Observed Trends of Climate and River Discharge in Mongolia’s Selenga Sub-Basin of the Lake Baikal Basin

A significant increase in annual air temperature, averaging 1.4°C over the past 38 years, has been observed in Mongolia’s Selenga sub-basin of Lake Baikal, a region characterized by pronounced environmental gradients driven by precipitation and temperature. This warming trend is notably high for semi-arid zones in central Asia and contrasts with a significant decrease in river discharge since 1995. The study analyzed data from five stations using the Mann-Kendall (MK), Innovative Trend Analysis Method (ITAM), and Sen’s slope estimator test, revealing that while precipitation slightly increased at most stations, air temperature showed sharp increases across all locations. These findings provide critical insights into the climate and hydrological dynamics of the region, offering a foundation for further research on its environmental changes.

Dorjsuren, B., Yan, D., Wang, H., Chonokhuu, S., Enkhbold, A., Yiran, X., Girma, A., Gedefaw, M., & Abiyu, A. (2018). Observed Trends of Climate and River Discharge in Mongolia’s Selenga Sub-Basin of the Lake Baikal Basin. Water, 10(10), 1436. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10101436