Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 133-143.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.01.15

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of the upper-air temperature change in Xinjiang region

ZHANG Liancheng1(),ZHANG Taixi1(),MAO Weiyi2,SI Jiayi3,ZHANG Tongwen2,WANG Shengli1   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Climate Center, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
    2. Xinjiang Urumqi Desert Institute of CMA, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
    3. Xinjiang Institute of Engineering, Urumqi 830023, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2020-08-25 Revised:2020-10-29 Online:2021-01-15 Published:2021-03-05
  • Contact: Taixi ZHANG E-mail:524480929@qq.com;1546219074@qq.com

Abstract:

Here, we analyzed the mean annual variations in upper-air temperature features in the Xinjiang region with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset. We used stepwise regression to interpolate the missing values in the measured data and verified them using a cross-validation method. We analyzed the change in upper-air temperature both in the coldest (January) and the warmest (July) months. Additionally, we verified the NCEP/NCAR data’s accuracy in both January and July with the upper-air measured data. The results indicated that the measured data can describe the upper-air temperature in Xinjiang more accurately after interpolation. We examined the average temperature trends in the troposphere (at the bottom, middle, and upper layers) and the lower stratosphere on both the coldest and warmest months and throughout the year. As the height rises, the temperature trend changes from warming to cooling temperatures. The critical height at which the temperature trend reverses is higher during the warmer months. In most years after 2000, the air temperature exhibited a warm anomaly in the troposphere a cold anomaly in the lower stratosphere. The turning point in the annual mean temperature anomaly, which turned from cold to warm, occurred in 1996 at both 850 hPa and 700 hPa levels. However, between 1995 and 1997, it happened at the 100 hPa level, showing a warm to cold trend. The temperature anomaly did not change abruptly between 500 hPa and 300 hPa. The NCEP/NCAR data and measured data in January and July had a correlation coefficient mostly above 0.9, indicating a relatively small error.

Key words: upper-air temperature, climate change, Xinjiang region