Spatio-temporal variations in precipitation on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain from 1963 to 2012

Spatio-temporal variations in precipitation are affecting agricultural production in China in the context of climate change. Based on daily precipitation data from 63 national meteorological stations on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain from 1963 to 2012, this paper analysed the spatio-temporal variations in precipitation in terms of precipitation days and intensity, using spatial interpolation, linear trend estimation and wavelet analysis. The results indicated that: (i) from 1963 to 2012, the number of annual precipitation days and intensity decreased gradually from the southeast to the northwest. Additionally, the distribution of the extreme precipitation index was similar to that of the annual precipitation index; (ii) the number of annual precipitation days and heavy precipitation days gradually decreased, while precipitation intensity and extreme precipitation days and extreme rainfall intensity remained relatively stable or decreased. The spatial patterns of annual variation trends were considerably different. The annual precipitation days and intensity trends are consistent with the overall trend, while that of the extreme rainfall index in some regions differs from the overall trend; (iii) the precipitation index displayed different periodic oscillations during the period, and the precipitation index values differed at different time scales. However, all the precipitation index values exhibited a 28-yr oscillation.     

The landslides in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region,China and the effects of water storage and rain on their stability

According to the statistics, there were about 1,736 landslides with the total volume of 1.339 × 10¹¹ m³ in the 100 km² area of upper reaches of the Yangtze River, in which about 94% of landslides are triggered by rain and water storage. Thus, based investigation of the results of the landslides in this region, this paper completed a systematic study on the effects of rainfall and water storage on the landslides in the region and found that the distribution of landslides over time and space are well correlated with the precipitation distribution in this region; landslides are also strictly controlled by the stratum, geological structure, river valley form, shore type, etc. Meanwhile, the pattern of water table variation of the three gorges reservoir will do have very serious impacts on the stability of the slopes in this region. All research results show that water storage and rainfall are the two important inducing factors that can cause a lot of large-scale landslides. Therefore, some effective control measures for water storage and rainfall should be taken so as to minimize the impacts of water on the stability of the slopes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region of Yangtze River, China.     

Trends in extreme rainfall over ecologically sensitive Western Ghats and coastal regions of Karnataka: an observational assessment

Rainfall is one of the pivotal climatic variables, which influence spatio-temporal patterns of water availability. In this study, we have attempted to understand the interannual long-term trend analysis of the daily rainfall events of ≥?2.5 mm and rainfall events of extreme threshold, over the Western Ghats and coastal region of Karnataka. High spatial resolution (0.25°?×?0.25°) daily gridded rainfall data set of Indian Meteorological Department was used for this study. Thirty-eight grid points in the study area was selected to analyze the daily precipitation for 113 years (1901–2013). Grid points were divided into two zones: low land (exposed to the sea and low elevated area/coastal region) and high land (interior from the sea and high elevated area/Western Ghats). The indices were selected from the list of climate change indices recommended by ETCCDI and are based on annual rainfall total (RR), yearly 1-day maximum rainfall, consecutive wet days (≥?2.5 mm), Simple Daily Intensity Index (SDII), annual frequency of very heavy rainfall (≥?100 mm), frequency of very heavy rainfall (≥?65–100 mm), moderate rainfall (≥?2.5–65 mm), frequency of medium rainfall (≥?40–65 mm), and frequency of low rainfall (≥?20–40 mm). Mann-Kendall test was applied to the nine rainfall indices, and Theil-Sen estimator perceived the nature and the magnitude of slope in rainfall indices. The results show contrasting trends in the extreme rainfall indices in low land and high land regions. The changes in daily rainfall events in the low land region primarily indicate statistically significant positive trends in the annual total rainfall, yearly 1-day maximum rainfall, SDII, frequency of very heavy rainfall, and heavy rainfall as well as medium rainfall events. Furthermore, the overall annual rainfall strongly correlated with all the rainfall indices in both regions, especially with indices that represent heavy rainfall events which is responsible for the total increase of rainfall.     

