Figure 2.

The parameters of the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution describing maximum daily temperatures (°C) vary across latitude for transects in North America and Asia. GEVs are characterized by three parameters: (a) location, which indicates position; scale, which indicates breadth; and (d) shape, which indicates the thickness of the tail. The (b) 99% quantiles and (c) GEV locations decline steadily with latitude, whereas the (e) scale parameter increases. (f) The GEV shape parameter is variable across intermediate latitudes. Low and high latitude stations, particularly in Asia, tend to have heavier tails.