Zhao et al. (2025) Variability in Meteorological Parameters at the Lenghu Site on the Tibetan Plateau

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Identification

• Journal: Atmosphere
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-10-20
• Authors: Yong Zhao, Fei He, Ruiyue Li, Fan Yang, Licai Deng
• DOI: 10.3390/atmos16101210

Research Groups

This study comprehensively analyzes key meteorological parameters at the Lenghu astronomical observing site, investigating their variability, long-term trends, and connections to major climate oscillation patterns. It reveals significant correlations between climate indices (ENSO, PDO, AMO) and parameters like precipitable water vapor and wind speed, highlighting distinct regional climate responses compared to other observatories.

Objective

• To systematically investigate the regional distribution characteristics, periodic variations, seasonal changes, and temporal evolution of critical atmospheric parameters influencing astronomical observations at the Lenghu site.
• To explore potential connections between these meteorological parameters and major climate oscillation patterns (ENSO, PDO, AMO).

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional atmospheric conditions (82°–102° E and 31°–46° N) surrounding the Lenghu site.
• Temporal Scale: Regional analysis: 2000–2023 (24 years); Lenghu site specific: 1990–2023 (34 years).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: ERA5 (the fifth-generation atmospheric reanalysis from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts).
• Data sources: ERA5 reanalysis data.

Main Results

• The ENSO and PDO indices exhibit a negative correlation with wind speed at 200 hPa (W200).
• The AMO index shows a positive correlation with precipitable water vapor (PWV) and a slight positive correlation with W200, temperature, and total column ozone (TCO).
• Comparative analysis of Lenghu, Mauna Kea, and Paranal reveals distinct variation trends across sites, attributed to regional climate differences.
• While all observatory sites are affected by global climate change, their response patterns and temporal characteristics show subtle variations.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive analysis of key meteorological parameters and their variability at the Lenghu site, a premier astronomical observing location.
• Establishes connections between local atmospheric conditions and major global climate oscillation patterns (ENSO, PDO, AMO).
• Offers a comparative analysis of meteorological trends at Lenghu with other world-class astronomical observatories (Mauna Kea, Paranal), highlighting regional climate influences.

Funding

Citation

@article{Zhao2025Variability,
  author = {Zhao, Yong and He, Fei and Li, Ruiyue and Yang, Fan and Deng, Licai},
  title = {Variability in Meteorological Parameters at the Lenghu Site on the Tibetan Plateau},
  journal = {Atmosphere},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/atmos16101210},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16101210}
}