Climate Trends and Attribution Analysis of Runoff Changes in the Songhua River Basin from 1980 to 2022 Based on the Budyko Hypothesis

Xinyu Wang, Changlei Dai (), Gengwei Liu, Xiang Meng, Pengfei Lu and Bo Pang
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Xinyu Wang: School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
Changlei Dai: School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
Gengwei Liu: School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
Xiang Meng: School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
Pengfei Lu: School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
Bo Pang: School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-50

Abstract: Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of runoff and its drivers is essential for water resources management in mid–high latitude basins. This study investigates runoff changes in the Songhua River Basin, Northeast China, during 1980–2022 using the Budyko framework, combined with Mann–Kendall trend analysis, Pettitt tests, Hurst index, and wavelet analysis. Results indicate significant climatic shifts, with basin-wide warming, heterogeneous precipitation changes, and declining relative humidity, leading to intensified cold-season drying. Temperature and evapotranspiration showed strong persistence, while precipitation exhibited high variability and periodicities linked to ENSO and East Asian monsoon anomalies. Runoff increased significantly in the mainstream Songhua and Nenjiang basins, especially in autumn, with abrupt changes clustered between 2009 and 2015. The Second Songhua Basin displayed weaker variability, largely influenced by reservoir regulation and land-use change. Attribution analysis confirmed precipitation as a primary driver, with elasticity coefficients exceeding 3 in the Nenjiang Basin during some summers, indicating extreme sensitivity. Evapotranspiration suppressed runoff under high temperatures, while freeze–thaw processes and human interventions became critical in spring and autumn. The aridity index revealed persistent winter deficits and rising spring–autumn drying trends after 2000, posing risks for snowmelt runoff and baseflow sustainability. Overall, runoff evolution reflects a shift from gradual to threshold-triggered regime changes driven by both climate variability and human regulation. These findings provide a basis for adaptive, basin-specific water management and climate resilience strategies in Northeast China.

Keywords: Budyko attribution analysis; characteristics of climate change; runoff change; Songhua River (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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