Fig. 2: Percentage changes in drought attributes before and after 1985 across multiple timescales.
From: Urbanization’s dual role in the exacerbation and mitigation of drought dynamics in China
a–d Spatial patterns of percentage changes (%) in mean drought duration (ΔMDD), severity (ΔMDS), peak (ΔMDP), and intensity (ΔMDI) between the post-1985 (Po85) and pre-1985 (Pr85) periods, calculated at SPEI-3, -6, -9, and -12 timescales. Positive values indicate an increase in drought attributes after 1985, while negative values indicate a decrease. e–h Scatter plots of MDS versus MDD for Po85 and Pr85, with Pearson correlation coefficients (r) displayed for each timescale. i–l Scatter plots of MDI versus MDP for Po85 and Pr85, with corresponding correlation coefficients. Box plots beneath each scatter plot summarize the distribution of drought attributes, and statistical differences between periods were tested using Welch’s t-test (***P 0.001).
