Urbanization alters the thermal and dynamic environment of the local climate system, resulting in significant impacts on precipitation in both urban and adjacent areas. Nevertheless, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of urbanization‐induced effects on asymmetrical, symmetrical, and other precipitation patterns in urban agglomerations (UAs) with divergent background climates and geographic regions at different timescales. Specifically, this asymmetrical change pattern is characterized by an increase in heavy (or light) rainfall and a decrease in light (or heavy) rainfall. Here, we assessed the effects of urbanization on precipitation patterns across 18 UAs situated in diverse background climates and geographical areas in China at different timescales. The results demonstrate that urbanization predominantly alters precipitation patterns in UAs located in the humid region. Specifically, urbanization amplified asymmetrical changes in Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Beibu Gulf, Middle Yangtze River, and Guanzhong, but exacerbated symmetrical changes in precipitation in some regions such as Chengdu‐Chongqing. Notably, the urbanization effect demonstrates greater significance at the hourly scale, as exemplified in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Middle Yangtze River, where the urban impact is nearly twice as pronounced when compared to the daily scale. Moreover, urbanization had either no effect or has a negative impact on precipitation patterns in UAs located within continental and arid regions. This is related to the intensity of urbanization, background climate and complex topography. This finding implies that urban managers should consider the impact of urbanization on precipitation patterns in different contexts to provide scientific guidance for urban planning.

Fluctuations in the surface water are indicators of climatic and biological environmental variations. The water index method is the predominant approach for water extraction owing to its simplicity of operation and high efficiency. Recognizing the limitations of individual water indices in extracting water over dense time-sequences, this study introduces a combined water index (CWI) frequency method to improve the water extraction results. The research findings indicate the following: 1) CWI demonstrates superior extraction accuracy for various types of water when compared with other water indices, underscoring its higher precision and broader applicability. 2) By integrating CWI with the water frequency method, we propose an effective approach for dynamically monitoring water. This method accurately reflects changes in water under different conditions within dense time-sequence images. 3) Our results highlight the method's ability to precisely monitor dynamic water changes, efficiently extract various water types from Sentinel-2 data, and its potential for large-scale surface water mapping applications.

Soil moisture (SM) is a vital parameter in all environments because it influences the relationship between the land surface and atmospheric processes. Therefore, identifying products that can accurately measure SM is crucial for improving drought management. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of SM satellite data produced by the China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS), focusing on the Huaihe and Heihe River basins, China, since both are susceptible to drought. To verify the accuracy of daily surface SM data measurements were obtained from 34 meteorological stations between January and December, 2016. In addition, the CLDAS measurements data were collected at depths of 10 cm and 40 cm and compared with observed soil moisture (OBS SM) measurements. The results show that the CLDAS SM agreed with OBS at 10 cm was R>0.66 and 40cm was R>0.47 in Huaihe River Basin. R>0.63 at 10cm and R>0.44 at 40 cm was observed in Heihe River Basin. The results indicated that CLDAS product was effective in measuring SM at different soil depths; however, the data were more accurate at a soil depth of 10 cm than at 40 cm. Consistency between 10 cm and 40 cm SM was acceptable in both regions. Therefore, the findings of this study justify the use of the CLDAS to measure SM in China. Further research is required to confirm the regions and circumstances that are most suited for these products.