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Temporal variation of wind speed in China for 1961–2007

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Abstract

Monthly observed wind speed data at 597 weather stations and NCEP wind speed data at 10 m above surface were used to explore the temporal variations of the wind speed for 1961–2007 in China. The results indicate that the temporal variation of annual wind speed in China has experienced four phases: two relatively steady periods from 1961 to 1968 and 1969 to 1974 with a sharp step change in 1969, a statistically significant decline stage from 1974 to 1990s, and another relatively steady period from 1990s to 2007. Except for the sharp step in 1969 being caused by the changes of observation instrument, other breakpoints correspond well with the positive and negative phases of the interdecadal Pacific oscillation. In addition, four different temporal variation patterns of annual wind speed in China have been identified by using cluster analysis and their spatial distributions were also explored.

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Acknowledgement

This research was partly funded by the National Basic Research Programs (973 Program, 2010CB428406), the “Hundred Talents Program” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), CSIRO-CAS Exchange Program, the National Key Project of Scientific and Technical Supporting Programs Funded by Ministry of Science and Technology of China (NO. 2006BAC08B0408), and the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (NO. 2009CB421305). We wish to thank Prof. Dr. Hartmut Grassl (Managing Editor), Dr. Detlev Heinemann of Oldenburg University (Reviewer), and another anonymous reviewer for the invaluable comments and constructive suggestions used to improve the quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Guobin Fu, Jingjie Yu, Yichi Zhang, Shanshan Hu, Rulin Ouyang & Wenbin Liu

  2. CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 5, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia

    Guobin Fu

  3. Graduate University of Chinese Academy Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Shanshan Hu & Wenbin Liu

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  1. Guobin Fu
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  2. Jingjie Yu
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  5. Rulin Ouyang
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  6. Wenbin Liu
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Correspondence to Jingjie Yu.

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Fu, G., Yu, J., Zhang, Y. et al. Temporal variation of wind speed in China for 1961–2007. Theor Appl Climatol 104, 313–324 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-010-0348-x

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