Climatic and Environmental Changes in the Source Areas of Dust Storms in Xinjiang, China, during the Last 50 Years |
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Authors: | Wenshou Wei Hongfei Zhou Yuguang Shi Osamu Abe Kenji Kai |
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Institution: | (1) China Meteorological Administration, Institute of Desert Meteorology, Urumqi, 830002, China;(2) Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Urumqi, 830011, China;(3) Snow and Ice Research Group, National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, Japan;(4) Division of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Japan |
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Abstract: | The desert environmental changes in the source areas of dust storms occurring in Xinjiang are discussed based on the climate
changes and the impacts of human activities in Xinjiang during the past 50 years. The results show that the climate in Xinjiang
is changing from a warm-dry type to a warm-wet one. The warm-wet climate has been obvious since the mid-1970's, and especially
the sensitivity of the regional climate change in this arid area is obviously revealed by many factors, such as the characteristics
of the local climate change in south Xinjiang and north Xinjiang, the difference of climate change in the alpine zones and
the basins, and the change of areas of the waters bodies. Furthermore, these factors also reveal the difference in the regional
climate change between Xinjiang and central and eastern areas of China. The occurrence and development of dust storms are
directly affected by the precipitation, air humidity, status of underlying surface, etc. in the arid areas. The frequency
and intensity of dust storms are closely related to the natural conditions, changes of climate and desert environment, as
well as the dynamic conditions (i.e., weather systems) in the source areas of dust storms. Therefore, global warming is one
of the main causes resulting in the degradation of the ecological environment and the frequent occurrence of natural disasters,
especially the disasters of sand drift and dust storms in the arid areas since the late-1980's, which reveals that the inland
arid areas are sensitive regions to climate changes. |
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Keywords: | climate change desert environment dust storm Xinjiang |
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