Abstract: In this study,the monthly average temperature data from 41 meteorological stations in north Xinjiang during the period from 1961 to 2014 were used to analyze the annual and seasonal abrupt changes of temperature.The methods of linear trend analysis,moving average,three-dimensional quadratic trend surface simulation based on GIS,cumulative anomaly analysis, Mann-Kendall test and Morlet analysis based on Matlab were applied.The main results are as follows:① The average annual and seasonal temperatures in north Xinjiang were characterized by several cold and warm fluctuations,however,the average temperature was holistically in a significant increase trend at statistically significance level since the 1990s except that in winter;② The increase of average annual temperature in north Xinjiang was 0.35 ℃·(10a)^-1.The significant temperature increase occurred in the Junggar Basin,Tacheng and north Fuyun County;③ There were the abrupt changes in average seasonal temperature and annual temperature in north Xinjiang.The abrupt changes in average annual,spring,summer and autumn temperature occurred mainly in the late 1990s,but those in average winter temperature mainly in the late 1970s;④ There was a 27-year main period of the changes of annual and seasonal temperature in north Xinjiang,and also a 14-year sub-period during the period from 1961 to 2014.The high-low temperature alternations were global.

Key words: temperature variation, regional difference, abrupt change, wavelet analysis, north Xinjiang