IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-34221-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reconstructed eight-century streamflow in the Tibetan Plateau reveals contrasting regional variability and strong nonstationarity

Author

Listed:
  • Yenan Wu

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Di Long

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Upmanu Lall

    (Columbia University)

  • Bridget R. Scanlon

    (The University of Texas at Austin)

  • Fuqiang Tian

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Xudong Fu

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Jianshi Zhao

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Jianyun Zhang

    (Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute)

  • Hao Wang

    (China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research)

  • Chunhong Hu

    (China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research)

Abstract

Short instrumental streamflow records in the South and East Tibetan Plateau (SETP) limit understanding of the full range and long-term variability in streamflow, which could greatly impact freshwater resources for about one billion people downstream. Here we reconstruct eight centuries (1200−2012 C.E.) of annual streamflow from the Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas in five headwater regions across the SETP. We find two regional patterns, including northern (Yellow, Yangtze, and Lancang-Mekong) and southern (Nu-Salween and Yarlung Zangbo-Brahmaputra) SETP regions showing ten contrasting wet and dry periods, with a dividing line of regional moisture regimes at ~32°−33°N identified. We demonstrate strong temporal nonstationarity in streamflow variability, and reveal much greater high/low mean flow periods in terms of duration and magnitude: mostly pre-instrumental wetter conditions in the Yarlung Zangbo-Brahmaputra and drier conditions in other rivers. By contrast, the frequency of extreme flows during the instrumental periods for the Yangtze, Nu-Salween, and Yarlung Zangbo-Brahmaputra has increased by ~18% relative to the pre-instrumental periods.

Suggested Citation

  • Yenan Wu & Di Long & Upmanu Lall & Bridget R. Scanlon & Fuqiang Tian & Xudong Fu & Jianshi Zhao & Jianyun Zhang & Hao Wang & Chunhong Hu, 2022. "Reconstructed eight-century streamflow in the Tibetan Plateau reveals contrasting regional variability and strong nonstationarity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-34221-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34221-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-34221-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-34221-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jessica E. Tierney & Jason E. Smerdon & Kevin J. Anchukaitis & Richard Seager, 2013. "Multidecadal variability in East African hydroclimate controlled by the Indian Ocean," Nature, Nature, vol. 493(7432), pages 389-392, January.
    2. Xueying Li & Di Long & Bridget R. Scanlon & Michael E. Mann & Xingdong Li & Fuqiang Tian & Zhangli Sun & Guangqian Wang, 2022. "Climate change threatens terrestrial water storage over the Tibetan Plateau," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(9), pages 801-807, September.
    3. Mukund P. Rao & Edward R. Cook & Benjamin I. Cook & Rosanne D. D’Arrigo & Jonathan G. Palmer & Upmanu Lall & Connie A. Woodhouse & Brendan M. Buckley & Maria Uriarte & Daniel A. Bishop & Jun Jian & Pe, 2020. "Seven centuries of reconstructed Brahmaputra River discharge demonstrate underestimated high discharge and flood hazard frequency," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Qi-Bin Zhang & Michael N. Evans & Lixin Lyu, 2015. "Moisture dipole over the Tibetan Plateau during the past five and a half centuries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-6, November.
    5. Jinbao Li & Shang-Ping Xie & Edward R. Cook & Mariano S. Morales & Duncan A. Christie & Nathaniel C. Johnson & Fahu Chen & Rosanne D’Arrigo & Anthony M. Fowler & Xiaohua Gou & Keyan Fang, 2013. "El Niño modulations over the past seven centuries," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 3(9), pages 822-826, September.
    6. Luís Aguiar-Conraria & Maria Joana Soares, 2014. "The Continuous Wavelet Transform: Moving Beyond Uni- And Bivariate Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 344-375, April.
    7. Noah Diffenbaugh & Filippo Giorgi, 2012. "Climate change hotspots in the CMIP5 global climate model ensemble," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 114(3), pages 813-822, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lubos Hanus & Lukas Vacha, 2015. "Business cycle synchronization of the Visegrad Four and the European Union," Working Papers IES 2015/19, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised Jul 2015.
    2. Marfatia, Hardik A., 2017. "A fresh look at integration of risks in the international stock markets: A wavelet approach," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 33-49.
    3. Monge, Manuel & Gil-Alana, Luis A. & Pérez de Gracia, Fernando, 2017. "U.S. shale oil production and WTI prices behaviour," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 12-19.
    4. Morán-Ordóñez, Alejandra & Ameztegui, Aitor & De Cáceres, Miquel & de-Miguel, Sergio & Lefèvre, François & Brotons, Lluís & Coll, Lluís, 2020. "Future trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services in Mediterranean forests under global change scenarios," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    5. Roman Mestre, 2021. "A wavelet approach of investing behaviors and their effects on risk exposures," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 1-37, December.
    6. Yaqi Wu & Chen Zhang & Po Yun & Dandan Zhu & Wei Cao & Zulfiqar Ali Wagan, 2021. "Time–frequency analysis of the interaction mechanism between European carbon and crude oil markets," Energy & Environment, , vol. 32(7), pages 1331-1357, November.
    7. Loretta Mastroeni & Alessandro Mazzoccoli & Greta Quaresima & Pierluigi Vellucci, 2021. "Wavelet analysis and energy-based measures for oil-food price relationship as a footprint of financialisation effect," Papers 2104.11891, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2022.
    8. Ko, Jun-Hyung & Lee, Chang-Min, 2015. "International economic policy uncertainty and stock prices: Wavelet approach," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 118-122.
    9. Wen-Yi Chen, 2016. "Health progress and economic growth in the USA: the continuous wavelet analysis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 831-855, May.
    10. Monge, Manuel & Claudio-Quiroga, Gloria & Poza, Carlos, 2024. "Chinese economic behavior in times of covid-19. A new leading economic indicator based on Google trends," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    11. Aguiar-Conraria Luís & Brinca Pedro & Guðjónsson Haukur Viðar & Soares Maria Joana, 2017. "Business cycle synchronization across U.S. states," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(1), pages 1-15, January.
    12. Anand, B. & Paul, Sunil & Ramachandran, M., 2014. "Volatility Spillover between Oil and Stock Market Returns," Indian Economic Review, Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics, vol. 49(1), pages 37-56.
    13. Panos Fousekis & Vasilis Grigoriadis, 2016. "Price co-movement in the principal skim milk powder producing regions: a wavelet analysis," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(1), pages 477-492.
    14. Aguiar-Conraria, Luís & Martins, Manuel M.F. & Soares, Maria Joana, 2020. "Okun’s Law across time and frequencies," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    15. Funashima, Yoshito, 2016. "The Fed-induced political business cycle: Empirical evidence from a time–frequency view," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 402-411.
    16. Bouoiyour, Jamal & Gauthier, Marie & Bouri, Elie, 2023. "Which is leading: Renewable or brown energy assets?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    17. Kilponen, Juha & Verona, Fabio, 2016. "Testing the Q theory of investment in the frequency domain," Research Discussion Papers 32/2016, Bank of Finland.
    18. Mustapha Olalekan Ojo & Luís Aguiar‐Conraria & Maria Joana Soares, 2024. "The performance of OECD's composite leading indicator," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 2265-2277, April.
    19. Rua, António, 2017. "A wavelet-based multivariate multiscale approach for forecasting," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 581-590.
    20. Bolós, V.J. & Benítez, R. & Ferrer, R. & Jammazi, R., 2017. "The windowed scalogram difference: A novel wavelet tool for comparing time series," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 312(C), pages 49-65.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-34221-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.