Abstract: Droughts have such essential features as long duration,large scope of influence,and spatio-temporal continuity,and a single variable or double variables were mostly considered in previous studies. By identifying arid patches and judging the continuity between two adjacent droughts based on the given threshold,a spatio-temporally continuous 3D identification method has been proposed for drought events,measuring a drought event in terms of 5 characteristic variables of duration,area,severity,intensity,and central location;the duration-area-severity frequency analysis method based on Copula function has been proposed. Taking Southwest China as an example,SPI drought indices are used to identify the drought events that lasted 3 months or longer in recent 52 years,which totaled 78. Among them,the most serious event from Aug. 2009 to Jun. 2010 has a recurrence period of 94 years. The comparison between the probability distribution function and the Copula function indicates that the 3 characteristic variables of duration,area and severity shall be simultaneously considered upon frequency analysis of drought events.