Comment on “Study on the reliable computation time of the numerical model using the sliding temporal correlation method”

The paper, “Study on the reliable computation time of the numerical model using the sliding temporal correlation method,” was published in Theoretical and Applied Climatology. In that work, the sliding temporal correlation analysis is employed to investigate the predictable time of two typical chaotic numerical models, namely the Lorenz system and the Chen chaotic system. However, it has been recently shown by us when using a linear scaling in time and state variables that generically, the Chen system is only a particular case of the Lorenz system, with time reversion if the parameter c is positive. Consequently, to study the Chen chaotic system is simply to consider the Lorenz system integrated backwards.     

What is driving the ITF? An illumination of the Indonesian throughflow with a numerical nested model system

A nested numerical model system has been set up to realistically simulate more than 30 years of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF). A global circulation model delivered the boundary values for sea level, temperature and salinity distributions to a local model covering the region of the ITF. Both models were forced with NCEP data. Results of the regional model are in good agreement with measured data regarding velocity distribution and stratification, as well as transported water masses. Model results show a highly variable and very complex current system. The presence of a realistic throughflow has been simulated even with a barotropic pressure gradient directed from the Indian towards the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, model experiences indicate that the intensity of the ITF is correlated with the seasonal wind system. It is concluded that the ITF is neither driven by a barotropic or baroclinic pressure gradient nor by local winds. The ITF seems to be, rather, the extension of the very strong tropical Pacific Ocean circulation system westward into the Indonesian seas, where the western boundary is not fully closed due to the passages between the Indonesian islands. A hypothesis for the physical reason is given to explain the existence of the Indonesian throughflow.     

Fronts and the boundary layer – some numerical studies

In this paper, we consider boundary-layer effects on atmospheric fronts. For this purpose we developed a dry, hydrostatic, two-dimensional numerical model with turbulence parameterized with the 1/2 -order eddy viscosity closure of Mellor and Yamada. In the surface layer we use Monin–Obukhov similarity and there is an interactive soil model to obtain lower boundary conditions for the atmospheric model. First, effects of turbulence are studied without thermal forcing at the surface and comparisons are made between inviscid and turbulent conditions. Sensitivity studies with respect to surface roughness are also performed. Subsequently we study effects of surface thermal forcing on fronts. The results show that, during summer, fronts display strong diurnal variation. Vertical velocities increase significantly during the day while gradients in temperature and vorticity across the front strengthen in the evening and at night. In winter the diurnal variation is much less pronounced. We attempt to find physical mechanisms responsible for such frontal behaviour and we compare our results with available observations.     

On the efficiency of horizontal diffusion and numerical filtering in an Arakawa‐type model

Abstract

In a series of 5‐day forecasts with a 3‐layer/2.8° hemispheric model, horizontal diffusion schemes of the second and fourth degree are compared with a numericalfilter technique. The results, which are discussed mainly in terms of spectral energetics in zonal wavenumber space, indicate that fourth‐degree diffusion is more scale selective than second‐degree and equivalent to filtering. The seventh‐order filter applied only intermittently to the prognostic variables is superior to fourth‐degree diffusion from the viewpoint of computational economy. Excessive dissipation of the long waves may inhibit the production of eddy kinetic energy from eddy available potential energy.     

Influence of two types of El Niños on the East Asian climate during boreal summer: a numerical study

