ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION FEATURES OF PRECIPITATION IN CHINA AND THEIR INTERANNUAL VARIATIONS^*

The hierarchy and definition of the precipitation-concentration degree and precipitation-concentration period of annual precipitation have been proposed by using the so-called vector method of annual distribution of precipitation,so that the two relevant parameters can represent the annual distribution of total precipitation correctly and indeed accurately.The relationship between the spatial and temporal distribution patterns and variations of the two parameters and the annual precipitation amount in China has been further investigated.Results demonstrate that the precipitation-concentration degree and the precipitation-concentration period increase from southeast to northwest gradually.Moreover there obviously exists a belt pattern:the largest variability of the precipitation-concentration degree and the precipitation-concentration period occurs in the Yellow River Valley and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,corresponding to the significant zones in which flood and drought take place frequently.It is found that there exist high correlations between the precipitation-concentration degree and precipitation-concentration period and the annual precipitation amount in Northeast China,North China,the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.Furthermore,8-year and 22-year periodic oscillations in the precipitation-concentration degree and 6-year and 12-year cycles in the precipitation-concentration period are identified by use of their Morlet wavelet analysis.