Surface temperature-controlling factors during transaction of Mexican monsoon in the Sonoran Desert, North-West Mexico

Correlation between albedo and dry land surface temperature can serve as an indicator of processes, which control the temperature. The term dry land is used in reference to arid, semi-arid and dry subhumid regions, whose humidification coefficient ranges between 0.05 and 0.65 according to United Nations Convention to combat desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and desertification, particularly in Africa. Geneva, 1994. The three main competing factors of underlying surface temperature control are an inherent feature of dry lands: first - radiation, second - evapotranspiration, third - aerodynamic control. This study is focused on seasonal cycle of parameters, which control surface temperature in the Sonora desert (North-West Mexico). The understanding of this process is important for monitoring of desertification. This is so because in a certain year, the time span of the period, during which the radiation factor is predominant, is an important factor in the desertification process. One indirect characteristic of prevalence of the radiation factor is Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which is an indicator of green phytomass. The main features of the ratio between albedo and surface temperature are discussed in terms of analysis of monthly means (albedo, temperature, NDVI) in the state of Sonora (29-32N, 111-115W), in particular, within the box 30-31N, 112-113W. The analysis of synchronous time series of albedo, surface temperature and NDVI has shown that the dominating temperature-controlling factors can switch within the year in the study area. The radiation factor is dominant in dry months (April - May) and the surface temperature is negatively correlated with albedo. This can cause generation of positive albedo-precipitation feedback, which in turn contributes to the desertification process.