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Changes of extreme temperature events in Three Gorges area, China

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Abstract

Meteorological data and heat stress indices from 1958 to 2007 in the Three Gorges area were investigated in this study. It is found that there is a (1) mild augmentation of the diurnal temperature range in the region (2) antithetical trends in mean\maximum\minimum temperatures, indicated by warmer winters and slightly cooler summers and (3) declining linear trends of the number of (very) hot days and annual frequencies of (long) heat waves, despite rising frequencies of (very) hot days and annual short heat waves. A U-shape was detected for all the climatic indices, with low values occurring mostly in the 1980s. However, spatial variations exist. Decreasing trends of hot days and frequency of heat waves were more evident in areas like Shapingba, where high annual temperatures were recorded. The finding also suggests a positive impact of the subtropical high on high temperatures and extreme temperature events.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the financial support of the key project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (40635028), China Educational Foundation for Undergraduate Students of Sciences (Grant#J0630531), and Peking University President Fund. We are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments and suggestions for the revision of the manuscript. We also thank Tina for her help with linguistic revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Resources, Environment and Geography, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, People’s Republic of China

    Hang Deng, Fang Zhao & Xinyi Zhao

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  1. Hang Deng
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  2. Fang Zhao
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  3. Xinyi Zhao
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Correspondence to Xinyi Zhao.

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Deng, H., Zhao, F. & Zhao, X. Changes of extreme temperature events in Three Gorges area, China. Environ Earth Sci 66, 1783–1790 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1401-5

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