Synergistic effects of multiple driving factors on the runoff variations in the Yellow River Basin, China

River runoff plays an important role in watershed ecosystems and human survival, it is controlled by multiple environmental factors. However, the synergistic effects of various large-scale circulation factors meteorological on different time-frequency scales have rarely been explored. In light this, underlying mechanism variations was investigated Yellow Basin China during period 1950–2019 using bivariate wavelet coherence (WTC) (MWC) methods. First, continuous transform (CWT) method used to analyze multiscale characteristics runoff. The results CWT indicate that exhibited significant or discontinuous annual semiannual oscillations study period. Scattered inter-annual time were also observed for Basin. better explained seasonal scales. average (AWC) percent area (PASC) between individual 0.454 19.89%, respectively. mainly regulated decadal with more complicated phase relationships due their indirect AWC PASC 0.359 7.31%, MWC analysis revealed should be taken into consideration explain characteristic ranges 0.320–0.560, 0.617–0.755, 0.819–0.884 combinations one, two, three factors, 3.53%–33.77%, 12.93%–36.90%, 20.67%–39.34% driving precipitation, evapotranspiration (or number rainy days), Arctic Oscillation performed well explaining variability all scales, 0.847 28.79%, These findings are great significance improving our understanding hydro-climate interactions water resources prediction