Historical and Projected Variations of Precipitation and Temperature and Their Extremes in Relation to Climatic Indices over the Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya

Changes in precipitation and temperature, especially in the Himalayan region, will have repercussions for socio-economic conditions in the future. Thus, this study aimed to understand the climatic trend and changes in one of the Himalayan River basins, i.e., Gandaki River Basin (GRB), Nepal. In part...

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Main Authors: Krishna Prasad Sigdel, Narayan Prasad Ghimire, Bhopal Pandeya, Binod Dawadi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-11-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/11/1866
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author Krishna Prasad Sigdel
Narayan Prasad Ghimire
Bhopal Pandeya
Binod Dawadi
author_facet Krishna Prasad Sigdel
Narayan Prasad Ghimire
Bhopal Pandeya
Binod Dawadi
author_sort Krishna Prasad Sigdel
collection DOAJ
description Changes in precipitation and temperature, especially in the Himalayan region, will have repercussions for socio-economic conditions in the future. Thus, this study aimed to understand the climatic trend and changes in one of the Himalayan River basins, i.e., Gandaki River Basin (GRB), Nepal. In particular, we analysed the historical (1985–2014) and projected (2015–2100) precipitation and temperature trend and their extremes using observation and 13 bias-corrected Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) datasets. Additionally, the relationship between extreme precipitation/temperature indices and ocean-atmospheric circulation patterns were also analysed. The results showed an increasing trend of precipitation amount and temperature at annual and seasonal scales with the highest upward trend for precipitation in monsoon season and temperature in winter season. Among nine precipitation indices analysed, the wet extremes are projected to increase in all Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios; with the highest increment of high-intensity related extremes (R10 mm and R20 mm). In contrast, dry spells will decline in the distant-future (2075–2100) as compared to near (2015–2044) and mid-future (2045–2074). Further, increment in temperature trend resulted in a decrease in cold related temperature extremes and an increase in warm related extremes. Furthermore, it was observed that the changes in precipitation and temperature extremes over GRB were influenced by large-scale ocean-atmospheric circulation patterns. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) were found to have a major role in driving precipitation extremes while AMO, SST and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) have strong influence on temperature extremes. The results of this study will be useful for better understanding the implications of historical and future changes in precipitation and temperature and their extremes over the GRB.
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spelling doaj.art-a7d3980f8d34491d87df58b403eee5852023-11-24T03:43:29ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332022-11-011311186610.3390/atmos13111866Historical and Projected Variations of Precipitation and Temperature and Their Extremes in Relation to Climatic Indices over the Gandaki River Basin, Central HimalayaKrishna Prasad Sigdel0Narayan Prasad Ghimire1Bhopal Pandeya2Binod Dawadi3Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44613, NepalCentral Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44613, NepalCentre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London SW7 1NE, UKCentral Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44613, NepalChanges in precipitation and temperature, especially in the Himalayan region, will have repercussions for socio-economic conditions in the future. Thus, this study aimed to understand the climatic trend and changes in one of the Himalayan River basins, i.e., Gandaki River Basin (GRB), Nepal. In particular, we analysed the historical (1985–2014) and projected (2015–2100) precipitation and temperature trend and their extremes using observation and 13 bias-corrected Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) datasets. Additionally, the relationship between extreme precipitation/temperature indices and ocean-atmospheric circulation patterns were also analysed. The results showed an increasing trend of precipitation amount and temperature at annual and seasonal scales with the highest upward trend for precipitation in monsoon season and temperature in winter season. Among nine precipitation indices analysed, the wet extremes are projected to increase in all Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios; with the highest increment of high-intensity related extremes (R10 mm and R20 mm). In contrast, dry spells will decline in the distant-future (2075–2100) as compared to near (2015–2044) and mid-future (2045–2074). Further, increment in temperature trend resulted in a decrease in cold related temperature extremes and an increase in warm related extremes. Furthermore, it was observed that the changes in precipitation and temperature extremes over GRB were influenced by large-scale ocean-atmospheric circulation patterns. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) were found to have a major role in driving precipitation extremes while AMO, SST and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) have strong influence on temperature extremes. The results of this study will be useful for better understanding the implications of historical and future changes in precipitation and temperature and their extremes over the GRB.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/11/1866extreme precipitationtemperatureCMIP6SSPsclimate indicesHimalaya
spellingShingle Krishna Prasad Sigdel
Narayan Prasad Ghimire
Bhopal Pandeya
Binod Dawadi
Historical and Projected Variations of Precipitation and Temperature and Their Extremes in Relation to Climatic Indices over the Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya
Atmosphere
extreme precipitation
temperature
CMIP6
SSPs
climate indices
Himalaya
title Historical and Projected Variations of Precipitation and Temperature and Their Extremes in Relation to Climatic Indices over the Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya
title_full Historical and Projected Variations of Precipitation and Temperature and Their Extremes in Relation to Climatic Indices over the Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya
title_fullStr Historical and Projected Variations of Precipitation and Temperature and Their Extremes in Relation to Climatic Indices over the Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya
title_full_unstemmed Historical and Projected Variations of Precipitation and Temperature and Their Extremes in Relation to Climatic Indices over the Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya
title_short Historical and Projected Variations of Precipitation and Temperature and Their Extremes in Relation to Climatic Indices over the Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya
title_sort historical and projected variations of precipitation and temperature and their extremes in relation to climatic indices over the gandaki river basin central himalaya
topic extreme precipitation
temperature
CMIP6
SSPs
climate indices
Himalaya
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/11/1866
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AT bhopalpandeya historicalandprojectedvariationsofprecipitationandtemperatureandtheirextremesinrelationtoclimaticindicesoverthegandakiriverbasincentralhimalaya
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