Sm–Nd and Rb–Sr studies of lherzolitic shergottite Yamato 984028

The distribution pattern of the trace elements Rb, Sr, Nd and Sm for Yamato 984028 (Y984028) is consistent with its classification as a lherzolitic shergottite. The Sm–Nd mineral isochron of this lherzolitic shergottite defines its age to be 170 ± 10 Ma for an initial ?_Nd = +11.6 ± 0.2. The corresponding Rb–Sr mineral isochron yields an identical age of 170 ± 9 Ma and an initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.710389 ± 0.000029. The concordant Sm–Nd and Rb–Sr isochron ages suggest that Y984028 crystallized 170 ± 7 Ma ago contemporaneously with five other lherzolitic shergottites and ten enriched basaltic and olivine-phyric shergottites. The age, Sr- and Nd- isotopic signatures further suggest that Y984028 and Y-793605, and also probably Y000097 could come from a single magmatic body. Using a two-stage evolution model, the time-averaged ⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr-ratio for the mantle source of the parent magma of Y984028 is ～0.182, within the range of 0.178–0.182 that has been reported for other lherzolitic shergottites. The corresponding time-averaged ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd-ratio for the source mantle of its parent magma is super-chondritic at ～0.217, implying its source was a depleted mafic part of the Martian mantle similar to that of diabasic shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 1460. Rb, Sr, Sm and Nd distributions in Y984028 are likely produced by pyroxene and olivine accumulation, probably from a NWA 1460-like parental melt, in an intrusive magma body.     

Spatiotemporal analysis of rural–urban land conversion

Understanding the complexity of urban expansion requires an analysis of the factors influencing the spatial and temporal processes of rural–urban land conversion. This study aims at building a statistical land conversion model to assist in understanding land use change patterns. Specifically, GIS coupled with a logistic regression model and exponential smoothing techniques is used for exploring the effects of various factors on land use change. These factors include population density, slope, proximity to roads, and surrounding land use, and their influence on land use change is studied for generating a predictive model. Methods to reduce spatial autocorrelation in a logistic regression framework are also discussed. Primarily, an optimal sampling scheme that can eliminate spatial autocorrelation while maintaining adequate samples to allow the model to achieve the comparable accuracy as the spatial autoregressive model is developed. Since many of the previous studies on modeling the spatial complexity of urban growth ignored temporal complexity, a modified exponential smoothing technique is employed to produce a smoothed model from a series of bi‐temporal models obtained from different time periods. The proposed model is validated using the multi‐temporal land use data in New Castle County, DE, USA. It is demonstrated that our approach provides an effective option for multi‐temporal land use change modeling and the modeling results help interpret the land use change patterns.     

Modeling of space–time infectious disease spread under conditions of uncertainty

A theoretical model for the spread of infectious diseases in a composite space–time domain is developed. The model has a general form that enables it to account for the basic mechanisms of disease distribution and to incorporate the considerable multisourced uncertainty (caused by physiographic features, disease variability, meteorological conditions, etc.). Starting from the general model formulation regarding the specification of transmission and recovery rates, as well as the population migration dynamics, several subsequent assumptions are introduced that simplify analytical tractability and practical implementation. In particular, linearization involving a deterministic functional representation for the average evolution of the fraction of susceptible individuals allows the formulation of an extended Kalman filter approach for estimation based on the time series observed at a finite set of locations. Different aspects of interest derived from the epidemic space–time model proposed, as well as the performance of the extended Kalman filter procedure, are illustrated through simulations.     

Wind tunnel simulation of the effects of freeze–thaw cycles on soil erosion in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Intense freezing and thawing actions occur in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau because of its high elevation and cold temperature. The plateau's unique environment makes it easy to generate wind erosion under dry, windy weather conditions, resulting in the emergence of desertification. As a major form of freeze–thaw erosion, freeze–thaw and wind erosion is displayed prominently on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Therefore, in this study, soil samples were collected from the surface of the plateau to undergo freeze–thaw and wind erosion simulation experiments. Results show that wind erosion strength increases with an increasing number of freeze–thaw cycles, water content in the freezing–thawing process, and the difference in freeze–thaw temperatures. Therefore, in the conditions of water participation, the main reason for the freeze–thaw and wind erosion in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is the damage to the soil structure by repeated, fierce freeze–thaw actions, and the sand-bearing wind is the main driving force for this process. The research results have theoretical significance for exploring the formation mechanism of freeze–thaw and wind erosion in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, and provide a scientific basis for freeze–thaw desertification control in the plateau.     

