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Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Rainfall and Drought Condition in Southwest Xinjiang in Northwest China, Using Various Climate Indices

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Abstract

Variability in precipitation results flooding and drought worldwide. The climate change has a close relationship with the precipitation and temperature pattern as well as river discharge. In this research, spatial and temporal rainfall variability have been analyzed. The rainfall data of seventeen meteorological stations for the period of 1980–2018 was acquired from China Meteorological Administration. To assess drought in the study area, the standardized precipitation index (SPI) was applied and to check the temporal drought trend the Mann–Kendall test was applied, while the data normality was checked through skewness, kurtosis, and standard deviation. The Mann–Kendall results shows decreasing rainfall and increasing drought trend in the study area. The study area southwest Xinjiang is an arid region and the decreasing rainfall trend will further aggravate the conditions of already endangered flora and fauna in the region. This study will provide a platform for decision makers to take proactive actions to mitigate the risk of increasing drought in the study area.

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Source: Prepared from SRTM Data 2021

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Resources Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China

    Ahmad Ali Khan, Yuanjie Zhao & Muhammad Rafiq

  2. Department of Geography, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Jamil khan

  3. Department of Geography, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan

    Ghani Rahman

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, College of Ocean Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, South Korea

    Muhammad Farhan Ul Moazzam

Authors
  1. Ahmad Ali Khan
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  2. Yuanjie Zhao
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  3. Jamil khan
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  4. Ghani Rahman
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  5. Muhammad Rafiq
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  6. Muhammad Farhan Ul Moazzam
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Correspondence to Ahmad Ali Khan.

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Khan, A.A., Zhao, Y., khan, J. et al. Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Rainfall and Drought Condition in Southwest Xinjiang in Northwest China, Using Various Climate Indices. Earth Syst Environ 5, 201–216 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-021-00226-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-021-00226-5

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