Abstract
Based on the radiosonde data observed at 14 stations in Southwest China from 1960 to 2010, as well as the corresponding surface air temperature, the long-term change of free-air 0°C isotherm height in Southwest China and the relationships between surface air temperature and 0°C isotherm height are discussed. The results indicated that the spatial distribution of 0°C isotherm height is generally related with latitude, but the huge massif or plateau may complicate the latitude pattern. The two main regimes influencing the spatial patterns of 0°C isotherm height in Southwest China are latitude and huge massif. The annual 0°C isotherm height has increased by 35 m per decade in the recent decades, which is statistically significant at the 0.001 level. Generally, the increasing trend can be examined for each seasonal series, especially in winter (53 m per decade). The diversity of trend magnitudes for annual and seasonal series can also be detected at a spatial view, but generally 0°C isotherm height correlated well with surface air temperature.
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Foundation: National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), No.2013CBA01801; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41161012
Author: Zhang Mingjun (1975-), Professor, specialized in global climate change and glaciology.
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Zhang, M., Dong, L., Wang, S. et al. Increasing free-air 0°C isotherm height in Southwest China from 1960 to 2010. J. Geogr. Sci. 24, 833–844 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-014-1123-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-014-1123-1