Identifying and characterizing short-term drought with rapid onset based on the SAPEI in the Yangtze River basin

• Published in: Journal of hydrology. Regional studies Vol. 51; p. 101629
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jing, Zhang, Min, Yu, Jialu, Yu, Yang, Jiang, Fengqing, Yu, Ruide
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Centroid migration; Rapid intensification; Spatiotemporal variability; Three-dimensional drought events; Rapid intensification; Centroid migration; Three-dimensional drought events; Spatiotemporal variability
• ISSN: 2214-5818; 2214-5818
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2023.101629

The Yangtze River basin (YRB) This study presented a methodology for identifying short-term drought events, with a particular emphasis on rapid onset. The standardized antecedent precipitation evapotranspiration index (SAPEI) was adopted to detect drought at the grid level within a time series dataset, and a clustering algorithm was employed to identify drought events with three-dimensional structures, followed by a comprehensive analysis of their spatiotemporal characteristics and the factors contributing to spatial heterogeneity. The proposed method effectively captures the rapid intensification phase and the drought development processes. Short-term drought with rapid onset was predominantly observed in the northwestern region and the middle to lower reaches of the YRB from 1960 to 2014, exhibiting mild and moderate drought conditions. This spatial variability was related to the interactions among temperature, potential evapotranspiration, precipitation and wind. Furthermore, a total of 246 three-dimensional drought events were identified in the YRB. Among these events, centroid no-transfer events were prevalent, and the primary migration direction for centroid transfer events was from southeast to northwest. Additionally, short-term drought events displayed a characteristic evolution pattern, with the affected area remaining relatively stable while drought intensity exhibited a significant decrease which indicated the drought rapidly developed into more severe drought condition. This study can provide a reference for early warning and monitoring of short-term drought with rapid onset. [Display omitted] •Identification of short-term drought with rapid onset based on SAPEI.•Extraction of short-term drought events with three-dimensional structures.•The role of meteorological variables for short-term drought varies across regions and seasons.•During short-term drought development, spatial extents remained relatively stable, but intensity rapidly escalated.