Daily observations of wind speed at 12 stations in the Greater Beijing Area during 1960–2008 were homogenized using the Multiple Analysis of Series for Homogenization method. The linear trends in the regional mean annual and seasonal (winter, spring, summer and autumn) wind speed series were-0.26,-0.39,-0.30,-0.12 and-0.22 m s-1 (10 yr)-1 , respectively. Winter showed the greatest magnitude in declining wind speed, followed by spring, autumn and summer. The annual and seasonal frequencies of wind speed extremes (days) also decreased, more prominently for winter than for the other seasons. The declining trends in wind speed and extremes were formed mainly by some rapid declines during the 1970s and 1980s. The maximum declining trend in wind speed occurred at Chaoyang (CY), a station within the central business district (CBD) of Beijing with the highest level of urbanization. The declining trends were in general smaller in magnitude away from the city center, except for the winter case in which the maximum declining trend shifted northeastward to rural Miyun (MY). The influence of urbanization on the annual wind speed was estimated to be about-0.05 m s-1 (10 yr)-1 during 1960–2008, accounting for around one fifth of the regional mean declining trend. The annual and seasonal geostrophic wind speeds around Beijing, based on daily mean sea level pressure (MSLP) from the ERA-40 reanalysis dataset, also exhibited decreasing trends, coincident with the results from site observations. A comparative analysis of the MSLP fields between 1966–1975 and 1992–2001 suggested that the influences of both the winter and summer monsoons on Beijing were weaker in the more recent of the two decades. It is suggested that the bulk of wind in Beijing is influenced considerably by urbanization, while changes in strong winds or wind speed extremes are prone to large-scale climate change in the region.
Daily precipitation and temperature records at 13 stations for the period 1960–2008 were analyzed to identify climatic change and possible effects of urbanization on low-temperature precipitation [LTP, precipitation of 0.1 mm d 1occurring under a daily minimum temperature(Tmin) of 0 C] in the greater Beijing region(BJR), where a rapid process of urbanization has taken place over the last few decades. The paper provides a climatological overview of LTP in BJR. LTP contributes 61.7% to the total amount of precipitation in BJR in the cold season(November–March). There is a slight increasing trend [1.22 mm(10 yr) 1] in the amount of total precipitation for the cold season during 1960–2008. In contrast, the amount of LTP decreases by 0.6 mm(10 yr) 1. The warming rate of Tmin in BJR is 0.66 C(10 yr) 1. Correspondingly, the frequency of LTP decreases with increasing Tmin by 0.67 times per C. The seasonal frequency and amount of LTP in southeast BJR(mostly urban sites) are 17%–20% less than those in the northwestern(rural and montane sites). The intensity of LTP for the urban sites and northeastern BJR exhibited significant enhancing trends [0.18 and 0.15 mm d 1(10 yr) 1, respectively]. The frequency of slight LTP(<0.2 mm d 1) significantly decreased throughout BJR [by about 15.74%(10 yr) 1in the urban area and northeast BJR], while the contribution of the two heaviest LTP events to total LTP amount significantly increased by 3.2%(10 yr) 1.
HAN ZuoqiangYAN ZhongweiLI ZhenLIU WeidongWANG Yingchun
To quantify the impact of urbanization on changes in observed surface air temperature and extremes,a homogenized dataset of daily mean,maximum and minimum temperature(Tm,Tmax and Tmin)observations at 20 stations in Greater Beijing(GBJ)from1978 to 2008 is analyzed.In contrast with previous studies,a cluster analysis is done to objectively classify observing stations into four categories(urbanized,suburban,rural and mountain),which is checked with remote-sensing night-light images since the1990s.At urbanized sites,there is an added warming trend in annual mean Tm representing an average of 10.9%(up to 18.4%or0.12°C/decade at the most strongly influenced site)of overall warming.Corresponding contributions for Tmin are 12.7%(up to20.8%or 0.19°C/decade)and 24%for diurnal temperature range DTR(up to 37.4%or 0.149°C/decade)over the last three decades.Although it has not had a significant impact on daytime records(Tmax),urbanization has enhanced the increasing(decreasing)trend of extremely warm(cold)nights by an average of 12.7%or 2.07 d/decade(29.0%or 5.06 d/decade)at the urbanized sites since the 1970s.
WANG JunYAN ZhongWeiLI ZhenLIU WeiDongWANG YingChun
