Classification of climates and climatic regionalization of the West-Siberian plain

We examine some issues related to a classification of climates. A climatic regionalization has been carried out, and a brief characteristic given to the identified types of climate. It has been found that the relationship of the sums of mean daily ground air temperatures above 10 °C and the dryness index show a clearly pronounced zonal distribution. The combination of sums of mean daily air temperatures below ?10 °C and the depth of snow in the northern part of the plain is characterized by a horizontal distribution, and only in the middle and southern parts of the plain do these indices acquire zonal regularities. An analysis is made of the long-term dynamics of air temperature to reveal that some climate warming during 1981–2010 was mainly caused by a rise in winter air temperature.     

Trends in the near-zero range of the minimum air-temperature distribution

This study estimated the trends in the number of days that fall within the near-zero (0?°C) range of the temperature continuum. This narrow range has importance for potential transportation hazards and freeze-thaw cycles. While the tails of the air-temperature distribution and their trends often are closely examined under the climate change context, the frequency and trend of other portions of the air-temperature distribution can be equally important, as many societal impacts are caused by events in the non-tail region, such as near-zero °C temperatures (NZT). Examining the trend of the number of NZT days over the conterminous USA for the period of 1948–1949 through 2010–2011, we found three distinct spatial clusters. The most distinctive spatial clusters are found along the West Coast (positive temperature trends leading to a decrease in NZT days), the High Plains and Northern Rockies (positive temperature trends leading to an increase in NZT days), and the southeastern USA (negative temperature trends leading to an increase in NZT days). While trends in the number of NZT days are linked to changes in mean minimum air temperature, increasing minimum temperature leads to a positive trend at NZT days only at some locations.     

西北地区山区融雪期气候变化对径流量的影响(英文)

Water resources in the arid land of Northwest China mainly derive from snow and glacier melt water in mountainous areas. So the study on onset, cessation, length, tempera-ture and precipitation of snowmelt period is of great significance for allocating limited water resources reasonably and taking scientific water resources management measures. Using daily mean temperature and precipitation from 8 mountainous weather stations over the pe-riod 1960?2010 in the arid land of Northwest China, this paper analyzes climate change of snowmelt period and its spatial variations and explores the sensitivity of runoff to length, temperature and precipitation of snowmelt period. The results show that mean onset of snowmelt period has shifted 15.33 days earlier while mean ending date has moved 9.19 days later. Onset of snowmelt period in southern Tianshan Mountains moved 20.01 days earlier while that in northern Qilian Mountains moved only 10.16 days earlier. Mean precipitation and air temperature increased by 47.3 mm and 0.857℃ in the mountainous areas of Northwest China, respectively. The precipitation of snowmelt period increased the fastest, which is ob-served in southern Tianshan Mountains, up to 65 mm, and the precipitation and temperature in northern Kunlun Mountains increased the slowest, an increase of 25 mm and 0.617℃, respectively, while the temperature in northern Qilian Mountains increased the fastest, in-creasing by 1.05℃. The annual runoff is also sensitive to the variations of precipitation and temperature of snowmelt period, because variation of precipitation induces annual runoff change by 7.69% while change of snowmelt period temperature results in annual runoff change by 14.15%.     

Midge-inferred temperature reconstructions and vegetation change over the last ~15,000?years from Trout Lake, northern Yukon Territory, eastern Beringia

Two cores from Trout Lake, northern Yukon, yielded quantitative estimates of summer air temperatures using fossil midge larvae. Warming began around 14,400?cal?yr BP, with inferred mean July air temperatures reaching values warmer than present by 12,800?cal?yr BP. A 1?°C cooling from 12,200 to 11,200?cal?yr BP closely corresponds with the Younger Dryas chronozone. A broad temperature maximum occurred between 10,800 and 9,800?cal?yr BP, with mean July air temperature about 2.2?°C warmer than present. This represents an early Holocene thermal maximum and coincides with increased organic content of the sediment. Both the shallow- and deep-water cores show similar temperature trends for their overlapping periods. The inferred rise in mean July air temperature at 14,200?cal?yr BP coincides with a shift in vegetation from an herb- to shrub-dominated landscape. In contrast, the increase in Alnus pollen at 6,400?cal?yr BP does not coincide with a change in temperature, but may be a response to a rise in precipitation.     

