Urban heat islands in China and decadal-scale temperature variability
- AER, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)
The paper describes an investigation involving careful examination of data homogeneity and calculation of urban heat island effects in Chinese surface temperatures. As part of this study, monthly mean temperatures, mean minimum temperatures, and mean maximum temperatures from more than 400 stations were collected and merged. Large seasonal and regional variations were shown; however, results indicate that urban heat island biases are greatest in magnitude during the coldest months. The biases in monthly mean temperature and in mean diurnal temperature range have increased since the 1950s, while those in the minimum temperature appear to have decreased. These changes are significant in comparison to the interdecadal fluctuations during the same 40-year time period. Despite large variations, preliminary results suggest that the Chinese urban heat islands not only produce a warm bias in monthly mean temperature, but also constitute a principal source of the persistent decrease in mean diurnal temperature range.
- OSTI ID:
- 535531
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970207-; TRN: 97:005076-0063
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 77. annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society, Long Beach, CA (United States), 2-7 Feb 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Eighth symposium on global change studies; PB: 402 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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