Teleconnections of Large-Scale Climate Patterns to Regional Drought in Mid-Latitudes: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China

Drought is one of the most important environmental disasters. Assessment of the effects of oceanic atmospheric oscillations upon regional drought behavior has valuable implications for water resources management, especially for arid regions. This study aims to explore the climate drivers of drought...

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Main Authors: Ruting Yang, Bing Xing
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-01-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/2/230
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author Ruting Yang
Bing Xing
author_facet Ruting Yang
Bing Xing
author_sort Ruting Yang
collection DOAJ
description Drought is one of the most important environmental disasters. Assessment of the effects of oceanic atmospheric oscillations upon regional drought behavior has valuable implications for water resources management, especially for arid regions. This study aims to explore the climate drivers of drought conditions in Xinjiang, an arid region in mid-latitude Asia. Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was adopted to describe drought variation over Xinjiang during the period of 1951–2020. Teleconnection effects of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and Arctic Oscillation (AO) on Xinjiang drought variability were analyzed based on cross-correlation and stepwise regression methods. Partial correlation analysis was applied to discuss the responding mechanism of drought behavior to teleconnection signals from the perspective of regional climate factors. Findings from this study indicate that synchronous ENSO featured by Nino3.4 index has a significant positive correlation with Xinjiang dry/wet variation. El Niño may favor to wetness in Xinjiang, while La Niña may exacerbate drought effect in the region. ENSO mainly acts on the short-term drought variability in Xinjiang region. The synchronous PDO makes a leading contribution on drought variation at 12-month time scale among the four signals. The significant positive correlation between PDO and drought variation suggests that positive-phase (negative-phase) PDO may contribute to wetting (drying) epochs in Xinjiang region. AMO indicates a significant negative correlation with Xinjiang drought on both synchronous and asynchronous modes. Positive (negative) phase AMO may favor to dry (wet) effects in Xinjiang. AMO appears a predominant teleconnection effect on long-term drought variability, and fluctuates a persistent anti-phase mode with Xinjiang dry/wet variability since the mid-1980s. AO mainly acts on short-term drought fluctuations, indicating a significant negative correlation with drought behavior within a 12-month moving time window. Positive (negative) phase AO may contribute to dry (wet) epochs over Xinjiang. ENSO and PDO affect short-term dry/wet variation mainly through the teleconnection effect on precipitation variability. AMO mainly influences Xinjiang drought evolution by acting on regional temperature variation. The influence of internal atmospheric variability on regional climate behavior has a delayed effect, and drought variability is affected by precursor pattern of teleconnection likewise.
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spelling doaj.art-bce3acae6ec04571ac7d5c3c5a43e4482023-11-23T18:44:16ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332022-01-0113223010.3390/atmos13020230Teleconnections of Large-Scale Climate Patterns to Regional Drought in Mid-Latitudes: A Case Study in Xinjiang, ChinaRuting Yang0Bing Xing1College of Hehai, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, ChinaCollege of Hehai, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, ChinaDrought is one of the most important environmental disasters. Assessment of the effects of oceanic atmospheric oscillations upon regional drought behavior has valuable implications for water resources management, especially for arid regions. This study aims to explore the climate drivers of drought conditions in Xinjiang, an arid region in mid-latitude Asia. Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was adopted to describe drought variation over Xinjiang during the period of 1951–2020. Teleconnection effects of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and Arctic Oscillation (AO) on Xinjiang drought variability were analyzed based on cross-correlation and stepwise regression methods. Partial correlation analysis was applied to discuss the responding mechanism of drought behavior to teleconnection signals from the perspective of regional climate factors. Findings from this study indicate that synchronous ENSO featured by Nino3.4 index has a significant positive correlation with Xinjiang dry/wet variation. El Niño may favor to wetness in Xinjiang, while La Niña may exacerbate drought effect in the region. ENSO mainly acts on the short-term drought variability in Xinjiang region. The synchronous PDO makes a leading contribution on drought variation at 12-month time scale among the four signals. The significant positive correlation between PDO and drought variation suggests that positive-phase (negative-phase) PDO may contribute to wetting (drying) epochs in Xinjiang region. AMO indicates a significant negative correlation with Xinjiang drought on both synchronous and asynchronous modes. Positive (negative) phase AMO may favor to dry (wet) effects in Xinjiang. AMO appears a predominant teleconnection effect on long-term drought variability, and fluctuates a persistent anti-phase mode with Xinjiang dry/wet variability since the mid-1980s. AO mainly acts on short-term drought fluctuations, indicating a significant negative correlation with drought behavior within a 12-month moving time window. Positive (negative) phase AO may contribute to dry (wet) epochs over Xinjiang. ENSO and PDO affect short-term dry/wet variation mainly through the teleconnection effect on precipitation variability. AMO mainly influences Xinjiang drought evolution by acting on regional temperature variation. The influence of internal atmospheric variability on regional climate behavior has a delayed effect, and drought variability is affected by precursor pattern of teleconnection likewise.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/2/230oceanic atmospheric oscillationENSOAOcross-correlationpartial correlationdrought variability
spellingShingle Ruting Yang
Bing Xing
Teleconnections of Large-Scale Climate Patterns to Regional Drought in Mid-Latitudes: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China
Atmosphere
oceanic atmospheric oscillation
ENSO
AO
cross-correlation
partial correlation
drought variability
title Teleconnections of Large-Scale Climate Patterns to Regional Drought in Mid-Latitudes: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China
title_full Teleconnections of Large-Scale Climate Patterns to Regional Drought in Mid-Latitudes: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China
title_fullStr Teleconnections of Large-Scale Climate Patterns to Regional Drought in Mid-Latitudes: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China
title_full_unstemmed Teleconnections of Large-Scale Climate Patterns to Regional Drought in Mid-Latitudes: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China
title_short Teleconnections of Large-Scale Climate Patterns to Regional Drought in Mid-Latitudes: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China
title_sort teleconnections of large scale climate patterns to regional drought in mid latitudes a case study in xinjiang china
topic oceanic atmospheric oscillation
ENSO
AO
cross-correlation
partial correlation
drought variability
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/2/230
work_keys_str_mv AT rutingyang teleconnectionsoflargescaleclimatepatternstoregionaldroughtinmidlatitudesacasestudyinxinjiangchina
AT bingxing teleconnectionsoflargescaleclimatepatternstoregionaldroughtinmidlatitudesacasestudyinxinjiangchina