Investigation of Chemical Composition of Atmospheric Aerosol in Ulaanbaatar During 2005–2014

Results from investigating atmospheric aerosols in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) 2005–2014 are presented. It is found that the largest sources of suspended particles are represented by fuel combustion and the concomitant exhaust gases, thermal power generation, industrial facilities and mineral dust transport; the main components of aerosol particles are SO ₄ ^2- , NO ₃ ^- , Cl^–, NH ₄ ⁺ , Ca²⁺ and Na⁺. It is determined that in the wintertime, as a result of an increase in fuel consumption, calm weather and orographic characteristics of topography which contribute to accumulation of contaminants in the urban atmosphere, the average sum of ions increases to 43.9–114.6 μg/m³ against 7.44–18.48 μg/m³ during a warm season. Interannual differences in aerosol composition were noted; the total ion content averaged 43.9 μg/m³ during December 2011, 114.6 μg /m³ during December 2012, 68.7 μg/m³ during December 2013, and 64.7 μg/m³ during December 2014. It was found that the concentration of the sum of ions in the aerosol during the winter period is by a factor of 6 higher than during the summer. The highest exceedance of the concentrations was observed for the alkaline earth ions Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ (by a factor of more than 20) forming part of the ash components. There is a difference in the chemical composition of the aerosol sampled in the center of the city and on its outskirts. It is established that the aerosol composition and concentration in Ulaanbaatar during the winter period are comparable the aerosol composition in the industrial cities of China.     

Rb–Sr,Sm–Nd,and Ar–Ar isotopic systematics of lherzolitic shergottite Yamato 000097

Isotopic analysis of the Martian lherzolitic shergottite Yamato 000097 yields a Rb–Sr age of 147 ± 28 Ma with an initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.710490 ± 0.000072, a Sm–Nd age of 152 ± 13 Ma with an initial ɛ¹⁴³Nd-value of +11.7 ± 0.2, and a ³⁹Ar–⁴⁰Ar age of ∼260 Ma. The near concordance of these ages, in combination with the Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd initial isotopic signatures, suggests that Yamato 000097 crystallized from low Rb/Sr, light rare earth element depleted source materials ∼150 Ma ago. Although the obtained ³⁹Ar–⁴⁰Ar age is significantly higher than the Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd ages, Yamato 000097 shows little or no evidence of trapped Martian atmospheric ⁴⁰Ar. The trapped ⁴⁰Ar concentration of Yamato 000097 is similar to that of Zagami, suggesting that both basaltic and lherzolitic shergottites may have similarly inherited excess ⁴⁰Ar from their magmas.The Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd ages, and initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ɛ¹⁴³Nd-values of Yamato 000097 and Yamato 793605 lie on the same isotopic ingrowth curves, suggesting that they came from very similar mantle sources. Allan Hills 77005 was also probably derived from the same source, but Lewis Cliff 88516 appears to be from a distinct but similar source. Yamato 000097 represents the most recent known magmatism from its source, and is the youngest Martian meteorite for which concordant Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd ages have been determined.     