A quick and low-cost technique to identify layers associated with heavy rainfall in sediment archives during the Anthropocene

Long-term records are needed to investigate the impact of extreme events in the current framework of global change. Sedimentary reconstruction with a high resolution remains difficult without conducting expensive, destructive and/or time-consuming analyses. In this study, high resolution CT-scan profiles (0·6 mm resolution) were used to investigate their potential for detecting flood deposits induced by heavy rainfall events. This method was applied to a sediment core dated with fallout radionuclides – covering a 120 year period – collected in a pond draining a small forested catchment (French Massif Central – Central France). Between 1960 and 2017, 28 layers were deposited. Seventy-six percent of these deposits were correlated to the occurrence of heavy rainfall (>50 mm) recorded during one or two consecutive days. The remainder of the deposits detected with the Computer Tomography (CT) scanner (n = 5) were not correlated to weather events. They mainly occurred in response to landscape management operations (for example, afforestation works as a result of the major 1999 storm). This period was indeed characterized by an increase in the delivery of ¹³⁷Cs-enriched sediment, demonstrating a greater topsoil contribution to sediment during major forest management operations. The intensity of detrital layers has significantly decreased throughout time after a major land use change that took place in 1948 and land abandonment. The frequency of heavy rainfall and associated detrital deposits has nevertheless increased by 60% and 75%, respectively, between the years 1960 and 2017. These results outline the potential of CT-scan for reconstructing long-term flood deposits associated with heavy precipitation.     

The use of geoprocessing to assess vulnerability on the east coast aquifers of Rio de Janeiro State,Brazil

The east coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, shows a worrying overlap between areas with intrinsic groundwater vulnerability and the most significant urban expansion zones. It experienced a rapid population growth in recent years, mainly due to the tourism industry, resulting in a significant pressure on drinking groundwater resources. In this regard, development and use of techniques to control and protect areas susceptible to contamination is crucial. The elaboration of aquifer vulnerability maps is thus extremely helpful to support water resources management. The aim of the work is to present the methodological approach in the use of Geoprocessing techniques to obtain a suitable groundwater vulnerability model in Rio de Janeiro east coast. Considering the existing problems and the current land use and characteristics of the study region, it is clear that the most vulnerable areas (that is, “extreme” and “very high” vulnerability areas), coincide with the most significant zones of urban occupation, corresponding to 11% of the total study area, demanding adoption of urgent measures in the near future. Geoprocessing tools and remote sensing for characterization of Rio de Janeiro’s east coast aquifer vulnerability gave good results, representing a satisfactory method for management actions at low cost.     

降雨重现期及其用于滑坡概率分析的探讨

极端气候条件往往会诱发各种地质灾害,而降雨型滑坡的发生则与极值降雨关系密切。为了有效预防和控制汛期滑坡灾害的发生,定量评估滑坡灾害造成的人员与经济风险,讨论了汛期极值降雨条件下滑坡概率的分析方法。利用Gumbel极值分布理论,以三峡库区巴东县1990~2006年日降雨量为基础资料,采用统计分析方法,求取研究区在汛期(6月中旬至9月)最大一次连续降雨量、多日累积最大降雨量的极值及其分布曲线; 在此基础上,以研究区一个滑坡实例为对象,综合采用渗流模拟、稳定性分析和基于蒙特卡罗的滑坡概率分析方法,讨论了降雨极值及其重现期成果分别在降雨新生型滑坡和降雨复活型滑坡概率分析中的应用思路与方法。结果表明,随着重现期的增加,一次降雨过程的降雨量也增加; 随着降雨日数的增加,具有不同重现期降雨事件的累积降雨量均会增加,且重现期越长,累积降雨量值会越大; 降雨极值曲线分别应用于降雨新生型和降雨复活型滑坡概率分析的思路是可行并有效的。     

Rainfall as a trigger of shallow mass movements. A case study in the Dolomites, Italy

 The article presents results of regional analysis on a historical basis correlating the occurrence of shallow mass movements and disruptive events in time with precipitation trends. For the latter, different time-spans have been considered in an attempt to find the most typical ones which might have triggered landslides. Research was carried out in the 850 km² wide basin of the River Cordevole in the Dolomites (NE Italy). Data concerning slope movements and floods, which have affected the area since the last century, were collected. Events which took place after 1920 have been correlated with the significant pluviometric events recorded. In spite of the regionally high variability of both geological conditions and spatial distribution of precipitation, three types of typical pluviometric trends related to an effective rainfall period of 15 days and to a peak rainfall of 24–48 h preceding the onset of the movements were identified. Received: 1 November 1996 · Accepted: 25 June 1997     

