Articles | Volume 20, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-755-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-755-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Variability in snow cover phenology in China from 1952 to 2010
Chang-Qing Ke
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and
Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Key Laboratory for Satellite Mapping Technology and Applications of State
Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of China, Nanjing
University, Nanjing 210023, China
Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing 210023, China
Xiu-Cang Li
National Climate Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081, China
Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological
Disasters Faculty of Geography and Remote Sensing, Nanjing University of
Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Hongjie Xie
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA
Dong-Hui Ma
Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and
Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing 210023, China
Xun Liu
Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and
Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Key Laboratory for Satellite Mapping Technology and Applications of State
Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of China, Nanjing
University, Nanjing 210023, China
Cheng Kou
Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and
Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Key Laboratory for Satellite Mapping Technology and Applications of State
Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of China, Nanjing
University, Nanjing 210023, China
Related authors
Yu Cai, Jingjing Wang, Yao Xiao, Zifei Wang, Xiaoyi Shen, Haili Li, and Chang-Qing Ke
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-441, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-441, 2024
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we re-explored the potential of passive microwaves in extracting lake ice freeze-thaw events. Brightness temperature and air temperature data were used to extract freeze-up and break-up records of 194 lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, providing complete lake ice records for a large number of small and medium-sized lakes for the first time. The dataset will provide valuable data for users interested in lake ice cover on the Tibetan Plateau over the last decade.
Yubin Fan, Chang-Qing Ke, Xiaoyi Shen, Yao Xiao, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Andrew J. Sole
The Cryosphere, 17, 1775–1786, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We used the new-generation ICESat-2 altimeter to detect and monitor active subglacial lakes in unprecedented spatiotemporal detail. We created a new inventory of 18 active subglacial lakes as well as their elevation and volume changes during 2019–2020, which provides an improved understanding of how the Greenland subglacial water system operates and how these lakes are fed by water from the ice surface.
Yu Cai, Claude R. Duguay, and Chang-Qing Ke
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3329–3347, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3329-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3329-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Seasonal ice cover is one of the important attributes of lakes in middle- and high-latitude regions. This study used passive microwave brightness temperature measurements to extract the ice phenology for 56 lakes across the Northern Hemisphere from 1979 to 2019. A threshold algorithm was applied according to the differences in brightness temperature between lake ice and open water. The dataset will provide valuable information about the changing ice cover of lakes over the last 4 decades.
Xiaoyi Shen, Chang-Qing Ke, Yubin Fan, and Lhakpa Drolma
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3075–3089, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3075-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3075-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Obtaining the detailed surface topography in Antarctica is essential for fieldwork planning, surface height change and mass balance estimations. A new and reliable DEM for Antarctica with a modal resolution of 500 m is presented based on the surface height measurements from ICESat-2 by using a model fitting method. The high accuracy of elevations and the possibility for annual updates make the ICESat-2 DEM an addition to the existing Antarctic DEM groups.
Yubin Fan, Chang-Qing Ke, and Xiaoyi Shen
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 781–794, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-781-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-781-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A new digital elevation model of Greenland was provided based on the ICESat-2 observations acquired from November 2018 to November 2019. A model fit method was applied within the grid cells at different spatial resolutions to estimate the surface elevations with a modal resolution of 500 m. We estimated the uncertainty with a median difference of −0.48 m for all of Greenland, which can benefit studies of elevation change and mass balance in Greenland.
Xiaoyi Shen, Chang-Qing Ke, and Haili Li
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 619–636, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-619-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-619-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Snow over Antarctic sea ice controls energy budgets and thus has essential effects on the climate. Here, we estimated snow depth using microwave radiometers and a newly constructed, robust method by incorporating lower frequencies, which have been available from AMSR-E and AMSR-2. Comparing the new retrieval with in situ and shipborne snow depth measurements showed that this method outperformed the previously available method.
Haili Li, Chang-Qing Ke, Qinghui Zhu, and Xiaoyi Shen
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-271, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-271, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Here, we employ particle filter assimilation to combine snow depth values retrieved from remote sensing with those obtained from reanalysis reconstructions, and INESOSIM-PF is proposed. The results indicate that the proposed method improves the modeled snow depth, and the monthly and seasonal changes in the snow depth are consistent with those in the snow depth determined with two existing snow depth algorithms.
