Spatiotemporal variation of land surface temperature and its driving factors in Xinjiang,China

Land surface temperature(LST) directly affects the energy balance of terrestrial surface systems and impacts regional resources, ecosystem evolution, and ecosystem structures. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is located at the arid Northwest China and is extremely sensitive to climate change. There is an urgent need to understand the distribution patterns of LST in this area and quantitatively measure the nature and intensity of the impacts of the major driving factors from a spatial perspective, as well as elucidate the formation mechanisms. In this study, we used the MOD11C3 LST product developed on the basis of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) to conduct regression analysis and determine the spatiotemporal variation and differentiation pattern of LST in Xinjiang from 2000 to 2020. We analyzed the driving mechanisms of spatial heterogeneity of LST in Xinjiang and the six geomorphic zones(the Altay Mountains, Junggar Basin, Tianshan Mountains, Tarim Basin, Turpan-Hami(Tuha) Basin, and Pakakuna Mountain Group) using geographical detector(Geodetector) and geographically weighted regression(GWR) models. The warming rate of LST in Xinjiang during the study period was 0.24℃/10a, and the spatial distribution pattern of LST had obvious topographic imprints, with 87.20% of the warming zone located in the Gobi desert and areas with frequent human activities, and the cooling zone mainly located in the mountainous areas. The seasonal LST in Xinjiang was at a cooling rate of 0.09℃/10a in autumn, and showed a warming trend in other seasons. Digital elevation model(DEM), latitude, wind speed, precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI), and sunshine duration in the single-factor and interactive detections were the key factors driving the LST changes. The direction and intensity of each major driving factor on the spatial variations of LST in the study area were heterogeneous. The negative feedback effect of DEM on the spatial differentiation of LST was the strongest. Lower latitudes, lower vegetation coverage, lower levels of precipitation, and longer sunshine duration increased LST. Unused land was the main heat source landscape, water body was the most important heat sink landscape, grassland and forest land were the land use and land cover(LULC) types with the most prominent heat sink effect, and there were significant differences in different geomorphic zones due to the influences of their vegetation types, climatic conditions, soil types, and human activities. The findings will help to facilitate sustainable climate change management, analyze local climate and environmental patterns, and improve land management strategies in Xinjiang and other arid areas.

Impacts of climate change and human activities on water resources in the Ebinur Lake Basin, Northwest China

Changing climatic conditions and extensive human activities have influenced the global water cycle.In recent years,significant changes in climate and land use have degraded the watershed ecosystem of the Ebinur Lake Basin in Xinjiang,Northwest China.In this paper,variations of runoff,temperature,precipitation,reference evapotranspiration,lake area,socio-economic water usage,groundwater level and water quality in the Ebinur Lake Basin from 1961 to 2015 were systematically analyzed by the Mann-Kendall test methods(M-K)mutation test,the cumulative levelling method,the climate-sensitive method and land-use change index.In addition,we evaluated the effects of human activities on land use change and water quality.The results reveal that there was a significant increase in temperature and precipitation from 1961 to 2015,despite a decrease in reference evapotranspiration.The Wenquan station was not significantly affected by human activities as it is situated at a higher altitude.Runoff at this station increased significantly with climate warming.In contrast,runoff at the Jinghe station was severely affected by numerous human activities.Runoff decreased without obvious fluctuations.The contributions of climate change to runoff variation at the Jinghe and Wenquan stations were 46.87%and 58.94%,respectively;and the contributions of human activities were 53.13%and 41.06%,respectively.Land-use patterns in the basin have changed significantly between 1990 and 2015:urban and rural constructed lands,saline-alkali land,bare land,cultivated land,and forest land have expanded,while areas under grassland,lake,ice/snow and river/channel have declined.Human activities have dramatically intensified land degradation and desertification.From 1961 to 2015,both the inflow into the Ebinur Lake and the area of the lake have declined year by year;groundwater levels have dropped significantly,and the water quality has deteriorated during the study period.In the oasis irrigation area below the runoff pass,human activities mainly influenced the utilization mode and quantity of water resources.Changes in the hydrology and quantity of water resources were driven primarily by the continuous expansion of cultivated land and oasis,as well as the growth of population and the construction of hydraulic engineering projects.After 2015,the effects of some ecological protection projects were observed.However,there was no obvious sign of ecological improvement in the basin,and some environmental problems continue to persist.On this basis,this study recommends that the expansion of oasis should be limited according to the carrying capacity of the local water bodies.Moreover,in order to ensure the ecological security of the basin,it is necessary to determine the optimal oasis area for sustainable development and improve the efficiency of water resources exploitation and utilization.

