The variation trends and spatial characteristics of annual precipitation

erosive precipitation

and rainstorm amount from 1961 to 2007 are analyzed using the data of daily precipitation observed from 24 stations on the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi Province. Results show that the spatial distributions of annual precipitation

erosive precipitation

and rainstorm amount are quite similar. The spatial distributions are characterized by greater magnitude in the north than in the south. The annual precipitation and erosive precipitation present a downward trend

whereas rainstorm amount has a rising trend. For the spatial distribution

precipitation is reduced little in the north of Yan'an City

but significantly in the south. The rainstorm amount is increased in the North Weihe Area

but decreased in the hilly and gully region.