Spatiotemporal Variation in Relative Humidity in Guangdong, China, from 1959 to 2017

Despite the marked influence of relative humidity (RH) on ecosystems and human society, the spatiotemporal pattern of RH is far from clearly understood. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal variation in RH in Guangdong Province, South China, in the period of 1959–2017. The RH data were collected f...

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Main Authors: Zhanming Liu, Hong Yang, Xinghu Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-12-01
Series:Water
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/12/3576
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spelling doaj-5b78c68d60634769900a80adcdad7d362020-12-21T00:00:22ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412020-12-01123576357610.3390/w12123576Spatiotemporal Variation in Relative Humidity in Guangdong, China, from 1959 to 2017Zhanming Liu0Hong Yang1Xinghu Wei2Research Center for Ecological Civilization Construction and Sustainable Development in Xijiang & Beijiang River Basin of Guangdong Province, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, ChinaResearch Center for Ecological Civilization Construction and Sustainable Development in Xijiang & Beijiang River Basin of Guangdong Province, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, ChinaResearch Center for Ecological Civilization Construction and Sustainable Development in Xijiang & Beijiang River Basin of Guangdong Province, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, ChinaDespite the marked influence of relative humidity (RH) on ecosystems and human society, the spatiotemporal pattern of RH is far from clearly understood. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal variation in RH in Guangdong Province, South China, in the period of 1959–2017. The RH data were collected from 74 national standard meteorological stations. The spatiotemporal variation in RH was evaluated using rotate empirical orthogonal function (REOF) zoning, Mann–Kendall test, and wavelet transform methods. Based on the REOF decomposition situation of monthly RH field, Guangdong was divided into six subareas. The annual mean of RH in the whole province was 78.90%. In terms of spatial variation, overall annual mean RH decreased from southwest to northeast in the province. Temporally, annual mean RH showed a declining trend in the last six decades. Particularly, the RH in the Pearl River Delta area declined at the rate of 1.349%/10a. Mann–Kendall tests showed that mutation points of annual mean RH mostly appeared in the 1990s, especially in the early 1990s. Continuous wavelet transforms of annual mean RH displayed that inland subareas have similar cycle characteristics, and the east coast and Pearl River Delta have no significant period in most time domains. The results provide new understanding of RH variation in the last six decades in South China, which is valuable for detecting climate change, monitoring hazardous weather, and predicting future environmental change.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/12/3576relative humidityclimate changespatiotemporal variationREOF decomposition methodGuangdong, China
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Zhanming Liu
Hong Yang
Xinghu Wei
spellingShingle Zhanming Liu
Hong Yang
Xinghu Wei
Spatiotemporal Variation in Relative Humidity in Guangdong, China, from 1959 to 2017
Water
relative humidity
climate change
spatiotemporal variation
REOF decomposition method
Guangdong, China
author_facet Zhanming Liu
Hong Yang
Xinghu Wei
author_sort Zhanming Liu
title Spatiotemporal Variation in Relative Humidity in Guangdong, China, from 1959 to 2017
title_short Spatiotemporal Variation in Relative Humidity in Guangdong, China, from 1959 to 2017
title_full Spatiotemporal Variation in Relative Humidity in Guangdong, China, from 1959 to 2017
title_fullStr Spatiotemporal Variation in Relative Humidity in Guangdong, China, from 1959 to 2017
title_full_unstemmed Spatiotemporal Variation in Relative Humidity in Guangdong, China, from 1959 to 2017
title_sort spatiotemporal variation in relative humidity in guangdong, china, from 1959 to 2017
publisher MDPI AG
series Water
issn 2073-4441
publishDate 2020-12-01
description Despite the marked influence of relative humidity (RH) on ecosystems and human society, the spatiotemporal pattern of RH is far from clearly understood. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal variation in RH in Guangdong Province, South China, in the period of 1959–2017. The RH data were collected from 74 national standard meteorological stations. The spatiotemporal variation in RH was evaluated using rotate empirical orthogonal function (REOF) zoning, Mann–Kendall test, and wavelet transform methods. Based on the REOF decomposition situation of monthly RH field, Guangdong was divided into six subareas. The annual mean of RH in the whole province was 78.90%. In terms of spatial variation, overall annual mean RH decreased from southwest to northeast in the province. Temporally, annual mean RH showed a declining trend in the last six decades. Particularly, the RH in the Pearl River Delta area declined at the rate of 1.349%/10a. Mann–Kendall tests showed that mutation points of annual mean RH mostly appeared in the 1990s, especially in the early 1990s. Continuous wavelet transforms of annual mean RH displayed that inland subareas have similar cycle characteristics, and the east coast and Pearl River Delta have no significant period in most time domains. The results provide new understanding of RH variation in the last six decades in South China, which is valuable for detecting climate change, monitoring hazardous weather, and predicting future environmental change.
topic relative humidity
climate change
spatiotemporal variation
REOF decomposition method
Guangdong, China
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/12/3576
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AT hongyang spatiotemporalvariationinrelativehumidityinguangdongchinafrom1959to2017
AT xinghuwei spatiotemporalvariationinrelativehumidityinguangdongchinafrom1959to2017
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