Spatial and temporal characteristics of precipitation over the Three-River Headwaters region during 1961-2014

Study region: Three-River Headwaters (TRH) region, China. Study focus: Precipitation is regarded as the basic component of the global hydrological cycle. This study investigated the spatial and temporal characteristics of precipitation over the TRH region during 1961-2014, based on the observed data of 29 meteorological stations. New hydrological insights for the region: The results showed that: (1) temporally, the TRH region has experienced a significant increasing trend in the annual precipitation (p<0.1) during 1961-2014, especially in the dry season (p < 0.01). (2) Spatially, the mean annual precipitation (MAP) in the TRH region showed the southeast-to-northwest decreasing trend and the annual precipitation recorded at most stations (i.e., 26 in 29) presented the increasing trends. (3) A close correlation of the MAP with elevation was found, that is, a low-to-high increasing trend below 3800 m but an inverse correlation above 3800 m; in addition, statistical equations to estimate precipitation with high R-2 values were established based on longitude, latitude and elevation. (4) Characteristics of related meteorological variables and possible impact of precipitation on runoff were analyzed and discussed. These results would be valuable for the researchers to better understand the changing characteristics of precipitation and for the managers to make better decisions in the future. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.