Identification of the affected areas by mass movement through a physically based model of landslide hazard combined with an empirical model of debris flow

In tropical areas, mass movements are common phenomena, especially during periods of heavy rainfall, which frequently take place in the summer season. These phenomena have caused loss of life and serious damage to infrastructure and properties. The most prominent of these phenomena are landslides that can produce debris flows. Thus, this article aims at determining affected areas using a model to predict landslide prone areas (SHALSTAB) combined with an empirical model designed to define the debris flow travel distance and area of deposition. The methodology of this work consists of the following steps: (a) elaboration of a digital elevation model (DEM), (b) application of the deterministic SHALSTAB model to locate the landslide prone areas, (c) identification of the debris flow travel distance and area of deposition, and (d) mapping of the affected areas (landslides and debris flows). This work was developed in an area in which many mass movements occurred after intense rainfall during the summer season (February 1996) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast Brazil. All of the scars produced by that event were mapped, allowing for validation of the applied models. The model results show that the mapped landslide locations can adequately be simulated by the model.     

Space-based monitoring of severe flooding of a southern state in India during south-west monsoon season of 2018

Kerala, a southern state of India, experienced a severe flooding due to multi-day extreme rain events during July and August months of 2018. This disaster was one of the worst floods to hit the state and resulted in heavy losses of lives and property. Natural Disaster Management Authority of India reported that 483 people lost their lives and more than 50 lakhs population were affected severely. This short communication focuses on examining this flood event using satellite remote sensing. It is reported that Kerala received an excess of about 56% rainfall during July and August from multi-day extreme rainfall episodes. Few regions of Kerala received the rainfall in the range of 270–300 mm on August 14 and 15. Hourly rainfall events in the excess of 25 mm have also been reported during heavy rainy days. The present study reports that multi-day heavy rainy events during July and August brought an accumulated rainfall of about 1600 mm, which resulted in extreme flooding over Kerala.

     

Contribution of regional climate drivers to future winter sea-level changes in the Baltic Sea estimated by statistical methods and simulations of climate models

A statistical downscaling approach is applied to the output of five different global climate model simulations driven by twenty-first century future scenarios of greenhouse gas concentrations. The contribution of sea-level pressure (SLP) and precipitation changes to regional future winter sea-level changes is estimated for four Baltic sea-level stations by establishing statistical relationships between sea level as predictand and large-scale climate fields as predictors. Using SLP as predictor for the central and eastern Baltic Sea level stations, three climate models lead to statistically significant twenty-first century future trends in the range of the order of 1–2 mm/year. Using precipitation as predictor for the stations in the southern Baltic coast all five models lead to statistically significant trends with a range of the order of 0.4 mm/year. These numbers are smaller, but of the order of magnitude as the predicted global sea-level rise.     

Regional frequency analysis of extreme precipitation and its spatio-temporal characteristics in the Huai River Basin, China

With the increasing exposure of populations and economy to natural hazards, the spatio-temporal characteristics of extreme rainfall remain a key subject of study. Based on annual maximum rainfall (AM) and peaks over threshold rainfall series at 30 meteorological stations during 1960–2011 in the Huai River Basin (HRB), spatio-temporal characteristics of extreme rainfall are analyzed through regional frequency analysis method using L-moments. The accuracy and uncertainty analysis of quantile estimations are also carried out, and the regional and at-site frequency analyses are compared. Results indicate the following: (1) During 1960–2011, AM precipitation at 20 stations in the HRB shows an increasing trend, while at the other 10 stations, it shows a decreasing trend. And both the increased and decreased trends are not significant. (2) The HRB can be categorized into three homogeneous regions via cluster analysis. For both at-site and regional frequency analyses, the root mean square error values increase with the increase in return periods. The estimations are reliable enough for the return periods of less than 100 years. The quantile estimates of large return period from regional frequency analysis are more accurate and have smaller uncertainty than those from at-site frequency analysis. (3) Extreme precipitation in the HRB concentrates in the upstream of the Huai River and YiShuSi water system in the east of the HRB. Generally, the area with extreme precipitation, especially the upper reaches of the Huai River and Yimeng Mountain areas, also has large standard variations of extreme precipitation, which will increase the risk of natural hazards.     