MODIS-based estimation of air temperature of the Tibetan Plateau

The immense and towering Tibetan Plateau acts as a heating source and, thus, deeply shapes the climate of the Eurasian continent and even the whole world. However, due to the scarcity of meteorological observation stations and very limited climatic data, little is quantitatively known about the heating effect and temperature pattern of the Tibetan Plateau. This paper collected time series of MODIS land surface temperature （LST） data, together with meteorological data of 137 stations and ASTER GDEM data for 2001-2007, to estimate and map the spatial distribution of monthly mean air temperatures in the Tibetan Plateau and its neighboring areas. Time series analysis and both ordinary linear regression （OLS） and geographical weighted regression （GWR） of monthly mean air temperature （Ta） with monthly mean land surface temperature （Ts） were conducted. Regression analysis shows that recorded Ta is rather closely related to Ts, and that the GWR estimation with MODIS Ts and altitude as independent variables, has a much better result with adjusted R 2 〉 0.91 and RMSE = 1.13-1.53℃ than OLS estimation. For more than 80% of the stations, the Ta thus retrieved from Ts has residuals lower than 2℃. Analysis of the spatio-temporal pattern of retrieved Ta data showed that the mean temperature in July （the warmest month） at altitudes of 4500 m can reach 10℃. This may help explain why the highest timberline in the Northern Hemisphere is on the Tibetan Plateau.     

On the Relation between the Meteorological Conditions and the Freezing of Lusterfjord

Abstract|Gjessing,

Y. T. 1968. On the Relation between the Meteorological Conditions and the Freezing of Lusterfjord. Norsk geogr. Tidsskr. 22, 200–208,

In most cases Lusterfjord freezes over in winter immediately after a period of mild weather conditions with some precipitation. It is sufficient to have temperatures just below 0°C for a relatively short period of time in order for ice to form. However, during extreme cold weather conditions where the temperatures are under -15°C for a lengthy period of time, the fjord is often free from ice formation.

In order for ice to form, there must be a stable gradient in the uppermost centimetres of the water masses. This stable cross-section is a result of a strong gradient of salinity and is formed by a supply of fresh water in the form of precipitation. Such a layer will easily be decomposed by a mechanical turbulence (wind).     

The cooling effect of crushed rock structures on permafrost under an embankment

Based on the analysis and comparison of soil temperature, thermal regime and permafrost table under the experimental embankment of crushed rock structures in Beiluhe, results show that crushed rock structures provide an extensive cooling effect, which produces a rising permafrost table and decreasing soil temperatures. The rise of the permafrost table under the embankment ranges from an increase of 1.08 m to 1.67 m, with an average of 1.27 m from 2004 to 2007. Mean annual soil temperatures under the crushed rock layer embankment decreased significantly from 2005 to 2007, with average decreases of ?1.03 °C at the depth of 0.5 m, ?1.14 °C at the depth of 1.5 m, and ?0.5 °C at the depth of 5 m. During this period, mean annual soil temperatures under the crushed rock cover embankment showed a slight decrease at shallow depths, with an average decrease of ?0.2 °C at the depth of 0.5 m and 1.5 m, but a slight rise at the depth of 5 m. After the crushed rock structures were closed or crammed with sand, the cooling effect of the crushed rock layer embankment was greatly reduced and that of the crushed rock cover embankment was just slightly reduced.     

Influence of industrial activity and pollution on the paleoclimate reconstruction from a eutrophic lake in lowland England,UK

Reliable estimates of Holocene temperatures are important for understanding past climate dynamics, the response of biota to climate change, and validating climate models. Chironomids in lake sediment cores are used widely to quantify past summer temperatures, for which high-latitude and/or high-altitude lakes, remote from human influence, are usually considered appropriate. Temperature inferences from lowland lakes are likely influenced by other variables, specifically eutrophication and industrial pollution, but their reliability has never been tested. We used a Norwegian chironomid-based transfer function (r ² = 0.91; RMSEP = 1.01 °C) to infer mean July air temperature over the last 200 years, using chironomid assemblages in a core collected from a polluted, nutrient-enriched lake at Speke Hall, Liverpool, England. The chironomid-inferred temperatures correlate significantly with the local instrumental temperature record and follow long-term national temperature trends. These results show that chironomids can be used to produce reliable estimates of past mean July air temperature, even when other variables have also influenced the composition of the chironomid community. These findings underline the value of chironomids as sensitive and reliable quantitative proxies for summer temperature.     

