The implication of mass elevation effect of the Tibetan Plateau for altitudinal belts

doi:10.1007/s11442-015-1242-3

Abstract

Abstract:

The heating effect (or mass elevation effect, MEE) of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is intense due to its massive body. Some studies have been undertaken on its role as the heat source in summer and its implications for Asian climate, but little has been known of the implications of its MEE for the distribution of mountain altitudinal belts (MABs). Using air temperature data observed and remotely sensed data, MAB/treeline data, and ASTER GDEM data, this paper compares the height of MABs and alpine treelines in the main TP and the surrounding mountains/lowland and explains the difference from the point of view of MEE. The results demonstrate: 1) at same elevation, air temperature and the length of growing season gradually increase from the eastern edge to the interior TP, e.g., at 4500 m (corresponding to the mean altitude of the TP), the monthly mean temperature is 3.58°C higher (April) to 6.63°C higher (June) in the interior plateau than in the Sichuan Basin; the 10°C isotherm for the warmest month goes upward from the edge to the interior of the plateau, at 4000 m in the Qilian Mts. and the eastern edges of the plateau, and up to 4600-5000 m in Lhasa and Zuogong; the warmth index at an altitude of 4500 m can be up to 15°C·month in the interior TP, but much lower at the eastern edges. 2) MABs and treeline follow a similar trend of rising inwards: dark-coniferous forest is 1000-1500 m higher and alpine steppe is about 700-900 m higher in the interior TP than at the eastern edges.

Key words: Tibetan Plateau, mass elevation effect, mountain altitudinal belt, treeline, the warmth index, the 10℃ isotherm in the warmest month

Yonghui YAO, Mei XU, Baiping ZHANG. The implication of mass elevation effect of the Tibetan Plateau for altitudinal belts[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2015, 25(12): 1411-1422.

Figures/Tables 7

Figure 1

Figure 2

Table 1

Table 2

Temperatures and the adjusted temperatures in January and in July near the locations of MABs along the three W-E profiles"

