Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Variability in temperature extremes across the Tibetan Plateau and its non-uniform responses to different ENSO types

  • Published:
Climatic Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Variability of extreme temperatures has an important influence on sensitive ecosystem and human activities on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Nevertheless, the uncertainties of different El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects on extreme temperatures over the TP are poorly understood. Thus, this study focuses on variations in temperature extremes across the TP during 1980–2020 based on the daily maximum temperature and minimum temperature. We quantitatively examine the effects of different ENSO phases and related large-scale atmospheric circulation anomalies on the changes in temperature extremes according to different ENSO phases. The results show that the number of extreme cold events decreased significantly on the TP, while the number of extreme warm events increased significantly from 1980 to 2020. Moreover, our results suggest that the response of temperature extremes differs between the Eastern Pacific (EP) and Central Pacific (CP) ENSO. In particular, EP El Niño episodes result in more extreme cold events (r = 0.36, P < 0.01), whereas the influence of the CP El Niño episodes on the temperature extreme over the TP is weak. The correlation coefficients between the CP ENSO index and daily minimum temperature (daily maximum temperature) are 0.46 (0.49). In addition, the developing and decaying phases of ENSO had an essential influence on temperature extreme variability on the TP through the modulation of large-scale atmospheric circulation anomalies. Sea surface temperature during the different ENSO phases induced a Walker circulation anomaly in the tropical Pacific and ascending motion over the tropical Indian Ocean, which contributes to the generation of the anomalies of wind and geopotential height around the TP, inducing non-uniform responses of temperature extremes over the TP. In conclusion, ENSO is a critical factor that influences temperature extremes on the TP. This study provides some insight into understanding the dynamics of regional extreme temperatures during different ENSO episodes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aguilar E, Aziz Barry A, Brunet M, Ekang L, Fernandes A, Massoukina M, Mbah J, Mhanda A, Do Nascimento D, Peterson T (2009) Changes in temperature and precipitation extremes in western central Africa, Guinea Conakry, and Zimbabwe, 1955–2006. J Geophys Res Atmos 114:D02115

    Google Scholar 

  • Alexander LV, Zhang X, Peterson TC, Caesar J, Gleason B, Klein Tank AMG, Haylock M, Collins D, Trewin B, Rahimzadeh F, Tagipour A, Rupa Kumar K, Revadekar J, Griffiths G, Vincent L, Stephenson DB, Burn J, Aguilar E, Brunet M et al (2006) Global observed changes in daily climate extremes of temperature and precipitation. J Geophys Res 111:D05109

    Google Scholar 

  • Bao J, Sherwood SC, Alexander LV, Evans JP (2017) Future increases in extreme precipitation exceed observed scaling rates. Nat Climate Change 7:128–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Byers E, Gidden M, Leclère D, Balkovic J, Burek P, Ebi K, Greve P, Grey D, Havlik P, Hillers A (2018) Global exposure and vulnerability to multi-sector development and climate change hotspots. Environ Res Lett 13:055012

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen X, An S, Inouye DW, Schwartz MD (2015) Temperature and snowfall trigger alpine vegetation green-up on the world’s roof. Global Change Biol 21:3635–3646

    Google Scholar 

  • Crabbe RA, Dash J, Rodriguez-Galiano VF, Janous D, Pavelka M, Marek MV (2016) Extreme warm temperatures alter forest phenology and productivity in Europe. Sci Total Environ 563:486–495

    Google Scholar 

  • del Rio S, Anjum Iqbal M, Cano-Ortiz A, Herrero L, Hassan A, Penas A (2013) Recent mean temperature trends in Pakistan and links with teleconnection patterns. Int J Climatol 33:277–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding J, Cuo L, Zhang Y, Zhu F (2018) Monthly and annual temperature extremes and their changes on the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings during 1963–2015. Sci Rep 8:1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Donat M, Alexander L, Yang H, Durre I, Vose R, Dunn R, Willett K, Aguilar E, Brunet M, Caesar J (2013) Updated analyses of temperature and precipitation extreme indices since the beginning of the twentieth century: the HadEX2 dataset. J Geophys Res Atmos 118:2098–2118

