Luo et al. (2026) Declining Runoff Efficiency and Storage Reorganisation in the Source Region of the Yellow River Under Climate Warming, 1974–2025

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Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Processes
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-01
• Authors: Yong Luo, Yang Si, Linrui Ma, Shenglong Gu, Haichao Yang
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70674

Research Groups

• Institute of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Heidelberg
• Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford

Short Summary

This study investigates the hydroclimatic changes in the Yellow River source region over 52 years, revealing a reorganization of runoff generation despite increased precipitation. The findings suggest that annual runoff alone underrepresents changes in storage dependence and climate sensitivity.

Objective

• Investigate the relationship between hydroclimatic changes and runoff generation in the Yellow River source region

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Alpine headwaters of the Yellow River, China
• Temporal Scale: 52-year record (1974–2025)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned
• Data sources:
  • Hydroclimatic records
  • Satellite-era storage data
  • Cryospheric indicators
  • Seasonal runoff coefficients
  • Eckhardt baseflow separation

Main Results

• Decrease in the slope of the cumulative precipitation-runoff relation by 13.3% around 1989
• Shift in the runoff coefficient in 1997, preceding a dominant shift in runoff volume in 1999
• Increase in precipitation by 20.0% and runoff by only 2.3% from 1974–1989 to 2013–2025
• Decrease in summer and autumn runoff coefficients by 21.6% and 21.1%, respectively, and an increase in the winter coefficient by 29.9%
• Increase in the baseflow index from 0.614 to 0.694

Contributions

This study provides original insights into the reorganization of runoff generation in response to hydroclimatic changes in alpine headwaters, highlighting the limitations of using annual runoff as a proxy for climate sensitivity and storage dependence.

Funding

• Not specified

Citation

@article{Luo2026Declining,
  author = {Luo, Yong and Si, Yang and Ma, Linrui and Gu, Shenglong and Yang, Haichao},
  title = {Declining Runoff Efficiency and Storage Reorganisation in the Source Region of the Yellow River Under Climate Warming, 1974–2025},
  journal = {Hydrological Processes},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/hyp.70674},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70674}
}