The role of snow/ice cover in the formation of a local Himalayan circulation

Observations and model simulations were conducted in a typical Himalayan valley to investigate the role of snow/ice cover in the formation of the local diurnal wind. An unusual local circulation was observed in the Himalayas with a strong down-valley flow dominant from noon to midnight, greatly differing from those in other mountainous regions. Two experiments with snow/ice cover included/excluded were performed using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to reconstruct the Himalayan circulation, and to reveal the role of snow/ice in this circulation. The results show that the wind system in the Himalayas is composed of both glacier winds driven by the snow/ice cover and classical mountain-valley winds. In particular, the glacier winds establish the distinctive feature of the Himalayan local circulation, i.e., the strong down-valley flow in the afternoon.     

2019年冬季北京海陀山局地环流特征及机理分析

海陀山作为北京冬(残)奥会的主要室外赛场之一,其复杂的地形对风场的精细化预报提出了严峻的挑战,亟需开展加密的风场观测提高对复杂地形下局地环流特征及其影响机理的认识,并为提升赛区精细化预报与服务提供数据支撑.基于2019年度海陀山观测试验,利用加密自动气象站、激光测风雷达、涡动相关仪、云高仪等多源数据,对海陀山风场的水平...     

香港地区海陆风的显式模拟研究

利用MM5模式对香港地区的海陆风进行了显式数值研究,模拟的风向、风速和温度与站点的观测值比较一致,较详细地分析了海陆风的日变化规律和三维结构特征,结果显示香港地区海风分布复杂,主要受偏西、偏南和偏东海风气流的影响,形成多个辐合带,海风锋最远可以深入内陆约90 km;陆风较简单,主要是偏北气流,陆风的风速和强度都比海风要弱,与山谷风、城市热岛环流等形成弱的辐合。香港是一个海岸曲折、多丘陵的地区,其中75%的面积是山区,为了研究这些丘陵地形对香港地区海陆风的影响,设计了保留海陆分布,去掉丘陵地形的敏感性试验,结果表明,由于丘陵地形的存在,在白天地形的热力作用是主要的,增强了海风的强度;而晚上动力阻挡作用比较明显,减弱了陆风的强度。     

Oscillation of Surface PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript> Concentration Resulting from an Alternation of Easterly and Southerly Winds in Beijing: Mechanisms and Implications

We used simultaneous measurements of surface PM_2.5 concentration and vertical profiles of aerosol concentration, temperature, and humidity, together with regional air quality model simulations, to study an episode of aerosol pollution in Beijing from 15 to 19 November 2016. The potential effects of easterly and southerly winds on the surface concentrations and vertical profiles of the PM_2.5 pollution were investigated. Favorable easterly winds produced strong upward motion and were able to transport the PM_2.5 pollution at the surface to the upper levels of the atmosphere. The amount of surface PM_2.5 pollution transported by the easterly winds was determined by the strength and height of the upward motion produced by the easterly winds and the initial height of the upward wind. A greater amount of PM_2.5 pollution was transported to upper levels of the atmosphere by upward winds with a lower initial height. The pollutants were diluted by easterly winds from clean ocean air masses. The inversion layer was destroyed by the easterly winds and the surface pollutants and warm air masses were then lifted to the upper levels of the atmosphere, where they re-established a multi-layer inversion. This region of inversion was strengthened by the southerly winds, increasing the severity of pollution. A vortex was produced by southerly winds that led to the convergence of air along the Taihang Mountains. Pollutants were transported from southern–central Hebei Province to Beijing in the boundary layer. Warm advection associated with the southerly winds intensified the inversion produced by the easterly winds and a more stable boundary layer was formed. The layer with high PM_2.5 concentration became dee-per with persistent southerly winds of a certain depth. The polluted air masses then rose over the northern Taihang Mountains to the northern mountainous regions of Hebei Province.     

