Numerical Simulation of Long-Term Climate Change in East Asia

A 10-yr regional climate simulation was performed using the fifth-generation PSU/NCAR Mesoscale Model Version 3 (MM5V3) driven by large-scale NCEP/NCAR reanalyses. Simulations of winter and summer mean regional climate features were examined against observations. The results showed that the model could well simulate the 10-yr winter and summer mean circulation, temperature, and moisture transport at middle and low levels. The simulated winter and summer mean sea level pressure agreed with the NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data. The model could well simulate the distribution and intensity of winter mean precipitation rates as well as the distribution of summer mean precipitation rates, but it overestimated the summer mean precipitation over North China. The model's ability to simulate the regional climate change in winter was superior to that in summer. In addition, the model could simulate the inter-annual variation of seasonal precipitation and surface air temperature. Geopotential heights and temperature at middle and high levels between simulations and observations exhibited high anomaly correlation coefficients. The model also showed large variability to simulate the regional climate change associated with the El Nino events. The MM5V3 well simulated the anomalies of summer mean precipitation in 1992 and 1995, while it demonstrated much less ability to simulate that in 1998. Generally speaking, the MM5V3 is capable of simulating the regional climate change, and could be used for long-term regional climate simulation.     

CLIMATE CHANGE: LONG-TERM TRENDS AND SHORT-TERM OSCILLATIONS

Identifying the Northern Hemisphere (NH) temperature reconstruction and instrumental data for the past 1000 years shows that climate change in the last millennium includes long-term trends and various oscillations. Two long-term trends and the quasi-70-year oscillation were detected in the global temperature series for the last 140 years and the NH millennium series. One important feature was emphasized that temperature decreases slowly but it increases rapidly based on the analysis of different series. Benefits can be obtained of climate change from understanding various long-term trends and oscillations. Millennial temperature proxies from the natural climate system and time series of nonlinear model system are used in understanding the natural climate change and recognizing potential benefits by using the method of wavelet transform analysis. The results from numerical modeling show that major oscillations contained in numerical solutions on the interdecadal timescale are consistent with that of natural proxies. It seems that these oscillations in the climate change are not directly linked with the solar radiation as an external forcing. This investigation may conclude that the climate variability at the interdecadal timescale strongly depends on the internal nonlinear effects in the climate system.     

一个气候系统模式FGCM0对东亚副热带西风急流季节变化的模拟

对IAP/LASG气候系统模式试验版(FGCM0)模拟对流层上层东亚副热带西风急流季节变化的能力进行评估, 分析FGCM0模拟的东亚副热带西风急流季节变化与NCEP/NCAR再分析资料的差异及其与对流层大气南北温差的关系.结果表明, FGCM0模拟的冬季和夏季西风急流垂直结构、水平结构和季节变化与NCEP/NCAR再分析资料基本一致, 但FGCM0模拟的东亚副热带西风急流在高原附近地区冬季和夏季都偏强, 沿115°E中国大陆地区上空模拟的急流强度冬季偏弱, 夏季明显偏强.夏季FGCM0模拟的急流中心位于高原东北部的40°N附近地区, 强度偏强, 位置偏东, 而此时NCEP/NCAR再分析资料中的急流中心却位于高原北侧.此外, FGCM0模拟的急流在5月份的北移和8月份的最北位置上与NCEP/NCAR再分析资料差异较大.分析副热带西风急流与对流层南北温差的季节变化发现, 急流出现的位置总是对应着对流层南北温度差较大区域, 与再分析资料相比, FGCM0模拟的温度差在冬季基本一致, 夏季差异较大.与降水的模拟相联系发现, FGCM0模拟得到的与实际不一致的偏西偏北的强降水中心与200 hPa上的东亚副热带急流位置和强度不合理具有密切关系.相关分析表明, 冬季西风急流强度与日本南部海区的感热通量、夏季与青藏高原地区的地面感热通量有明显的正相关关系, 而FGCM0能够较好地模拟冬季西风急流强度与地面感热通量之间的相关关系, 但模拟夏季青藏高原地区感热通量和副热带西风急流之间相关关系的能力相对较差, 夏季西风急流强度与OLR之间却有一定的关系.由于与强降水区相联系的OLR低值区对应着较大的对流凝结加热, 再加上模式中位于青藏高原东南部较大的地面感热加热, 增强了对流层的南北向温度差, 进而影响东亚副热带急流强度和位置.因此, FGCM0模拟的夏季副热带急流位置和强度偏差与高原附近地区的地面感热加热、大气射出长波辐射等的模拟偏差具有密切的关系.     

