Effect of Elevation on Variation in Reference Evapotranspiration under Climate Change in Northwest China

Wei Liu, Linshan Yang, Meng Zhu, Jan F. Adamowski, Rahim Barzegar, Xiaohu Wen and Zhenliang Yin
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Wei Liu: Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Linshan Yang: Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Meng Zhu: Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Jan F. Adamowski: Department of Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Québec, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
Rahim Barzegar: Department of Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Québec, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
Xiaohu Wen: Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Zhenliang Yin: Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: Through its effects on water and energy cycles, elevation plays an important role in modulating the spatial distribution of climatic changes in mountainous regions. A key hydrological indicator, reference evapotranspiration (ET 0 ) reflects the maximum amount of water transferred to the atmosphere from the land surface. The current scarcity of information regarding elevation’s impact on variation in ET 0 under climate change limits our understanding of the extent to which elevation modulates interactions between ET 0 and climate change and of the attendant processes involved. Drawing upon long-term (1960–2017) meteorological observations from 84 stations in Northwest China (NWC), we examined (i) spatial and temporal variations in ET 0 ; (ii) the sensitivity and contribution of air temperature (T), sunshine duration (SD), relative humidity (RH), and wind speed (WS) to ET 0 ; (iii) the existence of a relationship between elevation and ET 0 trends; and (iv) the major factor in controlling this relationship by using attribution analysis. Overall, annual ET 0 in NWC showed a declining trend between 1960 and 2017, though at a change point in 1993, the trend shifted from a decline to a rise. A significant correlation between temporal change in ET 0 and elevation confirmed the existence of a relationship between elevation and ET 0 variation. The effect of elevation on changes in ET 0 depended mainly on the elevation-based tradeoff between the contributions of T and WS: WS was the primary factor contributing to the decrease in ET 0 below 2000 m, and T was the dominant factor contributing to the increase of ET 0 above 2000 m. The rate of reduction in WS declined as elevation increased, thereby diminishing its contribution to variation in ET 0 . The present study’s results can serve to guide agricultural irrigation in different elevation zones under NWC’s evolving climatic conditions.

Keywords: climate change; reference evapotranspiration; attribution analysis; elevation effect; Northwest China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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