More Extreme Precipitation in Chinese Deserts From 1960 to 2018

Abstract

Extreme precipitation over drylands, especially deserts, has been observed, whereas the precipitation changes in Chinese deserts have been rarely studied. Here, we used a daily grid precipitation data set generated via weather station data (0.25° horizontal grid spacing) to investigate the spatial and temporal changes in extreme precipitation in Chinese deserts. Extreme precipitation based on the changes in the total precipitation (PRCPTOT) and the annual maximum daily precipitation (Rx1day) in the Chinese desert exhibited markedly increasing trends and presented a spatial distribution of wetting in the western deserts and drying in the eastern deserts. The increase in extreme precipitation could minimize wind erosion and intensify dune stabilization in the western Chinese deserts.