Impact of temperature and precipitation lapse rate on hydrological modelling over Himalayan Gandak River Basin

The hydrology of Himalayan region is influenced by temperature lapse rate(TLAPS)and precipitation lapse rate(PLAPS).Therefore,hydrological modeling considering TLAPS and PLAPS is crucial to manage the water resources in these terrains.In this research,Himalayan Gandak River basin is considered as the study area where TLAPS and PLAPS vary significantly due to high altitude of Himalayas.To assess the impact of TLAPS and PLAPS on water balance components,Soil Water Assessment Tool(SWAT)model was calibrated(2000-2007)and validated(2008-2014)on daily time step for three projects i.e.,Reference Project(RP),Snowmelt Project(SP)and distributed elevation band snowmelt project(SWAT-ETISM).The analysis discloses that SWAT-ETISM model(which has TLAPS and PLAPS parameters)outperforms the RP and the SP models in predicting streamflow with improved statistical indicators R2=0.88,NSE=0.84 and PBIAS=11.9.Furthermore,it was observed that SWAT-ETISM model comprehensively improved the streamflow statistics by improving the snow water equivalent and water balance components through the consideration of TLAPS and PLAPS values for the region.Hence,the proposed SWAT-ETISM model can be used for estimation of the water budget at the high-altitude and data scarce alpine Himalayan regions and worldwide,where PLAPS and TLAPS are substantial due to altitudinal variation.

Spatio-temporal variation of land surface temperature and temperature lapse rate over mountainous Kashmir Himalaya

In this study, Land Surface Temperature(LST) and its lapse rate over the mountainous Kashmir Himalaya was estimated using MODIS data and correlated with the observed in-situ air temperature(Tair) data. Comparison between the MODIS LST and Tair showed a close agreement with the maximum error of the estimate ±1°C and the correlation coefficient >0.90. Analysis of the LST data from 2002-2012 showed an increasing trend at all the selected locations except at a site located in the southeastern part of Kashmir valley. Using the GTOPO30 DEM, MODIS LST data was used to estimate the actual temperature lapse rate(ATLR) along various transects across Kashmir Himalaya, which showed significant variations in space and time ranging from 0.3°C to 1.2°C per 100 m altitude change. This observation is at variance with the standard temperature lapse rate(STLR) of 0.65°C used universally in most of the hydrological and other land surface models. Snowmelt Runoff Model(SRM) was used to determine the efficacy of using the ATLR for simulating the stream flows in one of the glaciated and snow-covered watersheds in Kashmir. The use of ATLR in the SRM model improved the R2 between the observed and predicted streamflows from 0.92 to 0.97.It is hoped that the operational use of satellite-derived LST and ATLR shall improve the understanding and quantification of various processes related to climate, hydrology and ecosystem in the mountainous and data-scarce Himalaya where the use of temperature and ATLR are critical parameters for understanding various land surface and climate processes.

Unraveling the distribution patterns of near-surface temperature lapse rates in the Northwestern Kunlun Mountains

The near-surface temperature lapse rates for the core area of the Kunlun Mountains remain critically unresolved due to data scarcity.Here,we revealed the spatial and temporal patterns of nearsurface temperature lapse rate in the Kunlun Mountain regions based on both long-term meteorological records(1961-2017)and field surveys measured data(2012-2017).The results showed that(1)The near-surface temperature lapse rates(β;)has spatiotemporal distribution patterns on the Northwestern Kunlun Mountains(NWKM),and in complex terrain areas the complexity of the temperature-elevation relationship cannot be explained by the constant environmental temperature lapse rate(0.65℃/100 m)throughout alone.(2)Theβ;for the daily mean,minimum,and maximum temperature on the north slopes in the Kunlun mountain area are 0.41,0.47,and 0.37℃/100 m and on the Tiznafu River(TR)basin are 0.51,0.47 and 0.53℃/100 m,respectively.(3)The variations ofβ;for daily maximum and minimum temperature of the two regions exhibit similar monthly characteristics,which are lower in the winter and spring months than in other months.A greatest variability ofβ;for the daily mean,minimum,and maximum temperature appears in winter and a light variability ofβ;occurs in spring.The seasonal variability ofβ;for daily maximum temperature is greater than that for daily minimum temperature,and the seasonal variability ofβ;for daily average temperature has the smallest variability.(4)There is no significant trend of change occurred in theβ;of NWKM.(5)The spatial and temporal variations ofβ;for the NWKM are linked to the geographic differences and climate factors.The results of Grey Relational Analysis showed that theβ;distribution is mainly influenced by the wind speed and relative humidity of the NWKM.

