吸力随时间变化过程，研究沙地降雨入渗水分传递过程，探讨入渗条件下沙地水分运动的动力学机制和特征。     

西北干旱区典型绿洲气候因子非线性特征研究——以新疆石河子地区为例

以西北干旱区典型绿洲新疆石河子地区为例,使用该区1959—2006年的年平均气温和降水量资料,基于小波变换从多时间尺度分析了气候因子的波动、突变和周期特性,并通过关联维数和R/S分析方法揭示了其分形与混沌特征。结果显示,石河子地区气候变化呈现复杂的非线性特征,具有分形、混沌特征和波动性。研究区降水量变化的主周期分别为5、8、14 a和20 a,但只有5 a和8 a通过了0.05水平下的显著性检验;温度变化的主周期分别在4、7 a和11 a,并且全部显著;研究区温度、降水量序列的关联维分别为4.51和3.21,均为非整数,这意味着该地区的气候因子具有分形和混沌特性;该区温度、降水量的饱和嵌入维分别为7和6,表明要对其进行系统动力学建模,分别需要5～7和4～6个独立的状态变量;在R/S分析中,根据研究区温度（1992—2006年）和降水量（1987—2006年）序列的Hurst指数预测,在2006年后的15 a内该区温度可能仍将保持上升趋势,而降水量在未来的20 a内将可能呈现轻微的下降趋势。     

1960~2010年西北干旱区极端降水特征研究

基于中国西北干旱区1960~2010 年70个台站逐日降水资料,采用欧盟组织(STARDEX)定义的降水极值指数,分析结果表明: ① 研究区近51 a来强降水发生频次、湿期平均长度表现出增多和增长趋势,干日数和干期平均长度表现出减少和变短趋势; ② 单次强水的强度在增加,表现为：湿日数减少,而降水的总量却显著增加。③ 湿日数减少主要是0~6 mm强度的降水日数减少,12~24 mm强度的降水日数显著增加,后者对降水总量的增加贡献较大。④ 绝大部分站点强降水（>12 mm）的雨日（量）都以上升趋势为主,表现为下降趋势的站点极少。     

Representative rainfall thresholds for landslides in the Nepal Himalaya

Measuring some 2400 km in length, the Himalaya accommodate millions of people in northern India and Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of other Asian nations. Every year, especially during monsoon rains, landslides and related natural events in these mountains cause tremendous damage to lives, property, infrastructure, and environment. In the context of the Himalaya, however, the rainfall thresholds for landslide initiation are not well understood. This paper describes regional aspects of rainfall thresholds for landslides in the Himalaya. Some 677 landslides occurring from 1951 to 2006 were studied to analyze rainfall thresholds. Out of the 677 landslides, however, only 193 associated with rainfall data were analyzed to yield a threshold relationship between rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, and landslide initiation. The threshold relationship fitted to the lower boundary of the field defined by landslide-triggering rainfall events is I = 73.90D^− 0.79 (I = rainfall intensity in mm h^− 1 and D = duration in hours), revealing that when the daily precipitation exceeds 144 mm, the risk of landslides on Himalayan mountain slopes is high. Normalized rainfall intensity–duration relationships and landslide initiation thresholds were established from the data after normalizing rainfall-intensity data with respect to mean annual precipitation (MAP) as an index in which N_I = 1.10D^− 0.59 (N_I = normalized intensity in h^− 1). Finally, the role of antecedent rainfall in causing landslides was also investigated by considering daily rainfall during failure and the cumulative rainfall to discover at what point antecedent rainfall plays an important role in Himalayan landslide processes. Rainfall thresholds presented in this paper are generalized so they can be used in landslide warning systems in the Nepal Himalaya.