Impact of climate change on hydrological extremes in the Yangtze River Basin, China

Gu, Huanghe; Yu, Zhongbo; Wang, Guiling; Wang, Jigan; Ju, Qin; Yang, Chuanguo; Fan, Chuanhao

doi:10.1007/s00477-014-0957-5

Cited by 72 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…The effect of future climate on the Yangtze Basin is still uncertain [ Birkinshaw et al ., ; Gu et al ., ; Liu et al ., ; Schewe et al ., ; Shankman et al ., ], but local and transbasin water consumptions, which are major anthropogenic inducers of hydrological drought [ Wada et al , ], may likely increase with rising water demand from population growth, economic expansion, and living standard improvement in the coming decade(s) [ Wada et al ., ; Zhao et al , 2007; Ercin and Hoekstra , ; Jiang , ]. During 2009–2011, human water consumption led to an annual reduction of 79.6 (±52.4) km 2 or 3.0 (±1.9)% of the total inundation area in the natural lakes (Figures e–h).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Little impact of the Three Gorges Dam on recent decadal lake decline across China's Yangtze Plain

Wang

Sheng

Wada

2017

Water Resources Research

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The ubiquitous lakes across China's Yangtze Plain (YP) are indispensable freshwater resources sustaining ecosystems and socioeconomics for nearly half a billion people. Our recent survey revealed a widespread net decline in the total YP lake inundation area during 2000–2011 (a cumulative decrease of ∼10%), yet its mechanism remained contentious. Here we uncover the impacts of climate variability and anthropogenic activities including (i) Yangtze flow and sediment alterations by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) and (ii) human water consumption in agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors throughout the downstream Yangtze Basin. Results suggest that climate variability is the dominant driver of this decadal lake decline, whereas studied human activities, despite varying seasonal impacts that peak in fall, contribute marginal fraction (∼10–20% or less) to the interannual lake area decrease. Given that the TGD impacts on the total YP lake area and its seasonal variation are both under ∼5%, we also dismiss the speculation that the TGD might be responsible for evident downstream climate change by altering lake surface extent and thus open water evaporation. Nevertheless, anthropogenic impacts exhibited a strengthening trend during the past decade. Although the TGD has reached its full‐capacity water regulation, the negative impacts of human water consumption and TGD‐induced net channel erosion, which are already comparable to that of TGD's flow regulation, may continue to grow as crucial anthropogenic factors to future YP lake conservation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Little impact of the Three Gorges Dam on recent decadal lake decline across China's Yangtze Plain

Wang

Sheng

Wada

2017

Water Resources Research

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“…The basin has a gently sloping topography that drops from above 5000 m to sea level. Most sections of the basin are situated within a subtropical warm-wet zone and affected heavily by monsoon climate; however, the Yangtze River source region is in the dry, frigid, high-altitude zone [40]. The annual precipitation ranges from 500 mm in the west to 2500 mm in the east, and more than 60% of it is concentrated in summer (June, July and August).…”

Section: Study Area and Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Drought Characteristics and Its Response to the Global Climate Variability in the Yangtze River Basin, China

Huang

Fan

2018

Water

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The frequent occurrence of drought events in humid and semi-humid regions is closely related to the global climate variability (GCV). In this study, the Standard Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was taken as an index to investigate the drought in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB), a typical humid and semi-humid region in China. Furthermore, nine GCV indices, such as North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) were taken to characterize the GCV. Correlation analysis and a joint probability distribution model were used to explore the relationship between the drought events and the GCV. The results demonstrated that there were six significant spatiotemporal modes revealed by SPEI3 (i.e., seasonal drought), which were consistent with the distribution of the main sub basins in the YRB, indicating a heterogeneity of drought regime. However, the SPEI12 (i.e., annual drought) can only reveal five modes. Precipitation Indices and El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Indices were more closely related to the drought events. A causal relationship existed between ENSO precipitation index (ESPI), NAO, East Central Tropical Pacific Sea Surface Temperature (Nino3.4) and Northern Oscillation Index (NOI) and drought in the YRB, respectively. Drought events were most sensitive to the low NAO and high NOI events. This study shows a great significance for the understanding of spatiotemporal characteristics of meteorological drought and will provide a reference for the further formulation of water resources policy and the prevention of drought disasters.tropical Pacific phenomenon worldwide. A number of studies have confirmed that there were connections between ENSO and regional climate extremes like floods and droughts [14]. A concern exists that the ongoing global warming may increase the severity of droughts and many studies have shown that drought severity increases with temperature rise [10,[15][16][17][18]. For instance, from 1972 to 2004, the warming increased global dry areas by 20% to 38% [15]. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report [19] proposed a continuous increase in global mean surface air temperature during the 21st century owing to the increase of anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentration [20], indicating an increase in drought frequency, severity and spatial extension in future.Drought can be characterized by many indices such as the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) [21][22][23]. PDSI and SPI have a wide range of applications, but each of them has its limitations. PDSI takes account of changes in surface water balance so that it is suitable for the measurement of long-term drought conditions, but the acquisition is difficult because the calculation process is complex, and the time scale is limited [24]. SPI takes precipitation as a factor. Although its calculation method is simple and time scale is flexible, it does not consider temperature, evapotranspiration and other influe...

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“…Most N outlets of various forms of the investigation area are contributed by middle streams and downstream of the TGP. Annual increase from agricultural fertilization and domestic wastewater drainage in the Yangtze River Basin as well as atmosphere N deposition are the main reason of N increase in Yangtze waters (Gu et al 2015). This conforms to the sharp increase in N fl ux to the ocean around the whole world.…”

Section: Data Processingmentioning

confidence: 61%

Change characteristics of DSi and nutrition structure at the Yangtze River Estuary after Three Gorges Project impounding and their ecological effect

Shen

Jiang

2017

Archives of Environmental Protection

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Abstract:The variation law of dissolved silica (DSi), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and nutrition structure after the Three Gorges Project (TGP) impounding as well as their ecological effect were analyzed according to monitoring survey of the Yangtze River Estuary in spring (May) and summer (August) from [2004][2005][2006][2007][2008][2009]. The results showed that after impounding, DSi and DIN concentration decreased and increased, respectively. During the study period, DSi decreased by about 63%, while DIN almost tripled. DIP concentration fl uctuated slightly. With respect to nutrition structure, N:P increased, whereas Si:P and Si:N declined. According to chemometry standard of nutrient limits, nutrition structure tended to be imbalanced and the limiting factor of phytoplankton growth (P) was studied. Changes of nutrition structure have largely decreased diatom and caused different composition of dominant phytoplankton species. This may change ecosystem structure of the Yangtze River Estuary.

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Impact of climate change on hydrological extremes in the Yangtze River Basin, China

Cited by 72 publications

References 75 publications

Little impact of the Three Gorges Dam on recent decadal lake decline across China's Yangtze Plain

Little impact of the Three Gorges Dam on recent decadal lake decline across China's Yangtze Plain

Drought Characteristics and Its Response to the Global Climate Variability in the Yangtze River Basin, China

Change characteristics of DSi and nutrition structure at the Yangtze River Estuary after Three Gorges Project impounding and their ecological effect

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