Zhang et al. (2025) The effects of increased evapotranspiration on precipitation in the Yellow River Basin

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-10-22
• Authors: Haoyu Zhang, Shuai Wang, Changjia Li, Zidong Li, Yaping Wang, Qunfang Ye
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134453

Research Groups

• State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Disaster Risk Reduction, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
• College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
• College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China

Short Summary

This study quantifies the impact of increased evapotranspiration (ET) on precipitation in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), finding that ET significantly contributes to local and downwind precipitation, partially offsetting the observed ET increase.

Objective

• To comprehensively understand and quantify the effects of increased evapotranspiration (ET) on regional precipitation in the Yellow River Basin (YRB).

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Yellow River Basin (YRB) and downwind basins including Haihe River Basin, Yangtze Basin, Huaihe River Basin, and Songliao River Basin.
• Temporal Scale: 1980 to 2020 (41 years), with specific comparisons between 1980–1984 and 2016–2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: UTrack (water vapor tracking model).
• Data sources: GLEAM ET (Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model Evapotranspiration).

Main Results

• The evapotranspiration (ET) rate in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) significantly increased by 1.06 mm/yr² from 1980 to 2020.
• ET contributes 107 mm/yr of local precipitation in the YRB, accounting for 20% of the total, with primary contributions from the upper and middle regions.
• Transpiration accounts for approximately 15% of the total precipitation in the YRB.
• ET from the YRB contributes to precipitation in downwind basins: 63 mm/yr to the Haihe River Basin, 23 mm/yr to the Yangtze Basin, 20 mm/yr to the Huaihe River Basin, and 20 mm/yr to the Songliao River Basin.
• Compared to 1980–1984, the increased ET led to approximately 11 mm/yr of additional precipitation during 2016–2020, effectively counterbalancing one-third of the observed ET increase.
• The study illustrates a reinforcement of the vertical water cycle within the YRB.

Contributions

• Quantifies the significant supplementary effect of ET on precipitation at the basin scale, addressing uncertainties in regional ET-precipitation feedback.
• Provides crucial insights for scientific planning in ecological restoration and water resource management in water-scarce regions like the YRB.
• Advances knowledge of hydrological processes by integrating advanced ET and water vapor tracking data.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Zhang2025effects,
  author = {Zhang, Haoyu and Wang, Shuai and Li, Changjia and Li, Zidong and Wang, Yaping and Ye, Qunfang},
  title = {The effects of increased evapotranspiration on precipitation in the Yellow River Basin},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134453},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134453}
}