Study on Water Storage Change and Its Consideration in Water Balance in the Mountain Regions over Arid Northwest China

Changes in permafrost and glaciers influence water balance in mountain regions of arid northwest China. Terrestrial water storage change (TWSC) is an important factor in the water cycle. In this study, we used Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites data to retrieve the TWSC in Ti...

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Main Author: Min Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4291765
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author Min Xu
author_facet Min Xu
author_sort Min Xu
collection DOAJ
description Changes in permafrost and glaciers influence water balance in mountain regions of arid northwest China. Terrestrial water storage change (TWSC) is an important factor in the water cycle. In this study, we used Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites data to retrieve the TWSC in Tien Shan and Qi Lian Mountains. Variation of seasonal TWSC was obvious. However, the seasonal and annual differences reflected the imbalance of water resource distribution in two mountains. The TWSC decreased in the Tien Shan Mountains but increased in the Qi Lian Mountains during 2003 to 2010. Permafrost and glaciers play an important role in the water cycle in arid mountain regions. Demands for water for agriculture need more groundwater extraction for irrigation and glacial melt feeding the rivers which leads to the state of loss of TWSC in Tien Shan Mountains. Increase and thickening of the active layer of permafrost could lead to more infiltration of surface water into the groundwater, which result in increasing water storage and changes in the regional water balance. According to water balance, precipitation and evaporation changed little in short time, and TWSC changed obviously, whereas runoff showed an increasing trend in the Tien Shan Mountains and a decreasing trend in the Qi Lian Mountains.
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spelling doaj-art-c81edc47fb744c3fb6399aded3d2ffd72025-08-20T02:20:06ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172017-01-01201710.1155/2017/42917654291765Study on Water Storage Change and Its Consideration in Water Balance in the Mountain Regions over Arid Northwest ChinaMin Xu0State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaChanges in permafrost and glaciers influence water balance in mountain regions of arid northwest China. Terrestrial water storage change (TWSC) is an important factor in the water cycle. In this study, we used Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites data to retrieve the TWSC in Tien Shan and Qi Lian Mountains. Variation of seasonal TWSC was obvious. However, the seasonal and annual differences reflected the imbalance of water resource distribution in two mountains. The TWSC decreased in the Tien Shan Mountains but increased in the Qi Lian Mountains during 2003 to 2010. Permafrost and glaciers play an important role in the water cycle in arid mountain regions. Demands for water for agriculture need more groundwater extraction for irrigation and glacial melt feeding the rivers which leads to the state of loss of TWSC in Tien Shan Mountains. Increase and thickening of the active layer of permafrost could lead to more infiltration of surface water into the groundwater, which result in increasing water storage and changes in the regional water balance. According to water balance, precipitation and evaporation changed little in short time, and TWSC changed obviously, whereas runoff showed an increasing trend in the Tien Shan Mountains and a decreasing trend in the Qi Lian Mountains.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4291765
spellingShingle Min Xu
Study on Water Storage Change and Its Consideration in Water Balance in the Mountain Regions over Arid Northwest China
Advances in Meteorology
title Study on Water Storage Change and Its Consideration in Water Balance in the Mountain Regions over Arid Northwest China
title_full Study on Water Storage Change and Its Consideration in Water Balance in the Mountain Regions over Arid Northwest China
title_fullStr Study on Water Storage Change and Its Consideration in Water Balance in the Mountain Regions over Arid Northwest China
title_full_unstemmed Study on Water Storage Change and Its Consideration in Water Balance in the Mountain Regions over Arid Northwest China
title_short Study on Water Storage Change and Its Consideration in Water Balance in the Mountain Regions over Arid Northwest China
title_sort study on water storage change and its consideration in water balance in the mountain regions over arid northwest china
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4291765
work_keys_str_mv AT minxu studyonwaterstoragechangeanditsconsiderationinwaterbalanceinthemountainregionsoveraridnorthwestchina