Rainfall thresholds for the triggering of landslides considering previous soil moisture conditions (Asturias,NW Spain)

Given its geological and climatic conditions and its rugged orography, Asturias is one of the most landslide prone areas in the North of Spain. Most of the landslides occur during intense rainfall episodes. Thus, precipitation is considered the main triggering factor in the study area, reaching average annual values of 960 mm. Two main precipitation patterns are frequent: (i) long-lasting periods of moderate rainfall during autumn and winter and (ii) heavy short rainfall episodes during spring and early summer. In the present work, soil moisture conditions in the locations of 84 landslides are analysed during two rainfall episodes, which represent the most common precipitation patterns: October–November 2008 and June 2010. Empirical data allowed the definition of available water capacity percentages of 99–100% as critical soil moisture conditions for the landslide triggering. Intensity-duration rainfall thresholds were calculated for each episode, considering the periods with sustained high soil moisture levels before the occurrence of each analysed landslide event. For this purpose, data from daily water balance models and weather stations were used. An inverse relationship between the duration of the precipitation and its intensity, consistent with published intensity-duration thresholds, was observed, showing relevant seasonal differences.     

Disaster education for landslide risk reduction: an experience in a public school in Rio de Janeiro State,Brazil

Public policies for reducing the disaster risk associated with landslides in Brazil, based almost solely on the implementation of engineering works to stabilise hillsides, have proved ineffective, with this type of disaster becoming more common and more severe. There is therefore an urgent need to form a culture that encourages the public to participate directly in disaster management and develops community capacity, which requires a broad disaster education programme on formal, non-formal and informal levels. Given the recent approach to the topic, this study aims to contribute to the development of a disaster education methodology for landslides, based on an experience that was coordinated by the authors within formal education. The experience was implemented in a state school in the city of Niterói (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) which is recurrently affected by disasters associated with landslides. The issue of disasters associated with landslides was addressed in a one-semester course, using the theory of meaningful learning and a range of pedagogical tools in both theory and practical classes, for a total period of 16 h. The educational activities were preceded by a landslide risk perception survey and teacher training. The study concluded that the course promoted interactive and participatory learning, a connection to the real problem in the field and an affective relationship with the issue.     

1961-2015年吉林省极端降水指数时空变化特征

利用1961-2015年吉林省50个气象站的逐日降水量资料,通过RClimDex v1.1软件计算11个极端降水指数,采用线性倾向估计和Morlet小波分析等方法,分析了吉林省极端降水指数的时空变化规律。结果表明：1961-2015年吉林省最长连续无雨日数（CDD）自西向东逐渐降低,其他极端降水指数均呈自西向东逐渐增加的趋势分布。吉林省CDD呈极显著的下降趋势,下降速率为-1.99 d·（10a）^-1,其他极端降水指数波动变化,线性趋势不显著。吉林省各极端降水指数均在20世纪70年代达到最小值。绝大多数极端降水指数存在3 a和12 a左右的周期变化,3 a左右的主周期通过了0.05的显著性水平检验。吉林省极端降水指数除CDD随经度、海拔的增加而显著降低,随纬度的增加而显著增加外,其他大部分极端降水指数随经度、海拔的增加而增加,随纬度的增加而降低。     

An evaluation of the impacts of land surface modification, storm sewer development, and rainfall variation on waterlogging risk in Shanghai

