Vol20 No.12:3488-3499

【Title】Variations of extreme temperature in the Mount Qomolangma region in China during 1971-2020

【Author】WANG Shun-jiu

【Addresses】1 Sichuan Provincial Climate Centre, Chengdu 610072, China; 2 Institute of Plateau Meteorological, China Meteorological Administration, Chengdu 610072, China; 3 Heavy Rain and Drought-Flood Disasters in Plateau and Basin Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu 610072, China

【Corresponding author】WANG Shun-jiu

【Citation】Wang SJ (2023) Variations of extreme temperature in the Mount Qomolangma region in China during 1971-2020. Journal of Mountain Science 20(12).https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-023-8297-x

【DOI】https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-023-8297-x

【Abstract】According to observational daily temperature data from the meteorological stations during 1971-2020, the variations of the extreme temperature event in the Mount Qomolangma (also known as Mount Everest) region in China have been analyzed using statistical methods. The extreme temperature indices recommended by the World Meteorological Organization are selected to describe the extreme temperature event. The RClimDEX 1.0 software is used to calculate the extreme temperature indices. There are no tropical nights, and just three summer days at the last 50 years. The frost days are the main extreme temperature events all year round. The temperature in the north slope is more extreme than that in the south slope of the Mount Qomolangma. There is remarkable decadal variation for the extreme temperature indices except diurnal temperature range. There are the warm extremes increasing, however, the cold extremes decreasing with the decadal lapse, which is more remarkable into the 21^th century. The tendencies for the extreme temperature indices in the north slope are consistent with those in the south slope. There are statistically significant trends for most extreme temperature indices during the study period. It shows that the warm extremes would be more prominent in the future with the global continued warming. The abrupt changes of the extreme temperature index have occurred mainly in the 20^th century especially from the mid to late 1980s and 1990s. The periodic changes in the south slope do not synchronize those in the north slope for the most extreme temperature indices. It is different for most extreme temperature indices between the south and north slope, which has demonstrated that the regional or local changes are not neglectable for extreme temperature research. The results of this study are also the consistent response of extreme temperature event to the global warming.

【Keywords】Extreme temperature; Variation; Trend; Statistical analysis; Mount Qomolangma; Mount Everest