A Year-round Test Meteorological Observation in the Desert of HEIFE Area, Northwest China

Abstract

A year-round test meteorological observation by an automatic weather station was made in the desert of northwest China. There are two prevailing wind directions: southeasterlies after midnight in summer, and northwesterly in the afternoon of other seasons. Their origins are synoptic winds: easterly current toward the heat low over Tibetan Plateau in summer, and planetary westerly in winter. The mean daily temperature range of the desert is larger in winter than summer. Specific humidity decreases in daytime and increases at night suggesting the evaporation at the ground, but no diurnal change in dry season. Moisture advection from oasis is not evident in monthly averages. Attention to the maintenance of instruments is proposed.