TY  - JOUR
AU  - Qin, Chun
AU  - Yang, Bao
AU  - Burchardt, Iris
AU  - Hu, Xiaoli
AU  - Kang, Xingcheng
PY  - 2010
DA  - 2010//
TI  - Intensified pluvial conditions during the twentieth century in the inland Heihe River Basin in arid northwestern China over the past millennium
JO  - Global and Planetary Change
VL  - 72
IS  - 3
KW  - tree rings;dendrohydrology;streamflow variability;the Heihe River;arid northwest China;last millennium
AB  - Abstract(#br)Past streamflow variability is of special significance in the inland river basin, i.e., the Heihe River Basin in arid northwestern China, where water shortage is a serious environmental and social problem. However, the current knowledge of issues related to regional water resources management and long-term planning and management is limited by the lack of long-term hydro-meteorological records. Here we present a 1009-year annual streamflow (August–July) reconstruction for the upstream of the Heihe River in the arid northwestern China based on a well-replicated Qilian juniper ( Sabina przewalskii Kom.) ring-width chronology. This reconstruction accounts for 46.9% of the observed instrumental streamflow variance during the period 1958–2006. Considerable multidecadal to centennial flow variations below and above the long-term average are displayed in the millennium streamflow reconstruction. These periods 1012–1053, 1104–1212, 1259–1352, 1442–1499, 1593–1739 and 1789–1884 are noteworthy for the persistence of low-level river flow, and for the fact that these low streamflow events are not found in the observed instrumental hydrological record during the recent 50<ce:hsp sp="0.25"></ce:hsp>years. The 20th century witnessed intensified pluvial conditions in the upstream of the Heihe River in the arid northwestern China in the context of the last millennium. Comparison with other long-term hydrological reconstructions indicates that the intensification of the hydrological cycle in the twentieth century from different regions could be attributable to regional to large-scale temperature increase during this time. Furthermore, from a practical perspective, the streamflow reconstruction can serve as a robust database for the government to work out more scientific and more reasonable water allocation alternatives for the Heihe River Basin in arid northwestern China.
SN  - 0921-8181
ID  - Qin2010
ER  -