Precipitation recycling and soil–precipitation interaction across the arid and semi‐arid regions of China. (15th January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hua, Lijuan; Zhong, Linhao; Ke, Zongjian
• Is Part Of: International journal of climatology. Volume 36:Number 11(2016)
• Page Start: 3708
• Page End: 3722
• Publication Date: 2016-01-15
• Subjects: regional precipitation recycling -- soil–precipitation interaction -- arid and semi‐arid regions -- dynamic recycling model; Climatology -- Periodicals; Climat -- Périodiques; Climatologie -- Périodiques; 551.605
• DOI: 10.1002/joc.4586
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0899-8418

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Dynamic recycling model (DRM) and reanalysis data were used to study the interaction between the land surface and atmosphere during the warm season from 1979 to 2010 across the arid and semi‐arid regions of China. The nonlinear trends common to the key land–atmosphere interaction variables were extracted. For the whole study region, the precipitation recycling ratio showed an increasing trend, especially in the period before the 1990s. Simultaneously, increasing trends were also found in variables regionally related to precipitation, such as soil moisture, evaporation, precipitation efficiency, low‐level cloud and precipitable water. However, the moisture transport due to westerly moisture flux showed a remarkable weakening throughout the whole study region. Based on significantly positive correlation between the precipitation efficiency and precipitation recycling ratio under relatively low moisture advection, it was concluded that the precipitation recycling process should not been ignored, for both direct and indirect precipitation processes, in the study region. The spatial patterns of nonlinear trends in land–atmosphere interaction variables indicated reverse tendencies in two sub‐regions divided by the meridional boundary at approximately 110°E. For the western sub‐region, although decreasing westerly moisture flow was found, the strengthening southerly moisture flux mainly resulted in an increase of precipitable water. Positive relationships among precipitable water, low cloud, precipitation, soil moisture, evaporation and the precipitation recycling ratio were also found. The soil becoming wetter and the precipitation recycling process becoming enhanced suggested the existence of positive land–atmosphere interaction in the western sub‐region. However, the opposite tendencies were found in the eastern sub‐region, where a weakening of advected moisture convergence was caused by decreases in both westerly and southerly moisture transport. Furthermore, less evaporation and warming temperatures suggested the climate in the eastern sub‐region shifted towards relatively warmer and drier conditions throughout the course of the study period.