Reveals that afforestation in Kubuqi Desert, Inner Mongolia have significant influence on surface temperature

Recently, Ph.D. student Wang Liming as the first author published a paper onJournal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheresentitled "Response of Surface Temperature to Afforestation in the Kubuqi Desert, Inner Mongolia". The intrinsic biophysical mechanism (IBPM) was used in this study to evaluate the contribution of different biophysical forcings on surface temperature and the diurnal and seasonal variation. This study reveals that afforestation in Kubuqi Desert, Inner Mongolia have significant influence on surface temperature. This paper illuminates the response mechanism of surface temperature to afforestation and could provide scientific basis to large-scale afforestation. Prof. Lin Guanghui at the Department of Earth System Science (DESS) at Tsinghua University and Prof. Lee Xuhui at the Yale University are the corresponding authors.

Figure 1. Locations and pictures of the study sites

The original IBPM theory was modified in this study. The incoming longwave radiation, ground heat flux and air temperature related terms were added in the equations and the energy closure was composed to improve the accuracy of IBPM calculation.

Figure 2. The relationship between half-hour calculated surface temperature change (ΔT_s) and observed ΔT_sin different seasons for daytime

The contribution of each biophysical forcings to surface temperature was evaluated. The results show that the radiative forcing change is the dominant factors to control the surface temperature in the daytime and the longwave radiation change dominant in the nighttime.

Figure 3. Partition of the daytime biophysical effect in different seasons according to the IBPM theory.

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Link：https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017JD027522