Form Submission: Participation Entry

The research investigated the climate effects of irrigation agricultural in Zhangye, an oasis in Northwest China. It quantified the influence of oasis agriculture to its surrounding area and asked if the evaporative cooling effect caused by irrigation (defined as oasis effect) in Zhangye had increased due to agricultural intensification or expansion of cropland and examined the mechanism. The research was among the first attempts to investigate long-term trend of oasis affects with satellite remote sensing, and it quantified the climate impact with land surface temperature rather than air temperature, which better describes factors including plant health. Irrigation agriculture is widely distributed globally, and it is crucial to understand how such form of production influence the local climate. The output of this research will hopefully provide insights in oasis climate and guidance for water management. It will also serve as a reference for similar arid regions around the world.