ERLAT, Ecmel Ege Üniversitesi - Edebiyat Fakültesi - Coğrafya Bölümü, Turkey , TÜRKEŞ, Murat Boğaziçi Üniversitesi - İklim Değişikliği ve Politikaları Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi, Turkey

Observed Changes in the Frequencies of Record Maximum and Record Minimum Air Temperatures in Turkey during the period 1950-2014 and their Connections with Atmospheric Conditions

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The study investigated both temporal variations of record maximum and minimum air temperatures and the surface and upper atmosphere synoptic climatological and meteorological conditions in years, seasons or months in which the highest number of record temperature events were observed at the 81 climatological-meteorological stations of Turkey during the 1950-2014 period. Results have shown that the frequency of record minimum air temperature events observed in Turkey decreased from the 1950s to the present time, while the frequency of maximum air temperature events increased evidently in particular with the year of 2000. Half of the record maximum air temperature events were recorded in the period of 2000-2014, along with the highest annual frequency in the years 2010, 2007 and 2008, respectively. On the other hand, annual frequency of record minimum air temperature events observed in Turkey has shown an evident decreasing trend since the mid of 1980s. Decreasing trend was most strong after the year 2005. Frequency of the record minimum air temperature events reached the highest figures in the years of 1985, 1967 and 1950, respectively. The highest values of daily maximum temperatures occurred in the year 2000, whereas the lowest values of daily minimum temperatures recorded in the year 1950. Particular anomalous patterns of the synoptic-scale surface and upper atmospheric pressure, wind and air temperatures became effective in the years in which record and record maximum and minimum air temperature events were recorded. During the years of increased frequency in the record maximum air temperatures, mostly increased and long-term southerly (winds from all of south sector) surface and boundary layer winds, particularly the southerly warm air advections developed at the 850 hPa geopotential height level have been observed. On the other hand, northerly winds (winds from all of north sector) associated with an anticyclonic anomaly dominated over the Middle Mediterranean Basin, Balkans and West Anatolia along with relatively cold air flows associated with the weakened meridional winds at the 850 hPa standard pressure level located over the Anatolia and Mesopotamia

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Maximum and minimum air temperatures , Record air temperatures , 20th Century Reanalysis Data , Standard atmosphere pressure level , Troposphere

Aegean Geographical Journal

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