Impacts of Tibetan Plateau Vortex Activities on the Ecological Environment in the Yellow River Basin

The Tibetan Plateau vortex (TPV) is the main rain-producing system over the Tibetan Plateau. Once it moves out of the plateau, it can cause heavy rainfall and even lead to flooding, soil erosion, and other impacts on the ecological environment to the east of the plateau, especially in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Based on sounding data, ground-based observations and Tibetan plateau vortex (TPV) and shear line yearbooks from 1998 to 2018, and using synoptic analysis and statistical analysis methods, the activities and the precipitation of high-influence Tibetan Plateau vortices (HITPVs) activities and their impact on the ecological environment in the YRB are analyzed. The results indicate that the Tibetan Plateau vortices (TPVs) that did not move out of the plateau brought moderate rain and above to the upper reaches of the YRB in 1998 which are beneficial to enrich the water resources of the “water tower” of the YRB. Most of the moving-out TPVs (MTPVs) in 1998 caused moderate rain and above in the upper-middle reaches of the YRB or in the whole YRB, contributing to the enrichment of the water resources of the “water tower” of the YRB. However, the activities of the MTPVs were likely to cause heavy rainfall such as rainstorms and heavy rainstorms, which could result in local flooding and other natural disasters and damage to the local ecological environment in the middle reaches of the YRB. The HITPVs mostly moved eastward and northeastward during late May to mid-August, mainly affecting the middle or lower reaches of the YRB. In addition, these HITPVs had southeastward paths, spinning in the Hetao region. The HITPVs with eastward paths and spinning in the Hetao region influenced the whole YRB, mainly causing rainstorms and heavy rainstorms in the middle or lower reaches. All of the HITPVs resulted in damage to the local ecological environment of the YRB.