Deriving lapse rates of slope air temperature for meltwater runoff modeling in subtropical mountains: An example from the Punjab Himalaya, Pakistan

Lapse rates of slope air temperature required for modeling meltwater production are frequently difficult to derive in subtropical mountains due to the paucity of data. This paper reports on lapse rates calculated from slope air temperature data collected over two snowmelt seasons at seven high-elevation stations in the Punjab Himalaya, Pakistan. The results show a strong negative correlation between elevation and mean daily temperature, despite the relatively short periods over which temperatures are averaged. The calculated lapse rates are generally higher than reported from other studies, probably as a result of the relatively high thermal regime of the study area and the cooling influence of snow cover at some of the higher stations during the measurements. The lapse rates derived from this study should be used cautiously because of variations between the individual pairs of stations as well as between the two years. Some of the possible reasons for these variations are discussed.