Variation characteristics and influencing factors of free water evaporation in recent 58 years in Tai’an area

Abstract

The mutation test and trend analysis of free water evaporation in Tai’an from 1956 to 2013 were carried out with Pettitt detection method, Mann-Kendall method and linear tendency estimation method. The results indicate that: (1) the free water evaporation in Tai’an was distributed unevenly within the year, and the maximum appeared in June, accounting for 14.5% of the whole year; (2) in the last 58 years, the free water evaporation in Tai’an changed significantly in 1985. The evaporation decreased obviously before the change, then fluctuated around the mean value, and gradually became stable; (3) by means of correlation analysis and partial differential decomposition, it was found that free water evaporation in Tai’an before 1985 was positively correlated with air temperature, solar radiation and wind speed, and negatively correlated with actual water vapor pressure. The significant decrease in solar radiation and wind speed are the main reasons for the significant decline in annual evaporation; (4) after 1985, the air temperature played a dominant role, and the rise of air temperature offset the negative influence of decline of wind speed and solar radiation on the free water evaporation.