Impacts of backwater hydrodynamics on fluvial–deltaic stratigraphy

The hydrodynamics of rivers approaching a receiving basin are influenced by the onset of backwater conditions that give rise to decelerating reach-average flow velocity and decreasing boundary shear stress. These changes occur across a spatial gradient over which decreasing sediment transport capacity triggers morphodynamic responses that include sediment deposition at the transition from uniform to nonuniform flow. As a consequence, the channel width-to-depth ratio and bed sediment grain size decrease downstream. While nonuniform flow and associated morphodynamic adjustments have been investigated in modern fluvial–deltaic systems, the impacts to fluvial–deltaic stratigraphy remain relatively unexplored. This represents an important unresolved gap: there are few contributions that link morphodynamic response to nonuniform flow, impacts on sediment deposition and influence on the rock record. This study uses a numerical model to explore how variable channel hydraulics influence long-term (1000s years) patterns of sediment deposition and development of stratigraphy. The model results indicate that: (a) nonuniform flow propagates upstream beyond the backwater transition that is traditionally estimated with a basic backwater length scale relationship. (b) Base-level fluctuations, especially rising, enhance the impact of nonuniform flow. (c) Sediment deposition shows large spatio-temporal variability, which ultimately contributes to unique stacking patterns of fluvial–deltaic stratigraphy. (d) Nonuniform flow imparts spatial variation in flow depth, channel bed slope and sediment grain size over the delta, and these signatures are potentially preserved and recognizable in the rock record.     

Adaptive evolution of the rural human–environment system in farming and pastoral areas of northern China from 1952–2017

The theory on the cyclic adaptation between society and ecosystems sheds new light on the evolution and internal structure of human–environment systems. This paper introduces the risk index(RI) and adaptation capacity index(ACI) to evaluate the rural human–environment system. An evaluation index system for the adaptability of rural human–environment systems is configured in the context of climate change and policy implementation. On this basis, the stages, features, dominant control factors, and evolution mechanism were examined vis-à-vis the adaptability of the rural human–environment system in Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner from 1952 to 2017. The main results are as follows:(1) The evolution of the rural human–environment system can be divided into three stages, namely, the reorganization and rapid development stage(1952–2002) with population, cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland increasing by 260%, 13%, 134% and 16.33%, respectively. The rapid to stable development stage(2003–2010) with population increasing by 2.8%; cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland decreasing by 2.3%, 13.6% and 10.7%, respectively. The stable to release stage(2011–2017) with population, cultivated land, livestock and degraded grassland decreasing by 2.6%, 0.2%, 10.6% and 3.8%, respectively.(2) With the passage of time, the ACI of the rural human–environment system first increased slightly(–0.016–0.031), followed by a slight decline(0.031–0.003), and culminating in a rapid increase(0.003–0.088). In terms of spatial patterns, adaptability is high in the middle, moderate in the north, and low in the south.(3) The evolution of adaptability in the rural human–environment system was mainly controlled by the per capita effective irrigation area(22.31%) and the per capita number of livestock(23.47%) from 1990 to 2000, the desertified area(25.06%) and the land use intensity(21.27%) from 2000 to 2005, and the per capita income of farmers and herdsmen(20.08%) and the per capita number of livestock(18.52%) from 2010 to 2007.(4) Under the effects of climate change and policy interventions, the cyclic adaptation of the rural human–environment system was propelled by the interactions between two kinds of subjects: farmers and herdsmen on the one hand and rural communities on the other hand. The interaction affects the adaptive behavior of the two kinds of subjects, which in turn drives the cyclic evolution of the system. As a result, the system structure and functions developed alternatively between coordinated and uncoordinated states. Small-scale adaptive behaviors of farmers and herdsmen have a profound impact on the evolution of the rural human–environment system.     

Change of parameters of BCC/RCG-WG for daily non-precipitation variables in China: 1951–1978 and 1979–2007

Parameters of weather generator BCC/RCG-WG for daily non-precipitation variables including maximum temperature, minimum temperature and sunshine hours at 669 stations in China are estimated using history daily records from 1951 to 1978 and from 1979 to 2007 respectively. The changes in the parameters for the two periods are revealed to explore the impact of climate change on these parameters. The results show that the parameters of the non-precipitation variables have experienced different changes. While the annual means and the amplitudes of the seasonal cycle show a clear change, the interannual variability, the timings of the seasonal cycles, and the temporal correlations for each variable remain practically unchanged. This indicates that climate changes in China over the last 57 years are mainly reflected in variations in the means and in the strength of the seasonal cycles. The changed parameters have implications for the stationary assumption implied in the parameter estimation and use of the weather generator for climate change studies.     

