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Decreasing or increasing trends? Evidence of long-term change in river discharge over the northern Korean Peninsula, 1951–2010

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Abstract

In this study, the trends in river discharge were investigated on different time scales for the period 1951/52–2009/10 over the northern part of the Korean peninsula based on the reliable flow datasets measured at the stations with near-natural states, and no or less anthropogenic activities. The annual mean discharge decreased by 5–11%/decade and its abrupt years appeared around 1980. On the seasonal scale, the trends in the rainy season were the most definitely observed with the decreasing rate of 6–12%/decade and could be seen to begin earlier than the annual trends. Unlike the annual and seasonal trends, the monthly trends exhibited very fluctuant variations depending on the individual months and locations. Overall, considering the detected significant trends, there is strong evidence that the river discharge remarkably decreased with the enhanced variability and the decreasing trends were a predominant part of the changes in the river discharge in the study period. With regard to the hydrological regions, the result suggested that the river discharge in the coastal hydrological regions influenced by the oceanic climate could be more sensitive to climate change than in the northern inland area with the continental climate.

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Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the State Hydro-Meteorological Administration of the DPR Korea (SHMA) for providing the observed data used in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrology, Faculty of Global Environmental Science, KIM IL SUNG University, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

    Jong-Hun Kim, Myong-Bong Jo, Tong-Ho Ri & Jong-Hye Choe

  2. Department of Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Global Environmental Science, KIM IL SUNG University, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

    Nam-Chol O

  3. Postgraduate School, Faculty of Global Environmental Science, KIM IL SUNG University, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

    Song-Il Phi

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  1. Jong-Hun Kim
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  2. Myong-Bong Jo
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Contributions

Jong-Hun Kim: Conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis. Myong-Bong Jo: Supervision, methodology. Nam-Chol O: Writing: review, methodology. Tong-Ho Ri: Data checking, investigation. Jong-Hye Choe: Data analysis, validation. Song-Il Phi: Software, writing: original draft.

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Correspondence to Jong-Hun Kim.

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Communicated by Riddhi Singh

Supplementary materials pertaining to this article are available on the Journal of Earth System Science website (http://www.ias.ac.in/Journals/Journal_of_Earth_System_Science).

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Kim, JH., Jo, MB., O, NC. et al. Decreasing or increasing trends? Evidence of long-term change in river discharge over the northern Korean Peninsula, 1951–2010. J Earth Syst Sci 131, 122 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-01867-4

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