As one of the most fragile alpine plateau and canyon areas in China,the upper reaches of the Yangtze River are the key areas of ecological construction in China.It is also a key area for poverty alleviation in the cou...As one of the most fragile alpine plateau and canyon areas in China,the upper reaches of the Yangtze River are the key areas of ecological construction in China.It is also a key area for poverty alleviation in the country.Therefore,it is necessary to take into account the dual goals of poverty reduction and ecological environment construction,and explore a win-win road of ecological construction and poverty alleviation in line with the reality of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.Taking Xueshan Township,Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County,Yunnan Province,which is located in the poor mountainous area of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River as an example,based on many field investigations and existing investigation and statistical data,this paper analyzes the current situation and main problems of land use in Xueshan Township,and then puts forward measures and suggestions for rational utilization of land resources in Xueshan Township.This can provide a necessary reference for the next implementation of rural revitalization strategy and ecological construction.展开更多
Here,we analyze the characteristics and the formation mechanisms of low-level jets(LLJs)in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River during the 2010 mei-yu season using Wuhan station radiosonde data and the fifth genera...Here,we analyze the characteristics and the formation mechanisms of low-level jets(LLJs)in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River during the 2010 mei-yu season using Wuhan station radiosonde data and the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ERA5)reanalysis dataset.Our results show that the vertical structure of LLJs is characterized by a predominance of boundary layer jets(BLJs)concentrated at heights of 900-1200 m.The BLJs occur most frequently at 2300 LST(LST=UTC+8 hours)but are strongest at 0200 LST,with composite wind velocities>14 m s^(-1).Synoptic-system-related LLJs(SLLJs)occur most frequently at 0800 LST but are strongest at 1100LST,with composite wind velocities>12 m s^(-1).Both BLJs and SLLJs are characterized by a southwesterly wind direction,although the wind direction of SLLJs is more westerly,and northeasterly SLLJs occur more frequently than northeasterly BLJs.When Wuhan is south of the mei-yu front,the westward extension of the northwest Pacific subtropical high intensifies,and the low-pressure system in the eastern Tibetan Plateau strengthens,favoring the formation of LLJs,which are closely related to precipitation.The wind speeds on rainstorm days are greater than those on LLJ days.Our analysis of four typical heavy precipitation events shows the presence of LLJs at the center of the precipitation and on its southern side before the onset of heavy precipitation.BLJs were shown to develop earlier than SLLJs.展开更多
Under the background of the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the settlements in the upper reaches of the Min River are significantly affected by the mountain environment, and their spatial distribution is typical ...Under the background of the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the settlements in the upper reaches of the Min River are significantly affected by the mountain environment, and their spatial distribution is typical and representative. In this study, the relationship between settlements and topography, rivers and transportation, and the spatial distribution patterns of settlements, such as the aggregation and orientation characteristics of settlements, have been studied. The main conclusions include: 1) The settlement density decreases with the increase of elevation, slope, and distance from rivers and roads;76.25% and 63.17% of the settlements are distributed in the range of elevation 1500 - 3000 m and slope 6° - 25°, the upper reaches of the Min River are mostly alpine valley terrain, the bottom of the river has a low altitude, the landscape is undulating. The warm and humid climate is suitable for farming, conducive to agricultural production, and an ideal living environment for mountain residents. 2) The nuclear density of the settlement is distributed in strips along the axis of the river, and the closer to the river, the greater the nuclear density value. 3) Mathematical statistical methods were applied for the first time to realize the quantitative expression of the coupling of settlement and river direction. The influence of topographic conditions in different watersheds on the coupling degree of settlement extension and river flow direction was revealed. The slope of the fitted straight line between the settlement and river direction was 0.897, and the two directions were consistent. Except for the mainstream of the Min River, the larger values of the standard deviation ellipse flattening of settlements in each basin appeared in the upper reaches of the bay, and the overall trend showed a gradual decrease from the upstream to the downstream, which was consistent with the topographic change characteristics of the basin.展开更多
Using the daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and the observation rainfall data in China for the 1980-1997 period, features of severe summer rainfall over the upper reaches of the Yangtze River are investigated and the...Using the daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and the observation rainfall data in China for the 1980-1997 period, features of severe summer rainfall over the upper reaches of the Yangtze River are investigated and then sources of moisture contributing to severe rainfall over eastern and western Sichuan Province (ES and WS for short) are examined with particular reference. It turns out that the severe rainfall occurring locally dominates summer rainfall over the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Climatological rainfall and anomalous one constitute severe rainfall, but the latter accounts much for severe rainfall. The meridional moisture transport dominates the composite moisture transport on the occurrence day for ES region, while the zonal is equivalent to the meridional for WS region. Correlation between the moisture transport fluxes over the two regions of severe rainfall and other regions, the anomaly and variation of the moisture transport day by day during the period of severe rainfall lend a support for the conclusion that the meeting of the moisture from the West Pacific through the South China Sea (SCS) and the one from northwestern China exerts a vital effect on the occurrence of severe rainfall, which can not be neglected.展开更多
Using geographic information system (GIS) techniques and the newest seasonal and annual average precipitation data of 679 meteorological stations from 1971 to 2000, the multiple regressions equations of the precipitat...Using geographic information system (GIS) techniques and the newest seasonal and annual average precipitation data of 679 meteorological stations from 1971 to 2000, the multiple regressions equations of the precipitation and topographical variables are established to extract the effect of topography on the annual and seasonal precipitation in the upper-middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Then, this paper uses a successive interpolation approach (SIA), which combines GIS techniques with the multiple regressions, to improve the accuracy of the spatial interpolation of annual and seasonal rainfall. The results are very satisfactory in the case of seasonal rainfall, with the relative error of 6.86%, the absolute error of 13.07 mm, the average coefficient of variation of 0.070, and the correlation coefficient of 0.9675; in the case of annual precipitation, with the relative error of 7.34%, the absolute error of 72.1 mm, the average coefficient of variation of 0.092, and the correlation coefficient of 0.9605. The analyses of annual mean precipitation show that the SIA calculation of 3-5 steps considerably improves the interpolation accuracy, decreasing the absolute error from 211.0 mm to 62.4 mm, the relative error from 20.74% to 5.97%, the coefficient of variation from 0.2312 to 0.0761, and increasing the correlation coefficient from 0.5467 to 0.9619. The SIA iterative results after 50 steps identically converge to the observed precipitation.展开更多