Despite continuing efforts to upgrade the urban storm sewer system since the late 1950s, the City of Shanghai is still vulnerable to persistent rainstorm waterlogging due to excess surface runoff and sewer surcharge, which frequently cause significant damage to buildings and disruption to traffic. Rapid urbanization and associated land cover changes are the major factors contributing to waterlogging. However, it is unclear to what extent changes in rainfall variability over the past few decades are also involved. This paper investigates the combined impacts of land use and land cover change, storm sewer development, and long-term variations in precipitation. Evidence of persistent waterlogging is presented first. We then give an account of land surface modifications during the process of urbanization and the development of the city??s urban storm sewer system. Statistical analysis suggests that the increase in runoff coefficient due to conversion of lands from agricultural to industrial, commercial, and residential uses is a major factor driving greater waterlogging risk. In particular, historical analysis of aerial photographs reveals the rate and extent of modification to river networks in the past few decades. The natural drainage network has shrunk by 270?km, significantly reducing the city??s capacity to transport excess surface flow. In line with other studies, we find no significant overall trends in annual rainfall totals (at Baoshan and Xujiahui). However, seasonal and monthly rainfall intensities have increased. At the daily scale, we find that compared to pre-1980s: (i) there has been an increase in the number of wet days with precipitation exceeding 25?mm (Heavy Rainfall) and decrease in those below 25?mm and (ii) the number of consecutive wet days with precipitation maximum and average exceeding the threshold known to cause waterlogging shows an increasing trend. Since rainfall intensity is expected to increase under climate change, this could further compound the impacts of land use changes and place even greater pressure on the existing storm sewer system.     

Rainfall-induced landslide event of May 2010 in the eastern part of the Czech Republic

More than 150 landslides originated in the eastern part of the Czech Republic (region of the Flysch Outer Western Carpathians—hereinafter, OWC) due to soil saturation caused by antecedent precipitation and long lasting and intensive rainfalls on 16–18 May 2010 (>300 mm as measured by some stations). As a consequence, a multitude of small failures originated 88% of which was smaller than 10⁴ m². Most landslides are characterised as shallow (<10 m) or middle–deep (10–30 m) incipient (rather short travel) landslides, debris slides and soil slips spatially clustered to a geological domain underlain by rather weak thin-bedded flysch and unconsolidated Quaternary deposits. An exception to this is represented by a kilometre-long rockslide (∼2–3 mil m³) affecting tectonically weakened and weathered claystone/mudstone-dominated flysch on the southern slope of Mt. Girová (the Beskydy Mountains). The rockslide is one of the largest long runout landslides in the territory of the Czech Republic activated over the past few decades as it reaches the dimensions of the largest documented Holocene long runout landslides in the Czech part of the OWC. A majority of the May 2010 landslide events developed inside older (Holocene or historic) landslide terrains, which points to their spatial persistency and recurrent nature. In spite of the fact that the May 2010 landslide event was not as destructive as some previous landslide activisation in the OWC region (e.g. July 1997 event), it left many slope failures at the initial stage of their potential future reactivation.     

1971-2012年珠穆朗玛峰地区极端降水事件变化研究

利用西藏珠穆朗玛峰地区5个气象站点1971-2012年逐日降水量资料,采用滑动平均、线性回归、Mann-Kendall非参数检验和Morlet小波分析等方法,分析了珠穆朗玛峰地区极端降水事件的时空变化特征. 结果表明：1971-2012年42 a来,珠穆朗玛峰地区大部分极端降水指数呈现出自东向西逐渐增大的空间分布格局, 连续干旱日数、连续湿日和降水强度表现为增加趋势,其他极端降水指数趋于减少. 其中,强降水量、极强降水量和年降水总量减幅较大,分别为-5.74 mm·（10a）^-1、-1.20 mm·（10a）^-1和-5.32 mm·（10a）^-1,在喜马拉雅山南坡的聂拉木站表现的最为明显. 大部分极端降水指数在21世纪最初的10 a减幅最大,在30 a际尺度上也表现为减少趋势. 除连续干旱日数外,极端降水与年降水总量关系密切. 各项极端降水指数都存在3～4 a显著周期,也存在10 a、12 a和15 a的周期. 在时间转折上,各项极端降水指数均未发生气候突变.     

