a Key Laboratory for Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
b College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
c College of Architecture Engineering, Tongling University, Tongling 244061, PR China
d College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
e Water Conservancy Bureau of Tongling City, Tongling 244000, PR China

With a focus on the difficulty of quantitatively describing the degree of nonuniformity of temporal and spatial distributions of water resources, quantitative research was carried out on the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of water resources in Guangdong Province from 1956 to 2000 based on a cloud model. The spatial variation of the temporal distribution characteristics and the temporal variation of the spatial distribution characteristics were both analyzed. In addition, the relationships between the numerical characteristics of the cloud model of temporal and spatial distributions of water resources and precipitation were also studied. The results show that, using a cloud model, it is possible to intuitively describe the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of water resources in cloud images. Water resources in Guangdong Province and their temporal and spatial distribution characteristics are differentiated by their geographic locations. Downstream and coastal areas have a larger amount of water resources with greater uniformity and stronger stability in terms of temporal distribution. Regions with more precipitation possess larger amounts of water resources, and years with more precipitation show greater nonuniformity in the spatial distribution of water resources. The correlation between the nonuniformity of the temporal distribution and local precipitation is small, and no correlation is found between the stability of the nonuniformity of the temporal and spatial distributions of water resources and precipitation. The amount of water resources in Guangdong Province shows an increasing trend from 1956 to 2000, the nonuniformity of the spatial distribution of water resources declines, and the stability of the nonuniformity of the spatial distribution of water resources is enhanced.

This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of Water Pollution Control and Treatment (Grants No. 2014ZX07405002, 2012ZX07506007, 2012ZX07506006, and 2012ZX07506002) and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.

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