Precipitation Governs Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly Decline in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China, Amid Climate Change
Climate change intensifies hydrological cycles, leading to an increased variability in terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSAs) and a heightened drought risk. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of TWSAs and their driving factors is crucial for sustainable water management. While previous s...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| author | Xuliang Li Yayong Xue Di Wu Shaojun Tan Xue Cao Wusheng Zhao |
| author_facet | Xuliang Li Yayong Xue Di Wu Shaojun Tan Xue Cao Wusheng Zhao |
| author_sort | Xuliang Li |
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| description | Climate change intensifies hydrological cycles, leading to an increased variability in terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSAs) and a heightened drought risk. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of TWSAs and their driving factors is crucial for sustainable water management. While previous studies have primarily attributed TWSAs to regional factors, this study employs wavelet coherence, partial correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression to comprehensively analyze TWSA dynamics and their drivers in the Hengduan Mountains (HDM) region from 2003 to 2022, incorporating both regional and global influences. Additionally, dry–wet variations were quantified using the GRACE-based Drought Severity Index (GRACE-DSI). Key findings include the following: The annual mean TWSA showed a non-significant decreasing trend (−2.83 mm/y, <i>p</i> > 0.05), accompanied by increased interannual variability. Notably, approximately 36.22% of the pixels in the western HDM region exhibited a significantly decreasing trend. The Nujiang River Basin (NRB) (−17.17 mm/y, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and the Lancang (−17.17 mm/y, <i>p</i> < 0.01) River Basin experienced the most pronounced declines. Regional factors—particularly precipitation (PRE)—drove TWSA in 59% of the HDM region, followed by potential evapotranspiration (PET, 28%) and vegetation dynamics (13%). Among global factors, the North Atlantic Oscillation showed a weak correlation with TWSAs (r = −0.19), indirectly affecting it via winter PET (r = −0.56, <i>p</i> < 0.05). The decline in TWSAs corresponds to an elevated drought risk, notably in the NRB, which recorded the largest GRACE-DSI decline (slope = −0.011, <i>p</i> < 0.05). This study links TWSAs to climate drivers and drought risk, offering a framework for improving water resource management and drought preparedness in climate-sensitive mountain regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6f96e4b627b94e659d0a554c648f064a |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-6f96e4b627b94e659d0a554c648f064a2025-07-25T13:35:20ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-07-011714244710.3390/rs17142447Precipitation Governs Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly Decline in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China, Amid Climate ChangeXuliang Li0Yayong Xue1Di Wu2Shaojun Tan3Xue Cao4Wusheng Zhao5School of Geographical Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, ChinaCollege of Geography and Remote Sensing Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, ChinaClimate change intensifies hydrological cycles, leading to an increased variability in terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSAs) and a heightened drought risk. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of TWSAs and their driving factors is crucial for sustainable water management. While previous studies have primarily attributed TWSAs to regional factors, this study employs wavelet coherence, partial correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression to comprehensively analyze TWSA dynamics and their drivers in the Hengduan Mountains (HDM) region from 2003 to 2022, incorporating both regional and global influences. Additionally, dry–wet variations were quantified using the GRACE-based Drought Severity Index (GRACE-DSI). Key findings include the following: The annual mean TWSA showed a non-significant decreasing trend (−2.83 mm/y, <i>p</i> > 0.05), accompanied by increased interannual variability. Notably, approximately 36.22% of the pixels in the western HDM region exhibited a significantly decreasing trend. The Nujiang River Basin (NRB) (−17.17 mm/y, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and the Lancang (−17.17 mm/y, <i>p</i> < 0.01) River Basin experienced the most pronounced declines. Regional factors—particularly precipitation (PRE)—drove TWSA in 59% of the HDM region, followed by potential evapotranspiration (PET, 28%) and vegetation dynamics (13%). Among global factors, the North Atlantic Oscillation showed a weak correlation with TWSAs (r = −0.19), indirectly affecting it via winter PET (r = −0.56, <i>p</i> < 0.05). The decline in TWSAs corresponds to an elevated drought risk, notably in the NRB, which recorded the largest GRACE-DSI decline (slope = −0.011, <i>p</i> < 0.05). This study links TWSAs to climate drivers and drought risk, offering a framework for improving water resource management and drought preparedness in climate-sensitive mountain regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/14/2447terrestrial water storage anomalyclimate driversHengduan Mountains regiondrought riskwater resources management |
| spellingShingle | Xuliang Li Yayong Xue Di Wu Shaojun Tan Xue Cao Wusheng Zhao Precipitation Governs Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly Decline in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China, Amid Climate Change Remote Sensing terrestrial water storage anomaly climate drivers Hengduan Mountains region drought risk water resources management |
| title | Precipitation Governs Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly Decline in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China, Amid Climate Change |
| title_full | Precipitation Governs Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly Decline in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China, Amid Climate Change |
| title_fullStr | Precipitation Governs Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly Decline in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China, Amid Climate Change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Precipitation Governs Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly Decline in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China, Amid Climate Change |
| title_short | Precipitation Governs Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly Decline in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China, Amid Climate Change |
| title_sort | precipitation governs terrestrial water storage anomaly decline in the hengduan mountains region china amid climate change |
| topic | terrestrial water storage anomaly climate drivers Hengduan Mountains region drought risk water resources management |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/14/2447 |
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