Thermal structure of the lakes of the North-West of Russia during the freeze-up period

On the basis of analyzing long-term field data, we investigated the vertical thermal structure of 66 lakes of the North-West of Russia during the freeze-up period. The largest variability in thermal structure is characteristic for low-drainage shallow water bodies. Detailed data were obtained at self-contained buoy stations located in a small Lake Vendyurskoe (southern Karelia) were used to identify water temperature changes at the depths for a winter season as well as making assessments of het flows at the water–bottom and water–ice interfaces. The interannual water temperature variability at the depths reaches 2°C. The main geographical factors influencing the formation of thermal stratifications in the 66 lakes used in the study during the winter period are their mean depth, area, water residence time and geographical latitude. The largest vertical water temperature gradients are characteristic for the group of the smallest and shallow lakes, in the bottom layers of which the water temperature exceeds the temperature of maximum density, whereas in the deep lakes (more than 15 m) the water temperature is below 4°C. The lowest values of water temperature are observed in large lakes. The water temperature in the upper layer (up to 10 m) of drainage water bodies also decreases to 0–1°C as the result of the removal of heat with the river discharge. According to the thermal stratifications, the lakes are categorized as small (shallow, deep and drainage lakes), medium-sized and large shallow and large deep lakes. The suggested regression model permits a typical water temperature to be assessed at standard depths at the end of a winter season for any water body in the study region using available geographical information. The verification of the model is done from independent data for eight lakes of Finland.     

VARIATION OF AN URBAN HEAT ISLAND IN PHOENIX

Long-term minimum temperature records at climatic stations in the metropolitan Phoenix area present evidence of changes attributed to the urbanization process. The winter mean minimum temperature near the city's center has increased by 2° C from the agricultural period (1901–1920) to the modern period (1961–1977) and the difference of winter mean minimum temperatures between the center of the metropolitan region and the suburban area has increased from 3° C to 4° C during the same periods.     

基于Modis地表温度的青藏高原东部及其邻近地区气温估算(英文)

Climatic conditions are difficult to obtain in high mountain regions due to few meteorological stations and, if any, their poorly representative location designed for convenient operation. Fortunately, it has been shown that remote sensing data could be used to estimate near-surface air temperature (Ta) and other climatic conditions. This paper makes use of recorded meteorological data and MODIS data on land surface temperature (Ts) to estimate monthly mean air temperatures in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and its neighboring areas. A total of 72 weather stations and 84 MODIS images for seven years (2001 to 2007) are used for analysis. Regression analysis and spatio-temporal analysis of monthly mean Ts vs. monthly mean Ta are carried out, showing that recorded Ta is closely related to MODIS Ts in the study region. The regression analysis of monthly mean Ts vs. Ta for every month of all stations shows that monthly mean Ts can be rather accurately used to estimate monthly mean Ta (R2 ranging from 0.62 to 0.90 and standard error between 2.25℃ and 3.23℃). Thirdly, the retrieved monthly mean Ta for the whole study area varies between 1.62℃ (in January, the coldest month) and 17.29℃ (in July, the warmest month), and for the warm season (May-September), it is from 13.1℃ to 17.29℃. Finally, the elevation of isotherms is higher in the central mountain ranges than in the outer margins; the 0℃ isotherm occurs at elevation of about 4500±500 m in October, dropping to 3500±500 m in January, and ascending back to 4500±500 m in May next year. This clearly shows that MODIS Ts data combining with observed data could be used to rather accurately estimate air temperature in mountain regions.     

Fossil chironomid assemblages and inferred summer temperatures for the past 14,000 years from a low-elevation lake in Pacific Canada

Fossil midge remains in a sediment core from Lake Stowell, a low-elevation lake in coastal British Columbia, Canada, were used to assess temporal changes in chironomid communities and to produce quantitative estimates of mean July air temperature (MJAT) for the past 14,000 years based on two different transfer functions. Chironomid assemblages are diverse throughout much of the record, with most taxa present at low relative abundances. The basal portion of the sediment record is characterized by low head capsule concentrations, taxonomic diversity and organic matter content, all of which increase towards the early Holocene. Inferred temperatures suggest a cool late-glacial interval with a minimum MJAT of 12.5 °C, ~2 °C cooler than the inferred modern temperature. Summer temperatures gradually increased from this minimum until a brief cooling of as much as ~3 °C relative to modern that coincides with the Younger Dryas chronozone. An interval of warmer summers with MJAT of ~16 to 18 °C (2–3 °C warmer than modern) is inferred between ~10,500 and 8000 cal year BP. This early Holocene warm period was followed by generally cooler inferred temperatures in the middle and late Holocene. The midge-inferred temperature record from Lake Stowell is generally consistent with other temperature reconstructions from the region based on chironomid remains and other climate proxies. This research underscores the potential of low-elevation, mid-latitude sites for chironomid-based temperature reconstructions. In order to maximize the availability of modern analogues for robust temperature reconstructions from similar sites, calibration datasets should be expanded to include more sites from the warm end of the temperature gradient.     

