Chemical dynamics of N-containing ionic species in a boreal forest snowcover during the spring melt period

A study of the changes in the ionic loads of NO, NH, SO and H⁺ in a boreal forest snowpack at Lake Laflamme, Québec was carried out using hydrological and chemical data from field lysimeters. The results showed that depletion of the N-containing species occurs periodically in the snowpack during meltwater discharge. Rain-on-snow events led to in-pack losses of NO and NH at a rate of 130 μeq m^?2 day^?1 and 101·3 μeq m^?2day^?1 respectively. On dry days, however, dry deposition and deposition of organic debris from the canopy resulted in increases of 183·3 μeq m^?2day^?1 for NO and 4·5 μeq m^?2day^?1 for NH in the pack. In contrast, SO₄^2? showed continual in-pack increases due to deposition of 5·0 μeq m^?2day^?1 for wet days and 92·6 μeq m^?2day^?1 for dry days. The depletion of NO and NH is due to microbiological uptake of these nutrients during periods when the free water content of the pack is high. Controlled melts in a laboratory snowmelt simulator containing snow and organic matter from the forest canopy at Lake Laflamme showed losses of NO and NH similar to those observed in the field. As the microbiological uptake proceeds at a rate comparable to that of ionic load increases in the pack by dry deposition, models of the chemical dynamics of snowmelt should take the former into account in any system where organic content of the snowpack is appreciable.     

The Summer Surface Energy Balance of the High Antarctic Plateau

The summertime surface energy balance (SEB) at Kohnen station, situated on the high Antarctic plateau (75°00′ S, 0°04′ E, 2892m above sea level) is presented for the period of 8 January to 9 February 2002. Shortwave and longwave radiation fluxes were measured directly; the former was corrected for problems associated with the cosine response of the instrument. Sensible and latent heat fluxes were calculated using the bulk method, and eddy-correlation measurements and the modified Bowen ratio method were used to verify these calculated fluxes. The calculated sub-surface heat flux was checked by comparing calculated to measured snow temperatures. Uncertainties in the measurements and energy-balance calculations are discussed. The general meteorological conditions were not extraordinary during the period of the experiment, with a mean 2-m air temperature of −27.5°C, specific humidity of 0.52×10⁻³kg kg⁻¹ and wind speed of 4.1ms⁻¹. The experiment covered the transition period from Antarctic summer (positive net radiation) to winter (negative net radiation), and as a result the period mean net radiation, sensible heat, latent heat and sub-surface heat fluxes were small with values of −1.1, 0.0, −1.0 and 0.7 Wm⁻², respectively. Daily mean net radiation peaked on cloudy days (16 Wm⁻²) and was negative on clear-sky days (minimum of −19 W m⁻²). Daily mean sensible heat flux ranged from −8 to +10 Wm⁻², latent heat flux from −4 to 0 Wm⁻² and sub-surface heat flux from −8 to +7 Wm⁻².     

Boundary-Layer Adjustment Over Small-Scale Changes of Surface Heat Flux

Four months of eddy correlation data collected over a grass field and a nearby sage brush community are analyzed to examine the adjustment of the boundary-layer structure as it flows from the heated brush to the snow-covered grass. The grass site includes a 34-m tower with seven levels of eddy correlation data. The midday heat flux over the snow-covered grass and bare ground surfaces is often downward particularly with melting conditions, while the corresponding heat flux over the brush is almost always upward. For most of these cases, a stable internal boundary layer over the snow is well defined in terms of vertical profiles of the buoyancy flux over the snow-covered grass. The stable internal boundary layer is generally embedded within a deeper layer of flux divergence corresponding to increasing upward heat flux with height above the internal boundary layer. With thin snow cover, the surface heat flux over the grass is weak upward due to heating of grass protruding above the snow so that the flow adjusts to a decrease of the upward surface heat flux in the downwind direction. This common case of an adjusting boundary layer contrasts with the formation of an internal boundary layer due to a change of sign of the surface heat in flux the downwind direction. The adjustment of the boundary layer to the decrease of the surface heat flux leads to vertical divergence of the upward heat flux in contrast to the usual heated boundary layer over homogeneous surfaces. The consequences of the cooling due to the vertical divergence of the heat flux are discussed in terms of the heat budget of the adjusting and internal boundary layers.     

Numerical simulations of the influence of the seasonal snow cover on the occurrence of permafrost at high latitudes

It has repeatedly been reported that snow cover is a dominating factor in determining the presence or absence of permafrost in the discontinuous and sporadic permafrost regions. The temperature at the snow-soil interface by the end of winter, known as the bottom temperature of winter snow (BTS) method, has been used to detect the existence of permafrost in European alpine regions when the maximum snow depth is about 1.0 m or greater. A critical snow thickness of about 50 cm or greater can prevent the development of permafrost in eastern Hudson Bay, Canada. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of snow cover on the presence or absence of permafrost in cold regions through numerical simulations. A one-dimensional heat transfer model with phase change and a snow cover regime is used to simulate energy exchange between deep soils and the atmosphere. The model has been validated against the in situ data in the Arctic. The simulation results indicate that both snow depth and the onset date of snow cover establishment are important parameters in relation to the presence or absence of permafrost. Early establishment of snow cover can make permafrost disappear, even with a relatively thin snow cover. Permafrost may survive when snow cover starts after the middle of December even with a snow thickness >1.0 m. This effect of snow cover on the ground thermal regime can be explained with reference to the pattern of seasonal temperature variation. Early establishment of snow cover enhances the insulating impact over the entire cold season, thus warming and eventually thawing the permafrost. The insulating effect is substantially reduced when snow cover starts relatively late and snowmelt in the spring creates a huge heat sink, resulting in a favorable combination for permafrost existence.     

