Analysis of Drought and Flood Variations on a 200-Year Scale Based on Historical Environmental Information in Western China

Historical environmental evidence has been characterized by time accuracy, high spatial resolution and rich information, which may be widely used in the reconstruction of historical data series. Taking the upper reaches of the Weihe River as an example in Western China, the grades and index sequences of the drought and flood disasters from 1800 to 2016 were reconstructed based on various historical environmental information and standardized precipitation indicator (SPI). Moreover, the characteristics of droughts and floods were analyzed using statistical diagnostic methods, and the mechanisms affecting centennial-scale droughts and floods were discussed. The validity of reconstruction sequence of droughts/floods was verified, which showed that the reconstruction sequence may reasonably indicate the status of drought and flood. The reconstruction indicated the following periods of drought/flood: a period of extreme and big droughts in 1835s-1893s, 1924s-1943s and 1984s-2008s, a period of extreme and big floods in 1903s-1923s, and a period of extreme and big droughts/floods in 1944s-1983s. Moreover, the droughts were more serious in the western part of this region and the floods were relatively severe in the east of this region, while the droughts and floods have long-term period of about 100 years and mutation. The influence mechanism of external environmental forcing factors driving floods/droughts were revealed. The results showed that the cycle of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and sunspot activities were closely related to the variations of drought/flood, meanwhile, ENSO has a significant lag time scale cumulative influence on droughts and floods, especially the 15-year sliding effect was the most obvious. In the peak year of sunspots, the probability of heavy drought/extreme floods was large, and the 102-year sunspot cycle has a more significant effect on drought and flood disasters. The mutation of droughts and floods occurred in the context of the drastic changes in the ground environment, and transformation of precipitation and land use structure. These results will enhance the understandings of historical environmental climate characteristics and mechanisms over the hundred years, and be useful for the future regional water resources and assessment, and ecological environment management.

Automated summary

This study reconstructs the grades and index sequences of drought and flood disasters in the upper reaches of the Weihe River in Western China from 1800 to 2016 based on historical environmental information and standardized precipitation indicator. Statistical diagnostic methods were used to analyze the characteristics of droughts and floods and the mechanisms affecting them. The study reveals the patterns and mechanisms of droughts and floods over the past century and provides insights for future water resource management and ecological environment assessment.