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Arid Land Geography ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (8): 1304-1313.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2024.140

• The Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Investigation and evaluation of surface solar radiation on the north slope of Kunlun Mountains based on multi-source data

ZHANG Lu1(), SUN Meiping1,2(), YAN Xin1, WANG Weisheng1, FAN Ruiyi1   

  1. 1. College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
    2. Gansu Key Laboratory of Resource Environment and Sustainable Development of Oasis, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
  • Received:2024-03-04 Revised:2024-05-08 Online:2024-08-25 Published:2024-09-02
  • Contact: SUN Meiping E-mail:2022212938@nwnu.edu.cn;sunmeiping1982@nwnu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Surface solar radiation is pivotal in the global energy balance and serves as the primary driver of climate change and the hydrological cycle. Despite its significance, the complexity of solar radiation components and the prohibitive cost of measurement instruments have resulted in a scarcity of long-term, reliable observation data in high-altitude mountain areas. This study utilizes the high-resolution homogeneous grid dataset of Chinese land surface climate observations alongside the ERA5 reanalysis radiation dataset to analyze the variation characteristics of surface solar radiation at different time scales over the north slope of the Kunlun Mountains from 1984 to 2023. Moreover, it employs the geographical detector model to examine the relationship between surface solar radiation and atmospheric factors. The findings indicate that: (1) The average annual surface solar radiation on the north slope of the Kunlun Mountains exhibited a significant decreasing trend during the study period, with a rate of -1.24 W·m-2·(10a)-1. Seasonally, the decline was most pronounced during summer. The monthly average surface solar radiation increased initially, peaking in June, before subsequently declining. (2) The spatial distribution of surface solar radiation on the north slope of the Kunlun Mountains gradually decreases from south to north. The variation trends differ between the east and west; except in winter, the eastern decline rate exceeded that of the west throughout the year, including during spring, summer, and autumn. (3) Single-factor detection results reveal that the explanatory capabilities of atmospheric factors on the spatial differentiation of surface solar radiation vary, with water vapor demonstrating a higher explanatory ability (q=0.90). These findings confirm that water vapor is a critical factor influencing the spatial distribution of solar radiation on the north slope of the Kunlun Mountains.

Key words: surface solar radiation, spatiotemporal variation, influencing factors, north slope of Kunlun Mountains