Land use/land cover change (LUCC) is a focus of the research of global environmental changes. The middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which are the most ecologically fragile mountainous area in China as wel...Land use/land cover change (LUCC) is a focus of the research of global environmental changes. The middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which are the most ecologically fragile mountainous area in China as well as one of the areas in China with most notable LUCC, have been on the Chinese Government's list of priority areas for ecological restoration. This paper is to reveal the trend of LUCC and the ecological degradation arising from it, and to provide a basis for the future sustainable use of land resources in the region based on a detailed analysis of Yiliang County. Based on the county's land use/cover maps in 1960, 1980 and 2000 drawn with the aid of aerial photograph interpretation, field investigation and GIS based spatial-temporal data analysis, LUCC during 1960~2000 period and the ecological degradation arising from it were analyzed. Using the Markv model, the paper brings out a forecast of what the county's LUCC would be like if the county's current land use continues, as well as the reasons and countermeasures for restoring degraded ecosystems.展开更多
In the upper reaches of Yangtze River and other rivers of southwestern China,the debris flows develop and lead to most serious disasters because of the various landforms,complex geo-logical structures and abundant rai...In the upper reaches of Yangtze River and other rivers of southwestern China,the debris flows develop and lead to most serious disasters because of the various landforms,complex geo-logical structures and abundant rainfall. The distribution of debris flows has regularity in the regions with different landform,geo-logical structure,and precipitation. The regularities of distribution of debris flows are as following:① distributed in transition belts of different morphologic regions;② distributed in the area with strong stream trenching;③ distributed along fracture zones and seismic belts:④ distributed in the area with abundant precipita-tion;⑤ distribution of debris flow is azonal. The activity of abundant debris flows not only brings harm to Towns,Villages and Farmlands,Main Lines of Communication,Water-Power Engi-neering,Stream Channels etc.,but also induces strong water and soil loss. According to the present status of debris flow prevention,the problems in disasters mitigation and soil conservancy are found out,and the key works are brought up for the future disas-ters prevention and soil conservancy.展开更多
The sediment load and river sedimentation of the upper reaches of Yangtze River has been undergoing constant changes as complex landform, large mountain area and plentiful precipitation make the drainage area of Yangt...The sediment load and river sedimentation of the upper reaches of Yangtze River has been undergoing constant changes as complex landform, large mountain area and plentiful precipitation make the drainage area of Yangtze River very vulnerable to water erosion and gravity erosion. Through analyzing the hydrological and sediment load statistics recorded by major hydrological stations along Yangtze River since 1950s, and editing the accumulation graph of annual runoff volume and annual sediment load, we find out that the suspended-sediment of Yangtze river has been decreasing year by year in Wulong Hydrological Station on Wujiang River, Beibei Hydrological Station on Jialingjiang River, Lijiawan Hydrological Station on Tuojiang River and Gaochang Hydrological Station on Minjiang River, Yichang Hydrological Station, Cuntan Hydrological Station along Yangtze River mainstream share the same experience too. But the statistics obtained at Pingshan Hydrological Station on Jinshajiang River shows the sediment load there has increased. Taking ecological construction, hydraulic engineering construction and precipitation changes into consideration, the thesis analyses the causes for the sediment load decrease of Jialingjiang River, Tuojiang River, Minjiang River and Wujiang River and provides us both scientific foundation for further study of river sediment changes of the upper reaches of Yangtze River, and measures to control river sedimentation.展开更多
The paper deals with the background features, formation and distribution of the chemical el-ements K, Na, Ca, Mg, Si, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni,V, Co, Ti, Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, Cd, Be, Li, Sr, B,F, Cl, Br and I in the groundwa...The paper deals with the background features, formation and distribution of the chemical el-ements K, Na, Ca, Mg, Si, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni,V, Co, Ti, Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, Cd, Be, Li, Sr, B,F, Cl, Br and I in the groundwater in the region of the middle and lower reaches of the YangtzeRiver and their relations to the composition of the water-bearing media, properties of the overly-ing rocks and soils, redox environment, and groundwater flow condition, mineralization and pHof groundwater.展开更多
Human settlements are the place where human beings live,among which the rural settlements can be regarded as a reflection of human-land relationship in mountain areas because their vertical distribution is greatly inf...Human settlements are the place where human beings live,among which the rural settlements can be regarded as a reflection of human-land relationship in mountain areas because their vertical distribution is greatly influenced by the specific geographical environment and ecological conditions of mountains.Based on field investigation,this paper uses physical,geographical,and ecological theories to make a comprehensive study of rural settlements and mountain disasters in the upper Min River,which is an ecologically fragile area with high-frequency disasters(collapse,landslide,debris flow,etc.) and a minority inhabit district.By applying these modern scientific theories,this paper attempts to shed some light on the relationship between rural settlements and mountain disasters.Consequently,an in-depth understanding of this relationship was achieved as follows:(1) Rural settlements and mountain disasters are mainly distributed in the intercepted flows of water and soil; and both quantity and quality of arable lands in mountains are important indicators of these flows.(2) The Small Watershed Management Project is a complex system of rural settlements and mountain disasters that interacts with and constrains the ecological system.By this project,the human survival will be better guaranteed.Being fundamental for the ecological reconstruction,the coupling mechanism of rural settlements and mountain disasters is not only an engine to promote harmonious development between human and nature,but also a bridge to link them.展开更多
