Aridity/humidity status of land surface in China during the last three decades  

作　　者：WU Shaohong1, YIN Yunhe1,2, ZHENG Du1 & YANG Qinye1 1. Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China 2. Graduate School of the CAS, Beijing 100039, China 

出　　处：《Science China Earth Sciences》2005年第9期1510-1518,共9页中国科学（地球科学英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40171040);the Knowledge Innovation Project of the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research,CAS(Grant No.CXIOG-A02-03);the Director Foundation of Knowledge Innovation Project of CAS(Grant No.SJ10G-A00-06).

摘　　要：To clarify aridity/humidity status of land surface is helpful for studying environmental background and regional differences, seeking causes of environmental change, and providing a scientific basis for researches on climate change in the future. In this paper, the authors calcu- lated potential evapotranspiration of China using data from 616 meteorological stations during the period of 1971―2000 with the Penman-Monteith model recommanded by FAO in 1998. Vy- sothkii’s model was used to calculate aridity/humidity index. Then the calculated results of sta- tions were interpolated to land surface using ArcGIS. Results show that the annual average po- tential evapotranspiration is 400―1500 mm in the whole country, 600―800 mm in most parts of it; and 350―1400 mm in growing season (April―Octobor), which is nearly 200 mm less than the annual average. According to the aridity/humidity indexes of 1.0, 1.5 and 4.0, the aridity/humidity status is categorized to four types, namely, humid, subhumid, semiarid and arid. A majority of stations (76%) are more humid in growing season than the annual average. Results of com- prisons between the distribution map of aridity/humidity index with that of precipitation and vegetation indicate a good consistence of aridity/humidity status with natural environment. Therefore potential evapotranspiration calculated with modified FAO’s Penman-Monteith model in combination with aridity/humidity index that considers water balance can more reasonably explain the actual land surface aridity/humidity status of China.To clarify aridity/humidity status of land surface is helpful for studying environmental background and regional differences, seeking causes of environmental change, and providing a scientific basis for researches on climate change in the future. In this paper, the authors calcu- lated potential evapotranspiration of China using data from 616 meteorological stations during the period of 1971―2000 with the Penman-Monteith model recommanded by FAO in 1998. Vy- sothkii’s model was used to calculate aridity/humidity index. Then the calculated results of sta- tions were interpolated to land surface using ArcGIS. Results show that the annual average po- tential evapotranspiration is 400―1500 mm in the whole country, 600―800 mm in most parts of it; and 350―1400 mm in growing season (April―Octobor), which is nearly 200 mm less than the annual average. According to the aridity/humidity indexes of 1.0, 1.5 and 4.0, the aridity/humidity status is categorized to four types, namely, humid, subhumid, semiarid and arid. A majority of stations (76%) are more humid in growing season than the annual average. Results of com- prisons between the distribution map of aridity/humidity index with that of precipitation and vegetation indicate a good consistence of aridity/humidity status with natural environment. Therefore potential evapotranspiration calculated with modified FAO’s Penman-Monteith model in combination with aridity/humidity index that considers water balance can more reasonably explain the actual land surface aridity/humidity status of China.

关 键 词：potential evapotranspiration  aridity/humidity status  land surface  regional differences  Penman-Monteith. 

分 类 号：P467[天文地球—大气科学及气象学]