哈巴雪山第四纪冰川发育特点的初步研究

哈巴雪山(5 396 m)位于横断山脉中北段,与玉龙雪山(5 596 m)以金沙江相隔,受西南季风影响强烈。在哈巴雪山3 100 m以上保存第四纪冰川侵蚀与堆积地貌,主要沿哈巴雪山西北脊两侧分布。应用相对地貌法,对比邻近山地尤其是玉龙雪山,将哈巴雪山冰期系列初步划分为:倒数第二次冰期、末次冰期早期和末次冰盛期(LGM)。以哈巴雪山哈巴河谷的冰碛物为研究对象,其末端海拔高度在倒数第二次冰期、末次冰期早期、末次冰盛期分别约为3 100 m、3 500 m、3 900 m。应用TSAM法、MEIM法、CF法计算得出哈巴雪山古雪线高度在倒数第二次冰期、末次冰期早期、末次冰盛期分别为3 675 m、4 000 m、4 200 m。     

中国西天山季节性积雪热力特征分析

利用中国天山积雪雪崩站干、湿雪雪层内每隔5min一次的10层雪温数据,探讨了一次降雪过程后干、湿雪的雪层温度特征,对比分析了干、湿雪的雪面能量平衡方程中各分量的差异。结果表明:(1)整个冬半年积雪各层温度基本<0℃,雪温日变化振幅由雪面向下逐渐减小,积雪深层温度的波峰(谷)值稍滞后于积雪浅层温度极值1～2天。(2)湿雪冷中心的出现时间早于干雪,暖中心的出现时间晚于干雪,太阳辐射对湿雪的穿透深度大于干雪。(3)雪层温度振幅变化与能量吸收随雪深都呈指数衰减分布。积雪密度越大,吸收系数越小,穿透深度越大。(4)干雪雪面的感热通量和潜热通量几乎都为负值,积雪积累。湿雪雪面的潜热通量与感热通量方向相反,互相抵消,所以净辐射是导致湿雪消融的主要因素。     

冰雪灾害对吉安市青原区森林资源危害及恢复措施

2008年的低温冻雨冰雪灾害性天气对吉安市青原区林业生产造成了极大损失。以青原区8个乡镇森林为调查对象,调查不同区域、不同海拔、不同坡度、不同林种、不同树种的受灾若干特征,了解各种树种的防御雪灾的能力,提出恢复重建的具体措施,认为需要政府支持、科学经营和加强管护。     

包头地区二次大雪过程的成因分析

文章应用常规资料,从天气环流形势演变、物理量等方面,对2000年1月10—11日包头地区普降大雪过程作了客观的分析,揭示了大雪过程的发生、发展机制,对今后分析大雪过程具有一定指导意义。     

2008年初中国南方雪灾大尺度环流背景分析

分析2008年1月到2月初发生在中国南方雪灾冻雨的大尺度环流场,结果表明:这次南方强雨雪天气过程是北方冷空气和南方暖空气在中国南方地区持续维持、高低纬系统相互作用的一个典型个例.AO指数在1月中旬由负变正,表明了半球尺度环流的大幅度调整,高纬度80°E附近地区阻高形势的维持是1月中下旬到2月初阴雨雪天气过程持续的清晰指标;阻塞高压所伴随的能量频散使得准定常波持续从中高纬地区传播到较低纬度的长江及其以南地区,使得当地的气旋性环流得以维持;在乌拉尔山到贝加尔湖的强大阻塞高压的控制下,冷空气不能大举南下、只是不断的渗透到南方,与此同时受拉尼娜影响西太平洋暖池的海温不断增高,暖湿空气势力也是持续增强,代表暖势力暖池海温达到历史最强,冷空气在南方受阻形成静止态势.一旦阻塞高压在1月30日前后崩溃,供给江南地区气旋性环流的能源被切断,所以2月1日的降水过程以后江南地区的持续性降水也就随之结束.     

欧亚大陆积雪覆盖率的模拟评估及未来情景预估

基于国际耦合模式比较计划第五阶段(CMIP5)历史模拟试验(historical run)的模式输出结果以及遥感数据,采用相关分析、均方根误差、标准差等统计方法,评估了13个气候(或地球)系统模式对欧亚大陆积雪覆盖率的模拟能力,在此基础上,采用多模式集合平均的方法对未来不同温室气体排放情景下(rcp2.6、rcp4.5和rcp8.5)欧亚大陆积雪覆盖率的变化进行预估。结果显示:尽管各模式模拟的积雪覆盖率在高原地区与观测差异较大,但总体看来模式能够对欧亚大陆积雪覆盖率的空间形态、季节变化及年际变化特征做出较好地模拟。未来预估结果表明,多模式集合平均预估的欧亚大陆积雪覆盖率从2006年到2040年左右减少趋势非常明显,且不同排放情景下模式模拟的积雪减少速率非常接近;然而,大约从2040年之后,不同排放情景下的积雪覆盖率减小趋势的差异越来越大,rcp2.6和rcp4.5下积雪覆盖率的变化趋于平缓,而rcp8.5情景下,积雪覆盖率一直减少,冬季、春季和秋季都明显减少,减少最显著的区域位于西欧和青藏高原地区。由此可见,控制温室气体的排放对于未来欧亚大陆积雪的变化是至关重要的。