An Analysis of the Commuting and Jobs–Housing Patterns of Older Adult Workers

Many researchers have explored the relationships between land use and transportation via the jobs–housing balance concept. This type of research involves the disaggregation of commuter groups to understand variances in the relationship between land use and transportation outcomes. Disaggregation by commuter age has not been considered, however. To address this gap, we analyze spatially and temporally disaggregate census data for five areas in Florida. Using several jobs–housing balance metrics we compare and contrast the outcomes of different commuter age groups, across different geographies, and over time (2002–2011). Generally, commutes vary more by region than they do by any age category of commuter. Most of the differences in the commute metrics among the older age group tend to depend on where those commuters live. The results also suggest that there are more efficient and less sprawling commuting landscapes for older workers located near other older workers.     

The Geography of the Journal of Geography: Paper Origins, 2008–2015

The Journal of Geography publishes work on geography education from throughout the world. This article investigates the origins of articles from 2008–2015, uncovers differences in rejection rates among articles from developed versus less developed regions, and makes suggestions to improve publication success by non-North American authors.     

Spatial Patterns of Larceny and Aggravated Assault in Miami–Dade County, 2007–2015

The combination of crime mapping and geospatial analysis methods has enabled law enforcement agencies to develop more proactive methods of targeting crime-prone neighborhoods based on spatial patterns, such as hot spots and spatial proximity to specific points of interest. In this article, we investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of the neighborhood crimes of aggravated assault and larceny in 297 census tracts in Miami–Dade County from 2007 to 2015. We use emerging hot spot analysis (EHSA) to identify the spatial patterns of emerging, persistent, continuous, and sporadic hot spots. In addition, we use geographically weighted regression to analyze the spatial clustering effects of sociodemographic variables, poverty rate, median age, and ethnic diversity. The hot spots for larceny are much more diffused than those for aggravated assaults, which exhibit clustering in the north over Liberty City and Miami Gardens and in the south near Homestead, and the ethnic heterogeneity index has a moderate and positive effect on the incidence of both larceny and aggravated assaults. The findings suggest that law enforcement can better target prevention programs for violent versus property crime using geospatial analyses. Additionally, the ethnic concentration of neighborhoods influences crime differently in neighborhoods of different socioeconomic status, and future studies should account for spatial patterns when estimating conventional regression models.     

Geospatial Analysis of Space–Time Patterning of ENSO Forced Daily Precipitation Distributions in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico experiences significant changes in the distribution of daily precipitation totals that are linked to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This research uses geospatial techniques to examine distribution patterns of ENSO-related precipitation. Kolmogorov–Smirnov test results comparing daily rainfall distributions for El Niño and La Niña are mapped at a 1° × 1° latitude/longitude resolution, and hotspot analysis using local Moran's I is performed to identify spatial clustering. Results indicate that ENSO-forced spatial and temporal variation in daily precipitation distributions influence large areas of the Gulf of Mexico region from August through January.     

Driving factors and spatiotemporal effects of environmental stress in urban agglomeration: Evidence from the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China

Environmental stress is used as an indicator of the overall pressure on regional environmental systems caused by the output of various pollutants as a result of human activities. Based on the pollutant emissions and socioeconomic databases of the counties in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, this paper comprehensively calculates the environmental stress index(ESI) for the urban agglomeration using the entropy weight method(EWM) at the county scale and analyzes the spatiotemporal patterns and the differences among the four types of major functional zones(MFZ) for the period 2012–2016. In addition, the socioeconomic driving forces of environmental stress are quantitatively estimated using the geographically weighted regression(GWR) method based on the STIRPAT model framework. The results show that:(1) The level of environmental stress in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region was significantly alleviated during that time period, with a decrease in ESI of 54.68% by 2016. This decrease was most significant in Beijing, Tangshan, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, and other central urban areas, as well as the Binhai New Area. The level of environmental stress in counties decreased gradually from the central urban areas to the suburban areas, and the high-level stress counties were eliminated by 2016.(2) The spatial spillover effect of environmental stress increased further at the county scale from 2012 to 2016, and spatial locking and path dependence emerged in the cities of Tangshan and Tianjin.(3) Urbanized zones(development-optimized and development-prioritized zones) were the major areas bearing environmental pollution in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region in that time period. The ESI accounted for 65.98% of the whole region, where there was a need to focus on the prevention and control of environmental pollution.(4) The driving factors of environmental stress at the county scale included population size and the level of economic development. In addition, the technical capacity of environmental waste disposal, the intensity of agricultural production input, the intensity of territorial development, and the level of urbanization also had a certain degree of influence.(5) There was spatial heterogeneity in the effects of the various driving factors on the level of environmental stress. Thus, it was necessary to adopt differentiated environmental governance and reduction countermeasures in respect of emission sources, according to the intensity and spatiotemporal differences in the driving forces in order to improve the accuracy and adaptability of environmental collaborative control in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region.     

