The Project Siberian High in CMIP5 Models

The Siberian high(SH)experienced a decline from the 1970s to 1990s and a recovery in recent years.The evolution of the SH under global warming is unclear.In this study,41 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5(CMIP5)climate models are evaluated in terms of their ability to simulate the temporal evolution of the SH in the 19th and 20th centuries and the spatial pattern of the SH during 1981–2005.The results show that 12models can capture the temporal evolution of the SH center intensity(SHCI)for 1872–2005.The linear correlation coefficient between the SHCI from the Twentieth Century Reanalysis and the simulated SHCI from the multi-model ensemble(MME)of the 12 models is 0.3 on annual and inter-annual scales(above the 99%confidence level).On decadal and multi-decadal time scales,the MME also captures the pronounced reduction(between 1981–2000and 1881–1900 period)and the recovery(during1991–2005)of the SH intensity.Finally,the future evolution of the SH is investigated using the MME of the 12models under the+4.5 and+8.5 W m-2 Representative Concentration Pathway(RCP)scenarios(RCP4.5 and RCP8.5).It is shown that the SHCI,similar to the SHCI in the 20th century,has no significant long-term trend in the 21st century under global warming(RCP8.5 scenario).At the end of 21st century(2081–2100),the SH shows stronger interannual variability than the SH at the end of20th century(1981–2000).The increased interannual variability likely favors the increased interannual variability in winter air temperature over midlatitude Eurasia at the end of 21st century.     

The Effects of Land Cover Change on Regional Climate over the Eastern Part of Northwest China

A regional climate model(Reg CM4) is employed to investigate the impacts of land use/cover change(LUCC) on the climate over the eastern part of Northwest China(ENW) in the periods of 2001 and 2011. The results indicated that the LUCC in ENW, which was characterized by desert retreat, reforestation, and farmland expansion, led to significant local changes in surface air temperature(within ~0.3°C) and slight regional changes in precipitation(within ~15%) in summer. In the desert retreat area, the net absorbed shortwave radiation had a greater influence than evaporative cooling, leading to increases in the daily mean and maximum temperature. Besides, the daily mean and maximum temperatures increased in the reforestation area but decreased in the farmland expansion area. As surface albedo showed no significant change in these regions, the temperature increase in the reforestation area can be attributed to a decrease in evaporation, while the opposite effect appears to have been the case in the farmland expansion area.     

Hot deontology and cold consequentialism – an empirical exploration of ethical reasoning among climate change negotiators

Philosophers, political theorists and cognitive scientists have applied the traditional distinction between deontology and consequentialism to determine ethical responsibilities – usually of states – to take action in response to climate change. Most of this work is either purely conceptual or based on experiments with individuals, who are not part of the global political process. This paper makes two contributions to this debate. First, based on interview data I describe existing patterns of ethical reasoning among global political actors rather than groups selected for lab experiments. Integrating theories of risk perceptions, international relations and moral philosophy, I identify both deontological and consequentialist cognitive patterns, and examine their constitutive elements. My second contribution concerns the role of emotion in moral reasoning. Using the same qualitative data, I offer support for a controversial argument about the emotional nature of deontological reasoning. Further, I argue that many negotiators experience climate change not as an impersonal threat posed by the environment, but rather as an “up, close and personal” threat, over which other negotiation participants have significant control.     

A multi-proxy reconstruction of spatial and temporal variations in Asian summer temperatures over the last millennium

To investigate climate variability in Asia during the last millennium, the spatial and temporal evolution of summer (June–July–August; JJA) temperature in eastern and south-central Asia is reconstructed using multi-proxy records and the regularized expectation maximization (RegEM) algorithm with truncated total least squares (TTLS), under a point-by-point regression (PPR) framework. The temperature index reconstructions show that the late 20th century was the warmest period in Asia over the past millennium. The temperature field reconstructions illustrate that temperatures in central, eastern, and southern China during the 11th and 13th centuries, and in western Asia during the 12th century, were significantly higher than those in other regions, and comparable to levels in the 20th century. Except for the most recent warming, all identified warm events showed distinct regional expressions and none were uniform over the entire reconstruction area. The main finding of the study is that spatial temperature patterns have, on centennial time-scales, varied greatly over the last millennium. Moreover, seven climate model simulations, from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), over the same region of Asia, are all consistent with the temperature index reconstruction at the 99 % confidence level. Only spatial temperature patterns extracted as the first empirical orthogonal function (EOF) from the GISS-E2-R and MPI-ESM-P model simulations are significant and consistent with the temperature field reconstruction over the past millennium in Asia at the 90 % confidence level. This indicates that both the reconstruction and the simulations depict the temporal climate variability well over the past millennium. However, the spatial simulation or reconstruction capability of climate variability over the past millennium could be still limited. For reconstruction, some grid points do not pass validation tests and reveal the need for more proxies with high temporal resolution, accurate dating, and sensitive temperature signals, especially in central Asia and before AD 1400.     

