Arid Zone Research ›› 2019, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (6): 1457-1465.

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Sandstorm and Its Affecting Meteorological Factors in East Hexi Corridor

LI Ling-ping1, 2, LI Yan-ying2, SUN Zhan-feng2, WANG Rong-zhe2   

  1. 1. Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration/Key Laboratory of Tree Ring Physical and Chemical Research of China Meteorological Administration, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China;
    2. Wuwei Meteorological Bureau, Wuwei 733000,Gansu, China

  • Received:2018-09-14 Revised:2018-12-26 Online:2019-11-15 Published:2019-11-15

Abstract:

Change characteristics and mechanism of sandstorm frequency in east Hexi Corridor during the period of 1961-2015 were analyzed using the meteorological and sandstorm data from Minqin, Liangzhou and Yongchang. The meteorological data, including the monthly air and ground temperature, precipitation, maximum frozen soil depth, snow cover duration and depth, wind speed and gale days, were from representative Minqin Meteorological Station. The results showed that there were the obvious daily, monthly and seasonal variations in sandstorm frequency and occurrence time. Sandstorm occurred mainly in April and spring and was the least in September and autumn, and its occurring frequency was the highest in the afternoon and evening but the lowest in the early morning. The spring sandstorm frequency began to increase in the morning, the autumn and winter one began to increase at noon, and the summer one began to increase in the afternoon. The sandstorm frequency with 60-180-min duration was the highest in east Hexi Corridor, and it with 1~30-min duration was the highest in summer. The long-duration sandstorm began to increase in the morning, and the short-time one occurred mainly in the afternoon and evening. The monthly and seasonal variation of sandstorm frequency was the most significant in April and spring, and it was the lowest in September and autumn. In recent 55 years from 1961 to 2015, the sandstorm frequency was in a decrease trend due to the reduction of gale days and wind speed, increase of ground temperature, air temperature and precipitation, and improvement of ecological environment of underlying surface.

Key words: sandstorm, meteorological factor, temperature, precipitation, east Hexi Corridor