STUDIES ON TERRESTRIAL INTERFACE PROCESSES IN ARID AREAS, CHINA

In the present paper, we have elucidated the importance of energy and water cycling in arid areas to investigate global climate and local ec onomics. Then, we were concerned with the physical arguments as how to stratify the soil, and the stability of the numerical scheme in the m athematical model for predicting temperature variation and water motio n. Furthermore, we discuss the methods to estimate evaporation in arid areas. Numerical simulation of energy and water cycling at the Acsu O bservatory, CAS, Xinjiang province and Shapuotou Observatory, CAS, Nin gxia Province are conducted as case studies. The results show that the laws of terrestrial processes are rather typical in these arid areas. Planting drought-endurable trees can alleviate unfavourable condition s to a certain extent. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.