Planetary Layer Lapse Rate Comparison of Tropical, Montane and Hot Semi-Arid Climates of Nigeria

This study assessed the pattern of planetary layer lapse rate across the major climate belts of Nigeria.Six years’data(2010-2015)for air temperature values between 1000 mbar and 850 mbar atmospheric pressure levels was acquired from Era-Interim Re-analysis data centre.The data was retrieved at 6-hourly synoptic hours:00:00 Hr,06:00 Hr.at 0.125o grid resolution.Results showed that the lower tropospheric layers throughout the various climate belts has a positive lapse rate.Findings also revealed that the average annual lapse rate condition were:Tropical wet zone(Port Harcourt)-5.6 oC/km;Bi-modal Tropical continental zone(Enugu)-5.8 oC/km;Montane zone(Jos)-6.5 oC/km;Mono-modal Tropical continental zone(Kano)-6.6 oC/km;and Hot semi-arid zone(Maiduguri)-6.6 oC/km.This average values presents the lapse rates to be near the Saturated Adiabatic Lapse Rate(SALR).Average diurnal results for the climate belts showed that lapse rate is higher during the afternoon and transition periods than the rest periods and increases from the coastal areas northward.The seasonal periods of highest lapse rates during the day time are from December-May(i.e.-5.8-9.5 oC/km)with slight decrease from June-November.The positive lapse rates of range-1.8 to 5.9 oC/km observed during the period of dawn across the entire region showed that infrared radiation was still being released and modified by less energetic mechanical turbulence that characterizes the surface layer across Nigeria.This also indicate that global warming is real and in substantial effect.The study findings imply that conditional instability prevailed over the entire region,therefore,the planetary layer environment will be of slow to moderate dispersive potential and will require forceful mechanism to lift emissions introduced into it.It is recommended that industrial stacks should be above 50 m to enhance the dispersion of emissions aloft.

Contrast patterns and trends of lapse rates calculated from near-surface air and land surface temperatures in China from 1961 to 2014

The near-surface lapse rate reflects the atmospheric stability above the surface.Lapse rates calculated from land surface temperature(γTs)and near-surface air temperature( γTa )have been widely used.However,γTs and γTa have different sensitivity to local surface energy balance and large-scale energy transport and therefore they may have diverse spatial and temporal variability,which has not been clearly illustrated in existing studies.In this study,we calculated and compared γTa and γTs at^2200 stations over China from 1961 to 2014.This study finds that γTa and γTs have a similar multiyear national average(0.53°C/100 m)and seasonal cycle.Nevertheless,γTs shows steeper multiyear average than γTa at high latitudes,and γTs in summer is steeper than γTa ,especially in Northwest China.The North China shows the shallowest γTa and γTs,then inhibiting the vertical diffusion of air pollutants and further reducing the lapse rates due to accumulation of pollutants.Moreover,the long-term trend signs for γTa and γTs are opposite in northern China.However,the trends in γTa and γTs are both negative in Southwest China and positive in Southeast China.Surface incident solar radiation,surface downward longwave radiation and precipitant frequency jointly can account for 80%and 75%of the long-term trends in γTa and γTs in China,respectively,which provides an explanation of trends of γTa and γTs from perspective of surface energy balance.

Application of geographically weighted regression model in the estimation of surface air temperature lapse rate

The surface air temperature lapse rate(SATLR)plays a key role in the hydrological,glacial and ecological modeling,the regional downscaling,and the reconstruction of high-resolution surface air temperature.However,how to accurately estimate the SATLR in the regions with complex terrain and climatic condition has been a great challenge for researchers.The geographically weighted regression(GWR)model was applied in this paper to estimate the SATLR in China’s mainland,and then the assessment and validation for the GWR model were made.The spatial pattern of regression residuals which was identified by Moran’s Index indicated that the GWR model was broadly reasonable for the estimation of SATLR.The small mean absolute error(MAE)in all months indicated that the GWR model had a strong predictive ability for the surface air temperature.The comparison with previous studies for the seasonal mean SATLR further evidenced the accuracy of the estimation.Therefore,the GWR method has potential application for estimating the SATLR in a large region with complex terrain and climatic condition.

BOUNDARY LAYER GROWTH AND LAPSE RATE CHANGES DETERMINED BY LIDAR AND SURFACE HEAT FLUX IN SOFIA

In this study the results from a boundary layer experiment,conducted in autumn 1991 over a flat,build-up urban area in Southeast Sofia,together with some models for mixed layer growth rates are used to investigate the layered struc- ture of the vertical atmospheric stability distribution in the Sofia Valley.Lidar measurements of aerosol layer heights and morning boundary layer development are combined with surface eddy correlation measurements of kinematic heat and moisture fluxes,profiles of temperature and humidity,wind speed and wind direction.A diagnostic method is pres- ented for determining vertical lapse rates using surface meteorological measurements and lidar returns observed during the transition from nighttime stable stratification to daytime convective boundary layer after the sunrise.

