Spatial‐temporal variation of near‐surface temperature lapse rates over the Tianshan Mountains, central Asia

Adequate estimates of near‐surface temperature lapse rate ( γ local ) are needed to represent air temperature in remote mountain regions with sparse instrumental records such as the mountains of central Asia. To identify the spatial and temporal variations of γ local in the Tianshan Mountains, long‐term (1961–2011) daily maximum, mean, and minimum temperature ( T max , T mean , and T min ) data from 17 weather stations and 1 year of temperature logger data were analyzed considering three subregions: northern slopes, Kaidu Basin, and southern slopes. Simple linear regression was performed to identify relationships between elevation and temperature, revealing spatial and seasonal variations in γ local . The γ local are higher on the southern slopes than the northern slopes due to topography and regional climate conditions. Seasonally, γ local are more pronounced higher in the summer than in the winter months. The γ local are generally higher for T max than T mean and T min . The Kaidu Basin shows similar seasonal variability but with the highest γ local for T mean and T min occurring in the spring. Formation of γ local patterns is associated with the interactions of climate factors in different subregions. Overall, annual mean γ local for T max , T mean , and T min in the study's subregions are lower than the standard atmospheric lapse rate (6.5°C km −1 ), which would therefore be an inadequate choice for representing the near‐surface temperature conditions in this area. Our findings highlight the importance of spatial and temporal variations of γ local in hydrometeorological research in the data‐sparse Tianshan Mountains.