Distinct temperature changes between north and south sides of central–eastern Himalayas since 1970s

Abstract

AbstractMost regions of the world have experienced significant climate warming in recent decades, generally characterized by a faster rise in minimum temperature than in maximum temperature. This study shows that the temperature changes on the north side of the central and eastern Himalayas were similar to the global change values from 1972 to 2014, while on the south side of the Himalayas (SHM) the change in minimum temperature has been negligible over the past 40 years except for a significant warming trend during the monsoon season. SHM temperature changes are closely related to changes in cloud fraction and downward longwave radiation. Over the SHM, cloud fraction has decreased due to weaker uplift, leading to reduced downward longwave radiation at night. Therefore, the increase rate in minimum temperature diminished significantly. During the 40‐year period, changes in albedo on both sides of Himalayas were small, and thus played a negligible role. Overall, our results may contribute to a better understanding of temperature changes and their effects on environmental changes in the Himalayas, in the context of global warming.