Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Weakening Trend in the Atmospheric Heat Source over the Tibetan Plateau during Recent Decades. Part I: Observations

Anmin Duan State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modelling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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Guoxiong Wu State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modelling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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Print Publication:
01 Jul 2008
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2007JCLI1912.1
Page(s):
3149–3164
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Abstract

The trend in the atmospheric heat source over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) during the last four decades is evaluated using historical observations at 74 meteorological stations in the period of 1961–2003 and satellite radiation data from 1983 to 2004. It is shown that in contrast to the strong surface and troposphere warming, the sensible heat (SH) flux over the TP exhibits a significant decreasing trend since the mid-1980s. The largest trend occurs in spring, a season of the highest SH over the TP. The subdued surface wind speed contributes most to the decreasing trend. At the same time, the radiative cooling effect in the air column enhances persistently. Despite the fact that the in situ latent heating presents a weak increasing trend, the springtime atmospheric heat source over the TP loses its strength during two recent decades. Further investigation suggests that the weakened SH over the TP may be part of the global circulation shift.

Corresponding author address: Anmin Duan, State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modelling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China. Email: amduan@lasg.iap.ac.cn

Abstract

The trend in the atmospheric heat source over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) during the last four decades is evaluated using historical observations at 74 meteorological stations in the period of 1961–2003 and satellite radiation data from 1983 to 2004. It is shown that in contrast to the strong surface and troposphere warming, the sensible heat (SH) flux over the TP exhibits a significant decreasing trend since the mid-1980s. The largest trend occurs in spring, a season of the highest SH over the TP. The subdued surface wind speed contributes most to the decreasing trend. At the same time, the radiative cooling effect in the air column enhances persistently. Despite the fact that the in situ latent heating presents a weak increasing trend, the springtime atmospheric heat source over the TP loses its strength during two recent decades. Further investigation suggests that the weakened SH over the TP may be part of the global circulation shift.

Corresponding author address: Anmin Duan, State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modelling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China. Email: amduan@lasg.iap.ac.cn

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