Arid Zone Research ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (12): 1885-1897.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.12.02

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Multi-time scale change characteristics and influencing factors of total solar radiation in Dunhuang City

WANG Yunpeng1(),LI Hongying1(),YAO Yubi2,LI Dongliang3,FAN Qiwei1,LIU Xiangping4   

  1. 1. Jiuquan Meteorological Bureau, Jiuquan 735000, Gansu, China
    2. Lanzhou Resources and Environment Vocational and Technical University, Lanzhou 730021, Gansu, China
    3. Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, Jiangsu, China
    4. Dunhuang Meteorological Bureau, Dunhuang 736200, Gansu, China
  • Received:2023-03-20 Revised:2023-10-09 Online:2023-12-15 Published:2023-12-18

Abstract:

Using ensemble empirical mode decomposition and the M-K mutation test, the multi-times cale characteristics of the evolution of total solar radiation in Dunhuang city were analyzed based on the meteorological data of total solar radiation, relative humidity, total cloudiness, and dust days in Dunhuang city between 1971 and 2020. The key meteorological factors influencing solar radiation in Dunhuang city were explored. The results show the following: (1) There was a significant upward trend of annual total solar radiation in Dunhuang city between 1971 and 2020, with a linear climate propensity rate of 49.6 MJ·m-2·(10a)-1, and the multiyear average annual radiation was 6354.0 MJ·m-2, belonging to the area with the most abundant solar resources. The annual radiation was lowest in the 1970s and highest in the 2010s. Dunhuang has four distinct seasons of solar radiation, with radiation increasing at rates of 32.5, 13.4, 2.9, and 1.1 MJ·m-2·(10a)-1 in summer > spring > fall > winter, respectively. The total solar radiation in Dunhuang city in the last 50 years was dominated by interannual variations of 2.9 and 7.1 years and interdecadal variations of 16.7 years. (2) Monthly solar radiation varied in a “single-peak” pattern, with a sharp increase in March, a peak in May, a gradual decrease in June, and a yearly minimum in December. The hourly distribution of total solar radiation is monomodal, with the maximum occurring between 12:00 and 13:00 a.m. (3) The annual, spring, and summer solar radiation changes were abrupt in 1997, 2000, and 1982. (4) Meteorological factors affecting solar radiation at Dunhuang can be attributed to three factors: atmospheric transparency, illumination, and humidity, and the correlation between each meteorological factor and solar radiation varies according to the seasons.

Key words: solar radiation, variation characteristics, ensemble empirical mode method, mutation test, meteorological elements, Dunhuang City