Regionalization-based spatiotemporal variations of precipitation regimes across China

Daily precipitation data from 595 stations are analyzed based on regionalization to investigate changing properties of precipitation regimes across the entire China. The results indicate that the northwestern China is characterized by increasing monthly precipitation. The abrupt increase of precipitation is after early 1980s and early 1990s in the western arid zone and Qinghai-Tibet plateau, respectively. Other climate zones are dominated by decreasing precipitation regimes in autumn and increasing precipitation regimes in winter, and it is particularly true in the southwestern, southern and central China, showing seasonal shifts of precipitation changes. Besides, weak precipitation regimes are decreasing and strong precipitation regimes are increasing, and it is particularly the case in the southwestern, southern and central China, implying intensifying hydrological cycle reflected by precipitation changes in these regions. This study steps further into different hydrological responses within different regions of China to climate changes and will be relevant in regional management of agriculture development and water resources.