Soil moisture controlled the variability of air temperature and oasis
effect in a large inland basin in arid region
Abstract
Soil moisture plays a significant role in land-atmosphere interactions.
Changing fractions of latent and sensible heat fluxes caused by soil
moisture variations can affect near-surface air temperature, thus
influencing the cooling effect of the oasis in arid regions. In this
study, the framework for the evaporative fraction (EF) dependence on
soil moisture is used to analyze the impacts of soil moisture variation
on near-surface air temperature and the oasis effect. The results showed
that the contribution rate of soil moisture to EF was significantly
higher than that of EF to temperature. Under the interaction of
temperature sensitivity to EF and EF to soil moisture, the ∂T/∂ϴ
presented a similar tempo-spatial variation with both of the above. It
was most significant in oasis areas during summer (−1.676), while it was
weaker in plain desert areas during the autumn (−0.071). In the study
region, the effect of soil moisture variation on air temperature can
reach 0.018–0.242 K for different land-cover types in summer. The
maximum variation of soil moisture in summer can alter air temperature
by up to 0.386 K. The difference in temperature variability between the
oasis and desert areas promoted the formation of the oasis effect. For
different oasis, the multi-year average oasis cold effect index (OCI)
ranged from −1.36 K to −0.26 K, while average summer OCI ranged from
−1.38 K to −0.29 K. The lower bound of the cooling effect of oasis
ranged from −4.97 to −1.69 K. The analysis framework and results of this
study will provide a new perspective for further research on the
evolution process of the oasis effect and water-heat balance in arid
areas.