The sea surface temperature anomaly pattern differs between the central Pacific (CP) and eastern Pacific (EP) El Niños during boreal summer. It is expected that the respective atmospheric response will be different. In order to identify differences in the responses to these two phenomena, we examine the Community Atmosphere Model Version 4 simulations forced with observed monthly sea surface temperature during 1979–2010 and compare with the corresponding observations. For CP El Niño, a triple precipitation anomaly pattern appears over East Asia. During EP El Niño, the triple pattern is not as significant as and shifts eastward and southward compared to CP El Niño. We also examine the influence of CP La Niña and EP La Niña on East Asia. In general, the impact of CP (EP) La Niña on tropics and East Asia seems to be opposite to that of CP (EP) El Niño. However, the impacts between the two types of La Niña are less independent compared to the two types of warm events. Both types of El Niño (La Niña) correspond to a stronger (weaker) western North Pacific summer monsoon. The sensitivity experiments support this result. But the CP El Niño (La Niña) may have more significant influence on East Asia summer climate than EP El Niño (La Niña), as the associated low-level anomalous wind pattern is more distinct and closer to the Asian continent compared to EP El Niño (La Niña).     

A numerical simulation of aerosols’ direct effects on tropopause height

The direct effects of sulfate aerosol, dust aerosol, carbonaceous aerosol, and total combined aerosols on the tropopause height are simulated with the Community Atmospheric Model version 3.1 (CAM3.1). A decrease of global mean tropopause height induced by sulfate, carbonaceous aerosol, and total combined aerosols is found, and a tropopause height increase is induced by dust aerosol. Sulfate aerosol decreases the tropospheric temperature and increases the stratospheric temperature. These effects cause a decrease in the height of the tropopause. In contrast, carbonaceous and total combined aerosols increase both the tropospheric and the stratospheric temperatures, and they also cause a decrease in the height of the tropopause. The changes in the tropopause height show highly statistically significant correlations with the changes in the tropospheric and stratospheric temperatures. The changes in the tropospheric and stratospheric temperatures are related to the changes in the radiative heat rate, cloud cover, and latent heat, but none of these factors absolutely dominate the temperature change.     

A numerical diagnosis of leading signals facilitating a “north-ridge south-trough” dipole for the early-2008 south-China freezing-rain events

Previous studies emphasize the important role of a "north-ridge versus south-trough" dipole (affecting the latitudes from 20° to 75° N around the Tibetan Plateau) of anomalous geopotential height ( Z ) in the early-2008 abnormal cryogenic freezing-rain-and-snow events in the southern part of China. The present study intends to extract the leading signal facilitating the dipole based on the numerical outputs of a full Z-linear model for diagnosing the global Z . Using this model built on full primitive equations in spherical-isobaric coordinates, we can further split the anomaly of Z-Zfζ-uβ (representing the Z component not explicitly associated with the Coriolis parameter f and its meridional derivative β ) into 15 components. With the model-output Zfζ-uβ (mainly accounting for the dipole under the geostrophic balance) and Z-Zfζ-uβ matrices as the left and right singular vectors respectively, a maximum covariance analysis (MCA) is performed to extract the significant 2-4-day leading signal carried by the MCA Z-Zfζ-uβ mode in the upstream area of the dipole. This leading signal is mainly attributed to 1) the abnormally strong westerlies centered around the exit region of the Atlantic jet-stream and 2) the corresponding anomalous 950-300 hPa anticyclone to the south of the abnormally strong center of westerlies. The energy of the positive wave center around this jet exit region favors the downstream north-ridge while the energy of the negative wave center associated with the anomalous anticyclone favors the downstream south-trough.     