Profiles	MAB sites	Longi- tude	Lati- tude	Altit- ude (m)	Air tem- perature in Jan. (°C)	Air tem- perature in July (°C)	Adjusted height (m)	Adjusted air tem- perature in Jan. (°C)	Adjusted air tem- perature in Jul. (°C)
Mt.Erlang- Nyainqentanglha	Langkazi-Yangzhuoyong	90.50	29.70	5292	-10.23	6.58	5292	-10.2	6.6
	Bomi-Yigong	94.62	30.17	5096	-10.08	8.12		-11.1	7.0
	Zhuka-Dongdala shady slope	98.64	29.70	4496	-5.64	10.12		-9.7	5.7
	Zhuka-Dongdala sunny slope	98.56	29.75	4050	-4.23	11.36		-10.6	4.5
	East slope of Mt. Ningjing	99.00	29.83	3455	0.46	14.98		-8.9	4.9
	South range of Shaluli	99.73	29.75	4483	-4.75	10.35		-8.9	5.9
	Mt. Gaoshi	101.00	30.03	3226	-1.91	13.37		-12.5	2.0
	Mt. Zheduo	101.80	30.10	4218	-7.37	9.46		-12.5	3.6
	South slope of Mt.Gongga	102.07	29.39	2077	-2.45	15.90		-12.8	-1.8
	West slope of Mt. Erlang	102.56	30.12	3199	-5.07	13.12		-18.8	1.6
	East slope of Mt. Emei	103.45	29.58	473	4.96	26.65		-21.5	0.1
Mt.Guang- guang- Tuoba Beishan	Southern Qiangtang Plateau	90.00	31.33	4943	-12.24	8.44	4943	-12.24	8.44
	Naqu-Nierong	92.17	31.63	4636	-10.18	9.96		-11.75	8.28
	Shady slope of Biru-Baqing	94.59	31.50	4417	-8.79	9.85		-11.48	6.95
	Lancang River: Angqu-Shangka	96.84	31.45	3605	-3.47	13.73		-10.29	6.37
	Lancang River: Changdu	97.17	31.45	3533	-5.84	12.78		-13.03	5.03
	Lancang River: Zhaqu-Weng Dagang	97.21	31.52	3675	-2.31	13.89		-8.78	6.92
	East slope of Beishanin Tuoba	97.97	31.53	4321	-9.02	9.22		-12.19	5.80
	Xinlong of Mt. Daxueshan	100.31	30.94	3189	-4.21	12.62		-13.15	2.98
	Songlinkou-Daofu of Mt. Daxue	101.12	30.98	2934	-2.18	15.82		-12.42	4.77
	Big/small Jinchuan	102.06	31.48	2540	-0.02	17.60		-12.28	4.38
	Mt. Siguliang	102.90	31.10	3950	-10.54	11.90		-15.60	6.44
	Mt. Balang	103.17	31.07	4047	-7.63	7.89		-12.20	2.96
	South slope of Dabanzhao	103.05	31.67	3794	-11.93	11.16		-17.79	4.84
	Mt. Guangguang	103.61	31.01	745	5.61	25.53		-15.80	2.44
	Small Zhaizigou	103.80	31.35	3392	-5.10	13.64		-13.01	5.11
Mt.Wutai- Amugang	Shady slope of Memar Tso Xishan	81.83	34.45	5090	-14.31	8.30	5742	-17.64	4.71
	Sunny slope of Memar Tso Xishan	82.38	34.28	5282	-14.24	7.62		-16.59	5.09
	East slope of Amugang	85.50	33.50	5742	-17.99	5.15		-17.99	5.15
	Tanggula Mts.	89.92	33.20	5018	-13.86	8.50		-17.55	4.52
	Qumalai County	95.78	34.13	4149	-11.30	11.10		-19.42	2.34
	Shady slope of Hutou Shan	103.22	34.07	2471	-9.23	17.00		-25.92	-0.99
	Xuebaoding	103.62	32.88	3723	-9.32	10.22		-19.62	-0.88
	Shady slope of Mt. Tutai	103.70	33.07	3622	-11.47	11.16		-22.28	-0.50

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

Figure 3

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	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Main Plateau	-10.19	-8.16	-4.73	-0.1	3.77	7.83	9.94	9.59	6.9	0.13	-6.3	-9.14
Hengduan Mts.	-7.07	-5.28	-2.27	0.83	5.21	8.2	10.08	9.93	7.2	2.12	-3.84	-6.52
Southern main TP	-7.55	-6.08	-2.85	0.83	4.42	8.5	10.22	9.89	7.5	2	-3.6	-6.4
Central main TP	-10.8	-8.26	-4.41	0.21	4.02	8.45	10.56	10.11	7.39	0.49	-6.22	-9.56
Northern main TP	-13.48	-11.17	-7.58	-1.37	3.01	6.95	9.44	9.00	6.16	-2.41	-9.55	-12.31
Qilian Mts.	-17.41	-15.58	-12.08	-4.19	2.11	6.13	8.94	7.93	4.4	-5.44	-13.08	-17.16
Sichuan Basin	-12.8	-10.29	-7.16	-2.75	-0.41	1.87	5.36	4.15	1.54	-2.23	-7.63	-10.94
ΔT_{Hengduan-Sichuan}	5.73	5.01	4.89	3.58	5.62	6.33	4.72	5.78	5.66	4.35	3.79	4.42
ΔT_{Southern TP-Sichuan}	5.25	4.21	4.31	3.58	4.83	6.63	4.86	5.74	5.96	4.23	4.03	4.54
ΔT_{Central TP-Qilian}	6.61	7.32	7.67	4.4	1.91	2.32	1.62	2.18	2.99	5.93	6.86	7.60
ΔT_{Northern TP-Qilian}	3.93	4.41	4.5	2.82	0.9	0.82	0.5	1.07	1.76	3.03	3.53	4.85

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