Long-term temperature variability has significant effects on runoff into the upper reaches of inland rivers. This paper developed a tree-ring chronology of Qilian juniper(Sabina przewalskii Kom.) from the upper tree-l...Long-term temperature variability has significant effects on runoff into the upper reaches of inland rivers. This paper developed a tree-ring chronology of Qilian juniper(Sabina przewalskii Kom.) from the upper tree-line of the middle Qilian Mountains within the upper reaches of Heihe River Basin, Northwest China for a long-term reconstruction of temperature at the study site. In this paper, tree-ring chronology was used to examine climate-growth associations considering local climate data obtained from Qilian Meteorological Station. The results showed that temperatures correlated extremely well with standardized growth indices of trees(r=0.564, P<0.001). Tree-ring chronology was highest correlated with annual mean temperature(r=0.641, P<0.0001). Annual mean temperature which spans the period of 1445–2011 was reconstructed and explained 57.8% of the inter-annual to decadal temperature variance at the regional scale for the period 1961–2011. Spatial correlation patterns revealed that reconstructed temperature data and gridded temperature data had a significant correlation on a regional scale, indicating that the reconstruction represents climatic variations for an extended area surrounding the sampling sites. Analysis of the temperature reconstruction indicated that major cold periods occurred during the periods of 1450s–1480s, 1590s–1770s, 1810s–1890s, 1920s–1940s, and 1960s–1970s. Warm intervals occurred during 1490s–1580s, 1780s–1800s, 1900s–1910s, 1950 s, and 1980 s to present. The coldest 100-year and decadal periods occurred from 1490s–1580s and 1780s–1800s, respectively, while the warmest 100 years within the studied time period was the 20 th century. Colder events and intervals coincided with wet or moist conditions in and near the study region. The reconstructed temperature agreed well with other temperature series reconstructed across the surrounding areas, demonstrating that this reconstructed temperature could be used to evaluate regional climate change. Compared to the tree-ring reconstructed temperature from nearby regions and records of glacier fluctuations from the surrounding high mountains, this reconstruction was reliable, and could aid in the evaluation of regional climate variability. Spectral analyses suggested that the reconstructed annual mean temperature variation may be related to large-scale atmospheric–oceanic variability such as the solar activity, Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO) and El Ni?o–Southern Oscillation(ENSO).展开更多
The upper reaches of the Yellow River in northeastern Tibetan Plateau are geohazards areas. The evolution of the Yellow River, chronology of some landslides, and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of super la...The upper reaches of the Yellow River in northeastern Tibetan Plateau are geohazards areas. The evolution of the Yellow River, chronology of some landslides, and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of super large scale and giant landslides within the region are summarized using paleoclimate evidence, and the relationship between the intensive landslide period and climatic changes since the Last Glacial period is analyzed. It is concluded that(1) Super large scale and giant landslides are distributed widely within the region, particularly in the Qunke-Jianzha basin.(2) The chronological sequence of landslides is established by dating the slip zones of landslides and analyzing the relations between landslides and their overlying or underlying loess formations. Five landslide development periods are determined: 53–49 ka BP, 33–24 ka BP, 10–8 ka BP, 5–3.5 ka BP, and the present.(3) These correspond closely to warm and wet periods during the last 100,000 years, i.e., two weak paleosol development stages of Malan loess deposited during the last Glacial period in the Chinese loess Plateau, L1-4 and L1-2 that belong to the marine oxygen isotope stage 3, the last deglacial period, the Holocene Optimum, and the modern global warming period.(4) Landslide triggers may be closely linked to warm and wet periods related to rapid climatic transitions.展开更多
Studies of the Pb, Sr and Nd isotopic composition of Mesozoic intrusive rocks indicate that the basement of the copper-gold metallogenic belt of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has 'two-layer str...Studies of the Pb, Sr and Nd isotopic composition of Mesozoic intrusive rocks indicate that the basement of the copper-gold metallogenic belt of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has 'two-layer structure' and partly has 'multi-layered structure', and is inhomogeneous and shows the distinct feature of E-W provincialism. The calculated model lead ages (t1) are mostly greater than 2600 Ma, and the model neodymium ages (TDM) vary from 953 to 2276 Ma and concentrate in two time intervals: 1800-2000 Ma and 1200-1600 Ma. It is concluded that the basement of the MBYR is composed of the Late Archaeozoic to Middle Proterozoic metamorphic series and that the crust was initiated in the Archaean and continued to grow in the Early and Middle Proterozoic, and the proportion of new crust formed by mantle differentiation during the Late Proterozoic is low.展开更多
It is necessary to understand vegetation dynamics and their climatic controls for sustainable ecosystem management.This study examines the vegetation dynamics and the effect of climate change on vegetation growth in t...It is necessary to understand vegetation dynamics and their climatic controls for sustainable ecosystem management.This study examines the vegetation dynamics and the effect of climate change on vegetation growth in the pristine conditions of 58 woodland National Nature Reserves(NNRs)located in the upper Yangtze River basin(UYRB)in China which are little influenced by human activities.Changes in the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),precipitation,and temperature in the selected NNRs were observed and analyzed for the period between 1999 and 2015.The relationship between time-lag effect of climate and changes in the NDVI were assessed using Pearson correlations.The results showed three major trends.1)The NDVI increased during the study period;this indicates an increase in the amount of green vegetation,especially due to the warmer climate during the growing season.The NDVIs in March and September were significantly affected by the temperature of the previous months.Spring temperatures increased significantly(P<0.05)and there was a delay between climatic factors and their effect on vegetation,which depended on the previous season.In particular,the spring temperature had a delayed effect on the NDVI in summer.2)The way in which vegetation responds to climatic factors varied significantly across the seasons.Temperature had a greater effect on the NDVI in spring and summer and the effect was greater at higher altitudes.A similar trend was observed for precipitation,except for altitudes of 1000–2000 m.3)Temperature had a greater effect on the NDVI in spring and autumn at higher altitudes.The same trend was observed for precipitation in summer.These findings suggest that the vegetation found in NNRs in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River was in good condition between 1999 and 2015 and that the growth and development of vegetation in the region has not been adversely affected by climate change.This demonstrates the effectiveness of nature reserves in protecting regional ecology and minimizing anthropogenic effects.展开更多
This paper discussed theory and methodologies of debris-flow risk assessment and established an implementation process according to indicators of debris-flow hazard degree,vulnerability,risk degree,etc. Among these me...This paper discussed theory and methodologies of debris-flow risk assessment and established an implementation process according to indicators of debris-flow hazard degree,vulnerability,risk degree,etc. Among these methodologies,historical and potential hazard degree was comprehensively considered into hazard assessment and hazard index was presented to indicate the debris-flow hazard degree. Regarding debris-flow vulnerability assessment,its statistical data and calculating procedure were based on the hazard-degree regionalization instead of administrative divisions,which improved the as-sessing scientificity and precision. These quantitative methodologies inte-grated with Geography Information System(GIS) were applied to the risk assessment of debris flows in the upper reach of Yangtze River. Its results were in substantial agreement on investigation data and the actual distribution of debris flows,which showed that these principles and methodologies were reasonable and feasible and can provide basis or reference for debris-flow risk assessment and disaster management.展开更多
