Moisture source variations for summer rainfall in different intensity classes over Huaihe River Valley, China

Journal article (2021)

Authors

Yubo Liu University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chi Zhang Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qiuhong Tang University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Seyed Mohammad Hosseini-Moghari Chinese Academy of Sciences
Gebremedhin Gebremeskel Haile Chinese Academy of Sciences
Laifang Li The Pennsylvania State University
Wenhong Li Duke University
Kun An Tsinghua University
R.J. van der Ent Water Resources - CEG
Deliang Chen University of Gothenburg
Research Group
Water Resources (CEG) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2021 Yubo Liu, Chi Zhang, Qiuhong Tang, Seyed Mohammad Hosseini-Moghari, Gebremedhin Gebremeskel Haile, Laifang Li, Wenhong Li, Kun Yang, R.J. van der Ent, Deliang Chen
DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-021-05762-4
Moisture source Indian Ocean Heavy rainfall Huaihe River Water Accounting Model
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Published Date

2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Water Management

Research Group

Water Resources

Abstract

Rainfall is one of the most influential climatic factors on regional development and environment, and changes in rainfall intensity are of specific concern. In the Huaihe River Valley (HRV), heavy rainfall is a primary trigger of floods. However, the difference in the origin of moisture contributed to heavy rainfall and light rainfall is rarely studied and not entirely understood. This study analyzes the rainfall moisture sources in association with different categories of rainfall intensity over the HRV during 1980–2018 using the Water Accounting Model with ERA-Interim reanalysis and precipitation observations from China Meteorological Administration. The results show that the moisture for the HRV summer rainfall is mainly from terrestrial subregion (40%), the Indian Ocean (27%), the Pacific Ocean (25%), and the local HRV (8%). In addition, moisture sources differ substantially between light and heavy rainfall. Specifically, the local HRV contributes more moisture to light rainfall (12%) compared to heavy rainfall (4%), whereas the Indian Ocean contributes more to heavy rainfall (33%) than to light rainfall (20%). The grids located in the southern source region make higher contribution ratio in heavy rainfall than in light rainfall. These results suggest that moisture from distant oceanic areas, especially the Indian Ocean, plays a crucial role in intense summer rainfall, whereas moisture from the land sources covering local grids plays a dominant role in light rainfall in the HRV.