Changes in wind speed over China during 1956–2004

• Published in: Theoretical and applied climatology Vol. 99; no. 3-4; pp. 421 - 430
• Main Authors: Jiang, Ying, Luo, Yong, Zhao, Zongci, Tao, Shuwang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.01.2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Atmospheric Sciences; Climate change; Climatology; Datasets; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Global temperature changes; Global warming; Marine; Meteorology; Original Paper; Relocation; Surface temperature; Trends; Urbanization; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Wind power; Wind speed; Winds and their effects; Far East; Asia; China; Beijing China; China, People's Rep., Xizang, Tibetan Plateau; ISEW, China, People's Rep., Guangxi; China, People's Rep., Huang He R; East Asian Winter Monsoon; Summer Monsoon; Maximum Wind; Dust Storm; Wind Speed; time series analysis; Spatial variability; trend-surface analysis; Renewable energy; global change; climate warming; Wind velocity; Observation data; wind energy; climate change
• ISSN: 0177-798X; 1434-4483
• DOI: 10.1007/s00704-009-0152-7

Based on two observational data sets in China from 1956 to 2004, wind speed changes are analyzed. The annual mean wind speed (MWS), days of strong wind (SWDs), and maximum wind (MW) all show declining trends over broad areas of China. Only in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and the regions from the Great Bend of the Yellow River southward to Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces wind speeds are not significantly reduced, but rather, in partial, these regions’ winds speeds are slightly increased. The regions with declining trends match the areas with relatively strong observed winds and the regions without significant declining trends match the areas with light observed winds. In the meantime, the regions with relatively strong winds correspond to areas of reduced days of SWDs. Trends for both increasing intensities and for the number of days of light winds both impact the installation of wind energy facilities. These may be advantageous to the development of wind energy in different regions. Urbanization, the change of anemometers, or relocation of stations are factors that are mildly responsible for the decreasing trend of MWS. The main reason for the decreasing trend is that under the background of global warming, the contrasts of the sea level pressure, and near-surface temperature between the Asian continent and the Pacific Ocean have become significantly smaller, and the east Asian trough has shifted eastward and northward, and has weakened as well. Both East Asian winter and summer monsoons are decreasing, and all of these impacts have resulted in declines of MWS in China.