Using satellite-derived land surface temperatures to clarify the spatiotemporal warming trends of the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran

The Alborz Mountains are some of the highest in Iran,and they play an important role in controlling the climate of the country’s northern regions.The land surface temperature(LST)is an important variable that affects the ecosystem of this area.This study investigated the spatiotemporal changes and trends of the nighttime LST in the western region of the Central Alborz Mountains at elevations of 1500-4000 m above sea level.MODIS data were extracted for the period of 2000-2021,and the Mann-Kendall nonparametric test was applied to evaluating the changes in the LST.The results indicated a significant increasing trend for the monthly average LST in May-August along the southern aspect.Both the northern and southern aspects showed decreasing trends for the monthly average LST in October,November,and March and an increasing trend in other months.At all elevations,the average decadal change in the monthly average LST was more severe along the southern aspect(0.60°C)than along the northern aspect(0.37°C).The LST difference between the northern and southern aspects decreased in the cold months but increased in the hot months.At the same elevation,the difference in the lapse rate between the northern and southern aspects was greater in the hot months than in the cold months.With increasing elevation,the lapse rate between the northern and southern aspects disappeared.Climate change was concluded to greatly decrease the difference in LST at different elevations for April-July.

Effect of Altitude and Latitude on Surface Air Temperature across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The correlation between mean surface air temperature and altitude is analyzed in this paper based on the annual and monthly mean surface air temperature data from 106 weather stations over the period 1961-2003 across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results show that temperature variations not only depend on altitude but also latitude, and there is a gradual decrease in temperature with the increasing altitude and latitude. The overall trend for the vertical temperature lapse rate for the whole plateau is approximately linear. Three methods, namely multivariate composite analysis, simple correlation and traditional stepwise regression, were applied to analyze these three correlations. The results assessed with the first method are well matched to those with the latter two methods. The apparent mean annual near-surface lapse rate is -4.8 ℃ /km and the latitudinal effect is -0.87 ℃ /°latitude. In summer, the altitude influences the temperature variations more significantly with a July lapse rate of -4.3℃/km and the effect of latitude is only -0.28℃ /°latitude. In winter, the reverse happens. The temperature decrease is mainly due to the increase in latitude. The mean January lapse rate is -5.0℃/km, while the effect of latitude is -1.51℃ /°latitude. Comparative analysis for pairs of adjacent stations shows that at a small spatial scale the difference in altitude is the dominant factor affecting differences in mean annual near-surface air temperature, aided to some extent bydifferences of latitude. In contrast, the lapse rate in a small area is greater than the overall mean value for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau （5 to 13℃ /km）. An increasing trend has been detected for the surface lapse rate with increases in altitude. The temperature difference has obvious seasonal variations, and the trends for the southern group of stations （south of 33 o latitude） and for the more northerly group are opposite, mainly because of the differences in seasonal variation at low altitudes. For yearly changes, the temperature for high-altitude stations occurs earlier clearly. Temperature datasets at high altitude stations are well-correlated, and those in Nanjing were lagged for 1 year but less for contemporaneous correlations. The slope of linear trendline of temperature change for available years is clearly related to altitude, and the amplitude of temperature variation is enlarged by high altitude. The change effect in near-surface lapse rate at the varying altitude is approximately 1.0℃ /km on the rate of warming over a hundred-year period.

A Diagnostic Analysis on the Effect of the Residual Layer in Convective Boundary Layer Development near Mongolia Using 20th Century Reanalysis Data

Although the residual layer has already been noted in the classical diurnal cycle of the atmospheric boundary layer, its effect on the development of the convective boundary layer has not been well studied. In this study, based on 3-hourly 20th century reanalysis data, the residual layer is considered as a common layer capping the convective boundary layer. It is identified dally by investigating the development of the convective boundary layer. The region of interest is bounded by （30^-60~N, 80^-120~E）, where a residual layer deeper than 2000 m has been reported using radiosondes. The lapse rate and wind shear within the residual layer are compared with the surface sensible heat flux by investigating their climatological means, interannual variations and daily variations. The lapse rate of the residual layer and the convective boundary layer depth correspond well in their seasonal variations and climatological mean patterns. On the interannual scale, the correlation coefficient between their regional averaged （40°-50°N, 90°-110°E） variations is higher than that between the surface sensible heat flux and convective boundary layer depth. On the daily scale, the correlation between the lapse rate and the convective boundary layer depth in most months is still statistically significant during 1970-2012. Therefore, we suggest that the existence of a deep neutral residual layer is crucial to the formation of a deep convective boundary layer near the Mongolian regions.

