Zhang et al. (2025) Spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the propagation from meteorological to hydrological drought: A case study of the Luanhe River Basin

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-01
• Authors: Hanqiong Zhang, Chongli Di, Xinxuan Li, Yixuan Wang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102890

Research Groups

• Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Weijin Road 92, Tianjin 300072, PR China
• State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Intelligent Construction and Operation, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, PR China

Short Summary

This study investigates the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of meteorological to hydrological drought propagation in the Luanhe River Basin, quantifying Drought Response Time (DRT) and identifying land use changes and reservoir operations as key anthropogenic factors prolonging drought propagation. The findings enhance understanding of drought mechanisms in regulated basins and support adaptive water management strategies.

Objective

• Quantify the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of Drought Response Time (DRT) from meteorological to hydrological drought across sub-basins and seasons in the Luanhe River Basin.
• Investigate the influence of climatic, surface conditions, and anthropogenic factors (land use changes, reservoir operations) on DRT and drought propagation dynamics.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Luanhe River Basin (43,940 km²), Northern China, delineated into 13 sub-basins. Elevation ranges from 0 to 2229 m above mean sea level.
• Temporal Scale: 2000 to 2022 for drought index calculations; "past two decades" for land use and vegetation trends.

Methodology and Data

• Models used:
  • Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for meteorological drought.
  • Standardized Runoff Index (SRI) for hydrological drought.
  • Run theory for drought event identification (duration, severity, intensity).
  • Spearman's rank correlation coefficient for quantifying Drought Response Time (DRT).
  • Humidity Index (HI) for assessing regional climate wetness/dryness.
  • Kernel density distributions for analyzing influencing factors.
• Data sources:
  • Meteorological data: 1-km Monthly Potential Evapotranspiration Dataset for China (1901–2022) and 1-km Monthly Precipitation Dataset for China (1901–2022) from the National Tibetan Plateau Data Center.
  • Hydrological data: Observational records from hydrological stations.
  • Surface characteristic data: Land use and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) obtained using remote sensing techniques.

Main Results

• The average drought response time (DRT) from meteorological to hydrological drought in the Luanhe River Basin is approximately 6–7 months.
• DRT exhibits significant seasonal variation: spring (9.37 months), summer (5.73 months), autumn (6.76 months), and winter (7.35 months).
• Spatially, DRT is shorter in upstream areas (5–6 months) and progressively longer in midstream (7–8 months) and downstream regions (exceeding 11 months in some areas).
• Increased construction land (Spearman's rs = 0.69, p = 0.01) and a higher number of reservoirs (Spearman's rs = 0.55, p = 0.05) are significantly positively correlated with prolonged DRT.
• Forest cover shows a moderate negative correlation with DRT (rs = -0.34, p = 0.25), though not statistically significant. Other factors (HI, NDVI, arable land, grassland) show weak or moderate, non-significant correlations.
• Droughts show clear spatio-temporal heterogeneity: mild events are more common at short timescales, while severe droughts dominate at longer timescales due to cumulative water deficits.

Contributions

• Provides a fine-scale perspective at the sub-basin level, revealing the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of drought propagation in a complex, regulated basin.
• Deepens the understanding of nonlinear drought propagation processes by quantifying DRT and its seasonal and spatial variations.
• Identifies the significant role of anthropogenic factors, specifically increased construction land and reservoir presence, in prolonging drought propagation, offering new insights into human-water interactions during drought.
• Offers a scientific foundation for developing differentiated and adaptive drought mitigation strategies tailored to specific sub-basin characteristics and human influences.

Funding

• National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (42571091, 42201019).

Citation

@article{Zhang2025Spatiotemporal,
  author = {Zhang, Hanqiong and Di, Chongli and Li, Xinxuan and Li, Jianzhu and Wang, Yixuan},
  title = {Spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the propagation from meteorological to hydrological drought: A case study of the Luanhe River Basin},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102890},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102890}
}