Xiaoyi Shen, Chang-Qing Ke, Yubin Fan, and Lhakpa Drolma
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-204, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-204, 2021
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Obtaining the detailed surface topography in Antarctica is essential for human fieldwork planning, ice surface height changes and mass balance estimations. A definite time-stamped and fine-scale DEM for Antarctica with a modal resolution of 250 m is presented based on the surface height measurements from ICESat-2 by using a model fitting method, which is more valuable for further scientific applications, e.g., land ice height and mass balance estimations.
J. Chen, C. Q. Ke, and Z. D. Shao
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-5875-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-5875-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
H. Xie, R. Lei, C. Ke, H. Wang, Z. Li, J. Zhao, and S. F. Ackley
The Cryosphere, 7, 1057–1072, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1057-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1057-2013, 2013
Yu Cai, Jingjing Wang, Yao Xiao, Zifei Wang, Xiaoyi Shen, Haili Li, and Chang-Qing Ke
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-441, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-441, 2024
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we re-explored the potential of passive microwaves in extracting lake ice freeze-thaw events. Brightness temperature and air temperature data were used to extract freeze-up and break-up records of 194 lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, providing complete lake ice records for a large number of small and medium-sized lakes for the first time. The dataset will provide valuable data for users interested in lake ice cover on the Tibetan Plateau over the last decade.
Yubin Fan, Chang-Qing Ke, Xiaoyi Shen, Yao Xiao, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Andrew J. Sole
The Cryosphere, 17, 1775–1786, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We used the new-generation ICESat-2 altimeter to detect and monitor active subglacial lakes in unprecedented spatiotemporal detail. We created a new inventory of 18 active subglacial lakes as well as their elevation and volume changes during 2019–2020, which provides an improved understanding of how the Greenland subglacial water system operates and how these lakes are fed by water from the ice surface.
Yu Cai, Claude R. Duguay, and Chang-Qing Ke
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3329–3347, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3329-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3329-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Seasonal ice cover is one of the important attributes of lakes in middle- and high-latitude regions. This study used passive microwave brightness temperature measurements to extract the ice phenology for 56 lakes across the Northern Hemisphere from 1979 to 2019. A threshold algorithm was applied according to the differences in brightness temperature between lake ice and open water. The dataset will provide valuable information about the changing ice cover of lakes over the last 4 decades.
Xiaoyi Shen, Chang-Qing Ke, Yubin Fan, and Lhakpa Drolma
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3075–3089, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3075-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3075-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Obtaining the detailed surface topography in Antarctica is essential for fieldwork planning, surface height change and mass balance estimations. A new and reliable DEM for Antarctica with a modal resolution of 500 m is presented based on the surface height measurements from ICESat-2 by using a model fitting method. The high accuracy of elevations and the possibility for annual updates make the ICESat-2 DEM an addition to the existing Antarctic DEM groups.
Yubin Fan, Chang-Qing Ke, and Xiaoyi Shen
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 781–794, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-781-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-781-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A new digital elevation model of Greenland was provided based on the ICESat-2 observations acquired from November 2018 to November 2019. A model fit method was applied within the grid cells at different spatial resolutions to estimate the surface elevations with a modal resolution of 500 m. We estimated the uncertainty with a median difference of −0.48 m for all of Greenland, which can benefit studies of elevation change and mass balance in Greenland.
Xiaoyi Shen, Chang-Qing Ke, and Haili Li
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 619–636, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-619-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-619-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Snow over Antarctic sea ice controls energy budgets and thus has essential effects on the climate. Here, we estimated snow depth using microwave radiometers and a newly constructed, robust method by incorporating lower frequencies, which have been available from AMSR-E and AMSR-2. Comparing the new retrieval with in situ and shipborne snow depth measurements showed that this method outperformed the previously available method.
YoungHyun Koo, Hongjie Xie, Stephen F. Ackley, Alberto M. Mestas-Nuñez, Grant J. Macdonald, and Chang-Uk Hyun
The Cryosphere, 15, 4727–4744, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4727-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4727-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study demonstrates for the first time the potential of Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-computing platform and Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images for semi-automated tracking of area changes and movements of iceberg B43. Our novel GEE-based iceberg tracking can be used to construct a large iceberg database for a better understanding of the behavior of icebergs and their interactions with surrounding environments.
Haili Li, Chang-Qing Ke, Qinghui Zhu, and Xiaoyi Shen
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-271, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-271, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Here, we employ particle filter assimilation to combine snow depth values retrieved from remote sensing with those obtained from reanalysis reconstructions, and INESOSIM-PF is proposed. The results indicate that the proposed method improves the modeled snow depth, and the monthly and seasonal changes in the snow depth are consistent with those in the snow depth determined with two existing snow depth algorithms.