Elevational patterns of temperature and humidity in the middle Tianshan Mountain area in Central Asia

The vertical distribution of vegetation types along an elevational gradient in mountain areas largely depends on the elevational changes in air temperature and humidity. In this study, we presented the seasonal and diurnal variations in the elevational gradients of air temperature and humidity on the southern and northern slopes in the middle Tianshan Mountain Range using data collected throughout the year via HOBO data loggers. The measurements were conducted at 12 different elevations from 1548 to 3277 m from September 2004 to August 2005. The results showed that the annual mean air temperature decreased along the elevational gradients with temperature lapse rates of(0.71±0.20)°C/100 m and(0.59±0.05)°C/100 m on the northern and southern slopes, respectively. The annual mean absolute humidity significantly decreased with increasing elevation on the northern slope but showed no significant trend on the southern slope. The annual mean relative humidity did not show a significant trend on the northern slope but increased with increasing elevation on the southern slope. The mean air temperature lapse rate exhibited significant seasonal variation, which is steeper insummer and shallower in winter, and this value varied between 0.37°C/100 m and 0.75°C/100 m on the southern slope and between 0.30°C/100 m and 1.02°C/100 m on the northern slope. The mean absolute and relative humidity also exhibited significant seasonal variations on both slopes, with the maximum occurring in summer and the minimum occurring in winter or spring. The monthly diurnal range of air temperature on both slopes was higher in spring than in winter. The annual range of air temperature on the southern slope was higher than that on the northern slope. Our results suggest that significant spatiotemporal variations in humidity and temperature lapse rate are useful when analyzing the relationships between species range sizes and climate in mountain areas.

Diurnal and seasonal variation of the elevation gradient of air temperature in the northern flank of the western Qinling Mountain range,China

The typically sparse or lacking distribution of meteorological stations in mountainous areas inadequately resolves temperature elevation variability. This study presented the diurnal and seasonal variations of the elevation gradient of air temperature in the northern flank of the western Qinling Mountain range,which has not been thoroughly evaluated. The measurements were conducted at 9 different elevations between 1710 and 2500 m from August 2014 to August 2015 with HOBO Data loggers. The results showed that the annual temperature lapse rates(TLRs) for Tmean,Tmin and Tmax were 0.45?C/100 m,0.44?C/100 m and 0.40?C/100 m,respectively,which are substantially smaller than the often used value of 0.60°C/100 m to 0.65°C/100 m. The TLRs showed no obvious seasonal variations,except for the maximum temperature lapse rate,which was steeper in winter and shallower in spring. Additionally,the TLRs showed significant diurnal variations,with the steepest TLR in forenoon and the shallowest in early morning or late-afternoon,and the TLRs changed more severely during the daytime than night time. The accumulated temperature above 0°C,5°C and 10°C(AT0,AT5 and AT10) decreased at a lapse rate of 112.8?C days/100 m,104.5?C days/100 m and 137.0?C days/100 m,respectively. The monthly and annual mean diurnal range of temperatures(MDRT and ADRT) demonstrated unimodal curves along the elevation gradients,while the annual range of temperature(ART) showed no significant elevation differences. Our results strongly suggest that the extrapolated regional TLR may not be a good representative for an individual mountainside,in particular,where there are only sparse meteorological stations at high elevations.

Estimation of mass elevation effect and its annual variation based on MODIS and NECP data in the Tibetan Plateau

The lofty and extensive Tibetan Plateau has significant mass elevation effect(MEE). In recent years, a great effort has been made to quantify MEE, with the recognition of intra-mountain basal elevation(MBE) as the main determinant of MEE. In this study, we improved the method of estimating MEE with MODIS and NECP data, by refining temperature laps rate, and dividing MBE plots, and then analyzed the spatio-temporal variation of MEE in the Plateau. The main conclusions include: 1) the highest average annual MEE of the plateau is as high as 11.5488°C in the southwest of the plateau, where exists a high-MEE core and MEE takes on a trend of decreasing from the core to the surrounding areas; 2) in the interior of the plateau, the maximum monthly MEE is 14.1108°C in the highest MBE plot(4934 m) in August; while the minimum monthly MEE appeared primarily in January and February; 3) in the peripheral areas of the plateau, annual mean MEE is relatively low, mostly between 3.0068°C–5.1972°C, where monthly MEE is high in January and December and low in June and July, completely different from the MEE time-series variation in the internal parts of the plateau.