Glacier mass balance and its impacts on streamflow in a typical inland river basin in the Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China

Glaciers are known as natural ’’solid reservoirs’ ’, and they play a dual role between the composition of water resources and the river runoff regulation in arid and semi-arid areas of China. In this study, we used in situ observation data from Urumqi Glacier No. 1, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in combination with meteorological data from stations and a digital elevation model, to develop a distributed degree-day model for glaciers in the Urumqi River Basin to simulate glacier mass balance processes and quantify their effect on streamflow during 1980–2020. The results indicate that the mass loss and the equilibrium line altitude(ELA) of glaciers in the last 41 years had an increasing trend, with the average mass balance and ELA being-0.85(±0.32) m w.e./a(meter water-equivalent per year) and 4188 m a.s.l., respectively. The glacier mass loss has increased significantly during 1999–2020, mostly due to the increase in temperature and the extension of ablation season. During 1980–2011, the average annual glacier meltwater runoff in the Urumqi River Basin was 0.48×108 m3, accounting for 18.56% of the total streamflow. We found that the annual streamflow in different catchments in the Urumqi River Basin had a strong response to the changes in glacier mass balance, especially from July to August, and the glacier meltwater runoff increased significantly. In summary, it is quite possible that the results of this research can provide a reference for the study of glacier water resources in glacier-recharged basins in arid and semi-arid areas.

2001-2020年中国地表温度时空分异及归因分析

The variation of land surface temperature(LST)has a vital impact on the energy balance of the land surface process and the ecosystem stability.Based on MDO11C3,we mainly used regression analysis,GIS spatial analysis,correlation analysis,and center-of-gravity model,to analyze the LST variation and its spatiotemporal differentiation in China from 2001 to 2020.Furthermore,we employed the Geodetector to identify the dominant factors contributing to LST variation in 38 eco-geographic zones of China and investigate the underlying causes of its pattern.The results indicate the following:(1)From 2001 to 2020,the LST climate average in China is 9.6℃,with a general pattern of higher temperatures in the southeast and northwest regions,lower temperatures in the northeast and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,and higher temperatures in plains compared to lower temperatures in mountainous areas.Generally,LST has a significant negative correlation with elevation,with a correlation coefficient of–0.66.China’s First Ladder has the most pronounced negative correlation,with a correlation coefficient of–0.76 and the lapse rate of LST is 0.57℃/100 m.(2)The change rate of LST in China during the study is 0.21℃/10 a,and the warming area accounts for 78%,demonstrating the overall spatial pattern a“multi-core warming and axial cooling”.(3)LST’s variation exhibits prominent seasonal characteristics in the whole country.The spatial distribution of average value in winter and summer differs significantly from other seasons and shows more noticeable fluctuations.The centroid trajectory of the seasonal warming/cooling area is close to a loop shape and displays corresponding seasonal reverse movement.Cooling areas exhibit more substantial centroid movement,indicating greater regional variation and seasonal variability.(4)China’s LST variation is driven by both natural influences and human activities,of which natural factors contribute more,with sunshine duration and altitude being key factors.The boundary trend between the two dominant type areas is highly consistent with the“Heihe-Tengchong Line”.The eastern region is mostly dominated by human activity in conjunction with terrain factors,while the western region is predominantly influenced by natural factors,which enhance/weaken the change range of LST through mutual coupling with climate,terrain,vegetation,and other factors.This study offers valuable scientific references for addressing climate change,analyzing surface environmental patterns,and protecting the ecological environment.