The paper systematically deals with the background of regional isotopic compo-sitions in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and neighbouring areas. It isshown that the lead isotopic compositions of diff...The paper systematically deals with the background of regional isotopic compo-sitions in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and neighbouring areas. It isshown that the lead isotopic compositions of different geological formations and units are con-trolled by the primary mantle heterogeneity, dynamic process of crust-mantle interchange,abundances of uraninm, thorium and lead of various layers of the earth and timing. Studies onthe background of regional isotopic compositions may offer significant information forgeochemical regionalization, tracing of sources of ore-forming materials, and regionalprognosis of ore deposits.展开更多
Thirteen sediment core samples(0-10 cm) were taken from the seven lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to determine the contents and distributions of organic phosphorus(P) fractions in the sedime...Thirteen sediment core samples(0-10 cm) were taken from the seven lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to determine the contents and distributions of organic phosphorus(P) fractions in the sediments of the shallow lakes in the area.The organic P fractions in the sediments were in the order of moderately labile organic P(MLOP) > moderately resistant organic P(MROP) > highly resistant organic P(HROP) > labile organic P(LOP),with average proportional ratios of 13.2:2.8:1.3:1.0.LOP,MLOP,and MROP were significantly related to the contents of total organic carbon(TOC),water-soluble P(WSP),algal-available P(AAP),NaHCO3-extractable P(Olsen-P),total P(TP),organic P(OP),and inorganic P(IP).However,HROP was significantly related to OP and weakly correlated with TOC,WSP,AAP,Olsen-P,TP or IP.This suggested that organic P,especially LOP and MLOP in sediments,deserved even greater attention than IP in regards to lake eutrophication.In terms of organic P,sediments were more hazardous than soils in lake eutrophication.Although OP concentrations were higher in moderately polluted sediment than those in heavily polluted sediment,LOP and MLOP were higher in the heavily polluted sediment,which indicated that heavily polluted sediment was more hazardous than moderately polluted sediment in lake eutrophication.展开更多
Characteristics of the spatiotemporal distributions of precipitation anomalies in the reaches of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River (YHR) were studied using EOF method. Four main precipitation pat-terns for the YHR in...Characteristics of the spatiotemporal distributions of precipitation anomalies in the reaches of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River (YHR) were studied using EOF method. Four main precipitation pat-terns for the YHR in summer identified by the first two modes: a region-wide flood over the entire YHR (RWF); a region-wide drought over the entire YHR (RWD); a flood in the south with a drought in the northern region of the Yangtze River (FS-DN); and a drought in the south with a flood in the northern region of the Yangtze River (DS-FN). Based on the first two modes and the actual precipitation departure percentage, a new precipitation index is defined in this paper. The typical flood/drought years associated with the various rainfall patterns defined by this precipitation index are more representative and closer to reality compared to some existing precipitation indexes which just use the area-mean precipitation or the EOF time components individually. The characteristics of atmospheric circulation in summer corresponding to the four main precipitation patterns over the YHR in summer show the features of atmospheric circulation differ in different precipitation pattern years. Although the different patterns share a common main influential circulation system, such as the blocking high over northeastern Asia, the low trough of westerly flows in the mid latitudes, the West Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH), and the high ridge over the Tibet Plateau, the difference in location and intensity of these systems can lead to different distributions of precipitation anomalies.展开更多
Using the daily data of temperature from China Meteorological Administration and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis from 1960 to 2005, we have analyzed the relationships between the summertime high/low temperature events in the...Using the daily data of temperature from China Meteorological Administration and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis from 1960 to 2005, we have analyzed the relationships between the summertime high/low temperature events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) and the related circulation anomalies in the Eastern Hemisphere. Our results have demonstrated that a significantly increasing trend is observed in daily minimum temperature in the past 50 years. And in some regions in the Northern Hemisphere, the opposite scenarios are observed in circulation anomalies in lower and upper parts of the troposphere in the years when the temperatures are higher than normal, as compared to those in the years when the temperatures are lower than normal in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR). Additionally, the anomalous circulation structure in vertical direction in both the high and lower temperature years are barotropic. It is found that the emergence and maintenance of the aforementioned anomalous circulations are related to three kinds of wave train teleconnection patterns. Further more, influences of the long wave surface radiation on the air temperature are stronger in the nighttime than that in the daytime. While both the maximum and minimum temperatures have negative relationships with the sensible heat flux but positive relationships with the latent heat flux. To some extent, the anomalous dynamic heating (cooling) caused by the vertical thermal advection as well as the diabatic heating (cooling) caused by diabatic processes can explain the formation of the high (low) temperature events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) in boreal summer.展开更多
The upper Yangtze River region is one of the most frequent debris flow areas in China. The study area contains a cascade of six large hydropower stations located along the river with total capacity of more than 70 mil...The upper Yangtze River region is one of the most frequent debris flow areas in China. The study area contains a cascade of six large hydropower stations located along the river with total capacity of more than 70 million kilowatts. The purpose of the study was to determine potential and dynamic differences in debris flow susceptibility and intensity with regard to seasonal monsoon events. We analyzed this region's debris flow history by examining the effective peak acceleration of antecedent earthquakes,the impacts of antecedent droughts, the combined effects of earthquakes and droughts, with regard to topography, precipitation, and loose solid material conditions. Based on these factors, we developed a debris flow susceptibility map. Results indicate that the entire debris flow susceptibility area is 167,500 km^2, of which 26,800 km^2 falls within the high susceptibility area, with 60,900 km^2 in medium and 79,800 km^2 are in low susceptibility areas. Three of the six large hydropower stations are located within the areas with high risk of debris flows. The synthetic zonation map of debris flow susceptibility for the study area corresponds with both the investigation data and actual distribution of debris flows. The results of debris flow susceptibility provide base-line data for mitigating, assessing, controlling and monitoring of debris flows hazards.展开更多