探讨灾害规律的理论基础--极端气候事件概率

分析了国内外极端气候事件研究的现状,从经典极值分布理论、极值分布模式的参数估计、广义极值分布等方面,阐述了近年来国际上常用的理论及研究方法。为了更好地佐证进行极端气候事件发生概率研究的重要性,列举了作者在该领域的一些成功研究成果,并认为极端气候事件概率问题是探讨气象灾害规律的理论基础。     

我国东部4-9月大尺度南北旱涝的特征及变化

研究了我国东部4—9月逐月、逐季降水的跷跷板结构和气候特征,结果表明:不同时段跷跷板结构的位置和强度不同。当时间尺度加大时,南北旱涝特征更明显。定义并计算了1951—2003年我国的南北旱涝指数。对夏季和8月典型南北旱涝年进行差异的显著性t检验,表明南北旱涝年的划分是合理的。研究了1951—2003年我国南北旱涝特征的长期趋势和年代际变化;研究了南北旱涝指数与冷暖事件年的关系。结果表明,冷暖事件年对6月、6—7月以及夏季大尺度南北旱涝有影响,暖事件年有利于发生北旱南涝;而冷事件年则相反。结果还表明,冷暖事件仅是我国南北旱涝分布的一个影响因素。     

近14 a也门降水异常的气候特征

利用1990-2003年也门7个测站降水资料，在分析近148也门降水季节变化特征的基础上，着重分析了也门夏季降水的年际变化特征。结果表明，也门降水异常的季节变化明显，异常在4-9月最大，尤其是7-9月，异常峰值所在月呈现出较明显的提早趋势；近148也门夏季降水呈现出增加的趋势，90年代末该趋势加大；近148也门夏季降水存在38和78左右的显著振荡周期。     

The relationships between tropical Atlantic sea level variability and major climate indices

Relationships were examined between variability in tropical Atlantic sea level and major climate indices with the use of TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter and island tide gauge data with the aim of learning more about the external influences on the variability of the tropical Atlantic ocean. Possible important connections were found between indices related to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the sea levels in all three tropical regions (north, equatorial, and south), although the existence of only one major ENSO event within the decade of available altimetry means that a more complete investigation of the ENSO-dependence of Atlantic sea level changes has to await for the compilation of longer data sets. An additional link was found with the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in the equatorial region, this perhaps surprising observation is probably an artifact of the similarity between IOD and ENSO time series in the 1990s. No evidence was obtained for significant correlations between tropical Atlantic sea level and North Atlantic Oscillation or Antarctic Oscillation Index. The most intriguing relationship observed was between the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation and sea level in a band centered approximately on 10°S. A plausible explanation for the relationship is lacking, but possibilities for further research are suggested.     