中国天山山体效应评估及空间分异归因

The mass elevation effect(MEE)is a thermal effect,in which heating produced by long wave radiation on a mountain surface generates atmospheric uplift,which has a profound impact on the hydrothermal conditions and natural geographical processes in mountainous areas.Based on multi-source remote sensing data and field observations,a spatial downscaling inversion of temperature in the Tianshan Mountains in China was conducted,and the MEE was estimated and a spatio-temporal analysis was conducted.The Geo Detector model(GDM)and a geographically weighted regression(GWR)model were applied to explore the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the study area.Four key results can be obtained.(1)The temperature pattern is complex and diverse,and the overall temperature presented a pattern of high in the south and east,but low in the north and west.There were clear zonal features of temperature that were negatively correlated with altitude,and the temperature difference between the internal and external areas of the mountains.(2)The warming effect of mountains was prominent,and the temperature at the same altitude increased in steps from west to east and north to south.Geomorphological units,such as large valleys and intermontane basins,weakened the latitudinal zonality and altitudinal dependence of temperature at the same altitude,with the warming effect of mountains in the southern Tianshan Mountains.(3)The dominant factors affecting the overall pattern of the MEE were topography and location,among which the difference between the internal and external areas of the mountains,and the absolute elevation played a prominent role.The interaction between factors had a greater influence on the spatial differentiation of mountain effects than single factors,and there was a strong interaction between terrain and climate,precipitation,nthe normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),and other factors.(4)There was a spatial heterogeneity in the direction and intensity of the spatial variation of the MEE.Absolute elevation was significantly positively correlated with the change of MEE,while precipitation and the NDVI were dominated by negative feedback.In general,topography had the largest effect on the macroscopic control of MEE,and coupled with precipitation,the underlying surface,and other factors to form a unique mountain circulation system and climate characteristics,which in turn enhanced the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the MEE.The results of this study will be useful in the further analysis of the causes of MEE and its ecological effects.

天山北坡人类活动强度与地表温度的时空关联性

Research on the spatio-temporal correlation between the intensity of human activities and the temperature of earth surfaces is of great significance in many aspects,including fully understanding the causes and mechanisms of climate change,actively adapting to climate change,pursuing rational development,and protecting the ecological environment.Taking the north slope of Tianshan Mountains,located in the arid area of northwestern China and extremely sensitive to climate change,as the research area,this study retrieves the surface temperature of the mountain based on MODIS data,while characterizing the intensity of human activities thereby data on the night light,population distribution and land use.The evolution characteristics of human activity intensity and surface temperature in the study area from 2000 to 2018 were analyzed,and the spatio-temporal correlation between them was further explored.It is found that:(1)The average human activity intensity(0.11)in the research area has kept relatively low since this century,and the overall trend has been slowly rising in a stepwise manner(0.0024·a-1);in addition,the increase in human activity intensity has lagged behind that in construction land and population by 1-2 years.(2)The annual average surface temperature in the area is 7.18℃with a pronounced growth.The rate of change(0.02℃·a-1)is about 2.33 times that of the world.The striking boost in spring(0.068℃·a-1)contributes the most to the overall warming trend.Spatially,the surface temperature is low in the south and high in the north,due to the prominent influence of the underlying surface characteristics,such as elevation and vegetation coverage.(3)The intensity of human activity and the surface temperature are remarkably positively correlated in the human activity areas there,showing a strong distribution in the east section and a weak one in the west section.The expression of its spatial differentiation and correlation is comprehensively affected by such factors as scopes of human activities,manifestations,and land-use changes.Vegetation-related human interventions,such as agriculture and forestry planting,urban greening,and afforestation,can effectively reduce the surface warming caused by human activities.This study not only puts forward new ideas to finely portray the intensity of human activities but also offers a scientific reference for regional human-land coordination and overall development.