Avalanche prediction in Scotland: II. Development of a predictive model

The paper presents a method for predicting avalanche activity from meteorological data which is suitable for Scottish snow conditions. Two main types of avalanche are distinguished. Direct-action avalanches are the result of fresh snow accumulation and may release after approximately 200 mm of fresh snow has fallen over a period of a few days. They become extremely likely if a further 100 mm falls in a single day. Climax avalanches are the result of strength loss in the snow cover, due either to thawing or persistent cold. Thaws may produce an avalanche after only three or four days with maximum temperatures around 2°C. Alternatively, if maximum temperatures remain below ?4°C for over a week, and especially if cold weather persists for two weeks, slab avalanches of dry snow are likely to occur. Between these two types are several possible avalanche situations in which fresh snow accumulation is combined with high or low temperatures. Topography plays a passive role, and determines where avalanche activity is most likely. Free faces, smooth surfaces and slopes in the lee of major storms respond most rapidly to the onset of avalanche conditions.     

Soil temperatures and stability of ice-cemented ground in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Year-round temperature measurements at 1600 m elevation during 1994 in the Asgard Range Antarctica, indicate that the mean annual frost point of the ice-cemented ground, 25 cm below the surface, is -21.7 +/- 0.2 degrees C and the mean annual frost point of the atmosphere is -27.5 +/- 1.0 degrees C. The corresponding mean annual temperatures are -24.9 degrees C and -23.3 degrees C. These results imply that there is a net flux of water vapour from the ice to the atmosphere resulting in a recession of the ice-cemented ground by about 0.4-0.6 mm yr-1. The level of the ice-cemented permafrost is about 12 cm below the level of dry permafrost. The summer air temperatures would have to increase about 7 degrees C for thawing temperatures to just reach the top of the subsurface ice. Either subsurface ice at this location is evaporating over time or there are sporadic processes that recharge the ice and maintain equilibrium over long timescales.     

Fusing pollen-stratigraphic and dendroclimatic proxy data to reconstruct summer temperature variability during the past 7.5?ka in subarctic Fennoscandia

A new palaeoclimatic reconstruction of mid-summer (July) temperatures for the last 7.5?ka in northern Fennoscandia is presented. It is based on two botanical proxies: spectra of fossil pollen and tree rings of Scots pine logs recovered from lacustrine sediments in the Arctic tree-line region. A newly developed method of proxy fusion is used to integrate the proxy-specific reconstructions of past summer temperature variability based on the pollen-stratigraphic and dendroclimatic data. The rationale behind the method is that the two proxies are likely to be connected to climate variability in a timescale-dependent fashion and, accordingly, the new reconstruction makes use of the low- and high-frequencies from pollen-stratigraphic and tree-ring data, respectively. The most prominent features of the new reconstruction are: (1) the long-term decline of temperatures by 2.0?°C over the past 7.5?ka, (2) the mid-Holocene warmth culminating between 5 and 4?ka as a deviation from the cooling trend, (3) the Little Ice Age cool phase between 0.7 and 0.1?ka, and (4) the subsequent warming during the past century. These periods are superimposed on year-to-year variations in climate as dated to calendar-year accuracy by dendrochronology. Within the modern period, the years 1934 and 1937 are among the warmest, and the years 1903 and 1910 are among the coldest summers in the context of the past 7.5?ka. On average, the reconstructed Holocene climate was approximately 0.85?°C warmer than the twentieth century.     

中国城市扩展对气温观测的影响及其高估程度(英文)

