Spatio-temporal variability of vertical gradients of major meteorological observations around the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

The near-surface air temperature lapse rate (TLR), wind speed gradient (WSG), and precipitation gradient (PG) provide crucial parameters used in models of mountain climate and hydrology. The complex mountain terrain and vast area of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) make such factors particularly important. With daily data from 161 meteorological stations over the past 43 years (1970–2012), we analyse the spatio-temporal variations of TLRs, WSGs, and PGs over and around TP, derived using linear regression methods and dividing the study area into zones based on spatial variations. Results of this study include: (1) The observed TLR varies from −0.46 to −0.73 °C (100 m)−1, with averaged TLRs of −0.60, −0.62, and −0.59 °C (100 m)−1 for Tmax, Tmin, and Tmean, respectively. The averaged TLR is slightly less than the global mean of −0.65 °C (100 m)−1. The spatial variability of TLR relates to climate conditions, wherein the TLR increases in dry conditions and in cold months (October–April), while it lessens in humid regions and during warm months (May–September). (2) The estimated annual WSG ranges from 0.07 to 0.17 m s−1 (100 m)−1. Monthly WSGs show a marked seasonal shift, in which higher WSGs can be explained by the high intensity of prevailing wind. (3) Positive summer PGs vary from 12.08 in the central TP to 26.14 mm (100 m)−1 in northeastern Qinghai and the southern TP, but a reverse gradient prevails in Yunnan and parts of Sichuan Province. (4) The regional warming over TP is more evident in winter, and Tmin demonstrated the most prominent warming compared with Tmax and Tmean. Environments at high elevations experience more rapid changes in temperatures (Tmax, Tmin, and Tmean) than those at low elevations, which is especially true in winter and for Tmin. Furthermore, inter-annual variation of TLRs is linked to elevation-dependent warming.