Unraveling Projected Changes in Spatiotemporal Patterns and Drought Events across Mainland China Using CMIP6 Models and an Intensity–Area–Duration Algorithm

In the context of global warming, temperature increases have led to frequent drought events and a sharp increase in economic losses and social risks. In this study, five medium- and high-emission scenario models, the SSP245 and SSP585, CMIP6 monthly scale temperature and precipitation datasets under different global warming contexts (1.5 °C and 2 °C), and the 1984–2014 weather station observations were selected. The latter dataset was used to improve the ability of the CMIP6 to simulate surface drought accuracy. A standardized precipitation–evapotranspiration index dataset was generated. The latest intensity–area–duration framework was adopted to identify regional drought events by considering their continuity and spatial dynamic characteristics. The parameters of intensity, area, and duration were used to characterize the dynamic evolution of drought events. Under the medium- to high-emission scenario model, with a continuous increase in global temperature to 1.5 °C, in the southeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) and southern Xinjiang (XJ) there is a significant increase in intensity, extent, and duration of drought events and some drought exacerbation in northeastern China. Under the high-emission SSP585 scenario model, the severity of these drought events is reduced when compared with the SSP245 scenario model, but this also shows an increasing trend, especially with the 2 °C global warming background. Significant drought aggravation trends were observed in southern XJ, northern QTP, and northern Northwest. In contrast, a small but significant drought-weakening trend was observed in southwestern south China. The results of this study provide a reference for society and government departments to make decisions in response to future drought events.