The 0°C isotherm altitude is a critical characteristic layer in atmospheric sounding, reflecting the thermal conditions of the middle-lower troposphere. Its vertical fluctuations influence surface processes in mountainous regions—particularly the rise and fall of the 0°C line, which governs the freeze-thaw cycle of water in alpine zones.Using upper-air data from 39 radiosonde stations in western China (with some stations having shorter records since 1979), we derived the summer (June–August) 0°C isotherm height from standard pressure-level altitudes and temperatures. Through Kriging interpolation and regression analysis, we quantified the spatiotemporal variation of the summer 0°C isotherm over the Qaidam Basin from 1985 to 2018. A fishnet tool was applied to statistically analyze the altitude changes per 1 km grid.
The raw data were obtained from China's upper-air meteorological station observations, comprising upper-air measurements from 89 radiosonde stations across China. These data were acquired by the National Meteorological Information Center (NMIC) through the domestic meteorological telecommunication system and include the following variables at standard pressure levels and significant levels: geopotential height, temperature, dew-point temperature, wind direction, and wind speed.
Using geopotential height and temperature data from standard pressure levels at 39 upper-air stations in western China, we calculated the summer (June-August) 0°C isotherm height. Through Kriging interpolation and regression analysis at 1 km spatial resolution, we derived the variations of summer 0°C isotherm over the Qaidam Basin during 1985-2018. A fishnet grid analysis was employed to quantify altitude changes of the 0°C isotherm per 1 km grid cell.
The data quality is good.
| # | number | name | type |
| 1 | 2018YFC0406600 | National key R & D plan |
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CSTR:11738.11.ncdc.Hydro.db2422.2022
10.12072/ncdc.Hydro.db2422.2022