Climate Change Towards Warming-Wetting Trend and Its Effects on Runoff at the Headwater Region of the Yarkant River in Xinjiang

Based on the data observed in Kaqun Hydrological Station and Tashikuergan Meteorological Station from 1961 to 2006,the characteristics of climate change and the response of runoff to climate change at headwater of the Yarkant River were analyzed.It was found that the mean annua1 temperature was rising,and annual precipitation was increasing.After verifying the series of precipitation and temperature,the variation of precipitation and temperature are increasing,only the temperature changed more obviously than the precipitation.Temperature were the main factors which resulted in runoff changing.The correlation coefficient of temperature and runoff was the largest,being 0.81.The correlation coefficient between annual precipitation and runoff was-0.57.When precipitation was in the same circumstances,the runoff increased with temperature rising;when temperature was in the same circumstances,the runoff is decreased with precipitation increasing.