Present and future near-surface wind climate of Greenland from high resolution regional climate modelling

The present and twenty-first century near-surface wind climate of Greenland is presented using output from the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2. The modelled wind variability and wind distribution compare favourably to observations from three automatic weather stations in the ablation zone of southwest Greenland. The Weibull shape parameter is used to classify the wind climate. High values (κ > 4) are found in northern Greenland, indicative of uniform winds and a dominant katabatic forcing, while lower values (κ < 3) are found over the ocean and southern Greenland, where the synoptic forcing dominates. Very high values of the shape parameter are found over concave topography where confluence strengthens the katabatic circulation, while very low values are found in a narrow band along the coast due to barrier winds. To simulate the future (2081–2098) wind climate RACMO2 was forced with the HadGEM2-ES general circulation model using a scenario of mid-range radiative forcing of +4.5 W m^?2 by 2100. For the future simulated climate, the near-surface potential temperature deficit reduces in all seasons in regions where the surface temperature is below the freezing point, indicating a reduction in strength of the near-surface temperature inversion layer. This leads to a wind speed reduction over the central ice sheet where katabatic forcing dominates, and a wind speed increase over steep coastal topography due to counteracting effects of thermal and katabatic forcing. Thermally forced winds over the seasonally sea ice covered region of the Greenland Sea are reduced by up to 2.5 m s^?1.     

Assimilating QuikSCAT Ocean Surface Winds with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model for Surface Wind-Field Simulation over the Chukchi/Beaufort Seas

To achieve a high-quality simulation of the surface wind field in the Chukchi/Beaufort Sea region, quick scatterometer (QuikSCAT) ocean surface winds were assimilated into the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting model by using its three-dimensional variational data assimilation system. The SeaWinds instrument on board the polar-orbiting QuikSCAT satellite is a specialized radar that measures ice-free ocean surface wind speed and direction at a horizontal resolution of 12.5 km. A total of eight assimilation case studies over two five-day periods, 1–5 October 2002 and 20–24 September 2004, were performed. The simulation results with and without the assimilation of QuikSCAT winds were then compared with QuikSCAT data available during the subsequent free-forecast period, coastal station observations, and North American Regional Reanalysis data. It was found that QuikSCAT winds are a potentially valuable resource for improving the simulation of ocean near-surface winds in the Chukchi/Beaufort Seas region. Specifically, the assimilation of QuikSCAT winds improved, (1) offshore surface winds as compared to unassimilated QuikSCAT winds, (2) sea-level pressure, planetary boundary-layer height, as well as surface heat fluxes, and (3) low-level wind fields and geopotential height. Verification against QuikSCAT data also demonstrated the temporal consistency and good quality of QuikSCAT observations.     

Observational Study of Surface Wind along a Sloping Surface over Mountainous Terrain during Winter

The 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Pyeongchang, Korea, during February and March. We examined the near surface winds and wind gusts along the sloping surface at two outdoor venues in Pyeongchang during February and March using surface wind data. The outdoor venues are located in a complex, mountainous terrain, and hence the near-surface winds form intricate patterns due to the interplay between large-scale and locally forced winds. During February and March, the dominant wind at the ridge level is westerly; however, a significant wind direction change is observed along the sloping surface at the venues. The winds on the sloping surface are also influenced by thermal forcing,showing increased upslope flow during daytime. When neutral air flows over the hill, the windward and leeward flows show a significantly different behavior. A higher correlation of the wind speed between upper-and lower-level stations is shown in the windward region compared with the leeward region. The strong synoptic wind, small width of the ridge, and steep leeward ridge slope angle provide favorable conditions for flow separation at the leeward foot of the ridge. The gust factor increases with decreasing surface elevation and is larger during daytime than nighttime. A significantly large gust factor is also observed in the leeward region.     

