Decadal variability of extreme precipitation days over Northwest China from 1963 to 2012

Daily precipitation data from 153 meteorological stations over Northwest China during summer from 1963 to 2012 were selected to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of extreme summer precipitation frequency. The results show that the extreme precipitation frequency was regional dependent. Southern Gansu, northern Qinghai, and southern Shaanxi provinces exhibited a high extreme precipitation frequency and were prone to abrupt changes in the frequency. Northwest China was further divided into three sub-regions (northern, central, and southern) based on cluster analysis of the 50-yr extreme precipitation frequency series for each meteorological station. The extreme precipitation frequency changes were manifested in the northern region during the late 1970s and in the central region from the end of the 1980s to the 1990s. The southern region fluctuated on a timescale of quasi-10 yr. This study also explored the mechanism of changes in extreme precipitation frequency. The results demonstrate that stratification stability, atmospheric water vapor content, and upward motion all affected the changes in extreme precipitation frequency.