Atmospheric water cycle over the Loess Plateau under the implementation of the Grain for Green project

Hua Ting; Du Jiahui; Zhang Yuanzhu; Xu Jiajie

doi:10.16152/j.cnki.xdxbzr.2026-04-016

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Atmospheric water cycle over the Loess Plateau under the implementation of the Grain for Green project

Human-earth system science | 更新时间：2026-07-27

- Atmospheric water cycle over the Loess Plateau under the implementation of the Grain for Green project
- Journal of Northwest University (Natural Science Edition) Vol. 56, Issue 4, Pages: 886-897(2026)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.西北大学　城市与环境学院，陕西　西安　710127
  2.陕西省地表系统与环境承载力重点实验室，陕西　西安　710127
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.16152/j.cnki.xdxbzr.2026-04-016
  CLC： K903
- Received：25 November 2025，
  
  Revised：2026-01-21，
  
  Published：25 August 2026
- 稿件说明：
移动端阅览
Hua Ting, Du Jiahui, Zhang Yuanzhu, et al. Atmospheric water cycle over the Loess Plateau under the implementation of the Grain for Green project[J]. Journal of Northwest University (Natural Science Edition), 2026, 56(4): 886-897.
DOI：

Hua Ting, Du Jiahui, Zhang Yuanzhu, et al. Atmospheric water cycle over the Loess Plateau under the implementation of the Grain for Green project[J]. Journal of Northwest University (Natural Science Edition), 2026, 56(4): 886-897. DOI： 10.16152/j.cnki.xdxbzr.2026-04-016.

摘要

在大规模“退耕还林”工程的实施下，近几十年来黄土高原呈现显著的植被恢复趋势，深刻影响了该地区的水循环过程。为明确生态恢复工程对大气水循环的影响，基于MERRA-2数据和水汽溯源模型，分析了1991年至2020年间黄土高原生长季降水量、蒸散发、水汽通量及其散度以及降水再循环率等大气水循环关键要素的时空变化特征。结果表明：①1991至2020年间，黄土高原降水量和蒸发量均呈显著增加趋势，其中降水增加速率明显高于蒸发量的增加速率；②在降水增加趋势背景下，黄土高原的降水资源量增加速率约为0.352×10

/a，其中源自外部源区和本地蒸散发的水汽贡献量均呈显著增加趋势；③虽然降水增量所需的水汽主要依赖于外部源区额外贡献，但近30年来由于退耕还林工程的实施，使得该地区生长季的降水再循环率显著增加，增加速率为0.0483%/a，表明大规模的生态恢复工程对本地区大气水循环产生积极的作用。结果对阐明大规模生态恢复工程对当地水文过程和气候系统的驱动机制具有重要意义。

Abstract

Under the implementation of the Grain for Green project

a significant vegetation restoration trend has been observed on the Loess Plateau in recent decades

which has profoundly affected the regional water cycle. To investigate the effects of ecological restoration projects on the atmospheric water cycle

we analyzed the temporal and spatial variations in thekey variables (including precipitation

evaporation

water vapor flux and its divergence

and precipitation recycling ratio) on the Loess Plateau during the 1991—2020 growing seasons

based on the MERRA-2 data and the moisture tracking model. The research has 3 results. ①From 1991

to 2020

both precipitation and evaporation showed significantly increasing trend over the Loess Plateau

and the trend in precipitation is higher than that of evaporation. ②Under an increasing precipitation trend

the precipitation resources on the Loess Plateau increased at approximately 0.352×10

with both external moisture sources and local evaporation exhibiting significant increases in absolute water vapor contribution. ③Although the increased precipitation primarily depends on additional contributions from external moisture source regions

the precipitation recycling ratio during the growing season over this region has increased significantly over the past 30 years due to the implementation of the GrainforGreen project

with an increasing rate of 0.048 3%/a. This indicates that large-scale ecological restoration projects have exerted a positive effect on the regional atmospheric water cycle. The research findings of are of great significance for elucidating the driving mechanisms of large-scale ecological restoration projects on local hydrological processes and climate systems.

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Keywords

references

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