Temporal and spatial variability of surface temperature over Texas

Abstract

Surface temperature is one of the most fundamental aspects of the climate system, and its study has been the focus of extensive research in the field of climatology for years. Examination of its temporal and spatial fluctuations can provide scientists with information on the behavior of the atmospheric circulation. Many researchers have also been interested in the physical processes and mechanisms at work in producing the observed distribution of the surface temperature field over the globe. Various analytical methods are used in the study of temperature variability on the Earth. White and Wallace (1978) documented the annual march of surface temperature by mapping amplitudes and phases of the seasonal cycle. The latter were obtained through Fourier analysis of the data. Kim and North (1991, 1992) routinely use second-moment statistics such as variance and spatial correlation to study the fluctuations of temperature in energy balance models as compared with observations. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis has become a popular and convenient method for representing the variability of climatic parameters since the groundbreaking work of Lorenz (1956). The first several EOFS, or patterns of covariability in a meteorological field, can sometimes be explained in a physical sense based on their shapes. While most previous efforts have concentrated on the global or hemispheric scale, this research examines the fluctuations of surface temperature on a regional scale, namely the state of Texas. Texas is an ideal location for a study of this type due to its vast areal extent, diverse topography, and expanse across different climatic regimes. Some of the methods used in the study of temperature variability are applied to the state of Texas.