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong S, Sun Y, Aguilar E, Zhang X, Peterson TC, Song L, Zhang Y (2018) Observed changes in temperature extremes over Asia and their attribution. Climate Dyn 51:339–353

    Google Scholar 

  • Duan A, Xiao Z (2015) Does the climate warming hiatus exist over the Tibetan Plateau? Sci Rep 5:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao J, He Y, Masson-Delmotte V, Yao T (2018) ENSO effects on annual variations of summer precipitation stable isotopes in Lhasa, southern Tibetan Plateau. J Climate 31:1173–1182

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao T, Luo M, Lau N-C, Chan TO (2020) Spatially Distinct Effects of Two El Niño Types on Summer Heat Extremes in China. Geophys Res Lett 47:e2020GL086982

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamed KH, Rao AR (1998) A modified Mann-Kendall trend test for autocorrelated data. J Hydrol 204:182–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Hersbach H, Bell B, Berrisford P, Hirahara S, Horányi A, Muñoz-Sabater J, Nicolas J, Peubey C, Radu R, Schepers D, Simmons A, Soci C, Abdalla S, Abellan X, Balsamo G, Bechtold P, Biavati G, Bidlot J, Bonavita M et al (2020) The ERA5 global reanalysis. Quar J Royal Meteorol Soc 146:1999–2049

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang B, Banzon VF, Freeman E, Lawrimore J, Liu W, Peterson TC, Smith TM, Thorne PW, Woodruff SD, Zhang HM (2015) Extended reconstructed sea surface temperature version 4 (ERSST.v4). Part I: Upgrades and Intercomparisons. J Climate 28:911–930

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang K, Zhang Y, Zhu J, Liu Y, Zu J, Zhang J (2016) The influences of climate change and human activities on vegetation dynamics in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Remote Sens 8:876

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson M, Xu T (2013) ANUSPLIN Version 4.4 User Guide. The Australian National University, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Canberra, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Immerzeel WW, Bierkens MFP (2012) Asian water towers: more on monsoons--response. Science 330:585–585

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2012) Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation. A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge

  • IPCC (2021) Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis: Working Group I Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge

  • Joly D, Castel T, Pohl B, Richard Y (2018) Influence of spatial information resolution on the relation between elevation and temperature. Int J Climatol 38:5677–5688

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang S, Xu Y, You Q, Flügel W-A, Pepin N, Yao T (2010) Review of climate and cryospheric change in the Tibetan Plateau. Environ Res Lett 5:015101

    Google Scholar 

  • Kao H-Y, Yu J-Y (2009) Contrasting eastern-Pacific and central-Pacific types of ENSO. J Climate 22:615–632

    Google Scholar 

  • Larkin NK, Harrison D (2005) On the definition of El Niño and associated seasonal average US weather anomalies. Geophys Res Lett 32:L13705

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Z, He Y, Wang P, Theakstone WH, An W, Wang X, Lu A, Zhang W, Cao W (2012) Changes of daily climate extremes in southwestern China during 1961–2008. Global Planet Change 80:255–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Wang L, Chen D, Yang K, Xue B, Sun L (2013) Near-surface air temperature lapse rates in the mainland China during 1962–2011. J Geophys Res : Atmos 118:7505–7515

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Cheng Z, Yan L, Yin Z-Y (2009) Elevation dependency of recent and future minimum surface air temperature trends in the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings. Global Planet Change 68:164

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Lu M, Yang H, Duan A, He B, Yang S, Wu G (2020) Land–atmosphere–ocean coupling associated with the Tibetan Plateau and its climate impacts. Nat Sci Rev 7:534–552