Worldwide Diffusion of the Cellular Telephone, 1995–2005

The mobile telephone is one of the most widely adopted innovations of the late twentieth century. We examine the worldwide diffusion of the cellular telephone during a decade of explosive growth. We evaluate the influences of competition, location, and wealth on global and regional variations in cell phone penetration and address the role that cultural differences play in technology adoption and use. Telephony measures in the analysis vary significantly by competition type and by region, although gross national product per capita explains more than 75 percent of variation in cell phone penetration rates globally and nearly 90 percent in Asia.     

Pareto–Lognormal Modeling of Known and Unknown Metal Resources

Recently, large worldwide databases with statistics on amounts of metal in mineral deposits have become available. Frequently, most metal is contained in the largest deposits for a metal. A major problem in meaningful modeling of the size–frequency distributions of the largest deposits is that they are very rare. Until now it was rather difficult to establish the exact form of their size–frequency distribution. However, because of the new very large databases it can now be concluded that two commonly used approaches (lognormal and Pareto) thought to be mutually incompatible in the past, are both correct with a high probability. One approach does not necessarily exclude validity of the other. Patiño-Douce (Nat Resour Res 25(1):97–124, 2016b) has shown that metal tonnage frequency distributions for worldwide metal deposits are approximately lognormal with similar standard deviations (σ) of log-transformed data. In this paper, it is assumed that worldwide metals satisfy both lognormal and Pareto models simultaneously. Copper and Au are taken for example for comparison with results previously obtained for these two metals in the Abitibi area of the Canadian Shield. Worldwide there are 2541 Cu deposits approximately satisfying a lognormal distribution. Total amount of Cu in these deposits is 2.319 × 10⁹ tons of Cu. However, the 45 largest deposits, which together contain 1.281 × 10⁹ tons of Cu, satisfy a Pareto distribution. If their lognormal model would apply in the upper tail as well, these 45 largest deposits should have contained only about 0.076 × 10⁹ tons of Cu. It is shown in detail for Cu that the best statistical model for Cu deposits is a worldwide Pareto–lognormal model in which the basic lognormal size–frequency distribution is flanked by two juxtaposed Pareto distributions for the largest and smallest Cu deposits, respectively. Both Pareto distributions smoothly change into the central lognormal by means of bridge functions that can be determined separately. The worldwide Pareto–lognormal model also was found to be applicable to several other metals, especially Ag, Ni, Pb, and U. For Au, the model does not work as well for the upper tail Pareto distribution as it does for the other metals taken for example.     

Land Reclamation in the Farming–Grazing Transitional Zone of Northeast China: 1644–1930

Using land reclamation information from gazetteers and corresponding historical records as further evidence, we extracted information about land reclamation in the early years of reclamation (at the “beginning date”) and during the climax period (the maximum extent). We analyzed land reclamation processes in the farming–grazing transitional zone in northeast China during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). Among thirty-seven counties for which the beginning date of land reclamation was recorded, 32 percent began reclamation early, primarily between the Shunzhi (1644–1661) and the Kangxi reigns (1662–1722), 19 percent were exploited during the Yongzheng reign (1723–1735), and 19 percent were exploited during the Guangxu reign (1875–1908). Among forty-six counties for which the maximum extent of land reclamation was recorded, the counties of Fengning, Longhua, and Longjiang were extensively exploited before 1800. From 1800 to 1860, four counties were extensively exploited, including Changtu County, Horqin Left Wing and Behind Banner, Horqin Left Wing and Middle Banner, and Shangyi County. Most counties were extensively exploited after 1860. Land reclamation was usually carried out by Han farmers, who were either recruited by Mongol landowners or were fleeing famine. Extensive land reclamation in the majority of counties was conducted during the Guangxu reign (1875–1908) in the late Qing Dynasty, when the Qing government implemented the policy of promoting Han migration to strengthen its hold on the frontier by distributing land.     