Analysis of Basic Features of the Onset of the Asian Summer Monsoon

In this paper,a relatively systematic climatological research on the onset of the Asian tropical summer monsoon(ATSM)was carried out.Based on a unified index of the ATSM onset,the advance of the whole ATSM was newly made and then the view that the ATSM firstly breaks out over the tropical eastern Indian Ocean and the middle and southern Indo-China Peninsula was further documented,which was in the 26th pentad(about May 10),then over the South China Sea(SCS)in the 28th pentad.It seems that the ATSM onset over the two regions belongs to the different stages of the same monsoon system.Then,the onset mechanism of ATSM was further investigated by the comprehensive analysis on the land-sea thermodynamic contrast,intraseasonal oscillation,and so on,and the several key factors which influence the ATSM onset were put forward.Based on these results,a possible climatological schematic map that the ATSM firstly breaks out over the tropical eastern Indian Ocean,the Indo-China Peninsula,and the SCS was also presented, namely seasonal evolution of the atmospheric circulation was the background of the monsoon onset;the enhancement and northward advance of the convections,the sensible heating and latent heating over the Indo-China Peninsula and its neighboring areas,the dramatic deepening of the India-Burma trough,and the westerly warm advection over the eastern Tibetan Plateau were the major driving forces of the summer monsoon onset,which made the meridional gradient of the temperature firstly reverse over this region and ascending motion develop.Then the tropical monsoon and precipitation rapidly developed and enhanced. The phase-lock of the 30-60-day and 10-20-day low frequency oscillations originated from different sources was another triggering factor for the summer monsoon onset.It was just the common effect of these factors that induced the ATSM earliest onset over this region.     

Influences of the Extratropical Pacific SST on the Precipitation of the North China Region

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The Dynamic Mechanism of the Formation of the Low Level Jet

The ordinary multidimensional reductive perturbation method is generalized so as to apply to the general case including the dissipative factor. With this the corresponding Cubic-Schrbdinger equation is deduced, and by the preliminary study of its solution, it shows that it is more admissible to consider atmospheric meso-scale systems as the nonlinear Cubic-Schrbdinger waves.With suitable boundary and initial conditions, the Cubic-Schrodinger equation is numerically integrated so as to investigate the possible dynamic mechanism as well as the impacts of the nonlinear action, turbulent friction and topogrphy to the formation of the LLJ. The results indicate that the downward transfer of the momentum and the effect of the surface friction are responsible for the concentration of the momentum in the layer between 850 and 700 hPa. The location of the horizontal concentration of momentum depends on the propagation of momentum, in the process the inertia-gravity internal wave is very important, whereas turbule     

The Theory Study of the Influence of the Topography on the Cold Frontal Motion

In order to study the characteristics of cold frontal motion over the arbitrary topography, the velocity of cold frontal movement is derived by using the one layer shallow-water model. The results show that there exist the retardation in upwind side and rapid descent in the lee slope when the cold front crosses the topography.     

The distribution of the total ozone values in the end of the polar winter—the key to the forecast of extreme seasons?

The possibility to use the observations of the total ozone values in the atmosphere (TO) in the end of polar winters as the indicator of the cold accumulation in the troposphere and the type of its circulation is considered. The influence of TO over polar regions on the approach of early and late circulation reconstructions in the stratosphere and the following weather type in spring-summer season is concluded.     

The method of the medium-range forecast of air temperature in the area of the “Baikonur” cosmodrome

The statistical model of the forecast (complex postprocessing) of surface air temperature with the lead time up to eight days is constructed using the results of the integration of hydrodynamic atmospheric models. The model is adapted to the area of the “Baikonur” using the method of central typing that allows increasing the accuracy of operational forecasts. The analysis of climate characteristics needed for constructing the proper statistical model for this area is given using both observational data for recent 25 years and the data of WMO (from the All-Russian Research Institute of Hydro-meteorological Information-World Data Center). Computed are the estimates of the accuracy of operational forecasts.     

Characteristics of the Onset of the Asian Summer Monsoon and the Importance of Asian-Australian “Land Bridge”

Based on summarizing previous achievements and using data as long and new as possible, the onset characteristics of Asian summer monsoon and the role of Asian-Australian “land bridge” in the onset of summer monsoon are further discussed. In particular, the earliest onset area of Asian summer monsoon is comparatively analyzed, and the sudden and progressive characteristics of the onset of summer monsoon in different regions are discussed. Furthermore, the relationships among such critical events during the onset of Asian summer monsoon as the splitting of subtropical high belt over the Bay of Bengal (BOB), the initiation of convection over Indo-China Peninsula, the westward advance, reestablishment of South Asian High, and the rapid northward progression of convection originated from Sumatra in early summer are studied. The important impact of the proper collocation of the latent heating over Indo-China Peninsula and the sensible heating over Indian Peninsula on the splitting of the subtropical high belt, the deepening of BOB trough, the activating of Sri Lanka vortex (twin vortexes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres), and the subsequent onset of South China Sea summer monsoon are emphasized.     