Since the implementation of the reform and opening up policy in China in the late 1970s, some meteorological stations ’entered’ cities passively due to urban expansion. Changes in the surface and built environment around the stations have influenced observations of air temperature. When the observational data from urban stations are applied in the interpolation of national or regional scale air temperature dataset, they could lead to overestimation of regional air temperature and inaccurate assessment of warming. In this study, the underlying surface surrounding 756 meteorological stations across China was identified based on remote sensing images over a number of time intervals to distinguish the rural stations that ’entered’ into cities. Then, after removing the observational data from these stations which have been influenced by urban expansion, a dataset of background air temperatures was generated by interpolating the observational data from the remaining rural stations. The mean urban heat island effect intensity since 1970 was estimated by comparing the original observational records from urban stations with the background air temperature interpolated. The result shows that urban heat island effect does occur due to urban expansion, with a higher intensity in winter than in other seasons. Then the overestimation of regional air temperature is evaluated by comparing the two kinds of grid datasets of air temperature which are respectively interpolated by all stations’ and rural stations’ observational data. Spatially, the overestimation is relatively higher in eastern China than in the central part of China; however, both areas exhibit a much higher effect than is observed in western China. We concluded that in the last 40 years the mean temperature in China increased by about 1.58℃, of which about 0.01℃ was attributed to urban expansion, with a contribution of up to 0.09℃ in the core areas from the overestimation of air temperature.     

Environmental control of seed dormancy and germination in the short-lived Olimarabidopsis pumila (Brassicaceae)

The purpose of our study was to better understand seed germination ecology of the spring annual short-lived Olimarabidopsis pumila, which grows in the Gurbantonggut Desert, China. Seeds underwent after-ripening at 4, 20 ± 2 (room temperature) and 30 °C. After dormancy was broken, germination capacity was a function of temperature and presence of light. For the temperature range studied (4–30 °C), germination capacity was significantly higher between 15 and 25 °C than at temperatures above or below them. Alternating temperatures of 20/10, 25/10 and 25/15 °C were favorable for germination. Although GA₃ did promote dark germination of seeds, GA₃ did not replace light for germination. Seeds germinated to >75% if light exposure time was over 8 h and temperature and moisture conditions were favorable. Seeds were able to germinate at relatively low water potentials (83% at ?0.41 MPa), but decreasing water potentials produced detrimental effects on germination percentage and rate. Thus, dormancy characteristics and germination behavior of O. pumila seeds ensure that germination occurs in the desert only when soil moisture conditions are favorable for seedling establishment and survival.     

极端干旱地区绿洲小气候特征及其生态意义

1 Introduction Microclimate is one of the most important environmental factors for plant growth and development. Different plant communities create different microclimatic environments and different microclimatic environments support different biotic comm…     

秦岭南北1951-2009年的气温与热量资源变化

根据47 个地面气象站1951-2009 年日气温资料,对秦岭南北近60 年温度带划分指标(包括年平均气温、日平均气温稳定≥ 10 ℃的日数与积温、最冷月与最热月气温、极端最低气温等) 的变化特征进行了分析,结果发现：秦岭南北气候增暖主要出现在20 世纪90 年代初之后,年平均气温、日平均气温≥ 10 ℃的日数和积温的变化趋势基本一致,1951-1993 年在年代波动中略有下降,而1993 年之后则快速上升;但存在着季节和区域差异。在季节上,冷季(1 月) 平均气温与极端最低气温变化趋势一致,1951-1985 年均在波动中略有上升,1985 年之后出现微弱下降;而暖季(7 月) 温度总体变化趋势不明显。在区域上,1993 年之后,秦岭以北、秦岭南坡、汉水流域及巴巫谷地的日平均气温稳定≥ 10 ℃的日数分别较1993 年之前增加了10 天、10 天、8 天和5 天,相应时段的积温分别增加了278 ℃、251 ℃、235 ℃和207 ℃;即20 世纪90 年代初以来,秦岭以北气温与热量资源增加幅度要比秦岭以南稍大一些。     

Comparison of temperature extremes between Zhongshan Station and Great Wall Station in Antarctica

Although temperature extremes have led to more and more disasters, there are as yet few studies on the extremes and many disagreements on temperature changes in Antarctica. Based on daily minimum, maximum, and mean air temperatures(Tmin, Tmax, Tmean) at Great Wall Station(GW) and Zhongshan Station(ZS), we compared the temperature extremes and revealed a strong warming trend in Tmin, a slight warming trend in Tmean, cooling in Tmax, a decreasing trend in the daily temperature range, and the typical characteristic of coreless winter temperature. There are different seasonal variabilities, with the least in summer. The continentality index and seasonality show that the marine air mass has more effect on GW than ZS. Following the terminology of the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC AR5), we defined nine indices of temperature extremes, based on the Antarctic geographical environment. Extreme-warm days have decreased, while extreme-warm nights have shown a nonsignificant trend. The number of melting days has increased at GW, while little change at ZS. More importantly, we have found inverse variations in temperature patterns between the two stations, which need further investigation into the dynamics of climate change in Antarctica.