Du et al. (2026) Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Hydroclimatic Extremes in the Weihe River Basin, China

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Atmosphere
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-10-23
• Authors: Wanjun Du, Qing Li, Cheng Cao, Yibo Ding, Xiaowen Wang, Li Zhou
• DOI: 10.3390/atmos17111043

Research Groups

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study developed an integrated framework to characterize the temporal evolution, spatial heterogeneity, severity, and transition of flood and drought events in the monsoon-influenced Weihe River Basin. The findings reveal pronounced spatial heterogeneity and directional asymmetry in hydroclimatic extremes, providing a scientific basis for integrated water-resources management.

Objective

• To investigate the temporal evolution, spatial heterogeneity, severity, and transition characteristics of flood and drought events in the Weihe River Basin, a representative monsoon-influenced basin.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Weihe River Basin, China
• Temporal Scale: Historical hydroclimatic extremes (specific period not detailed in the provided text)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Standardized Runoff Index (SRI), Standardized Soil Moisture Index (SSMI), run theory, three-dimensional drought-event identification, drought–flood abrupt alternation (DFAA) analysis.
• Data sources: Not explicitly stated in the provided text (implied historical hydroclimatic data).

Main Results

• Floods exhibited pronounced spatial heterogeneity: more frequent but shorter and less severe in downstream reaches, while upstream mainstream and middle reaches of Jinghe and Beiluohe Rivers experienced fewer but longer-lasting and more severe events.
• The 2003 flood event showed particularly strong spatial differentiation in duration and severity.
• Mean frequencies of mild, moderate, severe, and extreme droughts were 0.16, 0.11, 0.05, and 0.05, respectively.
• Droughts occurred more frequently in the northern and western parts of the basin, with severe drought-event centers concentrated in the central region.
• The 2008–2009 drought originated in the western basin, expanded and intensified toward the central region, then shifted westward while weakening, and finally dissipated in the southern basin.
• Flood-to-drought events were more frequent than drought-to-flood events, though drought-to-flood events exhibited slightly greater transition intensity.
• Southwestern mountainous areas and downstream reaches were identified as major DFAA hotspots.

Contributions

• Development of an integrated framework for reconstructing and characterizing historical hydroclimatic extremes (floods, droughts, and their transitions).
• Revealed pronounced spatial heterogeneity and directional asymmetry in hydroclimatic extremes within a climate-sensitive, monsoon-influenced transitional basin.
• Provided a scientific basis for integrated flood–drought monitoring and water-resources management in similar regions.

Funding

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Du2026Spatiotemporal,
  author = {Du, Wanjun and Li, Qing and Cao, Cheng and Ding, Yibo and Wang, Xiaowen and Zhou, Li},
  title = {Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Hydroclimatic Extremes in the Weihe River Basin, China},
  journal = {Atmosphere},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/atmos17111043},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17111043}
}