文摘As one of the most fragile alpine plateau and canyon areas in China,the upper reaches of the Yangtze River are the key areas of ecological construction in China.It is also a key area for poverty alleviation in the country.Therefore,it is necessary to take into account the dual goals of poverty reduction and ecological environment construction,and explore a win-win road of ecological construction and poverty alleviation in line with the reality of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.Taking Xueshan Township,Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County,Yunnan Province,which is located in the poor mountainous area of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River as an example,based on many field investigations and existing investigation and statistical data,this paper analyzes the current situation and main problems of land use in Xueshan Township,and then puts forward measures and suggestions for rational utilization of land resources in Xueshan Township.This can provide a necessary reference for the next implementation of rural revitalization strategy and ecological construction.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42230612,41620104009,41705019,42075186,and 41975058)the Projects of the S&T Development Foundation of the Hubei Meteorological Bureau(Grants No.2021Q04 and 2020Y04)。
文摘Here,we analyze the characteristics and the formation mechanisms of low-level jets(LLJs)in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River during the 2010 mei-yu season using Wuhan station radiosonde data and the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ERA5)reanalysis dataset.Our results show that the vertical structure of LLJs is characterized by a predominance of boundary layer jets(BLJs)concentrated at heights of 900-1200 m.The BLJs occur most frequently at 2300 LST(LST=UTC+8 hours)but are strongest at 0200 LST,with composite wind velocities>14 m s^(-1).Synoptic-system-related LLJs(SLLJs)occur most frequently at 0800 LST but are strongest at 1100LST,with composite wind velocities>12 m s^(-1).Both BLJs and SLLJs are characterized by a southwesterly wind direction,although the wind direction of SLLJs is more westerly,and northeasterly SLLJs occur more frequently than northeasterly BLJs.When Wuhan is south of the mei-yu front,the westward extension of the northwest Pacific subtropical high intensifies,and the low-pressure system in the eastern Tibetan Plateau strengthens,favoring the formation of LLJs,which are closely related to precipitation.The wind speeds on rainstorm days are greater than those on LLJ days.Our analysis of four typical heavy precipitation events shows the presence of LLJs at the center of the precipitation and on its southern side before the onset of heavy precipitation.BLJs were shown to develop earlier than SLLJs.
文摘Under the background of the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the settlements in the upper reaches of the Min River are significantly affected by the mountain environment, and their spatial distribution is typical and representative. In this study, the relationship between settlements and topography, rivers and transportation, and the spatial distribution patterns of settlements, such as the aggregation and orientation characteristics of settlements, have been studied. The main conclusions include: 1) The settlement density decreases with the increase of elevation, slope, and distance from rivers and roads;76.25% and 63.17% of the settlements are distributed in the range of elevation 1500 - 3000 m and slope 6° - 25°, the upper reaches of the Min River are mostly alpine valley terrain, the bottom of the river has a low altitude, the landscape is undulating. The warm and humid climate is suitable for farming, conducive to agricultural production, and an ideal living environment for mountain residents. 2) The nuclear density of the settlement is distributed in strips along the axis of the river, and the closer to the river, the greater the nuclear density value. 3) Mathematical statistical methods were applied for the first time to realize the quantitative expression of the coupling of settlement and river direction. The influence of topographic conditions in different watersheds on the coupling degree of settlement extension and river flow direction was revealed. The slope of the fitted straight line between the settlement and river direction was 0.897, and the two directions were consistent. Except for the mainstream of the Min River, the larger values of the standard deviation ellipse flattening of settlements in each basin appeared in the upper reaches of the bay, and the overall trend showed a gradual decrease from the upstream to the downstream, which was consistent with the topographic change characteristics of the basin.
基金This paper is jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 40375014, 40475029the National Basic Research Program of China under "973" Grant No. 2004CB418300.
文摘Using the daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and the observation rainfall data in China for the 1980-1997 period, features of severe summer rainfall over the upper reaches of the Yangtze River are investigated and then sources of moisture contributing to severe rainfall over eastern and western Sichuan Province (ES and WS for short) are examined with particular reference. It turns out that the severe rainfall occurring locally dominates summer rainfall over the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Climatological rainfall and anomalous one constitute severe rainfall, but the latter accounts much for severe rainfall. The meridional moisture transport dominates the composite moisture transport on the occurrence day for ES region, while the zonal is equivalent to the meridional for WS region. Correlation between the moisture transport fluxes over the two regions of severe rainfall and other regions, the anomaly and variation of the moisture transport day by day during the period of severe rainfall lend a support for the conclusion that the meeting of the moisture from the West Pacific through the South China Sea (SCS) and the one from northwestern China exerts a vital effect on the occurrence of severe rainfall, which can not be neglected.
基金The National 973 Project of China, No.2001CB309404 O versea O utstanding Youth Cooperation Project, N o. 40128001/D 05N ationalN aturalScience Foundation ofChina,N o.49375248 Zhejiang Province Science Research (C33)Project,N o.2004C33082
文摘Using geographic information system (GIS) techniques and the newest seasonal and annual average precipitation data of 679 meteorological stations from 1971 to 2000, the multiple regressions equations of the precipitation and topographical variables are established to extract the effect of topography on the annual and seasonal precipitation in the upper-middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Then, this paper uses a successive interpolation approach (SIA), which combines GIS techniques with the multiple regressions, to improve the accuracy of the spatial interpolation of annual and seasonal rainfall. The results are very satisfactory in the case of seasonal rainfall, with the relative error of 6.86%, the absolute error of 13.07 mm, the average coefficient of variation of 0.070, and the correlation coefficient of 0.9675; in the case of annual precipitation, with the relative error of 7.34%, the absolute error of 72.1 mm, the average coefficient of variation of 0.092, and the correlation coefficient of 0.9605. The analyses of annual mean precipitation show that the SIA calculation of 3-5 steps considerably improves the interpolation accuracy, decreasing the absolute error from 211.0 mm to 62.4 mm, the relative error from 20.74% to 5.97%, the coefficient of variation from 0.2312 to 0.0761, and increasing the correlation coefficient from 0.5467 to 0.9619. The SIA iterative results after 50 steps identically converge to the observed precipitation.