Higher palaeoelevation in the Baoshan Basin:Implications for landscape evolution at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Surface uplift at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau has been widely studied,but more palaeoaltimetry data are required to better understand the elevation history of this geologically complex region.In this study,fossil leaves of Abies(Pinaceae),a cool-temperate element,recovered from the latest Miocene-Pliocene Yangyi Formation of the southern Baoshan Basin,were used as a proxy to estimate the local palaeoelevation.Based on the regional modern altitude range(2100-4280 m)of the genus as well as regional temperature discrepancy(1.5℃)between the past and present,the palaeoelevation of the study area was calculated to be>2360 m above sea level as compared to 1670 m at present.Our result suggests that the southern Baoshan Basin experienced pronounced uplift prior to the time of fossil deposition,probably as a result of crustal shortening and thickening of the northern Baoshan Terrane during the Eocene-Oligocene.We infer that surface growth in areas south of the Dali Basin may have been greater than previously interpreted,and that a widespread plateau or plateau patches higher than 2000 m probably extended southwards into at least the Baoshan Basin by the latest Miocene-Pliocene.We also infer that the elevation of the southern Baoshan Basin has decreased by at least 690 m since then,in contrast to most other scenarios in which the elevation of the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau has increased or remained close to modern levels since the late Miocene.The major cause of the inferred altitude decline is likely tectonic deformation.As a transtensional graben basin,the Baoshan Basin has experienced pull-apart and base-fall movement since the late Miocene,which would reduce the altitude of its southern part located on the hanging wall.Surface erosion associated with the increased summer rainfall might also have played a role especially in reducing the local relief,although its contribution can be limited.Our study provides one of the few palaeoelevation estimates from areas south of the Dali Basin and an example of past elevation loss at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau,thus shedding important light on the landscape evolution of this region.

Comparison of Spatial Interpolation Methods for Gridded Bias Removal in Surface Temperature Forecasts

All numerical weather prediction（NWP） models inherently have substantial biases, especially in the forecast of near-surface weather variables. Statistical methods can be used to remove the systematic error based on historical bias data at observation stations. However, many end users of weather forecasts need bias corrected forecasts at locations that scarcely have any historical bias data. To circumvent this limitation, the bias of surface temperature forecasts on a regular grid covering Iran is removed, by using the information available at observation stations in the vicinity of any given grid point. To this end, the running mean error method is first used to correct the forecasts at observation stations, then four interpolation methods including inverse distance squared weighting with constant lapse rate（IDSW-CLR）, Kriging with constant lapse rate（Kriging-CLR）, gradient inverse distance squared with linear lapse rate（GIDS-LR）, and gradient inverse distance squared with lapse rate determined by classification and regression tree（GIDS-CART）, are employed to interpolate the bias corrected forecasts at neighboring observation stations to any given location. The results show that all four interpolation methods used do reduce the model error significantly,but Kriging-CLR has better performance than the other methods. For Kriging-CLR, root mean square error（RMSE）and mean absolute error（MAE） were decreased by 26% and 29%, respectively, as compared to the raw forecasts. It is found also, that after applying any of the proposed methods, unlike the raw forecasts, the bias corrected forecasts do not show spatial or temporal dependency.

The Indian monsoonal influence on altitude effect of δ^(18)O in surface water on southeast Tibetan Plateau

The altitude effect of δ18O is essential for the study of the paleo-elevation reconstruction and possible to be solved through modern process studies. This study presents new δ18O results from southeast Tibetan Plateau along two transects, the Zayu transect and the Lhasa-Nyang transect, with δ18O data from June to September representative of monsoon period and δ18O data during the rest of the year of non-monsoon period. Altitude effect outweighs the longitude and latitude effects in determining regional δ18O variation spatially. Relevant δ18O data from previous studies in the nearby region have also been combined to comprehensively understand the influence of different moisture sources on δ18O from local scale to regional scale. The δ18O in surface water in the southeast Tibetan Plateau and its nearby regions influenced by the Indian summer monsoon shows that single dominant moisture source or simple moisture sources lead to smaller altitudinal lapse rate, whilst growing contributions from local convection to precipitation enlarge δ18O-altitude rate. It thereupon reveals the significance of the Indian summer monsoon to the altitude effect of δ18O in surface water, and the complicated effect of local convection or westerlies evolution to the variation of altitudinal lapse rate. Paleo-monsoon evolution therefore should be considered when altitude effect is applied to paleo-elevation reconstruction for the Tibetan Plateau.