Open AccessSoil temperature trends in B üyük M enderes B asin, T urkey
Author(s) -
Yeşilırmak Ercan
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
meteorological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1469-8080
pISSN - 1350-4827
DOI - 10.1002/met.1421
Subject(s) - environmental science , air temperature , climate change , sunshine duration , global warming , maximum temperature , growing season , atmospheric sciences , climatology , ecology , geography , geology , biology , meteorology , precipitation
Soil temperature change is reported to be an important indicator of climate change, as soil temperature integrates all processes occurring at and above the soil surface. Analysis of long‐term trends in soil temperatures and their relationship to climatic variables could provide valuable information on climate change. In this study, soil temperature trends were analysed on seasonal and annual scales at depths of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 cm over the period from the 1970s to 2006 at eight sites in the B üyük M enderes B asin in W estern T urkey. Also, air temperature, rainfall and sunshine duration records were analysed for trends, and for their correlations with soil temperatures. The results showed a general increase in soil temperatures at all depths and in all seasons. The most significant warmings were observed in summer, especially in the upper layers (5, 10 and 20 cm). The trend magnitudes ranged from −0.91 to 2.05 °C decade −1 , depending on site, season and depth. It was observed that air temperature had a clear and dominant influence on soil temperature change. Soil temperatures were also affected by sunshine duration and rainfall. These findings are expected to contribute to our understanding of the linkage between soil temperature change and global warming.