Modelling Extreme Storm-Induced Currents over the Grand Banks

Abstract

The wind climate of the mountainous terrain in the southern Yukon is simulated using the Wind Energy Simulation Toolkit (WEST) developed by the Recherche en Prévision Numérique (RPN) group of Environment Canada and is compared to measurements in the field. WEST combines two models that operate at different spatial scales. The Mesoscale Compressible Community (MC2) model is a mesoscale numerical weather prediction model that produces simulations over large domains of the order of a thousand kilometres. The MC2 model uses long‐term synoptic scale wind climate data from the analysis of radiosonde and other observations to simulate mean wind fields at tens of metres above the ground using a horizontal resolution of a few kilometres. The mesoscale results are used as input to MS‐Micro/3 (Mason and Sykes (1979) version of the Jackson and Hunt (1975) model version for microcomputers/3‐dimensional; MS‐Micro hereafter), a more computer‐efficient, microscale model with simpler linearized momentum equations and a domain restricted to a few tens of kilometres with horizontal grid sizes of tens or hundreds of metres. MS‐Micro provides wind field results at specific wind generator hub heights (typically 30 to 50 m above ground level (AGL)) which are of interest to researchers and developers of wind farms.

WEST shows relatively strong correlations between its simulated long‐term mean wind speed and the measurements from ten wind energy monitoring stations. However, in the mountainous terrain of the Yukon, WEST tends to predict wind speeds which are about 40% too high. The model also produces erroneous wind directions and some were perpendicular to valley orientations. The most likely cause of the wind speed and direction errors is the substantially modified 5‐km grid‐spaced mesoscale terrain used in MC2. The WEST simulation was also found to double the wind speeds observed at airport stations and there was poor correlation between the simulated and observed wind speeds.

The bias in the model could be attributed to a number of factors, including the use of smoothed topography by the model, the discrepancy between the neutral atmosphere assumed in MS‐Micro and the normally observed stable atmosphere, the application of MS‐Micro to every third grid point of the MC2 output, abnormally high sea level wind speeds in the input climate data for MC2, and a certain degree of disagreement between the land surface characteristics used in the model and those found in the field.

At comparatively low computer cost, WEST predicts a wind climate map that compares favourably to the wind measurements made in several locations in the Yukon. However, the problem of the modified terrain in the mountainous regions is the most pressing problem and needs to be addressed before WEST is used in the mountainous regions of Canada.     

Inland and Offshore Propagation Speeds of a Sea Breeze from Simulations and Measurements

The inland and offshore propagation speeds of a sea breeze circulation cell are simulated using a three-dimensional hydrostatic model within a terrain-following coordinate system. The model includes a third-order semi-Lagrangian advection scheme, which compares well in a one-dimensional stand-alone test with the more complex Bott and Smolarkiewicz advection schemes. Two turbulence schemes are available: a local scheme by Louis (1979) and a modified non-local scheme based on Zhang and Anthes (1982). Both compare well with higher-order closure schemes using the Wangara data set for Day 33–34 (Clark et al., 1971).Two-dimensional cross-sections derived from airborne sea breeze measurements (Finkele et al. 1995) constitute the basis for comparison with two-dimensional numerical model results. The offshore sea breeze propagation speed is defined as the speed at which the seaward extent of the sea breeze grows offshore. On a study day, the offshore sea breeze propagation speed, from both measurements and model, is -3.4 m s^-1. The measured inland propagation speed of the sea breeze decreased somewhat during the day. The model results show a fairly uniform inland propagation speed of 1.6 m s^-1 which corresponds to the average measured value. The offshore sea breeze propagation speed is about twice the inland propagation speed for this particular case study, from both the model and measurements.The influence of the offshore geostrophic wind on the sea breeze evolution, offshore extent and inland penetration are investigated. For moderate offshore geostrophic winds (-5.0 m s^-1), the offshore and inland propagation speeds are non-uniform. The offshore extent in moderate geostrophic wind conditions is similar to the offshore extent in light wind conditions (-2.5 m s^-1). The inland extent is greater in light offshore geostrophic winds than in moderate ones. This suggests that the offshore extent of the sea breeze is less sensitive to the offshore geostrophic wind than its inland extent. However, these results hold only if it is possible to define an inland propagation speed. For stronger offshore geostrophic winds (-7.5 m s^-1), the sea breeze is completely offshore and the inland propagation speed is ill-defined.     

