Open AccessSpatial and temporal variation of surface air temperature at different altitude zone in recent 30 years over Nepal
Author(s) -
Janak Lal Nayava,
Sunil Adhikary,
O. R. Bajracharya
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
mausam
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0252-9416
DOI - 10.54302/mausam.v68i3.649
Subject(s) - lapse rate , altitude (triangle) , surface air temperature , air temperature , environmental science , effects of high altitude on humans , climatology , climate change , atmospheric temperature , mean radiant temperature , geography , range (aeronautics) , atmospheric sciences , physical geography , global warming , meteorology , geology , precipitation , oceanography , materials science , geometry , mathematics , composite material
This paper investigates long term (30 yrs) altitudinal variations of surface air temperatures based on air temperature data of countrywide scattered 22 stations (15 synoptic and 7 climate stations) in Nepal. Several researchers have reported that rate of air temperature rise (long term trend of atmospheric warming) in Nepal is highest in the Himalayan region (~ 3500 m asl or higher) compared to the Hills and Terai regions. Contrary to the results of previous researchers, however this study found that the increment of annual mean temperature is much higher in the Hills (1000 to 2000 m asl) than in the Terai and Mountain Regions. The temperature lapse rate in a wide altitudinal range of Nepal (70 to 5050 m asl) is -5.65 °C km-1. Warming rates in Terai and Trans-Himalayas (Jomsom) are 0.024 and 0.029 °C/year respectively.