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Streamflow changes and its influencing factors in the mainstream of the Songhua River basin, Northeast China over the past 50 years

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Abstract

The Songhua River plays a key role in the national development of China, owing to its unique natural condition and resources. Recent changes in the streamflow in the Songhua River are important with regard to local sustainable development and management under the background of global warming and aggravating soil erosion. In order to detect changes in the streamflow, two streamflow series from 1955 to 2004 (observed at the Harbin and Jiamusi stations) in the mainstream of Songhua River basin were obtained, and methods of statistical analysis, wavelet transform, and double mass analysis were employed to analyze the data. Reasons for the changes to the streamflow are discussed with respect to natural and man-made drivers. The results show the following: (1) From 1955 to 2004, the streamflow series present obvious declining trends. (2) The streamflow series followed the pattern of a wet–dry–wet–dry cycle pattern over the past 50 years. In the mainstream of Songhua River, wet years mainly occurred during the periods of 1955–1966 and 1984–1993, while dry years mainly occurred in the 1970s and after 2000. (3) Within the 50-year scale, the streamflow series appeared in the main periods of circa 33-, 13- and 4-year, in which the 33-year periodicity is the strongest. (4) Precipitation and temperature directly influenced the streamflow in the mainstream of the basin. The discharge was positively correlated with the precipitation and negatively correlated with the temperature. In addition, human activity was another important driving factor for streamflow change. (5) In the mainstream of Songhua River basin, the influences on streamflow can be divided into three periods: 1955–1976, 1977–1997, and 1998–2004. In the first period climate change played a dominant role, and during the latter two periods human influences were enhanced significantly.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the research funding supported by the National Key Basic Special Foundation Project of China (No. 2007CB407204) and State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology (No. 2009-KF-03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Chiyuan Miao

  2. State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Lin Yang

  3. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, School of Geography, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Baoyuan Liu

  4. School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Yang Gao

  5. Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

    Sile Li

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  1. Chiyuan Miao
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  2. Lin Yang
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  3. Baoyuan Liu
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  4. Yang Gao
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  5. Sile Li
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Correspondence to Chiyuan Miao.

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Miao, C., Yang, L., Liu, B. et al. Streamflow changes and its influencing factors in the mainstream of the Songhua River basin, Northeast China over the past 50 years. Environ Earth Sci 63, 489–499 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0717-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0717-x

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