下垫面对郑州城市边界层风的影响

根据１９９３年１月和７月郑州市中心测点和南郊郑州气象观测站同步观测的地面和边界层气象资料,分析了郑州城市下垫面对边界层风的影响。结果表明,在地面气压梯度比较小且天气晴朗条件下,郑州存在城市热岛环流。受城市热岛环流影响,郊区地面风向指向市区;边界层８００ｍ以下,城市上空吹偏西风时同一高度上南郊风向偏于城市风向左侧,吹偏东风时同一高度上南郊风向偏于市区风向右侧;１２００ｍ以上,城市上空吹偏西风时,同一高度上南郊风向偏于城市风向右侧     

大理苍山—洱海局地环流的数值模拟

利用耦合了湖泊模型的WRF_CLM模式模拟了秋季大理苍山—洱海地区的局地环流特征。结果表明:模式对近地面温度、风向、风速的模拟与观测基本一致,模拟结果能较好地再现该地区山谷风和湖陆风相互作用的局地环流特征。在秋季,大理苍山的谷风起止时间为08:00~17:00(北京时,下同),湖风起止时间为09:00~19:00。局地环流受高山地形及洱海湖面影响明显,山谷风形成早于湖陆风1 h,夜间山风、陆风强盛于白天谷风、湖风。白天苍山谷风与洱海湖风的叠加作用会驱动谷风到达2600 m的高度,而傍晚最先形成的苍山山风则会减弱洱海的湖风环流。夜间盆地南部在两侧山风、陆风的共同作用下,形成稳定而持续的气旋式环流。日出以后,对流边界层迅速发展,边界层高度逐渐增高。陆地17:00温度达到最高,边界层高度也达到峰值2000 m,之后逐渐降低。日落后形成稳定边界层,边界层高度在夜间基本保持在100 m。相对于陆地,湖面白天边界层高度低300 m,夜间边界层高度高100 m。     

东北地区春季气温异常环流背景分析

利用东北地区99个测站近40年(1960～2000年)的春季3～5月气温资料与同期全球范围的温度场、高度场、风场资料,分析了东北地区春季冷、暖年的大气环流异常及要素场的空间分布特征。结果表明：冷春年．东北地区处于高度场的负距平中心,中层以上高纬地区有阻高或暖脊维持;东亚大槽指数的高值年对应东北高温,而低值年则对应东北低温;冷、暖春年的温度场的垂直分布十分深厚,冷春年东北地区主要受偏北气流影响,从地面到对流层顶均处于温度负距平中心内,纬向风在东北地区呈正距平分布,西风带势力较强,暖春年则相反。     

山东半岛夏季降水异常的环流型及影响因子分析

利用1961—2016年华东地区106个气象观测站的日降水数据和再分析资料,分析引起山东半岛夏季降水异常的大气环流型及其与前期下垫面因子（海温和土壤湿度）的关系,结果发现：1）当孟加拉湾出现西南风异常,日本列岛以南和贝加尔湖西南侧地区分别呈反气旋和气旋式环流异常时,加强了向山东半岛的水汽输送,配合区域大气上升运动异常最终导致山东半岛夏季降水偏多;反之,当孟加拉湾出现西北风异常,日本列岛以南和贝加尔湖西南地区分别呈气旋和反气旋式环流异常时山东半岛降水偏少。2）孟加拉湾和北太平洋中部关键区的对流层整层位势高度与下垫面海温自春季持续至夏季存在显著正相关,当两个地区的整层位势高度均呈正异常时,分别对应夏季孟加拉湾的强西风气流和日本列岛以南的反气旋环流异常。3）区域土壤湿度异常引起的感热和潜热通量异常,可能是引起贝加尔湖关键区位势高度和山东半岛局地对流异常的原因：贝加尔湖西南地区土壤湿度偏大时,其上空对流层位势高度为负异常;山东半岛地区土壤湿度偏大时,其上空对流层大气出现异常上升运动。4）利用关键区春季下垫面因子（海温和土壤湿度）建立山东半岛夏季降水的统计预测模型,留一交叉检验的距平同号率达到75%。这些结果可为山东半岛夏季降水预测提供重要参考。     