Electrification of volcanic plumes

Volcanic lightning, perhaps the most spectacular consequence of the electrification of volcanic plumes, has been implicated in the origin of life on Earth, and may also exist in other planetary atmospheres. Recent years have seen volcanic lightning detection used as part of a portfolio of developing techniques to monitor volcanic eruptions. Remote sensing measurement techniques have been used to monitor volcanic lightning, but surface observations of the atmospheric electric Potential Gradient (PG) and the charge carried on volcanic ash also show that many volcanic plumes, whilst not sufficiently electrified to produce lightning, have detectable electrification exceeding that of their surrounding environment. Electrification has only been observed associated with ash-rich explosive plumes, but there is little evidence that the composition of the ash is critical to its occurrence. Different conceptual theories for charge generation and separation in volcanic plumes have been developed to explain the disparate observations obtained, but the ash fragmentation mechanism appears to be a key parameter. It is unclear which mechanisms or combinations of electrification mechanisms dominate in different circumstances. Electrostatic forces play an important role in modulating the dry fall-out of ash from a volcanic plume. Beyond the local electrification of plumes, the higher stratospheric particle concentrations following a large explosive eruption may affect the global atmospheric electrical circuit. It is possible that this might present another, if minor, way by which large volcanic eruptions affect global climate. The direct hazard of volcanic lightning to communities is generally low compared to other aspects of volcanic activity.     

Atmospheric Electrification in the Solar System

Atmospheric electrification is not a purely terrestrial phenomenon: all Solar System planetary atmospheres become slightly electrified by cosmic ray ionisation. There is evidence for lightning on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and it is possible on Mars, Venus and Titan. Controversy surrounds the role of atmospheric electricity in physical climate processes on Earth; here, a comparative approach is employed to review the role of electrification in the atmospheres of other planets and their moons. This paper reviews the theory, and, where available, measurements, of planetary atmospheric electricity which is taken to include ion production and ion–aerosol interactions. The conditions necessary for a planetary atmospheric electric circuit similar to Earth’s, and the likelihood of meeting these conditions in other planetary atmospheres, are briefly discussed. Atmospheric electrification could be important throughout the solar system, particularly at the outer planets which receive little solar radiation, increasing the relative significance of electrical forces. Nucleation onto atmospheric ions has been predicted to affect the evolution and lifetime of haze layers on Titan, Neptune and Triton. Atmospheric electrical processes on Titan, before the arrival of the Huygens probe, are summarised. For planets closer to Earth, heating from solar radiation dominates atmospheric circulations. However, Mars may have a global circuit analogous to the terrestrial model, but based on electrical discharges from dust storms. There is an increasing need for direct measurements of planetary atmospheric electrification, in particular on Mars, to assess the risk for future unmanned and manned missions. Theoretical understanding could be increased by cross-disciplinary work to modify and update models and parameterisations initially developed for a specific atmosphere, to make them more broadly applicable to other planetary atmospheres.     

A comparative study of geothermal and meteorological records of climate change in Kamchatka

To reconstruct the recent climate history in Kamchatka, a series of repeated precise temperature logs were performed in a number of boreholes located in a broad east-west strip (between 52 and 54°N) in the central part of Kamchatka west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. Within three years more than 30 temperature logs were performed in 10 holes (one up to six logs per hole) to the depth of up to 400 metres. Measured temperature gradients varied in a broad interval 0 to 60 mK/m and in some holes a sizeable variation in the subsurface temperatures due to advective heat transport by underground water was observed. Measured data were compared with older temperature profiles obtained in the early eighties by Sugrobov and Yanovsky (1993). Even when older data are of poorer precision (accuracy of about 0.1 K), they presented valuable information of the subsurface temperature conditions existing 20–25 years ago. Borehole observations and the inverted ground surface temperature histories (GSTHs) used for the paleoclimate reconstruction were complemented with a detailed survey of meteorological data. Namely, the long-term surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation records from Petropavlovsk station (in operation since 1890) were used together with similar data from a number of local subsidiary meteo-stations operating in Central Kamchatka since 1950. Regardless of extreme complexity of the local meteorological/climate conditions, diversity of borehole sites and calibration of measuring devices used during the whole campaign, the results of the climate reconstruction supported a general warming of about 1 K characteristic for the 20th century, which followed an inexpressive cooler period typical for the most of the 19th century. In the last three to four decades the warming rate has been locally increasing up to 0.02 K/year. It was also shown that the snow cover played a dominant role in the penetration of the climate “signal” to depth and could considerably smooth down the subsurface response to the changes occurred on the surface.