Temperature inversions in China derived from sounding data from 1976 to 2015

Temperature inversions inhibit the transfer of momentum, heat and moisture in atmosphere have led to severe air pollution China. This study investigated spatiotemporal variation temperature China using sounding data for past four decades. Surface-based inversion, elevated both one dataset were analysed. Statistical analyses inversion parameters included frequency, strength depth. The annual frequency total showed no significant increasing or decreasing trend with mean values 0.78, 0.33, 0.24, 0.28, 0.5 0.36 at six stations representing different climate zones—Beijing, Harbin, Haikou, Shaowu, Ruoqiang, Xining, respectively. depth downward trends. Monthly differed among stations. weakest surface-based was found summer Beijing Harbin 1 1.3 °C, respectively; strongest winter respective 3.5 3.6 °C. Higher surface subsidence aloft may explain monthly a minimum summer, 165, 334, 135, 267, 363 420 m, maximum winter, 250, 646, 140, 591, 806 664 Total least frequent southwestern (mean 0.15), most north 0.78), southeast 0.42). strongest, deepest dominated 3.4 °C 398 m). Elevated did not significantly differ regions 2.5 °C). 654 Future efforts should focus on interactions between aerosols accurate model simulations inversions.