Xiaoyi Shen, Chang-Qing Ke, Yubin Fan, and Lhakpa Drolma
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-204, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-204, 2021
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Obtaining the detailed surface topography in Antarctica is essential for human fieldwork planning, ice surface height changes and mass balance estimations. A definite time-stamped and fine-scale DEM for Antarctica with a modal resolution of 250 m is presented based on the surface height measurements from ICESat-2 by using a model fitting method, which is more valuable for further scientific applications, e.g., land ice height and mass balance estimations.
Z. Yue, S. Gou, G. Michael, K. Di, H. Xie, H. Gong, and Y. Shao
Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLII-3-W1, 205–211, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-3-W1-205-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-3-W1-205-2017, 2017
J. Chen, C. Q. Ke, and Z. D. Shao
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-5875-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-5875-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
H. Xie, R. Lei, C. Ke, H. Wang, Z. Li, J. Zhao, and S. F. Ackley
The Cryosphere, 7, 1057–1072, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1057-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1057-2013, 2013
W. Wang, T. Liang, X. Huang, Q. Feng, H. Xie, X. Liu, M. Chen, and X. Wang
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 1411–1425, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-1411-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-1411-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Snow and Ice | Techniques and Approaches: Mathematical applications
Bias adjustment and downscaling of snow cover fraction projections from regional climate models using remote sensing for the European Alps
Investigating ANN architectures and training to estimate snow water equivalent from snow depth
Comparing Bayesian and traditional end-member mixing approaches for hydrograph separation in a glacierized basin
Predicting streamflows in snowmelt-driven watersheds using the flow duration curve method
Michael Matiu and Florian Hanzer
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3037–3054, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3037-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3037-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Regional climate models not only provide projections on temperature and precipitation, but also on snow. Here, we employed statistical post-processing using satellite observations to reduce bias and uncertainty from model projections of future snow-covered area and duration under different greenhouse gas concentration scenarios for the European Alps. Snow cover area/duration decreased overall in the future, three times more strongly with 4–5° global warming as compared to 1.5–2°.
Konstantin F. F. Ntokas, Jean Odry, Marie-Amélie Boucher, and Camille Garnaud
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 3017–3040, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3017-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3017-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This article shows a conversion model of snow depth into snow water equivalent (SWE) using an ensemble of artificial neural networks. The novelty is a direct estimation of SWE and the improvement of the estimation by in-depth analysis of network structures. The usage of an ensemble allows a probabilistic estimation and, therefore, a deeper insight. It is a follow-up study of a similar study over Quebec but extends it to the whole area of Canada and improves it further.
Zhihua He, Katy Unger-Shayesteh, Sergiy Vorogushyn, Stephan M. Weise, Doris Duethmann, Olga Kalashnikova, Abror Gafurov, and Bruno Merz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3289–3309, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3289-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3289-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Quantifying the seasonal contributions of the runoff components, including groundwater, snowmelt, glacier melt, and rainfall, to streamflow is highly necessary for understanding the dynamics of water resources in glacierized basins given the vulnerability of snow- and glacier-dominated environments to the current climate warming. Our study provides the first comparison of two end-member mixing approaches for hydrograph separation in glacierized basins.
D. Kim and J. Kaluarachchi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 1679–1693, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1679-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1679-2014, 2014
Cited articles
Alexandersson, H. and Moberg, A.: Homogenization of Swedish temperature data
Part 1: homogeneity test for linear trends, Int. J. Climatol., 17, 25–34,
1997.
An, D., Li, D., Yuan, Y., and Hui, Y.: Contrast between snow cover data of
different definitions, J. Glaciol. Geocrol., 31, 1019–1027, 2009.
Barnett, T. P., Dumenil, L., and Latif, M.: The effect of Eurasian snow cover
on regional and global climate variations, J. Atmos. Sci., 46, 661–685,
1989.
Beniston, M: Variations of snow depth and duration in the Swiss Alps over the
last 50 years: Links to changes in large-scale climatic forcings, Clim.
Change, 36, 281–300, 1997.
Birsan, M. V. and Dumitrescu, A.: Snow variability in Romania in connection
to large-scale atmospheric circulation, Int. J. Climatol., 34, 134–144,
2014.
