%0 Journal Article %A Mingjun ZHANG %A Lei DONG %A Shengjie WANG %A Aifang ZHAO %A Fang QIANG %A Meiping SUN %A Qiong WANG %T Increasing free-air 0℃ isotherm height in Southwest China from 1960 to 2010 %D 2014 %R 10.1007/s11442-014-1123-1 %J Journal of Geographical Sciences %P 833-844 %V 24 %N 5 %X

Based on the radiosonde data observed at 14 stations in Southwest China from 1960 to 2010, as well as the corresponding surface air temperature, the long-term change of free-air 0℃ isotherm height in Southwest China and the relationships between surface air temperature and 0℃ isotherm height are discussed. The results indicated that the spatial distribution of 0℃ isotherm height is generally related with latitude, but the huge massif or plateau may complicate the latitude pattern. The two main regimes influencing the spatial patterns of 0℃ isotherm height in Southwest China are latitude and huge massif. The annual 0℃ isotherm height has increased by 35 m per decade in the recent decades, which is statistically significant at the 0.001 level. Generally, the increasing trend can be examined for each seasonal series, especially in winter (53 m per decade). The diversity of trend magnitudes for annual and seasonal series can also be detected at a spatial view, but generally 0℃ isotherm height correlated well with surface air temperature.

%U https://www.geogsci.com/EN/10.1007/s11442-014-1123-1