基金the result of the project(No.400610o6)funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘Land use/land cover change (LUCC) is a focus of the research of global environmental changes. The middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, which are the most ecologically fragile mountainous area in China as well as one of the areas in China with most notable LUCC, have been on the Chinese Government's list of priority areas for ecological restoration. This paper is to reveal the trend of LUCC and the ecological degradation arising from it, and to provide a basis for the future sustainable use of land resources in the region based on a detailed analysis of Yiliang County. Based on the county's land use/cover maps in 1960, 1980 and 2000 drawn with the aid of aerial photograph interpretation, field investigation and GIS based spatial-temporal data analysis, LUCC during 1960~2000 period and the ecological degradation arising from it were analyzed. Using the Markv model, the paper brings out a forecast of what the county's LUCC would be like if the county's current land use continues, as well as the reasons and countermeasures for restoring degraded ecosystems.
基金the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX-SW-352)
文摘In the upper reaches of Yangtze River and other rivers of southwestern China,the debris flows develop and lead to most serious disasters because of the various landforms,complex geo-logical structures and abundant rainfall. The distribution of debris flows has regularity in the regions with different landform,geo-logical structure,and precipitation. The regularities of distribution of debris flows are as following:① distributed in transition belts of different morphologic regions;② distributed in the area with strong stream trenching;③ distributed along fracture zones and seismic belts:④ distributed in the area with abundant precipita-tion;⑤ distribution of debris flow is azonal. The activity of abundant debris flows not only brings harm to Towns,Villages and Farmlands,Main Lines of Communication,Water-Power Engi-neering,Stream Channels etc.,but also induces strong water and soil loss. According to the present status of debris flow prevention,the problems in disasters mitigation and soil conservancy are found out,and the key works are brought up for the future disas-ters prevention and soil conservancy.
文摘The sediment load and river sedimentation of the upper reaches of Yangtze River has been undergoing constant changes as complex landform, large mountain area and plentiful precipitation make the drainage area of Yangtze River very vulnerable to water erosion and gravity erosion. Through analyzing the hydrological and sediment load statistics recorded by major hydrological stations along Yangtze River since 1950s, and editing the accumulation graph of annual runoff volume and annual sediment load, we find out that the suspended-sediment of Yangtze river has been decreasing year by year in Wulong Hydrological Station on Wujiang River, Beibei Hydrological Station on Jialingjiang River, Lijiawan Hydrological Station on Tuojiang River and Gaochang Hydrological Station on Minjiang River, Yichang Hydrological Station, Cuntan Hydrological Station along Yangtze River mainstream share the same experience too. But the statistics obtained at Pingshan Hydrological Station on Jinshajiang River shows the sediment load there has increased. Taking ecological construction, hydraulic engineering construction and precipitation changes into consideration, the thesis analyses the causes for the sediment load decrease of Jialingjiang River, Tuojiang River, Minjiang River and Wujiang River and provides us both scientific foundation for further study of river sediment changes of the upper reaches of Yangtze River, and measures to control river sedimentation.
文摘The paper deals with the background features, formation and distribution of the chemical el-ements K, Na, Ca, Mg, Si, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni,V, Co, Ti, Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, Cd, Be, Li, Sr, B,F, Cl, Br and I in the groundwater in the region of the middle and lower reaches of the YangtzeRiver and their relations to the composition of the water-bearing media, properties of the overly-ing rocks and soils, redox environment, and groundwater flow condition, mineralization and pHof groundwater.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41101164 and 41371185)Directional Project of Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.SDS-135-1204-01)the key project of Education Department of Sichuan Province(Grant No.13ZA0160)
文摘Human settlements are the place where human beings live,among which the rural settlements can be regarded as a reflection of human-land relationship in mountain areas because their vertical distribution is greatly influenced by the specific geographical environment and ecological conditions of mountains.Based on field investigation,this paper uses physical,geographical,and ecological theories to make a comprehensive study of rural settlements and mountain disasters in the upper Min River,which is an ecologically fragile area with high-frequency disasters(collapse,landslide,debris flow,etc.) and a minority inhabit district.By applying these modern scientific theories,this paper attempts to shed some light on the relationship between rural settlements and mountain disasters.Consequently,an in-depth understanding of this relationship was achieved as follows:(1) Rural settlements and mountain disasters are mainly distributed in the intercepted flows of water and soil; and both quantity and quality of arable lands in mountains are important indicators of these flows.(2) The Small Watershed Management Project is a complex system of rural settlements and mountain disasters that interacts with and constrains the ecological system.By this project,the human survival will be better guaranteed.Being fundamental for the ecological reconstruction,the coupling mechanism of rural settlements and mountain disasters is not only an engine to promote harmonious development between human and nature,but also a bridge to link them.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(91025002,30970492)the National Key Technology Research&Development Program(2012BAC08B05)the Key Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZZD-EW-04-05)
文摘Long-term temperature variability has significant effects on runoff into the upper reaches of inland rivers. This paper developed a tree-ring chronology of Qilian juniper(Sabina przewalskii Kom.) from the upper tree-line of the middle Qilian Mountains within the upper reaches of Heihe River Basin, Northwest China for a long-term reconstruction of temperature at the study site. In this paper, tree-ring chronology was used to examine climate-growth associations considering local climate data obtained from Qilian Meteorological Station. The results showed that temperatures correlated extremely well with standardized growth indices of trees(r=0.564, P<0.001). Tree-ring chronology was highest correlated with annual mean temperature(r=0.641, P<0.0001). Annual mean temperature which spans the period of 1445–2011 was reconstructed and explained 57.8% of the inter-annual to decadal temperature variance at the regional scale for the period 1961–2011. Spatial correlation patterns revealed that reconstructed temperature data and gridded temperature data had a significant correlation on a regional scale, indicating that the reconstruction represents climatic variations for an extended area surrounding the sampling sites. Analysis of the temperature reconstruction indicated that major cold periods occurred during the periods of 1450s–1480s, 1590s–1770s, 1810s–1890s, 1920s–1940s, and 1960s–1970s. Warm intervals occurred during 1490s–1580s, 1780s–1800s, 1900s–1910s, 1950 s, and 1980 s to present. The coldest 100-year and decadal periods occurred from 1490s–1580s and 1780s–1800s, respectively, while the warmest 100 years within the studied time period was the 20 th century. Colder events and intervals coincided with wet or moist conditions in and near the study region. The reconstructed temperature agreed well with other temperature series reconstructed across the surrounding areas, demonstrating that this reconstructed temperature could be used to evaluate regional climate change. Compared to the tree-ring reconstructed temperature from nearby regions and records of glacier fluctuations from the surrounding high mountains, this reconstruction was reliable, and could aid in the evaluation of regional climate variability. Spectral analyses suggested that the reconstructed annual mean temperature variation may be related to large-scale atmospheric–oceanic variability such as the solar activity, Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO) and El Ni?o–Southern Oscillation(ENSO).
