Resilience and Adaptation to Extremes in a Changing Himalayan Environment

Resilience and adaptation to extremes in a changing Himalayan environment

Submitted to Regional Environmental Change

VaibhavKaul*, Thomas F Thornton

Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom

*Corresponding author. E-mail address:

Online Resource C. Climate profile of Keylong(refer to Section 4.1)

C1.Temperature profile of Keylong

Raw data: Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), India Meteorological Department (IMD), Shimla. Pre-2007 data not available.

C2. Precipitation profile of Keylong

Raw data: 2005-2012: RMC, IMD, Shimla; 1980-2003: National Data Centre (NDC), IMD, Pune

C3. Precipitation variability profile of Keylong

Raw data: 2005-2012: RMC, IMD, Shimla; 1980-2003: National Data Centre (NDC), IMD, Pune

C4. Classification of the climate of Keylong according to the Köppen-Geiger system*

Abbreviations:

Tmax = mean temperature of warmest month, Tmin = mean temperature of coldest month, Tann = mean annual temperature, Pmax = mean precipitation of wettest month, Pmin = mean precipitation of driest month, Psmax = mean precipitation of wettest summer month, Psmin = mean precipitation of driest summer month, Pwmax = mean precipitation of wettest winter month, Pwmin = mean precipitation of driest winter month, Pann = mean annual precipitation, Pth = annual precipitation value representing the dryness threshold for arid (B) climates [Pth = 2 {Tann} if at least 2/3 of annual precipitation occurs in winter, Pth = 2 {Tann} + 28 if at least 2/3 of annual precipitation occurs in summer, and Pth = 2 {Tann} + 14 otherwise].

Summer and winter are the six-month high-sun and low-sun periods (AMJJAS and ONDJFM in the northern hemisphere) respectively. All temperature (T) values are measured in °C and all precipitation (P) values in mm.

Classification criterion / Value for Keylong / Inference
Pth = 2 {Tann} + 14
[Proportion of precipitation in winter (ONDJFM) = 56%, summer (AMJJAS) = 44%] / 2(7.57) + 14 = 29.14 mm / Pann = 669.90 mm,
PannPth, therefore
climate not B (arid) type
Tmin / -6.45°C / Tmin< −3°C, therefore
climate D type
Psmin / 24.27 mm / Pwmax> 3 Psmin and
Psmin< 40 mm, but
PsminnotPwmin;
Climatenot Ds type.
PwminPsmin but
Psmaxnot> 10 Pwmin; climate not Dw type
Climate neither Ds nor Dw, therefore climate Df type
Psmax / 85.52 mm
Pwmin / 11.38 mm
Pwmax / 130.16 mm
Tmax / 19.34 °C / Tmax< +22°C, at least 4 months with mean temperatures ≥ +10°C, therefore climate Dfb type
Months with mean temperatures ≥ +10°C / M, J, J, A, S (5 months)

*Assessment based on climate classification criteria and thresholds discussed inKottek M, Grieser J, Beck C, Rudolf B, Rubel F (2006) World map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated. MeteorologischeZeitschrift 15:259-263