Precipitation Trend Change in Lanzhou and the Yellow River Basin Under Global Warming

Abstract

Global warming is reshaping precipitation patterns worldwide, with arid regions showing particularly striking changes. Lanzhou, a dry and rain-scarce area in northwest China, has experienced increasing precipitation and atmospheric moisture levels amid global warming. Research indicates this “warm and humid” phenomenon represents an improvement in arid regions ‘moisture conditions without altering their fundamental arid characteristics. The precipitation patterns and properties in Lanzhou differ fundamentally from those in eastern China, demonstrating that agricultural ecological challenges in arid areas cannot be resolved merely by increasing water availability. “However, despite the increase in precipitation, arid regions cannot rely solely on the increase of water resources to address agroecological challenges; the uneven temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall must also be taken into account.”