Bolsenga, S. J. and Norton, D. C.: Maximum snowfall at long-term stations
in the U.S./Canadian Great Lakes, Nat. Hazards, 5, 221–232, 1992.
Brown, R. D. and Robinson, D. A.: Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover
variability and change over 1922–2010 including an assessment of uncertainty,
The Cryosphere, 5, 219–229, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-219-2011, 2011.
Bulygina, O. N., Razuvaev, V. N., and Korshunova, N. N.: Changes in snow
cover over Northern Eurasia in the last few decades, Environ. Res. Lett., 4,
045026, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/4/4/045026, 2009.
Chen, S., Chen, W., and Wei, K.: Recent trends in winter temperature extremes
in eastern China and their relationship with the Arctic Oscillation and ENSO,
Adv. Atmos. Sci., 30, 1712–1724, 2013.
China Meteorological Administration: Specifications for Surface
Meteorological Observations, Beijing, China Meteorological Press, 1–62,
2003.
Choi, G., Robinson, D. A., and Kang, S.: Changing Northern Hemisphere snow
seasons, J. Climate, 23, 5305–5310, 2010.
Ciach, G. J. and Krajewski, W. F.: Analysis and modeling of spatial
correlation structure in small-scale rainfall in Central Oklahoma, Adv. Water
Resour., 29, 1450–1463, 2006.
Déry, S. J. and Brown, R. D.: Recent Northern Hemisphere snow cover
extent trends and implications for the snow-albedo feedback, Geophys. Res.
Lett., 34, L22504, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL031474, 2007.
Dong, A., Guo, H., Wang, L., and Liang, T.: A CEOF analysis on variation
about yearly snow days in Northern Xinjiang in recent 40 years, Plateau
Meteorol., 23, 936–940, 2004.
Dong, W., Wei, Z., and Fan, J.: Climatic character analysis of snow disasters
in east Qinghai-Xizang Plateau livestock farm, Plateau Meteorol., 20,
402–406, 2001.
Dyer, J. L. and Mote, T. L.: Spatial variability and trends in observed snow
depth over North America, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L16503,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027258, 2006.
Fang, S., Qi, Y., Han, G., Zhou, G., and Cammarano, D.: Meteorological
drought trend in winter and spring from 1961 to 2010 and its possible impacts
on wheat in wheat planting area of China, Sci. Agr. Sin., 47, 1754–1763,
2014.
Gao, H.: China's snow disaster in 2008, who is the principal player?, Int. J.
Climatol., 29, 2191–2196, 2009.
Gong, D. Y., Wang, S. W., and Zhu, J. H.: East Asian winter monsoon and
Arctic oscillation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 2073–2076, 2001.
Groisman, P. Y., Karl, T. R., and Knight, R. W.: Observed impact of snow
cover on the heat-balance and the rise of continental spring temperatures,
Science, 263, 198–200, 1994.
Habib, E., Krajewski, W. F., and Ciach, G. J.: Estimation of rainfall
interstation correlation, J. Hydrometeorol., 2, 621–629, 2001.
Hantel, M., Ehrendorfer, M., and Haslinger, A.: Climate sensitivity of snow
cover duration in Austria, Int. J. Climatol., 20, 615–640, 2000.
Hao, L., Wang, J., Man, S., and Yang, C.: Spatio-temporal change of snow
disaster and analysis of vulnerability of animal husbandry in China, J. Nat.
Disaster, 11, 42–48, 2002.
Hu, H. and Liang, L.: Temporal and spatial variations of snowfall in the east
of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the last 50 years, Acta Geogr. Sin., 69,
1002–1012, 2014.
Jeong, J. H. and Ho, C. H.: Changes in occurrence of cold surges over East
Asia in association with Arctic oscillation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L14704,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL023024, 2005.
Ji, Z. and Kang, S.: Projection of snow cover changes over China under RCP
scenarios Clim. Dyn., 41, 589–600, 2013.
Ke, C. Q. and Li, P. J.: Spatial and temporal characteristics of snow cover
over the Tibetan plateau, Acta Geogr. Sin., 53, 209–215, 1998.
Ke, C. Q. and Liu, X.: MODIS-observed spatial and temporal variation in snow
cover in Xinjiang, China, Clim. Res., 59, 15–26, 2014.
Ke, C. Q., Yu, T., Yu, K., Tang, G. D., and King, L.: Snowfall trends and
variability in Qinghai, China, Theor. Appl. Climatol., 98, 251–258, 2009.