Oil pollution of the anabranches of the Ob river on the territory of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug–Yugra

An analysis is made of the oil pollution of the Ob river waters using a long-term (1993–2013) hydrochemical monitoring of oil fields in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Contents of oil hydrocarbons (OHC) were determined in 4277 samples from the main Ob channel, and in 7076 samples from its anabranches by using infrared spectrometry. An increase in MAC (0.05 mg/dm³) was observed in 28% of the samples from the main channel, and in 32% from the anabranches. The total percentage of samples with an extremely high (> 50 MAC) and high (30–50 MAC) pollution level made up 0.3% of the samples for the anabranches, and 0.1% for the main channel. Maximum pollution was revealed in the eastern part of Okrug, from its eastern boundary to the mouth of the Trom’egan river which is associated with a considerable number of accidents on the pipelines within the Nizhnevartovskii district. The upper and lower quantiles in the most polluted anabranches, Pasl and Bagras, are 0.03–01.7 and 0.032–0.16 mg/dm³, respectively, whereas in the main Ob channel they vary from 0.022 to 0.065 mg/dm³ (0.4–1.2 MAC). The methods of geoinformatics and mathematical statistics were used to assess a dependence of OHC on the number of pollution sources (well clusters, and the area of oil spills) in zones at different distances from the river channels. By calculating the Spearman correlation coefficients, it was shown that OHC contents are dependent mainly on the number of wells, and on the area of oil spills located at less than 2 km from the channels.     

Spatial-temporal variations of vegetation cover in Yellow River Basin of China during 1998–2008

Using an integrated method combining wavelet analysis and non-parameter Mann-Kendall test, this paper analyzed spatial-temporal variations of vegetation cover in the Yellow River Basin based on SPOT-VEG images from 1998 to 2008. The results indicate: (1) Vegetation cover presented marked seasonal variation during the study period, with minima around winter and maxima in summer. The detail component D5 (with semi-period of 240 days) has presented a major contribution to the intra-annual variability. Forest vegetation presents a marked decreasing trend, while alpine shrubs, meadow, typical steppe, desert steppe, and forest (meadow) steppe vegetation all show a marked increasing trend. (2) Mean vegetation amount increased from the upper to lower reaches of the basin. It is low in the Ordos Plateau and Loess Plateau, and high in the southern Loess Plateau and the lower reaches. Amplitude of the annual phenological cycle presents an opposite pattern in spatial distribution with that of the mean vegetation amount. (3) Vegetation cover presented a dominant positive inter-annual change trend, which implies that the eco-environment in the region has steadily improved. Only a few areas show a negative trend, which are located in the upper reaches and the southern Loess Plateau.     

Temporal-spatial characteristics of observed key parameters of snow cover in China during 1957–2009

Using observed snow cover data from Chinese meteorological stations, this study indicated that annual mean snow depth, Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), and snow density during 1957–2009 were 0.49 cm, 0.7 mm, and 0.14 g/cm³ over China as a whole, respectively. On average, they were all the smallest in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), and were greater in northwestern China (NW). Spatially, the regions with greater annual mean snow depth and SWE were located in northeastern China including eastern Inner Mongolia (NE), northern Xinjiang municipality, and a small fraction of southwestern QTP. Annual mean snow density was below 0.14 g/cm³ in most of China, and was higher in the QTP, NE, and NW. The trend analyses revealed that both annual mean snow depth and SWE presented increasing trends in NE, NW, the QTP, and China as a whole during 1957–2009. Although the trend in China as a whole was not significant, the amplitude of variation became increasingly greater in the second half of the 20th century. Spatially, the statistically significant (95%-level) positive trends for annual mean snow depth were located in western and northern NE, northwestern Xinjiang municipality, and northeastern QTP. The distribution of positive and negative trends for annual mean SWE were similar to that of snow depth in position, but not in range. The range with positive trends of SWE was not as large as that of snow depth, but the range with negative trends was larger.