    Google Scholar 

  • Mann HB (1945) Nonparametric tests against trend. Econ J Economet Soc:245–259

  • Miao C, Duan Q, Sun Q, Lei X, Li H (2019) Non-uniform changes in different categories of precipitation intensity across China and the associated large-scale circulations. Environ Res Lett 14:025004

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls N, Baek H-J, Gosai A, Chambers LE, Choi Y, Collins D, Della-Marta PM, Griffiths GM, Haylock MR, Iga N, Lata R, Maitrepierre L, Manton MJ, Nakamigawa H, Ouprasitwong N, Solofa D, Tahani L, Thuy DT, Tibig L et al (2005) The El Niño–Southern Oscillation and daily temperature extremes in east Asia and the west Pacific. Geophys Res Lett:32

  • Poudel A, Cuo L, Ding J, Gyawali AR (2020) Spatio-temporal variability of the annual and monthly extreme temperature indices in Nepal. Int J Climatol 40:4956–4977

    Google Scholar 

  • Ren H, Sun C, Ren F, Yuan Y, Lu B, Tian B, Zuo J (2017) Identification method for El Niño/La Niña events. Standards Press of China, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Ren HL, Jin FF (2011) Niño indices for two types of ENSO. Geophys Res Lett 38

  • Saleem F, Zeng X, Hina S, Omer A (2021) Regional changes in extreme temperature records over Pakistan and their relation to Pacific variability. Atmos Res 250:105407

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen PK (1968) Estimates of the regression coefficient based on Kendall’s tau. J Am Stat Assoc 63:1379–1389

    Google Scholar 

  • Seong M-G, Min S-K, Kim Y-H, Zhang X, Sun Y (2021) Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas and Aerosol Contributions to Extreme Temperature Changes during 1951–2015. J Clim 34:857–870

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen H, Zhao J, Cheung KY, Chen L, YU X, Wen T, Gong Z, Feng G (2021) Causes of the extreme snowfall anomaly over the northeast Tibetan plateau in early winter 2018. Climate Dyn 56:1767–1782

    Google Scholar 

  • Spicer RA, Su T, Valdes PJ, Farnsworth A, Wu F-X, Shi G, Spicer TE, Zhou Z (2021) Why ‘the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau’ is a myth. Nat Sci Rev 8:nwaa091

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun R, Zhang B (2016) Topographic effects on spatial pattern of surface air temperature in complex mountain environment. Environ Earth Sci 75:621

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Q, Miao C, Aghakouchak A, Duan Q (2016) Century-scale causal relationships between global dry/wet conditions and the state of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Geophys Res Lett 43:6528–6537

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun J, Ye C, Liu M, Wang Y, Chen J, Wang S, Lu X, Liu G, Xu M, Li R (2022) Response of net reduction rate in vegetation carbon uptake to climate change across a unique gradient zone on the Tibetan Plateau. Environ Res 203:111894

    Google Scholar 

  • Tangang F, Juneng L, Aldrian E (2017) Observed changes in extreme temperature and precipitation over Indonesia. Int J Climatol 37:1979–1997

    Google Scholar 

  • Tian B, Fan K (2020) Different prediction skill for the East Asian winter monsoon in the early and late winter season. Climate Dyn 54:1523–1538

    Google Scholar 

  • Tong S, Li X, Zhang J, Bao Y, Bao Y, Na L, Si A (2019) Spatial and temporal variability in extreme temperature and precipitation events in Inner Mongolia (China) during 1960–2017. Sci Total Environ 649:75–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Trenberth KE, Stepaniak DP (2001) Indices of el Niño evolution. J Climate 14:1697–1701

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel E, Donat MG, Alexander LV, Meinshausen M, Ray DK, Karoly D, Meinshausen N, Frieler K (2019) The effects of climate extremes on global agricultural yields. Environ Res Lett 14:054010

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang W, Zhou W, Chen D (2014) Summer high temperature extremes in Southeast China: bonding with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and East Asian Summer Monsoon Coupled System. J Climate 27:4122–4138

