Abstract. Surface wind speed decline in China has been widely reported, but its effects on hydrology have not been fully evaluated to date. In this study, the effects of wind speed change on hydrology are investigated using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrological model for China during 1966–2011. Two model experiments, i.e. VIC simulations with the observed (EXP1) and detrended wind speed (EXP2), are performed over the major river basins in China. The differences between the two experiments are analyzed to assess the effects of wind speed decline on hydrology. Results show that wind speed has decreased by 29% in China. The wind speed decline have resulted in a decrease of evapotranspiration by 1–3% of mean annual evapotranspiration and an increase of runoff by 1–6% of mean annual runoff at most basins in China. The effect of wind speed on runoff and soil moisture is large in the northern basins where small change in hydrological conditions would have significant implications for water management. In addition, Wind speed decline has offset the expansion of the drought area in China. It has contributed to a reduction of drought areas by 8.8% of the mean drought area (i.e. approximate 10.6 × 104 km2 out of 1.2 × 106 km2) over China. The effect of wind speed decline on soil moisture drought is large in most basins in China expect for the Southwest and Pearl River basins.
Morphological variation of Puntius bimaculatus (Cyprinidae) with respect to altitudinal differences and five major river basins of Sri Lanka