Lehning, M., Grünewald, T., and Schirmer, M.: Mountain snow distribution
governed by an altitudinal gradient and terrain roughness, Geophys. Res.
Lett., 38, L19504, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL048927, 2011.
Li, D., Liu, Y., Yu, H. and Li, Y.: Spatial-temporal variation of the snow
cover in Heilongjiang Province in 1951-2006, J. Glaciol. Geocrol., 31,
1011–1018, 2009.
Li, P. J.: Dynamic characteristic of snow cover in western China, Acta
Meteorol. Sin., 48, 505–515, 1993.
Li, P. J.: A preliminary study of snow mass variations over past 30 years in
China, Acta Geogr. Sin., 48, 433–437, 1990.
Li, P. J. and Mi, D.: Distribution of snow cover in China, J. Glaciol.
Geocrol., 5, 9–18, 1983.
Liang, T. G., Huang, X. D., Wu, C. X., Liu, X. Y., Li, W. L., Guo, Z. G., and
Ren, J. Z.: An application of MODIS data to snow cover monitoring in a
pastoral area: A case study in Northern Xinjiang, China, Remote Sens.
Environ., 112, 1514–1526, 2008.
Liu, Y., Ren, G., and Yu, H.: Climatology of Snow in China, Sci. Geogr. Sin.,
32, 1176–1185, 2012.
Llasat, M. C., Turco, M., Quintana-Seguí, P., and Llasat-Botija, M.: The
snow storm of 8 March 2010 in Catalonia (Spain): a paradigmatic wet-snow
event with a high societal impact, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 14,
427–441, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-427-2014, 2014.
Lü, J. M., Ju, J. H., Kim, S. J., Ren, J. Z., and Zhu, Y. X.: Arctic
Oscillation and the autumn/winter snow depth over the Tibetan Plateau, J.
Geophys. Res., 113, D14117, 2008.
Ma, L. and Qin, D.: Temporal-spatial characteristics of observed key
parameters of snow cover in China during 1957–2009, Sci. Cold Arid Reg., 4,
384–393, 2012.
Marty, C.: Regime shift of snow days in Switzerland, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35,
L12501, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL033998, 2008.
Morán-Tejeda, E., López-Moreno, J. I., and Beniston, M.: The changing
roles of temperature and precipitation on snowpack variability in Switzerland
as a function of altitude, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 2131–2136, 2013.
Pederson, G. T., Betancourt, J. L., and Gregory, J. M.: Regional patterns and
proximal causes of the recent snowpack decline in the Rocky Mountains, U.S.,
Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 1811–1816, 2013.
Peings, Y., Brun, B., Mauvais, V., and Douville, H.: How stationary is the
relationship between Siberian snow and Arctic Oscillation over the 20th
century, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 183–188, 2013.
Peng, S., Piao, S., Ciais, P., Friedlingstein, P., Zhou, L., and Wang, T.:
Change in snow phenology and its potential feedback to temperature in the
Northern Hemisphere over the last three decades, Environ. Res. Lett., 8,
014008, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014008, 2013.
Qin, D., Liu, S., and Li, P.: Snow cover distribution, variability, and
response to climate change in western China, J. Climate, 19, 1820–1833,
2006.
Ren, G. Y., Guo, J., Xu, M. Z., Chu, Z. Y., Zhang, L., Zou, X. K., Li, Q. X.,
and Liu, X. N.: Climate changes of China's mainland over the past half
century, Acta. Meteorol. Sin., 63, 942–956, 2005.
Robinson, D. A. and Dewey, K. F.: Recent secular variations in the extent of
northern hemisphere snow cover, Geophys. Res. Lett., 17, 1557–1560, 1990.
Scherrer, S. C., Appenzeller, C., and Laternser, M.: Trends in Swiss Alpine
snow days: The role of local- and large-scale climate variability, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 31, L13215, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL020255, 2004.
Scherrer, S. C., and Appenzeller, C.: Swiss Alpine snow pack variability:
major patterns and links to local climate and large-scale flow, Clim. Res.,
32, 187–199, 2006.
Scherrer, S. C., Wüthrich, C., Croci-Maspoli, M., Weingartner, R., and
Appenzeller, C.: Snow variability in the Swiss Alps 1864-2009, Int. J. Clim.,
33, 3162–3173, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.3653, 2013.
