Arid Zone Research ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (11): 1808-1818.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.11.02

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Changes in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit in the Kaidu-Kongque River Basin and its influencing factors

LI Xiaoqi1(), LI Moyan1,2(), LI Jiahui1, YAO Junqiang3, XU Xingbin1,2   

  1. 1. School of Geographic Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang, China
    2. Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Lakes Environment and Resources in Arid Zone, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang, China
    3. Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2024-06-20 Revised:2024-08-01 Online:2024-11-15 Published:2024-11-29
  • Contact: LI Moyan E-mail:15588528726@163.com;limy525@126.com

Abstract:

In this study, we analyzed meteorological observation data from the Kaidu-Kongque River basin in Xinjiang between 1961 and 2021 to investigate trends of vapor pressure deficit (VPD), as well as saturated (es) and actual (ea) water vapor pressure. We explored VPD changes across mountainous, oasis, and desert environments along with the factors influencing these changes. The results revealed the following: (1) Annual and seasonal VPD showed an upward trend from 1961 to 2021, characterized by distinct phases in which a sudden change occurred in 1997, shifting from a downward trend from 1961 to 1996 to an upward trend from 1997 to 2021, highlighting an intensification of atmospheric drought post 1997, particularly in spring. (2) VPD trends align with those of temperature and ea, showing the most significant increase in desert environments, followed by oasis and mountainous environments. (3) VPD changes are primarily affected by ea and es, positively correlated with temperature changes and negatively correlated with Relative Humidity changes. The rapid rise in temperature and decline in RH since 1997 are the primary causes of accelerated VPD, with the growth rate of ea being lower than that of es. These findings enhance our understanding of atmospheric drought and its response to climate change.

Key words: VPD, actual water vapor pressure, variation characteristics, influencing factors, Kaidu-Kongque River