Changes in day–night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in China during 1979–2018

China has experienced varying degrees of increase or decrease in daytime and nighttime heatwaves, but studies have mostly been at the site or grid scale, and it remains unclear how daytime and nighttime heatwave events in China vary regionally when spatial scales are considered. Here, we redefine th...

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Main Authors: Shengjun Gao, Yunhao Chen, Kangning Li, Bin He, Ying Cui, Peng Hou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2022-01-01
Series:Environmental Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac9ecc
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author Shengjun Gao
Yunhao Chen
Kangning Li
Bin He
Ying Cui
Peng Hou
author_facet Shengjun Gao
Yunhao Chen
Kangning Li
Bin He
Ying Cui
Peng Hou
author_sort Shengjun Gao
collection DOAJ
description China has experienced varying degrees of increase or decrease in daytime and nighttime heatwaves, but studies have mostly been at the site or grid scale, and it remains unclear how daytime and nighttime heatwave events in China vary regionally when spatial scales are considered. Here, we redefine the different types of heatwave events in China from 1979 to 2018 as combined day and night heatwave events (CDNHWEs) and independent daytime (nighttime) heatwave events. Due to more pronounced spatiotemporal characteristics, CDNHWEs are the dominant heatwave events in China. Further analysis of the dominant heatwave events indicates that their increase in intensity is stronger at night than during the day, i.e. for CDNHWEs, the daytime-dominated events are gradually replaced by nighttime-dominated events. Compared to 1979–2003, there has been an increase in dominant heatwave events mainly in the south during the day and a nationwide increase at night since 2004. For CDNHWEs, daytime and nighttime processes are regulated by different mechanisms. During the daytime, fewer clouds enhance solar shortwave radiation, favouring daytime heatwaves; however, the increase in aerosols in northern China suppresses solar shortwave radiation. At night, the increase in humidity allows for increased longwave radiation, which favours the formation of nighttime heatwaves across the country. These findings further demonstrate the regional variability of heatwave hazards experienced in China and that targeted heatwave-mitigation measures should be developed based on regional characteristics.
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spelling doaj.art-dbd6933adcae4dce958469fb2680e9b12023-08-09T15:19:17ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262022-01-01171111405810.1088/1748-9326/ac9eccChanges in day–night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in China during 1979–2018Shengjun Gao0Yunhao Chen1Kangning Li2Bin He3Ying Cui4Peng Hou5State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaCollege of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, People’s Republic of ChinaSatellite Environment Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment , Beijing 100094, People’s Republic of ChinaChina has experienced varying degrees of increase or decrease in daytime and nighttime heatwaves, but studies have mostly been at the site or grid scale, and it remains unclear how daytime and nighttime heatwave events in China vary regionally when spatial scales are considered. Here, we redefine the different types of heatwave events in China from 1979 to 2018 as combined day and night heatwave events (CDNHWEs) and independent daytime (nighttime) heatwave events. Due to more pronounced spatiotemporal characteristics, CDNHWEs are the dominant heatwave events in China. Further analysis of the dominant heatwave events indicates that their increase in intensity is stronger at night than during the day, i.e. for CDNHWEs, the daytime-dominated events are gradually replaced by nighttime-dominated events. Compared to 1979–2003, there has been an increase in dominant heatwave events mainly in the south during the day and a nationwide increase at night since 2004. For CDNHWEs, daytime and nighttime processes are regulated by different mechanisms. During the daytime, fewer clouds enhance solar shortwave radiation, favouring daytime heatwaves; however, the increase in aerosols in northern China suppresses solar shortwave radiation. At night, the increase in humidity allows for increased longwave radiation, which favours the formation of nighttime heatwaves across the country. These findings further demonstrate the regional variability of heatwave hazards experienced in China and that targeted heatwave-mitigation measures should be developed based on regional characteristics.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac9eccheatwave eventsdaytime heatwavenighttime heatwavespatiotemporal characteristicsheatwave mechanism
spellingShingle Shengjun Gao
Yunhao Chen
Kangning Li
Bin He
Ying Cui
Peng Hou
Changes in day–night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in China during 1979–2018
Environmental Research Letters
heatwave events
daytime heatwave
nighttime heatwave
spatiotemporal characteristics
heatwave mechanism
title Changes in day–night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in China during 1979–2018
title_full Changes in day–night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in China during 1979–2018
title_fullStr Changes in day–night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in China during 1979–2018
title_full_unstemmed Changes in day–night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in China during 1979–2018
title_short Changes in day–night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in China during 1979–2018
title_sort changes in day night dominance of combined day and night heatwave events in china during 1979 2018
topic heatwave events
daytime heatwave
nighttime heatwave
spatiotemporal characteristics
heatwave mechanism
url https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac9ecc
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AT binhe changesindaynightdominanceofcombineddayandnightheatwaveeventsinchinaduring19792018
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