CR 92:21-31 (2024)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01731

ABSTRACT: The near-surface air temperature lapse rate (SATLR) is a result of surface energy balance, and the long-term trend of SATLR is linked to elevation-dependent warming (EDW). The long-term trend of SATLR in China’s mainland was examined in the present study. It was found that the regional average values of annual, autumn, and winter SATLR anomalies in T_mean, T_max, and T_min decreased significantly during the period of 1961-2018. In terms of spatial distribution, most of the annual SATLR trends in T_mean across China’s mainland are negative. In spring, positive SATLR trends in T_mean are widespread in the northern mountainous areas of China, while in winter, strong negative trends are found in some areas of the central and eastern parts of the Tibetan Plateau and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Most of the negative annual SATLR trends in T_max occur in the central part of China, but in the southwestern part of China for T_min. Widespread negative SATLR trends in T_min are usually found in winter, especially in the Hengduan Mountains of Southwestern China and the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. The significant positive SATLR trends in T_max are observed in spring, mostly distributed in northern mountainous areas. In the context of global and regional warming, the long-term trend of SATLR has the potential to detect differences in altitude responses to climate change on a small spatial scale, and to explore the local effect of EDW.

KEY WORDS: Temperature lapse rate · Long-term trend · Variation · Elevation-dependent warming · Surface air temperature · China

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Cite this article as: Qin Y, Ren G, Zhang P, Zhan Y, Zhang S, Xue X (2024) Long-term trend of near-surface air temperature lapse rate over the Chinese mainland during 1961-2018. Clim Res 92:21-31. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01731 Export citation Share:    Facebook - - linkedIn