Effects of temperature and precipitation on drought trends in Xinjiang, China 后印本

摘要: The characteristics of drought in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), China have changed due to changes in the spatiotemporal patterns of temperature and precipitation, however, the effects of temperature and precipitation—the two most important factors influencing drought—have not yet been thoroughly explored in this region. In this study, we first calculated the standard precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) in Xinjiang from 1980 to 2020 based on the monthly precipitation and monthly average temperature. Then the spatiotemporal characteristics of temperature, precipitation, and drought in Xinjiang from 1980 to 2020 were analyzed using the Theil–Sen median trend analysis method and Mann–Kendall test. A series of SPEI-based scenario-setting experiments by combining the observed and detrended climatic factors were utilized to quantify the effects of individual climatic factor (i.e., temperature and precipitation). The results revealed that both temperature and precipitation had experienced increasing trends at most meteorological stations in Xinjiang from 1980 to 2020, especially the spring temperature and winter precipitation. Due to the influence of temperature, trends of intensifying drought have been observed at spring, summer, autumn, and annual scales. In addition, the drought trends in southern Xinjiang were more notable than those in northern Xinjiang. From 1980 to 2020, temperature trends exacerbated drought trends, but precipitation trends alleviated drought trends in Xinjiang. Most meteorological stations in Xinjiang exhibited temperature-dominated drought trend except in winter; in winter, most stations exhibited precipitation-dominated wetting trend. The findings of this study highlight the importance of the impact of temperature on drought in Xinjiang and deepen the understanding of the factors influencing drought.