Deng et al. (2026) Assessing the climatic effects and feedback mechanisms of large-scale crop irrigation using the improved WRF model

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-29
• Authors: Haodong Deng, Yu Wang, Chaoqun Li, Qingming Wang, Fusheng Li, Dengming Yan, Xiaoxue Chen, Kai HOU, Mingkun Sun, Xie Lian
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110670

Research Groups

• Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd.
• Key Laboratory of Water Management and Water Security for Yellow River Basin, Ministry of Water Resources
• State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research
• Henan Water & Power Engineering Consulting CO., Ltd, Henan Water Conservancy Investment Group CO., Ltd

Short Summary

This study investigates the climatic effects and underlying mechanisms of large-scale crop irrigation (LSCI) in the Huanghe-Huaihe-Haihe River (HHH) basin using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The results show that LSCI significantly modifies surface water and energy balances, leading to a 2.85% increase in evapotranspiration, a 0.19°C reduction in near-surface temperature, and a 5.29 mm increase in precipitation.

Objective

• Investigate the climatic effects of large-scale crop irrigation (LSCI) on regional climate elements in the Huanghe-Huaihe-Haihe River (HHH) basin.
• Quantify the underlying mechanisms driving these climate effects from perspectives such as water vapor transport against the monsoon background.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study focuses on the HHH basin, which spans from 95°E to 124°E and from 30°N to 43°N, covering a total land area of 1.385 million km².
• Temporal Scale: The simulation period spans from 2001 to 2022.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with an improved Noah-MP land surface scheme.
• Data sources: ERA5 reanalysis data, municipal-level statistical irrigation water volumes, and land use datasets.

Main Results

• LSCI leads to a 2.85% increase in evapotranspiration, a 0.19°C reduction in near-surface temperature, and a 5.29 mm increase in precipitation.
• The horizontal water vapor flux increases by 0.15 kg⋅m−1⋅s−1 annually, with the most significant enhancements observed in spring and summer.
• The vertical water vapor flux increases by 0.05 kg⋅m−1⋅s−1 annually, with the most significant enhancements observed in spring and summer.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into irrigation climate interactions and offers a scientific basis for understanding land-atmosphere feedback mechanisms.
• The refined irrigation scheme used in this study improves the representation of irrigation water volumes, spatial allocation, and physical infiltration processes.

Funding

• This research was funded by [project 1], [project 2], and [project 3].

Citation

@article{Deng2026Assessing,
  author = {Deng, Haodong and Wang, Yu and Li, Chaoqun and Wang, Qingming and Li, Fusheng and Yan, Dengming and Chen, Xiaoxue and HOU, Kai and Sun, Mingkun and Lian, Xie},
  title = {Assessing the climatic effects and feedback mechanisms of large-scale crop irrigation using the improved WRF model},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110670},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110670}
}