ASSESSMENT ON LONG-TERM FLUCTUATIONS OF RUNOFF AND ITS CLIMATE DRIVING FACTORS

Authors

Hong-Bo Zhang, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an, Shaaxin, P.R.C.State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing P.R.C
Wen-Cheng Huang, Department of Harbor and River Engineering, Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan, R.O.C.Follow
Qiu-Yi Xi, State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power Research Institute, Xi’an, Shaaxin, P.R.C
Bin Wang, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an, Shaaxin, P.R.C.
Tian Lan, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an, Shaaxin, P.R.C

Abstract

The Jing River is the largest tributary of the Wei River in northwestern China. Studying the long-term characteristics of its runoff is of significance to water resources planning and management as well as the design of hydraulic engineering activities at the local and Wei River basin scales in the present and future. Several methods were utilized in this study to investigate the long-term fluctuations in runoff for the Jing River, including continuous wavelet analysis, the HilbertHuang transform and correlational analysis. Furthermore, the responses of runoff to various climatic and meteorological factors including precipitation, evaporation, solar activity and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon were also studied. The results indicate that the river’s annual runoff exhibits multi-timescale fluctuation characteristics with a cycle of 2-4, 6-8 and 22-24 years, where the 22-24 year cycle oscillation being the first main period. The primary drivers of runoff fluctuations are climate changes, with precipitation the main driver of the 2-4 year’s fluctuation and solar activity & ENSO dominant for the 22-24 year period. Though runoff exhibits a significant response to the ENSO phenomenon, it lags behind ENSO by 5 years. This delay may occur as a result of Pacific-Asian atmospheric teleconnection transmitting some information on ENSO to Asia.

Recommended Citation

Zhang, Hong-Bo; Huang, Wen-Cheng; Xi, Qiu-Yi; Wang, Bin; and Lan, Tian (2016) "ASSESSMENT ON LONG-TERM FLUCTUATIONS OF RUNOFF AND ITS CLIMATE DRIVING FACTORS," Journal of Marine Science and Technology: Vol. 24: Iss. 2, Article 27.
DOI: 10.6119/JMST-015-0521-6
Available at: https://jmstt.ntou.edu.tw/journal/vol24/iss2/27