2008年1月贵州冻雨的数值模拟和层结结构分析

针对2008年初发生在贵州地区的严重冻雨过程,分别从环流背景、低空急流和水汽输送条件等方面分析了准静止锋维持的原因,并选取本次灾害最严重的第3次过程为典型个例,利用WRF模式针对准静止锋影响下的贵州冻雨进行数值模拟来研究冻雨的发生机制。模拟结果较好地反映出高低空环流形势场特征,强雨雪降水带的走向、落区,以及地面温度的分布,均与观测基本吻合。通过分析高分辨率模式的模拟结果,揭示了准静止锋上贵州地区冻雨的层结结构特征及云物质在冻雨区的分布特征。研究结果表明,贵州中部的冻雨区除一般的三层结构(包含冰晶层、暖层和冷层)外,还具有典型的两层结构特征,即:高空的固体降水粒子稀少,900~600 h Pa深厚的逆温层和0℃以上的暖层使中低空存在大量液态粒子,下落的液滴经过近地面的浅薄冷层,形成大量过冷却雨滴,而后降落至地面迅速冻结。     

Evolution of aerosol vertical distribution during particulate pollution events in Shanghai

A set of micro pulse lidar(MPL)systems operating at 532 nm was used for ground-based observation of aerosols in Shanghai in 2011.Three typical particulate pollution events(e.g.,haze)were examined to determine the evolution of aerosol vertical distribution and the planetary boundary layer(PBL)during these pollution episodes.The aerosol vertical extinction coefficient(VEC)at any given measured altitude was prominently larger during haze periods than that before or after the associated event.Aerosols originating from various source regions exerted forcing to some extent on aerosol loading and vertical layering,leading to different aerosol vertical distribution structures.Aerosol VECs were always maximized near the surface owing to the potential influence of local pollutant emissions.Several peaks in aerosol VECs were found at altitudes above 1 km during the dust-and bioburning-influenced haze events.Aerosol VECs decreased with increasing altitude during the local-polluted haze event,with a single maximum in the surface atmosphere.PM2.5 increased slowly while PBL and visibility decreased gradually in the early stages of haze events;subsequently,PM2.5 accumulated and was exacerbated until serious pollution bursts occurred in the middle and later stages.The results reveal that aerosols from different sources impact aerosol vertical distributions in the atmosphere and that the relationship between PBL and pollutant loadings may play an important role in the formation of pollution.     

偏东气流诱发川西高原东侧两次对流暴雨过程的对比分析

利用区域自动站加密观测资料、NCEP/CFSR 0.5°×0.5°再分析资料以及0.01°×0.01°全球地形资料等,对2013年夏季发生在川西高原东侧两次对流暴雨天气过程中偏东气流的作用和特征进行了对比分析,重点研究两次过程中中低层偏东气流的活动特征、风场的垂直结构和温湿特征及其在对流暴雨中的作用等。结果表明：（1）7月3日过程高原东侧偏东风活动在850 hPa以下,持续时间约20 h,风速平均为2 m·s-1;8月6日过程偏东风活动在700 hPa以下,持续时间也能达到20 h,风速约为4 m·s-1;两次过程均是在天气尺度的西风槽东移与地形的共同作用下,诱生了高原东侧对流层中低层偏东气流,偏东气流形成时间比对流降水发生时间早约12 h。（2）两次过程偏东气流具有高相当位温属性,在其上方存在干冷空气活动,形成了有利的对流不稳定层结。相比较而言,后一次过程偏东气流出现的高度和风速明显增强后,与偏西风形成了更大的低层垂直风切变,暖湿能量局地集中特征更为显著,对于水汽和能量持续输送能力更强,因而引发的对流降水强度明显更大。（3）前一次过程盆地内起伏波动的偏东风与辐合中心及气旋性涡度中心配置关系较差,只是当偏东风受强迫抬升后,在地形附近激发出对流,并使降水主要位于地形附近;后一次过程盆地内平直的偏东风与辐合中心及涡度中心配置关系较好,尺度相当,因此激发出的对流强度和范围有明显增大,强降水沿地形向盆地西部发展。     

广西“回南天”发生特征及预报着眼点

利用常规MICAPS数据资料,对广西“回南天”发生特征及预报着眼点进行分析研究。结果表明：(1) “回南天”发生在春季低温阴雨后期迅速回暖的转变过程中;(2) 有利“回南天”发生的环流形势共同特征为: 500 hPa我国北支西风气流转为纬向环流,南支槽加深并向东移动,850 hPa有西南急流,地面冷空气减弱,华南静止锋减弱北抬;(3) T lnp探空曲线中,锋区逆温层上限持续下降到850 hPa以下,次日落地消失;(4) 室外空气露点温度高于室内物体表面温度,暖湿空气中的水汽入室遇冷后,在物体表面发生相变凝结;(5) 根据前一天最低气温、当天露点温度及升幅,将“回南天”划分为重度、中度和轻度3个等级;(6)“回南天”有冷性结束和暖性结束两种方式。所得成果可应用到预报业务中。     

双站摄像资料重建闪电三维通道的方法

为了满足准确分析闪电通道三维发展特征和闪电先导相互作用的需求,建立了一种利用双站摄像资料重建闪电三维通道的方法,从两幅在不同位置拍摄到的闪电二维图像上分别获取通道的坐标序列,利用空间立体几何原理,寻找两组序列中互相匹配的坐标,再由匹配的坐标序列重建出最终的闪电三维通道。通过对一次实际观测个例的重建与分析,验证了重建算法在实际观测中的可靠性,并对闪电通道的三维长度和二维长度进行了对比,发现两者差异可达2倍以上,充分说明了闪电三维特征分析的重要性。     

Tidal evolution of hierarchical and inclined systems

We investigate the dynamical evolution of hierarchical three-body systems under the effect of tides, when the ratio of the orbital semi-major axes is small and the mutual inclination is relatively large (greater than 20°). Using the quadrupolar non-restricted approximation for the gravitational interactions and the viscous linear model for tides, we derive the averaged equations of motion in a vectorial formalism which is suitable to model the long-term evolution of a large variety of exoplanetary systems in very eccentric and inclined orbits. In particular, it can be used to derive constraints for stellar spin-orbit misalignment, capture in Cassini states, tidal-Kozai migration, or damping of the mutual inclination. Because our model is valid for the non-restricted problem, it can be used to study systems of identical mass or for the outer restricted problem, such as the evolution of a planet around a binary of stars. Here, we apply our model to various situations in the HD 11964, HD 80606, and HD 98800 systems.