Interannual moisture variability on the Qinghai Plateau: Trends, patterns, and implications

Investigating surface dry-wet patterns on the Qinghai Plateau (QP) is crucial for water allocation, ecological sustainability, and climate variability adaptation strategies. Existing discrepancies in the QP dry-wet trends and distribution characteristics underscored the need for a more refined analysis. This study utilized the Thornthwaite Moisture Index (IM) to quantify changes in surface dryness and wetness under prevailing climatic conditions. Linear trend regression and ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) were applied to study the dynamic and periodic characteristics of the QP from 1980 to 2018.

Our findings revealed a decrease from southeast to northwest in IM, with the semi-arid and sub-humid transition line aligning closely with the 400 mm isohyet. The dry-wet transition line exhibited a northwestward trend over the past four decades. Possibly influenced by monsoon circulation and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the annual IM displayed a quasi-cycle of 3 to 5 years, manifested by a dry period (1990–2004) and a wet period (2005–2012). However, spatial differences existed, challenging the universality of the “Dry gets Drier and Wet gets Wetter (DDWW)” pattern. Precipitation (PRCP) changes could predict over 90 % of IM spatiotemporal variations. Additionally, the IM response to Average Temperature (TAVG) exhibited an inverted U-shaped curve, with a boundary (−3.8 °C) below which cooler regions became wetter and above which they became drier. The observed warming and precipitation shifts suggested that continued warming could lead to warmer and wetter climates, potentially causing ecological and environmental problems. Therefore, examining the surface moisture budget is of critical scientific and practical significance, in order to provide a decision-making basis for mitigating and adapting to climate change.