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Luo X, Yang Y-M, Sun W, Cane MA, Cai W, Yeh S-W, Liu J (2019) Historical change of El Niño properties sheds light on future changes of extreme El Niño. Proc Nat Acad Sci 116:22512–22517

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Liu Y, Ding Y (2020) On the connection between interannual variations of winter haze frequency over Beijing and different ENSO flavors. Sci Total Environ 740:140109

    Google Scholar 

  • Weng H, Behera SK, Yamagata T (2009) Anomalous winter climate conditions in the Pacific rim during recent El Niño Modoki and El Niño events. Climate Dyn 32:663–674

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan G, Qi F, Wei L, Aigang L, Yu W, Jing Y, Aifang C, Yamin W, Yubo S, Li L (2015) Changes of daily climate extremes in Loess Plateau during 1960–2013. Quater Int 371:5–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan Y, Jeong S, Park C-E, Mueller ND, Piao S, Park H, Joo J, Chen X, Wang X, Liu J (2021) Effects of extreme temperature on China’s tea production. Environ Res Lett 16:044040

    Google Scholar 

  • Ye C, Sun J, Liu M, Xiong J, Zong N, Hu J, Huang Y, Duan X, Tsunekawa A (2020) Concurrent and Lagged Effects of Extreme Drought Induce Net Reduction in Vegetation Carbon Uptake on Tibetan Plateau. Remote Sens 12:2347

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin H, Sun Y, Donat MG (2019) Changes in temperature extremes on the Tibetan Plateau and their attribution. Environ Res Lett 14:124015

    Google Scholar 

  • Ying K, Zhao T, Quan X-W, Zheng X, Frederiksen CS (2015) Interannual variability of autumn to spring seasonal precipitation in eastern China. Climate Dyn 45:253–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Yong Z, Xiong J, Wang Z, Cheng W, Yang J, Pang Q (2021) Relationship of extreme precipitation, surface air temperature, and dew point temperature across the Tibetan Plateau. Climatic Change 165:1–22

    Google Scholar 

  • You Q, Min J, Kang S (2016) Rapid warming in the Tibetan Plateau from observations and Cmip5 models in recent decades. Int J Climatol 36:2660–2670

    Google Scholar 

  • You Q, Jiang Z, Wang D, Pepin N, Kang S (2018) Simulation of temperature extremes in the Tibetan Plateau from Cmip5 models and comparison with gridded observations. Climate Dyn 51:355–369

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu X, Wang Z, Zhang H, Zhao S (2019) Impacts of different types and intensities of El Niño events on winter aerosols over China. Sci Total Environ 655:766–780

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Wang J, Zwiers FW, Groisman PY (2010) The influence of large-scale climate variability on winter maximum daily precipitation over North America. Journal of Climate 23:2902–2915

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao W, Chen S, Zhang H, Wang J, Chen W, Wu R, Xing W, Wang Z, Hu P, Piao J (2022) Distinct impacts of ENSO on haze pollution in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region between early and late winters. J Climate 35:687–704

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou B, Xu Y, Wu J, Dong S, Shi Y (2016) Changes in temperature and precipitation extreme indices over China: analysis of a high-resolution grid dataset. Int J Climatol 36:1051–1066

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geoscience and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China

    Zhiwei Yong & Zegen Wang

  2. School of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China

    Junnan Xiong

  3. State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China

    Junnan Xiong

  4. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Chongchong Ye

  5. School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Huaizhang Sun

  6. Institute of Aerospace Information Applications, Co., Ltd., Changzhou, 213000, China

    Shaojie Wu

Authors
  1. Zhiwei Yong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zegen Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Junnan Xiong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chongchong Ye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Huaizhang Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Shaojie Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junnan Xiong.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

ESM 1

(DOCX 8922 kb)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yong, Z., Wang, Z., Xiong, J. et al. Variability in temperature extremes across the Tibetan Plateau and its non-uniform responses to different ENSO types. Climatic Change 176, 91 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-023-03566-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-023-03566-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation