Recent changes in ground surface thermal regimes in the context of air temperature warming over the Heihe River Basin, China

摘要

Changes in ground surface thermal regimes play a vital role in surface and subsurface hydrology, ecosystem diversity and productivity, and global thermal, water and carbon budgets as well as climate change. Estimating spring, summer, autumn and winter air temperatures and mean annual air temperature(MAAT) from 1960 through 2008 over the Heihe River Basin reveals a statistically significant trend of 0.31 °C/decade, 0.28 °C/decade, 0.37 °C/decade, 0.50 °C/decade, and 0.37 °C /decade, respectively. The averaged time series of mean annual ground surface temperature(MAGST) and maximum annual ground surface temperature(MaxAGST) for 1972–2006 over the basin indicates a statistically significant trend of 0.58 °C/decade and 1.27 °C/decade, respectively. The minimum annual ground surface temperature(MinAGST) in the same period remains unchanged as a whole. Estimating surface freezing/thawing index as well as the ratio of freezing index to thawing index(RFT) in the period between 1959 and 2006 over the basin indicates a statistically significant trend of-42.5 °C-day/decade, 85.4 °C-day/decade and-0.018/decade, respectively.