Predictability of the Atmosphere

This paper makes a review on the predictability of the atmosphere. The essential problems of predictability theory, i.e., how a deterministic system changes to an undeterministic system (chaos) and how is the opposite (order within chaos), are discussed. Some applications of predictability theory are given.     

Effective wind stress over the great lakes derived from long‐term numerical model simulations

Numerical models were used to compute water circulations throughout the 1970 shipping season for Lake Erie and for the 1972 International Field Year on Lake Ontario. Simultaneous computations of surface elevations were compared with observed water levels to adjust the model results after the fact. As a by‐product of these simultations, effective stress coefficients over water can be estimated. The results support earlier evidence that the effective wind stress over water is larger than indicated by atmospheric boundary layer measurements.     

Effect of the Interaction of Different Scale Vortices on the Structure and Motion of Typhoons

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Spatiotemporal dynamics of the Urals’ climate in the second half of the 20th century

Dynamics of the surface air temperature and amount of precipitation in the Polar, Northern, and Southern Urals in the 20th century is analyzed. Charts of the temperature distribution in the Urals for the period from 1961 to 2000, taking into account the relief, are plotted in the geographical informational system on the basis of data of instrumental measurements at meteorological stations with the use of the multiple regression analysis and raster modeling. The northeastern direction of the warming gradient and increase of falling precipitations in the period under review is established. Time series of anomalies of the average annual air temperature and amount of precipitation in the 20th century at three meteorological stations, situated in the Polar, Northern, and Southern Urals, are analyzed. The tendency of the growth of anomalies of the average annual temperature and total amount of precipitation is revealed.     

Validation of the Polar MM5 for Use in the Simulation of the Arctic River Basins

The simulations were performed using a modified mesoscale model,the Polar MM5,which was adapted for use within polar regions.The objective of the study was to illustrate the skill of the Polar MM5 in simulating atmospheric behavior over the Arctic river basins.Automatic weather station data,global atmospheric analyses,as well as near-surface and upper-air observations were used to verify the simulation. Parallel simulations of the Polar MM5 and the original MM5 within the period 19-29 April 1997 simula- tions revealed that Polar MM5 reproduced better near-surface variables forecasts than the original MM5 for the region located over the North American Arctic regions.The well predicted near-surface temperature and mixing ratio by the Polar MM5 confirmed the modified physical parameterization schemes that were used in this model are appropriate for the Arctic river regions.Then the extended evaluations of the Polar MM5 simulations over both the North American and Eurasian domains during 15 December 2002 to 15 May 2003 were then carried out.The time series plots and statistical analyses from the observations and the Polar MM5 simulations at 16 stations for the near-surface and vertical profiles at 850 hPa and 500 hPa variables were analyzed.The model was found to reproduce the observed atmospheric state both at magnitude and variability with a high degree of accuracy,especially for temperature and near-surface winds,although there was a slight cold bias that existed near the surface.     

Application of the delta‐Eddington method to the absorption of solar radiation in the atmosphere

Abstract

A model to compute rapidly the absorption of solar radiation in the atmosphere is described. The model is based partially on the parameterization of Lacis and Hansen and also makes use of the delta‐Eddington method. In addition to absorption by ozone and water vapour, and scattering by air molecules and clouds, the mode1 includes absorption and scattering by aerosols. Good agreement is found in comparison with the Lacis and Hansen parameterization in the absence of clouds and aerosol. The present model represents an improvement in the treatment of scattering by clouds. Its main advantage though, is in its flexibility in allowing for interactions with the atmospheric aerosol.