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Analysis of Droughts and Floods Evolution and Teleconnection Factors in the Yangtze River Basin Based on GRACE/GFO

Ren, Ruqing ; Nemoto, Tatsuya ; Raghavan, Venkatesh ; Song, Xianfeng and Duan, Zheng LU (2025) In Remote Sensing 17(14).
Abstract

In recent years, under the influence of climate change and human activities, droughts and floods have occurred frequently in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB), seriously threatening socioeconomic development and ecological security. The topography and climate of the YRB are complex, so it is crucial to develop appropriate drought and flood policies based on the drought and flood characteristics of different sub-basins. This study calculated the water storage deficit index (WSDI) based on the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE-Follow On (GFO) mascon model, extended WSDI to the bidirectional monitoring of droughts and floods in the YRB, and verified the reliability of WSDI in monitoring hydrological events through... (More)

In recent years, under the influence of climate change and human activities, droughts and floods have occurred frequently in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB), seriously threatening socioeconomic development and ecological security. The topography and climate of the YRB are complex, so it is crucial to develop appropriate drought and flood policies based on the drought and flood characteristics of different sub-basins. This study calculated the water storage deficit index (WSDI) based on the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE-Follow On (GFO) mascon model, extended WSDI to the bidirectional monitoring of droughts and floods in the YRB, and verified the reliability of WSDI in monitoring hydrological events through historical documented events. Combined with the wavelet method, it revealed the heterogeneity of climate responses in the three sub-basins of the upper, middle, and lower reaches. The results showed the following. (1) Compared and verified with the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI), and documented events, WSDI overcame the limitations of traditional indices and had higher reliability. A total of 21 drought events and 18 flood events were identified in the three sub-basins, with the lowest frequency of drought and flood events in the upper reaches. (2) Most areas of the YRB showed different degrees of wetting on the monthly and seasonal scales, and the slowest trend of wetting was in the lower reaches of the YRB. (3) The degree of influence of teleconnection factors in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the YRB had gradually increased over time, and, in particular, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) had a significant impact on the droughts and floods. This study provided a new basis for the early warning of droughts and floods in different sub-basins of the YRB.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
drought and flood, GRACE/GFO, sub-basins, teleconnection factors, water storage
in
Remote Sensing
volume
17
issue
14
article number
2344
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:105011730600
ISSN
2072-4292
DOI
10.3390/rs17142344
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.
id
61040e34-b86f-45b6-ab64-9e2045bdb8c5
date added to LUP
2025-12-11 09:40:19
date last changed
2025-12-11 09:41:01
@article{61040e34-b86f-45b6-ab64-9e2045bdb8c5,
  abstract     = {{<p>In recent years, under the influence of climate change and human activities, droughts and floods have occurred frequently in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB), seriously threatening socioeconomic development and ecological security. The topography and climate of the YRB are complex, so it is crucial to develop appropriate drought and flood policies based on the drought and flood characteristics of different sub-basins. This study calculated the water storage deficit index (WSDI) based on the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE-Follow On (GFO) mascon model, extended WSDI to the bidirectional monitoring of droughts and floods in the YRB, and verified the reliability of WSDI in monitoring hydrological events through historical documented events. Combined with the wavelet method, it revealed the heterogeneity of climate responses in the three sub-basins of the upper, middle, and lower reaches. The results showed the following. (1) Compared and verified with the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI), and documented events, WSDI overcame the limitations of traditional indices and had higher reliability. A total of 21 drought events and 18 flood events were identified in the three sub-basins, with the lowest frequency of drought and flood events in the upper reaches. (2) Most areas of the YRB showed different degrees of wetting on the monthly and seasonal scales, and the slowest trend of wetting was in the lower reaches of the YRB. (3) The degree of influence of teleconnection factors in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the YRB had gradually increased over time, and, in particular, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) had a significant impact on the droughts and floods. This study provided a new basis for the early warning of droughts and floods in different sub-basins of the YRB.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ren, Ruqing and Nemoto, Tatsuya and Raghavan, Venkatesh and Song, Xianfeng and Duan, Zheng}},
  issn         = {{2072-4292}},
  keywords     = {{drought and flood; GRACE/GFO; sub-basins; teleconnection factors; water storage}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{14}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Remote Sensing}},
  title        = {{Analysis of Droughts and Floods Evolution and Teleconnection Factors in the Yangtze River Basin Based on GRACE/GFO}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs17142344}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/rs17142344}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}