Statistical downscaling of sea-surface wind over the Peru�CChile upwelling region: diagnosing the impact of climate change from the IPSL-CM4 model

The key aspect of the ocean circulation off Peru?CChile is the wind-driven upwelling of deep, cold, nutrient-rich waters that promote a rich marine ecosystem. It has been suggested that global warming may be associated with an intensification of upwelling-favorable winds. However, the lack of high-resolution long-term observations has been a limitation for a quantitative analysis of this process. In this study, we use a statistical downscaling method to assess the regional impact of climate change on the sea-surface wind over the Peru?CChile upwelling region as simulated by the global coupled general circulation model IPSL-CM4. Taking advantage of the high-resolution QuikSCAT wind product and of the NCEP reanalysis data, a statistical model based on multiple linear regressions is built for the daily mean meridional and zonal wind at 10?m for the period 2000?C2008. The large-scale 10?m wind components and sea level pressure are used as regional circulation predictors. The skill of the downscaling method is assessed by comparing with the surface wind derived from the ERS satellite measurements, with in situ wind observations collected by ICOADS and through cross-validation. It is then applied to the outputs of the IPSL-CM4 model over stabilized periods of the pre-industrial, 2?×?CO₂ and 4?×?CO₂ IPCC climate scenarios. The results indicate that surface along-shore winds off central Chile (off central Peru) experience a significant intensification (weakening) during Austral winter (summer) in warmer climates. This is associated with a general decrease in intra-seasonal variability.     

Study of the influence of katabatic flows on the Antarctic circulation using GCM simulations

Summary A one dimensional analytical model of katabatic wind over the Antarctica has been developed. This parametric model is derived from the bulk two-layer model of Ball including the surface friction and taking into account the Earth's rotation and the geostrophic wind in the upper layer.This model is validated using the data set (70 soundings) collected during IAGO experiment at D47 (67°24S, 138°43E, altitude 1 564m), 110 km inland from the coast of Adélie Land.The parameteric model is then introduced into a GCM which is a spectral global version of the operational numerical weather prediction model used by the French weather service. The most significant effect of the parameterization is a 50 m increase of the geopotential height over the South Pole. The surface temperature at the South Pole increases (2°C) reducing the pole-midlatitude thermal gradient. The westerly circulation at 50° S is slowed down (4m/s at 850 hPa), and the surface pressure at the South Pole increases (4hPa). These results, consistent with an increase of katabatic winds, would however be improved by a better coupling between the parameterization and the GCM boundary layer.With 8 Figures     

由测风资料推算局地环流速度的方法

山区或湖区实际观测到的风速，往物证理自然风速和局地环流风速综合的结果，很难将二者抠分开来。本文根据理论分析，提出了根据我资料推避地风速的方法，可纠正过去确定局地环流速度的一些不当的做法。     

