Changes In Surface Air Temperature And Growing Season In Mainland China Over The Last 50 Years

Using monthly and daily mean temperature data from 726 stations's across China mainland for period of 1951 to 2001, the author established the time series of mean temperature for the region, and analyzed the decadal variation and change trend in temperature and temperature-defined growing season over the past 51 years.The results show that mean temperature rose rapidly in china from 1951 to 2001. Annual mean temperature increased by 1.2℃ over china in this period. The largest increase of temperature was in winter which amounts to 1.8℃. The least change in temperature occurred in summertime, which is about 0.6℃. The most rapid increasing of temperature was in 1990s, and 1998 was a warmest year in the past 51 years. Temperature increased in most parts of the study area, with the most rapid increase occurred in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Sichuan Province and the nearby regions experienced a cooling trend in the past 50 years.In the period of 1961 to 2000, growing season increased by 6.6 days in China as a whole. 0℃-defined growing season increased by 10.2 days in northern China, 4.2 days in southern China, and 18.2 days in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. lO癈-defined growing season increased by 6.5 days in northern China, 6.1 days in southern China, and 12.3 days in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The most rapid increasing of growing season was in 1990s, and 1998 is likely to be a year with the longest growing season in the past 40 years.Changes of temperature and growing season in China mainland over the second half of twenty-century were very similar in varied time scales as well as in spatial patterns. It shows that the regional climate change related to global warming might have impacted ecosytems and environments in China mainland.