An analysis of three elements of water balance in the Changjiang River Basin

Abstract

The general trend of three elements (precipitation, runoff and evaporation) of the water balance of the Changjiang River Basin is discussed from the regional distribution of the mean annual values of view, i.e. isogram. The distribution of precipitation is non-uniform. The distribution of runoff mainly supplied from precipitation is more uniform than that of precipitation. The distribution of the evaporation from land is much more uniform than that of precipitation and runoff. Time distribution of these three elements shows the characteristics of comparatively distinct yearly variation and few variation between years. The relationship between precipitation and runoff, and between precipitation and evaporation in the humid region in the Changjiang River is analyzed. The slopes of their straight line correlation are nearly equal. The internal relationship between variables should be paid attention to, otherwise, a pseudo correlation may be resulted in. The paper provides the method of quantitative computation and general conclusion of probability between the regions and the whole basin. The empirical formulae based on certain inference are tested with the data of the Changjiang River.