Evolutionary Characteristics of Daytime and Nocturnal Precipitation Heterogeneity in Gansu Province, Northwest China

Abstract

The diurnal variation in precipitation and its evolution are important foundations for understanding the regional impact of climate change and the parameterization of the model. Based on the daily precipitation data set of 23 national meteorological stations during 1970–2019, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of precipitation concentration degree (PCD) and precipitation concentration period (PCP) in Gansu province were evaluated on daytime and nocturnal scales. The results show the following: (1) Annual precipitation ranges from 69.1 ± 24.7 mm to 578.3 ± 96.6 mm, mainly (54.1 ± 2.6%) occurring at night, and the spatial distribution of the nocturnal precipitation rate is positively (r = 0.53, p < 0.01) correlated with annual precipitation; the wetting trend (12.7 mm/10 a, p < 0.01) in the past 50 years is obvious, and is mainly dominated by the frequency of precipitation (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), with both performing better during the day. (2) Most PCD is located between 0.55 and 0.75, showing a basic distribution pattern for daytime greater than nocturnal, higher values, and stronger interannual fluctuations in arid areas; the significant decreasing trend (p < 0.05) of PCD is very clear and highly consistent, especially in the high-altitude area, and the increase in precipitation in the dry season and the improvement in precipitation uniformity in the wet season play a key role. (3) PCP often fluctuates slightly around the 39th–41st pentad, but the general rule that daytime values are smaller than night values and the interannual variability is larger in arid areas also requires special attention; PCP has shown a relatively obvious advance trend in a few regions, but this is because the prominent and complex changes in the monthly precipitation distribution pattern have not been fully reflected. Along with continuous humidification, the decrease in PCD and the advance of PCP are likely to be the priority direction of precipitation evolution in the arid region of Northwest China, especially during the day. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding regional climate change.