基于探空风资料的大气边界层不同高度风速变化研究

利用1981—2014年我国资料齐全的93个高空气象观测站(距离雷达300、600、900 m高度)的探空风资料,按照气象地理区划,借助GIS分析了边界层内不同高度风速及其趋势的时空变化,得到以下结论:300～900 m,东北和华北地区累年平均风速较大,西南和西北地区累年平均风速较小;边界层内各高度同一地区平均风速的月变化趋势基本一致,但各地区季节风速变化不同,同一地区月平均风速的年较差随高度上升而增大;300 m.各地区年平均风速均显著减小:在600和900 m.华北、西北、华中地区年平均风速呈增加趋势,东北地区年平均风速呈减小趋势,但均未通过显著性水平检验;各高度年平均风速空间分布均为东北地区较大,尤其大兴安岭和东北平原地带;从沿海到内陆,由东至西风速逐渐减小;在300 m.全国年平均风速以减小趋势为主;在600 m,全国大部分地区年平均风速呈增加趋势,尤其是中部、西北和华东沿海地区;在900 m高度,全国年平均风速变化趋势呈现由边界向内部的包围态势,中心地区呈增加趋势,边界地区均呈减小趋势,但是通过显著性水平检验的地区不多。     

STATISTICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SEA LAND BREEZES IN HAINAN ISLAND

The sea-land breeze circulation （SLBC） occurs regularly at coastal locations and influences the local weather and climate significantly. In this study, based on the observed surface wind in 9 conventional meteorological stations of Hainan Island, the frequency of sea-land breeze （SLB） is studied to depict the diurnal and seasonal variations. The statistics indicated that there is a monthly average of 12.2 SLB days and an occurrence frequency of about 40%, with the maximum frequency （49%） in summer and the minimum frequency （29%） in autumn. SLB frequencies （41%） are comparable in winter and spring. A higher frequency of SLB is present in the southern and central mountains due to the enhancement effect of the mountain-valley breeze. Due to the synoptic wind the number of SLB days in the northern hilly area is less than in other areas. Moreover, the WRF model, adopted to simulate the SLBC over the island for all seasons, performs reasonably well reproducing the phenomenon, evolution and mechanism of SLBC. Chiefly affected by the difference of temperature between sea and land, the SLBC varies in coverage and intensity with the seasons and reaches the greatest intensity in summer. The typical depth is about 2.5 km for sea breeze circulation and about 1.5 km for land breeze circulation. A strong convergence zone with severe ascending motion appears on the line parallel to the major axis of the island, penetrating 60 to 100 km inland. This type of weak sea breeze convergence zone in winter is north-south oriented. The features of SLBC in spring are similar both to that in summer with southerly wind and to that in winter with easterly wind. The coverage and intensity of SLBC in autumn is the weakest and confined to the southwest edge of the central mountainous area. The land breeze is inherently very weak and easily affected by the topography and weather. The coverage and intensity of the land breeze convergence line is significantly less than those of the sea breeze. The orographic forcing of the cen     

Anthropogenic changes of the thermal and zonal flow structure over Western Europe and Eastern North Atlantic in CMIP3 and CMIP5 models

The anthropogenic changes during boreal winter in the thermal and zonal flow structure over Eastern Atlantic and Western Europe (EAWE) have been investigated using an ensemble of CMIP3 and CMIP5 models. The ensemble mean change in the zonal wind at 500 hPa over this region is characterized by an eastward extension of the belt of zonal winds. Using the thermal wind relation these wind changes are found to be consistent with the changes in the tropospheric temperature profile. An enhanced warming is simulated in the subtropical upper troposphere and a relative surface cooling in the mid-latitudes. The subtropical upper tropospheric warming is related to the downward branch of the mean meridional circulation, whereas the mid-latitude lower tropospheric relative cooling is linked to the ocean processes that govern changes in its surface temperatures. Inter-model differences in the simulated change of the zonal wind over the EAWE by the CMIP3 and CMIP5 models relate well with differences in the upper tropospheric subtropical warming and the mid-latitude lower tropospheric relative cooling. The simulated change of the zonal wind over the EAWE region by the CMIP3 and CMIP5 models correlates well with changes in the meridional SST gradient. We conclude that uncertainties in the projected changes of the zonal flow over Europe are at least partly due to uncertainties in the response of the North Atlantic Ocean to increased levels of greenhouse gases.