基金financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 41372333, 40802089, 41172158China Geological Survey (grant No. 1212011220123)
文摘The upper reaches of the Yellow River in northeastern Tibetan Plateau are geohazards areas. The evolution of the Yellow River, chronology of some landslides, and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of super large scale and giant landslides within the region are summarized using paleoclimate evidence, and the relationship between the intensive landslide period and climatic changes since the Last Glacial period is analyzed. It is concluded that(1) Super large scale and giant landslides are distributed widely within the region, particularly in the Qunke-Jianzha basin.(2) The chronological sequence of landslides is established by dating the slip zones of landslides and analyzing the relations between landslides and their overlying or underlying loess formations. Five landslide development periods are determined: 53–49 ka BP, 33–24 ka BP, 10–8 ka BP, 5–3.5 ka BP, and the present.(3) These correspond closely to warm and wet periods during the last 100,000 years, i.e., two weak paleosol development stages of Malan loess deposited during the last Glacial period in the Chinese loess Plateau, L1-4 and L1-2 that belong to the marine oxygen isotope stage 3, the last deglacial period, the Holocene Optimum, and the modern global warming period.(4) Landslide triggers may be closely linked to warm and wet periods related to rapid climatic transitions.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China grant 49802007.
文摘Studies of the Pb, Sr and Nd isotopic composition of Mesozoic intrusive rocks indicate that the basement of the copper-gold metallogenic belt of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has 'two-layer structure' and partly has 'multi-layered structure', and is inhomogeneous and shows the distinct feature of E-W provincialism. The calculated model lead ages (t1) are mostly greater than 2600 Ma, and the model neodymium ages (TDM) vary from 953 to 2276 Ma and concentrate in two time intervals: 1800-2000 Ma and 1200-1600 Ma. It is concluded that the basement of the MBYR is composed of the Late Archaeozoic to Middle Proterozoic metamorphic series and that the crust was initiated in the Archaean and continued to grow in the Early and Middle Proterozoic, and the proportion of new crust formed by mantle differentiation during the Late Proterozoic is low.
基金funded by the 135 Strategic Program of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment,CAS(Grant No.SDS-135-1703)the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative of Chinese Academy of Sciences:Ecological Risk Assessment and Protection of the Yangtze River Economic Belt(KFJ-STS-ZDTP)
文摘It is necessary to understand vegetation dynamics and their climatic controls for sustainable ecosystem management.This study examines the vegetation dynamics and the effect of climate change on vegetation growth in the pristine conditions of 58 woodland National Nature Reserves(NNRs)located in the upper Yangtze River basin(UYRB)in China which are little influenced by human activities.Changes in the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),precipitation,and temperature in the selected NNRs were observed and analyzed for the period between 1999 and 2015.The relationship between time-lag effect of climate and changes in the NDVI were assessed using Pearson correlations.The results showed three major trends.1)The NDVI increased during the study period;this indicates an increase in the amount of green vegetation,especially due to the warmer climate during the growing season.The NDVIs in March and September were significantly affected by the temperature of the previous months.Spring temperatures increased significantly(P<0.05)and there was a delay between climatic factors and their effect on vegetation,which depended on the previous season.In particular,the spring temperature had a delayed effect on the NDVI in summer.2)The way in which vegetation responds to climatic factors varied significantly across the seasons.Temperature had a greater effect on the NDVI in spring and summer and the effect was greater at higher altitudes.A similar trend was observed for precipitation,except for altitudes of 1000–2000 m.3)Temperature had a greater effect on the NDVI in spring and autumn at higher altitudes.The same trend was observed for precipitation in summer.These findings suggest that the vegetation found in NNRs in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River was in good condition between 1999 and 2015 and that the growth and development of vegetation in the region has not been adversely affected by climate change.This demonstrates the effectiveness of nature reserves in protecting regional ecology and minimizing anthropogenic effects.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40671153)the Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department (05C175) the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy Sciences (KZCX2- YW-302)
文摘This paper discussed theory and methodologies of debris-flow risk assessment and established an implementation process according to indicators of debris-flow hazard degree,vulnerability,risk degree,etc. Among these methodologies,historical and potential hazard degree was comprehensively considered into hazard assessment and hazard index was presented to indicate the debris-flow hazard degree. Regarding debris-flow vulnerability assessment,its statistical data and calculating procedure were based on the hazard-degree regionalization instead of administrative divisions,which improved the as-sessing scientificity and precision. These quantitative methodologies inte-grated with Geography Information System(GIS) were applied to the risk assessment of debris flows in the upper reach of Yangtze River. Its results were in substantial agreement on investigation data and the actual distribution of debris flows,which showed that these principles and methodologies were reasonable and feasible and can provide basis or reference for debris-flow risk assessment and disaster management.
