Arid Zone Research ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (9): 1404-1413.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.09.04

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Water vapor transport mechanisms for varied precipitation grades during the summer half-year in Yinchuan Plain

WANG Nana1(),HAN Lei1,2,3(),LIU Lili1,PENG Ling4,ZHOU Peng4,Ma Yunlei1,Ma Jun4   

  1. 1. School of Geography and Planning, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    2. China-Arab Joint International Research Laboratory for Featured Resources and Environmental Governance in Arid Regions, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    3. Key Laboratory of Resource Evaluation and Environmental Regulation in Arid Region of Ningxia, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    4. College of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
  • Received:2023-03-14 Revised:2023-04-30 Online:2023-09-15 Published:2023-09-28
  • Contact: Lei HAN E-mail:wangna5904@163.com;layhan@163.com

Abstract:

Global warming intensifies regional water cycles and alters water vapor transport routes. Investigating stable isotope traits in diverse precipitation grades and identifying water vapor origins can offer insights for efficient water resource utilization and drought-flood management. By analyzing precipitation samples from Yinchuan Plain in the May-October summer half-years of 2018-2020, the hydrogen and oxygen isotope fluctuations across precipitation levels and their secondary evaporation effects were estimated in this study. Backward trajectory modeling and water vapor flux methods were applied to determine vapor sources and potential evaporation areas. The findings revealed that the stable isotope signature in Yinchuan Plain during the summer half-year decreased with increased rainfall levels; light rain exhibited negative d-excess values, whereas moderate and heavy rains showed positive values. The slope and intercept of the regional atmospheric precipitation line diminished as rainfall magnitude increased. Secondary evaporation intensified with higher air temperature, but decreased with increased precipitation, air relative humidity, and raindrop diameter. Distinct water vapor origins existed across precipitation levels: westerly vapor dominated light rain, whereas moderate and heavy rains originated not only from westerly vapor but also from high latitude land evaporation vapor and southeast ocean vapor, respectively. Potential evaporative vapor source areas predominantly influenced light and moderate rainfall, encompassing the study area’s vicinity as well as northwest and southeast regions. Moderate rainfall events were largely observed in the study area’s vicinity, as well as northwest and southeast regions, whereas heavy rainfall clustered around the study area and the southeastern region.

Key words: precipitation level, stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, water vapor source, vapor flux, potential contribution source area, Yinchuan Plain