International Journal of Climatology 38 (8): 3233-3249 (2018) 1 Title: Estimation of near-surface air temperature lapse rates over 2 continental Spain and its mountain areas 3 Running title: Air temperature lapse rates over continental Spain 4 Authors: Navarro-Serrano, F.1; López-Moreno, J.I.1; Azorin-Molina, C.2; 5 Alonso-González, E.1; Tomás-Burguera, M.3; Sanmiguel-Vallelado, A.1; 6 Revuelto, J.4; Vicente-Serrano, S.M.1 7 1Department of Geoenvironmental Processes and Global Change, Pyrenean Institute of 8 Ecology, CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain. 9 2Regional Climate Group, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 10 Gothenburg, Sweden. 11 3Estación Experimental Aula Dei, CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain. 12 4Méteo-France, CNRS, CNRM, UMR3589, CEN, Grenoble, France. 13 Correspondence to: Navarro-Serrano, F. Department of Geoenvironmental Processes 14 and Global Change, Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, CSIC (Spanish Research Council), 15 Campus de Aula Dei, P.O. Box 202, Zaragoza 50080, Spain. E-mail: 16
[email protected]. Phone number: (+34) 976 369 393. Fax: 974 363 222. 17 18 Abstract: 19 Although the mean environmental lapse rate (MELR) value (a linear decrease of –6.5°C 20 km–1) is the most widely used, near-surface (i.e., non-free-atmosphere) air temperature 21 lapse rates (NSLRs; measured at ~1.5 m height) are variable in space and time because 22 of their dependence on topography and meteorological conditions. In this study we 23 conducted the first analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of NSLRs for 24 continental Spain and their relationship to synoptic atmospheric circulation (Circulation 25 Weather Types – CWTs), focusing on major mountain areas including the Pyrenees, 26 Cantabrian, Central, Baetic, and Iberian ranges.