Abstract

Based on the number of snow cover days (NSCDs) and homogenized surface air temperature data for the period 1951–2004, this study performs the quantitative analysis on the sensitivity of NSCDs to surface air temperature over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Results show that both the extreme sensitivity and sensitivity under current climate are higher in the edge than in the central area of the QTP. There exists a strong negative correlation between station’s elevation and critical temperature, at which the sensitivity reaches extremum. The negative correlation between the elevation and the extreme sensitivity is not as strong as the former one. Currently, the climatological temperatures in quite a few stations do not reach the critical stage. The sensitivity at these stations will become greater under the current background of climate warming, which means NSCDs will be more sensitive to surface air temperature. Ma, L., D. Qin, L. Bian, et al., 2010: Sensitivity of the number of snow cover days to surface air temperature over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Adv. Clim. Change Res., 1, doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1248.2010.00076.

Abstract

Hourly data of 42 rain gauges over South China during 1966–2005 were used to analyze the corresponding relation between precipitation extremes and surface air temperature in the warm season (May to October). The results show that below 25°C, both daily and hourly precipitation extremes in South China increase with rising temperature. More extreme events transit to the two-time Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) relationship at lower temperatures. Daily as well as hourly precipitation extremes have a decreasing tendency nearly above 25°C, among which the decrease of hourly extremes is much more significant. In order to investigate the effects of rainfall durations, hourly precipitation extremes are presented by short duration and long duration precipitation, respectively. Results show that the dramatic decrease of hourly rainfall intensities above 25°C is mainly caused by short duration precipitation, and long duration precipitation extremes rarely occur in South China when surface air temperature surpasses 28°C. Sun, W., J. Li, and R.-C. Yu, 2013: Corresponding relation between warm season precipitation extremes and surface air temperature in South China. Adv. Clim. Change Res., 4 (3), doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1248.2013.160.