Analysis of Extreme Precipitation Variation Characteristics and the Influencing Factors in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Region, China

• Published in: Sustainability
• Main Authors: Hongbo Zhang, Runyun Zhang, Qin Ju, Gong Kong, Yina Xie, Jufang He, Yonghui Huang
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2023
• Subjects: extreme precipitation; Yunnan-Guizhou plateau region; spatio-temporal variation characteristics; variation trend; influencing factors; Environmental effects of industries and plants; TD194-195; Renewable energy sources; TJ807-830; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014735; https://doaj.org/article/899899e9c3a74987b80035f4839f9219

The increase of extreme precipitation (EP) frequency and the aggravation of disasters have seriously disrupted the normal economic and social development of human beings. The complex topography of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau region (YGPR) and the fact that moisture originates from two different directions, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, make the mechanism of EP more complicated. Exploring the variation characteristics and influencing factors of EP in YGPR is of great significance for regional disaster prevention and mitigation and water resources management. In this study, 11 extreme precipitation indices (EPIs) defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) were calculated based on daily precipitation data of 1960–2020 from 83 national meteorological stations in the study area. The Mann–Kendall test and Wavelet analysis were used to analyze the variation characteristics of EP and explore the influence mechanisms of geographical factors and atmospheric circulation on EP in the spatial and temporal perspective. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The EP of the study area has an overall increasing trend in the research period, with the increase of persistent dry days, the precipitation concentration, intensity, and extreme heavy precipitation (EHP); (2) It shows the obvious spatial difference in the study area, with the high-value areas of extreme drought (ED) in the northwestern region and the total annual precipitation, EHP, and intensity in the southeastern region. In addition, ED and EHP tends to increase in the western region of the study area as well as in the middle east and southeast; (3) EHP is significantly positively correlated with longitude and highly negatively with latitude. Meanwhile, EHP shows a correlation with altitude (negative at low altitude and positive at high altitude); (4) The degree of drought change is greatly affected by North Atlantic Oscillation/El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. The variation of extreme heavy precipitation is greatly ...