基金This study was co-supported by the State Eighth Five-Year Plan Scientific Project(No.85-901-03-08D)and National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.49473187).
文摘The paper systematically deals with the background of regional isotopic compo-sitions in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and neighbouring areas. It isshown that the lead isotopic compositions of different geological formations and units are con-trolled by the primary mantle heterogeneity, dynamic process of crust-mantle interchange,abundances of uraninm, thorium and lead of various layers of the earth and timing. Studies onthe background of regional isotopic compositions may offer significant information forgeochemical regionalization, tracing of sources of ore-forming materials, and regionalprognosis of ore deposits.
基金the China’s National Basic Research Program:"Studies on the Process of Eutrophication of Lakesand the Mechanism of the Blooming of Blue Green Alga" (No2002CB412304)
文摘Thirteen sediment core samples(0-10 cm) were taken from the seven lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to determine the contents and distributions of organic phosphorus(P) fractions in the sediments of the shallow lakes in the area.The organic P fractions in the sediments were in the order of moderately labile organic P(MLOP) > moderately resistant organic P(MROP) > highly resistant organic P(HROP) > labile organic P(LOP),with average proportional ratios of 13.2:2.8:1.3:1.0.LOP,MLOP,and MROP were significantly related to the contents of total organic carbon(TOC),water-soluble P(WSP),algal-available P(AAP),NaHCO3-extractable P(Olsen-P),total P(TP),organic P(OP),and inorganic P(IP).However,HROP was significantly related to OP and weakly correlated with TOC,WSP,AAP,Olsen-P,TP or IP.This suggested that organic P,especially LOP and MLOP in sediments,deserved even greater attention than IP in regards to lake eutrophication.In terms of organic P,sediments were more hazardous than soils in lake eutrophication.Although OP concentrations were higher in moderately polluted sediment than those in heavily polluted sediment,LOP and MLOP were higher in the heavily polluted sediment,which indicated that heavily polluted sediment was more hazardous than moderately polluted sediment in lake eutrophication.
基金supported by the projectof the National Basic Research Program of China (GrantNo. 2009CB421401)the Key Technologies R&D Program (Grant No. 2009BAC51B02)+2 种基金the Special Scientific Research Fund of the Meteorological Public Welfare Profession of China (Grant No. GYHY200906018)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.40705039)the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. IAP07415)
文摘Characteristics of the spatiotemporal distributions of precipitation anomalies in the reaches of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River (YHR) were studied using EOF method. Four main precipitation pat-terns for the YHR in summer identified by the first two modes: a region-wide flood over the entire YHR (RWF); a region-wide drought over the entire YHR (RWD); a flood in the south with a drought in the northern region of the Yangtze River (FS-DN); and a drought in the south with a flood in the northern region of the Yangtze River (DS-FN). Based on the first two modes and the actual precipitation departure percentage, a new precipitation index is defined in this paper. The typical flood/drought years associated with the various rainfall patterns defined by this precipitation index are more representative and closer to reality compared to some existing precipitation indexes which just use the area-mean precipitation or the EOF time components individually. The characteristics of atmospheric circulation in summer corresponding to the four main precipitation patterns over the YHR in summer show the features of atmospheric circulation differ in different precipitation pattern years. Although the different patterns share a common main influential circulation system, such as the blocking high over northeastern Asia, the low trough of westerly flows in the mid latitudes, the West Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH), and the high ridge over the Tibet Plateau, the difference in location and intensity of these systems can lead to different distributions of precipitation anomalies.
基金The key technology R&D program of China, No.2007BAC29B02Project of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, No.KLME060101
文摘Using the daily data of temperature from China Meteorological Administration and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis from 1960 to 2005, we have analyzed the relationships between the summertime high/low temperature events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) and the related circulation anomalies in the Eastern Hemisphere. Our results have demonstrated that a significantly increasing trend is observed in daily minimum temperature in the past 50 years. And in some regions in the Northern Hemisphere, the opposite scenarios are observed in circulation anomalies in lower and upper parts of the troposphere in the years when the temperatures are higher than normal, as compared to those in the years when the temperatures are lower than normal in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR). Additionally, the anomalous circulation structure in vertical direction in both the high and lower temperature years are barotropic. It is found that the emergence and maintenance of the aforementioned anomalous circulations are related to three kinds of wave train teleconnection patterns. Further more, influences of the long wave surface radiation on the air temperature are stronger in the nighttime than that in the daytime. While both the maximum and minimum temperatures have negative relationships with the sensible heat flux but positive relationships with the latent heat flux. To some extent, the anomalous dynamic heating (cooling) caused by the vertical thermal advection as well as the diabatic heating (cooling) caused by diabatic processes can explain the formation of the high (low) temperature events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) in boreal summer.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41661134012 and 41501012)the Taiwan Youth Visiting Scholar Fellowship of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 2015TW2ZB0001)
文摘The upper Yangtze River region is one of the most frequent debris flow areas in China. The study area contains a cascade of six large hydropower stations located along the river with total capacity of more than 70 million kilowatts. The purpose of the study was to determine potential and dynamic differences in debris flow susceptibility and intensity with regard to seasonal monsoon events. We analyzed this region's debris flow history by examining the effective peak acceleration of antecedent earthquakes,the impacts of antecedent droughts, the combined effects of earthquakes and droughts, with regard to topography, precipitation, and loose solid material conditions. Based on these factors, we developed a debris flow susceptibility map. Results indicate that the entire debris flow susceptibility area is 167,500 km^2, of which 26,800 km^2 falls within the high susceptibility area, with 60,900 km^2 in medium and 79,800 km^2 are in low susceptibility areas. Three of the six large hydropower stations are located within the areas with high risk of debris flows. The synthetic zonation map of debris flow susceptibility for the study area corresponds with both the investigation data and actual distribution of debris flows. The results of debris flow susceptibility provide base-line data for mitigating, assessing, controlling and monitoring of debris flows hazards.
