Warming Amplification of Minimum and Maximum Temperatures over High-Elevation Regions across the Globe

• Published in: PloS one 2015-10, Vol.10 (10), p.e0140213
• Main Authors: Fan, Xiaohui, Wang, Qixiang, Wang, Mengben, Jiménez, Claudia Villarroel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Altitude; Amplification; Analysis; Climate change; Datasets; Elevation; Evaluation; Global temperature changes; Global Warming; Internationality; Maximum temperatures; Mean temperatures; Medical care; Methods; Minimum temperatures; Precipitation; Studies; Temperature; Temperature effects; Time series; Trends; United States; Weather
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140213

An analysis of the annual mean temperature (TMEAN) (1961-2010) has revealed that warming amplification (altitudinal amplification and regional amplification) is a common feature of major high-elevation regions across the globe against the background of global warming since the mid-20th century. In this study, the authors further examine whether this holds for annual mean minimum temperature (TMIN) and annual mean maximum temperature (TMAX) (1961-2010) on a global scale. The extraction method of warming component of altitude, and the paired region comparison method were used in this study. Results show that a significant altitudinal amplification trend in TMIN (TMAX) is detected in all (four) of the six high-elevation regions tested, and the average magnitude of altitudinal amplification trend for TMIN (TMAX) [0.306±0.086 °C km-1(0.154±0.213 °C km-1)] is substantially larger (smaller) than TMEAN (0.230±0.073 °C km-1) during the period 1961-2010. For the five paired high- and low-elevation regions available, regional amplification is detected in the four high-elevation regions for TMIN and TMAX (respectively or as a whole). Qualitatively, highly (largely) consistent results are observed for TMIN (TMAX) compared with those for TMEAN.