Serquet, G., Marty, C., Dulex, J.-P., and Rebetez, M.: Seasonal trends and
temperature dependence of the snowfall/precipitation-day ratio in
Switzerland, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L07703, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL046976, 2011.
Shi, Y., Gao, X., Wu, J., and Giorgi, F.: Changes in snow cover over China in
the 21st century as simulated by a high resolution regional climate model,
Environ. Res. Lett., 6, 045401, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/045401, 2011.
Tang, X., Yan, X., Ni, M., and Lu, Y.: Changes of the snow cover days on
Tibet Plateau in last 40 years, Acta. Geogr. Sin., 67, 951–959, 2012.
Thompson, D. W. J. and Wallace, J. M.: The Arctic oscillation signature in
the wintertime geopotential height and temperature fields, Geophys. Res.
Lett., 25, 1297–1300, 1998.
Thompson, D. W. J., Wallace, J. M., and Hegerl, G. C.: Annular modes in the
extratropical circulation, part II: Trends, J. Climate, 13, 1018–1036, 2000.
Wang, C. and Li, D.: Spatial-temporal variations of the snow cover days and
the maximum depth of snow cover in China during recent 50 years, J. Glaciol.
Geocrol., 34, 247–256, 2012.
Wang, C., Wang, Z., and Cui, Y.: Snow cover of China during the last
40 years: Spatial distribution and interannual variation, J. Glaciol. Geocrol.,
31, 301-310, 2009.
Wang, L., Gao, G., Zhang, Q., Sun, J. M., Wang, Z. Y., Zhao, Y., Zhao, S. S.,
Chen, X. Y., Chen, Y., Wang, Y. M., Chen, L. J., and Gao, H.: Characteristics of
the extreme low-temperature, heavy snowstorm and freezing disasters in January
2008 in China, Meteorol. Mon., 34, 95–100, 2008.
Wang, Q., Zhang, C., Liu, J., and Liu, W.: The changing tendency on the depth
and days of snow cover in Northern Xinjiang, Adv. Clim. Change Res., 5,
39–43, 2009.
Wang, W., Liang, T., Huang, X., Feng, Q., Xie, H., Liu, X., Chen, M., and
Wang, X.: Early warning of snow-caused disasters in pastoral areas on the
Tibetan Plateau, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 1411–1425,
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-1411-2013, 2013.
Wu, B. Y. and Wang, J.: Winter Arctic oscillation, Siberian high and East
Asian winter monsoon, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1897, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL015373, 2002.
Xi, Y., Li, D., and Wang, W.: Study of the temporal-spatial characteristics
of snow covers days in Hetao and its vicinity, J. Glaciol. Geocrol., 31,
446–456, 2009.
Xu, L., Li, D., and Hu, Z.: Relationship between the snow cover day and
monsoon index in Tibetan Plateau, Plateau Meterol., 29, 1093–1101, 2010.
Yang, H., Yang, D., Hu, Q., and Lv, H.: Spatial variability of the trends in
climatic variables across China during 1961–2010, Theor. Appl. Climatol.,
120, 773–783, 2015.
Yao, T., Thompson, L., Yang, W., Yu, W., Gao, Y., Guo, X., Yang, X., Duan,
K., Zhao, H., Xu, B., Pu, J., Lu, A., Xiang, Y., Kattel, D. B., and Joswiak,
D.: Different glacier status with atmospheric circulations in Tibetan Plateau
and surroundings, Nature Clim. Change, 2, 663–667, 2012.
Ye, H. and Ellison, M.: Changes in transitional snowfall season length in
northern Eurasia, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, 1252, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL016873,
2003.
You, Q., Kang, S., Ren, G., Fraedrich, K., Pepin, N., Yan, Y., and Ma, L.:
Observed changes in snow depth and number of snow days in the eastern and
central Tibetan Plateau, Clim. Res., 46, 171–183, 2011.
Zhang, T.: Influence of the seasonal snow cover on the ground thermal regime:
An overview, Rev. Geophys., 43, 1–23, 2005.
Short summary
The heavy snow years in China include 1955, 1957, 1964, and 2010, and light snow years include 1953, 1965, 1999, 2002, and 2009. The reduction in number of days with temperature below 0 °C and increase in mean air temperature are the main reasons for the delay of snow cover onset date and advance of snow cover end date. This explains why only 15 % of the stations show significant shortening of snow cover days and differ with the overall shortening of the snow period in the Northern Hemisphere.
The heavy snow years in China include 1955, 1957, 1964, and 2010, and light snow years include...