Fifty-year rainfall change and its effect on droughts and floods in Wenzhou,China

Based on daily, monthly, seasonal and annual precipitation, monthly duration and flood-affected area data from 1954 to 2007, we examined the absolute and relative change trends of rainfall and their effects on hazard intensity in Wenzhou city, China. The long-term trend of precipitation was studied by linear regression, moving average, cumulative anomaly and Z index methods, respectively. Our results show that there was no significant downward trend of annual precipitation. In contrast, there was significant decrease in autumn, July, mid-January and early June and significant increase in early January and late May, especially in late June. During 1954 and 2007, although significant fluctuation existed in the absolute value of precipitation, the relative changes of wet and dry were not significant compared with the average. The 10-year decrease in precipitation was 23.37 mm in autumn, 14.85 mm in July, 0.33 mm in mid-January and 6.87 mm in early June; while the 10-year increase was 0.35 mm in early January, 3.05 mm in late May and 8.57 mm in late June, respectively. Moreover, we found that 1964, 1966, 1977 and 1995 were the transition periods when the rainfall Z index was at peaks, the flood intensity was high, and the drought intensity was relatively low. On the other hand, 1958, 1968, 1971, 1980, 1989 and 1992 were the periods when the rainfall Z index was at valleys, the flood intensity was low, and the drought intensity was relatively high. Taken together, we demonstrated the obvious effects of precipitation changes on flood and drought intensities.     

On the landslide event in 2010 in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Angangueo, Michoacán, Mexico

In February 2010, 19 fatalities and economic damage were caused by a regional landslide episode in the state of Michoacán, México. The municipalities of Angangueo, Ocampo, Tiquicheo de Nicolás Romero, Tuxpan, and Tuzantla were severely damaged, with Angangueo being the most affected. The event involved a series of debris flows, of which four were the most significant; these four caused 16 deaths in addition to considerable damage to roads, electricity, and the water supply system, with indirect consequences in crop production, cattle farming, and tourism. The area affected by these four flows was calculated as 282?km², with an estimated 697,346?m³ of mobilized material. General observations indicated that the initiation sources of the debris flows were on deforested zones. The present research is concentrated on the Angangueo basin, an area situated within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Given the lack of rain gauges in the area of interest, records from neighboring points were used to build a comprehensive overview of the extreme precipitation event that triggered the devastating debris flows. The nearest rain gauge, Laguna del Fresno, situated 21?km to the south, recorded 204?mm of rainfall from 1 to 5 February, equivalent to 30% of the mean annual rainfall. Moreover, during a 24-h period the El Bosque rain gauge recorded 144.5?mm of precipitation, the equivalent of 2,270% of the mean rainfall for the same month (6.36?mm). The occurrence of a hailstorm preceding the rainfall event is notable; conditions in the superficial soil layer would have included an increased pore water pressure. Presumably, before the 2,000-year return period extreme rainfall event, thawing of hail and consequent moisture and/or pore-pressure increase result in decreased frictional strength. This paper presents a spatial analysis of the distribution of these landslides, mainly debris flows, as well as general observations on the triggering mechanism, the strength properties of the materials involved, and the societal impact.     

近40年中国平均气候与极值气候变化的概述

随着中国气象局对近50年来逐日气象观测资料的释放,人们从不同的角度对中国平均气候和极端气候的分布特征有了更多的了解.从目前研究的结果来看,这些认识需要有一个集成,即需要有一个总体的归纳和解释.通过中国近40年来的温度极值和降水极值事件的分析认识到全球增暖和区域环流异常决定着气候极值事件的分布格局.与全球增暖相联系的是:我国微量降水在空间上表现为一致的减少趋势,我国北方寒潮事件显著减少,冷夜和冷日的减少与暖夜和暖日的增多并存,以及极端强降水有增多的趋势.与东亚季风气流和西风带气流异常对应的我国有效降水在区域分布上发生了显著变化,东部季风区中的"北涝南旱"从1970年代末转型为"南涝北旱",与华南的偏干一起形成了东部季风区降水从华南、长江到华北的"-、 、-"异常分布型,但华南在1991年出现了转湿的突变;东北和西北先后从1983年和1987年前后转为暖湿气候.极端温度和极端降水趋势的空间分布与平均温度和平均降水趋势的空间分布一致.