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The influence of elevation, latitude and Arctic Oscillation on trends in temperature extremes over northeastern China, 1961–2011

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Abstract

Trend magnitudes of 14 indices of temperature extremes at 70 stations with elevations, latitude and Arctic Oscillation over northeast China during 1960–2011 are examined. There are no significant correlations between elevation and trend magnitudes with the exception of TXn (Min T max), TNn (Min T min), TR20 (tropical nights) and GSL (growing season length). Analysis of trend magnitudes by topographic type has a strong influence, which overrides that of degree of urbanization. By contrast, most of the temperature indices have stronger correlations with the latitude and Arctic Oscillation index. The correlations between the Arctic Oscillation index and percentile indices, including TX10p (cool days), TX90p (warm days), TN10p (cool nights), TN90p (warm nights), are not the same in different areas. To summarize, analysis of trend magnitudes by topographic type, the latitude and the Arctic Oscillation shows three factors to have a strong influence in this dataset, which overrides that of elevation and degree of urbanization.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Study on Monitoring and Searching Technology of the Refuge Personal Vital Signs in Mountain Scenic Spot (2012HH0036).

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Correspondence to Zhen Yu.

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Zeng, W., Yu, Z. & Li, X. The influence of elevation, latitude and Arctic Oscillation on trends in temperature extremes over northeastern China, 1961–2011. Meteorol Atmos Phys 130, 191–209 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-017-0509-x

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