As the only solar radiation observation station in Qinghai province,the Golmud station is located in Qaidam Basin with strong total solar radiation(SD) and surface reflected radiation(SRD).The temporal variation characteristics of solar radiation in Golmud region are analyzed using observation data during 1993—2011.The results show that the hourly total SRD and SD changes in the similar pattern,though the SRD is small in value compared with SD,with instantaneous maximum SRD being 383 W/m² while instantaneous maximum SD being 1 596 W/m².The annual dynamics of daily total SD and SRD followed the same trend,which is an irregular sine wave curve.The annual and inter-annual variation of daily total SD and SRD showed the same pattern with that of sunshine duration,indicating that the sunshine duration is a significant influencing factor of SD and SRD.The seasonal variation of daily total SD and SRD showed the same trend,which are most in summer,followed by in fall,then in spring,and least in winter.While the SRD ratio is most in winter,followed by in spring,then in fall,and least in summer.The distribution of RSD ratio is related with changing of the solar altitude angle.The RSD ratio is mostly dependent on the surface properties,when the ground is covered with snow in winter,both the hourly and daily RSD ratio are apparently greater than that in sunny days or periods with moist soil.