Spatiotemporal Evolution Patterns of Contiguous Extreme Precipitation Events Across China From a 3D Perspective

Abstract

Extreme precipitation events severely affect ecosystems and human society. While most existing studies investigated either their temporal changes or spatial extent, the joint behaviors in both time and space are neglected. Here, we examine different evolution patterns of spatiotemporally contiguous precipitation events (SCEPEs) across China during 1997-2021 from a three-dimensional (3D, latitude x longitude x time) perspective. The SCEPEs exhibit distinct behaviors in different subregions. The SCEPEs in northwestern areas have relatively longer moving distances and weaker magnitude, mostly originating from the west and traveling to the east. Southeastern events display stronger magnitudes and travel at shorter distances, characterized by a more localized phenomenon. Since 1997, the frequency of SCEPEs in China has nearly doubled, their magnitude and affected areas have increased, but the moving distance and speed have decreased. Our findings provide important references for predicting extreme weather events and mitigating their detrimental impacts.