A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION ON CHANGING TEMPERATURE MAXIMA-MINIMA DEVIATION (TMIN-MAX DEVIATION) IN INDONESIA

Abstract

While the immediate impacts of climate change have been widely discussed,
there are only few researches on climate change revealing its effect to temperature
amplitude. Changing temperature amplitude will hamper metabolism process,
which in turn will decrease productivity and, even, cause the extinction of certain
organism species. This research will expose the changing temperature amplitude (Tminmax)
including its trend pattern in Indonesia. The adoption of trend analysis method
and comparison analysis to the values of temperature amplitude in 60 AWS station
from 1980-2007 indicates upward trend of annual mean temperature with shorter
temperature amplitude. This shorter temperature amplitude is characterized by
annual mean temperature maxima increase less than the rise of annual mean
temperature minima. Data analysis finds indication, i.e. the more eastward direction, the
greater difference of average Tmin-max deviation. Yet, this research fails to show what
factors contributing to the changing temperature amplitude. More in-depth research
of these factors at ecological scale will be necessary as crucial part in determining
adaptation programs to this on-going climate change phenomenon.