Hydrological Drought Risk Assessment Using a Multidimensional Copula Function Approach in Arid Inland Basins, China

The aim of this research was to use the standardized runoff index (SRI) with a three-month timescale (SRI-3) to analyze hydrological drought risk in two arid river basins characterized by different runoff regimes, Northwest China. Based on SRI-3, hydrological drought levels for different events were...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yanyun Xiang, Yi Wang, Yaning Chen, Yifei Bai, Leyuan Zhang, Qifei Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
Series:Water
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/7/1888
_version_ 1797563509284798464
author Yanyun Xiang
Yi Wang
Yaning Chen
Yifei Bai
Leyuan Zhang
Qifei Zhang
author_facet Yanyun Xiang
Yi Wang
Yaning Chen
Yifei Bai
Leyuan Zhang
Qifei Zhang
author_sort Yanyun Xiang
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this research was to use the standardized runoff index (SRI) with a three-month timescale (SRI-3) to analyze hydrological drought risk in two arid river basins characterized by different runoff regimes, Northwest China. Based on SRI-3, hydrological drought levels for different events were defined through run theory. The hydrological drought risk in the two study basins was then comprehensively assessed using a multidimensional copula function that considered the multivariable joint probability of hydrological drought duration, severity, intensity and peak. Results indicate that: (1) the risk of hydrological drought in the two basins between 1961–2018 periodically changed. There was a slight increase in risk within the Yarkant River Basin, while there was a clear decrease in risk within the Kaidu River Basin. The magnitude of drought in the two basins was relatively low; both basins were dominated by mild to moderate hydrological droughts; (2) the drought probabilities of the Yarkant River Basin and Kaidu River Basin from 1961 to 2018 exhibited a falling-rising-falling pattern and a rising-falling trend through time, respectively. These trends were correlated with changes in precipitation and the area of glacial ice, which presumably influenced the amount and source of runoff in the two basins. Hydrological drought risk in the Yarkant River Basin was higher than in the Kaidu River Basin; and (3) the return period of mild, moderate, severe and extreme drought events was 2 yrs, 8 yrs, 20 yrs, and 60 yrs in the Yarkant River Basin, respectively, and 2 yrs, 8 yrs, 23 yrs and 74 yrs in the Kaidu River Basin, respectively.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T18:44:39Z
format Article
id doaj.art-8bdd927080794ecba9c31168a2756ee9
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2073-4441
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T18:44:39Z
publishDate 2020-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Water
spelling doaj.art-8bdd927080794ecba9c31168a2756ee92023-11-20T05:36:16ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412020-07-01127188810.3390/w12071888Hydrological Drought Risk Assessment Using a Multidimensional Copula Function Approach in Arid Inland Basins, ChinaYanyun Xiang0Yi Wang1Yaning Chen2Yifei Bai3Leyuan Zhang4Qifei Zhang5State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaThe aim of this research was to use the standardized runoff index (SRI) with a three-month timescale (SRI-3) to analyze hydrological drought risk in two arid river basins characterized by different runoff regimes, Northwest China. Based on SRI-3, hydrological drought levels for different events were defined through run theory. The hydrological drought risk in the two study basins was then comprehensively assessed using a multidimensional copula function that considered the multivariable joint probability of hydrological drought duration, severity, intensity and peak. Results indicate that: (1) the risk of hydrological drought in the two basins between 1961–2018 periodically changed. There was a slight increase in risk within the Yarkant River Basin, while there was a clear decrease in risk within the Kaidu River Basin. The magnitude of drought in the two basins was relatively low; both basins were dominated by mild to moderate hydrological droughts; (2) the drought probabilities of the Yarkant River Basin and Kaidu River Basin from 1961 to 2018 exhibited a falling-rising-falling pattern and a rising-falling trend through time, respectively. These trends were correlated with changes in precipitation and the area of glacial ice, which presumably influenced the amount and source of runoff in the two basins. Hydrological drought risk in the Yarkant River Basin was higher than in the Kaidu River Basin; and (3) the return period of mild, moderate, severe and extreme drought events was 2 yrs, 8 yrs, 20 yrs, and 60 yrs in the Yarkant River Basin, respectively, and 2 yrs, 8 yrs, 23 yrs and 74 yrs in the Kaidu River Basin, respectively.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/7/1888hydrological drought riskcoupla functionsstandardized runoff indexrun theory
spellingShingle Yanyun Xiang
Yi Wang
Yaning Chen
Yifei Bai
Leyuan Zhang
Qifei Zhang
Hydrological Drought Risk Assessment Using a Multidimensional Copula Function Approach in Arid Inland Basins, China
Water
hydrological drought risk
coupla functions
standardized runoff index
run theory
title Hydrological Drought Risk Assessment Using a Multidimensional Copula Function Approach in Arid Inland Basins, China
title_full Hydrological Drought Risk Assessment Using a Multidimensional Copula Function Approach in Arid Inland Basins, China
title_fullStr Hydrological Drought Risk Assessment Using a Multidimensional Copula Function Approach in Arid Inland Basins, China
title_full_unstemmed Hydrological Drought Risk Assessment Using a Multidimensional Copula Function Approach in Arid Inland Basins, China
title_short Hydrological Drought Risk Assessment Using a Multidimensional Copula Function Approach in Arid Inland Basins, China
title_sort hydrological drought risk assessment using a multidimensional copula function approach in arid inland basins china
topic hydrological drought risk
coupla functions
standardized runoff index
run theory
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/7/1888
work_keys_str_mv AT yanyunxiang hydrologicaldroughtriskassessmentusingamultidimensionalcopulafunctionapproachinaridinlandbasinschina
AT yiwang hydrologicaldroughtriskassessmentusingamultidimensionalcopulafunctionapproachinaridinlandbasinschina
AT yaningchen hydrologicaldroughtriskassessmentusingamultidimensionalcopulafunctionapproachinaridinlandbasinschina
AT yifeibai hydrologicaldroughtriskassessmentusingamultidimensionalcopulafunctionapproachinaridinlandbasinschina
AT leyuanzhang hydrologicaldroughtriskassessmentusingamultidimensionalcopulafunctionapproachinaridinlandbasinschina
AT qifeizhang hydrologicaldroughtriskassessmentusingamultidimensionalcopulafunctionapproachinaridinlandbasinschina