Improvement of a Snow Albedo Parameterization in the Snow–Atmosphere–Soil Transfer Model:Evaluation of Impacts of Aerosol on Seasonal Snow Cover

The presence of light-absorbing aerosols(LAA) in snow profoundly influence the surface energy balance and water budget.However,most snow-process schemes in land-surface and climate models currently do not take this into consideration.To better represent the snow process and to evaluate the impacts of LAA on snow,this study presents an improved snow albedo parameterization in the Snow–Atmosphere–Soil Transfer(SAST) model,which includes the impacts of LAA on snow.Specifically,the Snow,Ice and Aerosol Radiation(SNICAR) model is incorporated into the SAST model with an LAA mass stratigraphy scheme.The new coupled model is validated against in-situ measurements at the Swamp Angel Study Plot(SASP),Colorado,USA.Results show that the snow albedo and snow depth are better reproduced than those in the original SAST,particularly during the period of snow ablation.Furthermore,the impacts of LAA on snow are estimated in the coupled model through case comparisons of the snowpack,with or without LAA.The LAA particles directly absorb extra solar radiation,which accelerates the growth rate of the snow grain size.Meanwhile,these larger snow particles favor more radiative absorption.The average total radiative forcing of the LAA at the SASP is 47.5Wm~(-2).This extra radiative absorption enhances the snowmelt rate.As a result,the peak runoff time and "snow all gone" day have shifted 18 and 19.5 days earlier,respectively,which could further impose substantial impacts on the hydrologic cycle and atmospheric processes.     

Hydrological simulation of a conservation bench terrace system in a subhumid climate

Abstract

A finite element model to simulate runoff and soil erosion from agricultural lands has been developed. The sequential solutions of the governing differential equations were found: Richards' equation with a sink term for infiltration and soil water dynamics under cropped conditions; St Venant equation with kinematic wave approximation for overland and channel flow; and sediment continuity equation, for soil erosion. The model developed earlier has been improved to simulate erosion/deposition in impoundments and predicted and observed soil loss values were in reasonably good agreement when the model was tested for a conservation bench terrace (CBT) system. The finite element model was extensively applied to study the hydrological behaviour of a CBT system vis-à-vis the conventional system of sloping borders. The model estimates runoff and soil loss reasonably well, under varying conditions of rainfall and at different crop growth stages. The probable reasons for discrepancies between observation and simulation are reported and discussed. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to study the effect of various hydrological, soil and topographical parameters, such as ratio of contributing to receiving areas, weir length, depth of impoundment, slope of contributing area, etc. on the flow behaviour in a CBT system.     

基于静稳天气下气球探空实验的中国沙漠地区沙尘气溶胶的垂直分布（英文）

塔克拉玛干沙漠是亚洲沙尘气溶胶的重要源地。为探讨塔克拉玛干地区沙尘气溶胶的理化特性与时空变化,研究其环境与气候效应,本文分析了四个季节在中国敦煌(塔克拉玛干沙漠内)取得的探空气球观测数据,包括气溶胶的数浓度、粒径分布、质量浓度及在西风主导下的水平输送通量。气溶胶数浓度的垂直廓线显示,来自沙漠地区的矿物粒子对局地环境与气候有重要影响,且所有季节都存在长距离输送。粒子谱分布显示局地有大量粗粒子输入。结果说明,源于塔克拉玛干沙漠的沙尘气溶胶的背景输送有着重要的科学意义,需进一步研究其对东亚和西太平洋地区环境与气候的影响。     

基于分层分区法的中国历史耕地数据的网格化重建

网格化历史耕地数据集能为历史时期耕地变化研究提供更精确的支持,并且为全球环境气候变化研究模型模拟提供驱动数据。本文综合考虑了中国历代土地利用开发的特点及自然人文因子对耕地的影响,设计了一套对中国耕地先分区再分层分配的网格化方法。基于国内3个主流区域耕地数据研究成果,采用上述方法建立了1820年（清仁宗嘉庆二十五年）和1936年（民国二十五年）中国10 km×10 km分辨率的耕地数据集,并绘制了分布图。本文还利用国内具有代表性的区域数据集对重建结果进行对比验证。结果表明,该方法可以保证耕地数量的权威性,并且建立具有区域性的高精度历史耕地数据集。     

Investigating the Dominant Source for the Generation of Gravity Waves during Indian Summer Monsoon Using Ground-based Measurements

Over the tropics,convection,wind shear(i.e.,vertical and horizontal shear of wind and/or geostrophic adjustment comprising spontaneous imbalance in jet streams) and topography are the major sources for the generation of gravity waves.During the summer monsoon season(June-August) over the Indian subcontinent,convection and wind shear coexist.To determine the dominant source of gravity waves during monsoon season,an experiment was conducted using mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere(MST) radar situated at Gadanki(13.5 N,79.2 E),a tropical observatory in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent.MST radar was operated continuously for 72 h to capture high-frequency gravity waves.During this time,a radiosonde was released every 6 h in addition to the regular launch(once daily to study low-frequency gravity waves) throughout the season.These two data sets were utilized effectively to characterize the jet stream and the associated gravity waves.Data available from collocated instruments along with satellite-based brightness temperature(TBB) data were utilized to characterize the convection in and around Gadanki.Despite the presence of two major sources of gravity wave generation(i.e.,convection and wind shear) during the monsoon season,wind shear(both vertical shear and geostrophic adjustment) contributed the most to the generation of gravity waves on various scales.     

Relationship Between Soil Temperature in May over Northwest China and the East Asian Summer Monsoon Precipitation

This study investigates the relationship between the soil temperature in May and the East Asian summer monsoon （EASM） precipitation in June and July using station observed soil temperature data over Northwest China from 1971 to 2000.It is found that the memory of the soil temperature at 80-cm depth can persist for at least 2 months,and the soil temperature in May is closely linked to the EASM precipitation in June and July.When the soil temperature is warmer in May over Northwest China,less rainfall occurs over the Yangtze and Huaihe River valley but more rainfall occurs over South China in June and July.It is proposed that positive anomalous soil temperature in May over Northwest China corresponds to higher geopotential heights over the most parts of the mainland of East Asia,which tend to weaken the ensuing EASM.Moreover,in June and July,a cyclonic circulation anomaly occurs over Southeast China and Northwest Pacific and an anticyclonic anomaly appears in the Yangtze and Huaihe River valley at 850 hPa.All the above tend to suppress the precipitation in the Yangtze and Huaihe River valley.The results also indicate that the soil temperature in May over Northwest China is closely related to the East Asia/Pacific （EAP） teleconnection pattern,and it may be employed as a useful predictor for the East Asian summer monsoon rainfall.     

Impact of Drought on Agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic Plain,India

In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought in India and its impact on agriculture during the summer season(April–September). In the analysis, we use Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index(SPEI)datasets between 1982 and 2012 at the six-monthly timescale. Based on the criterion SPEI -1, we obtain a map of the number of occurrences of drought and find that the humid subtropical Upper Middle Gangetic Plain(UMGP) region is highly drought-prone, with an occurrence frequency of 40%–45%. This UMGP region contributes at least 18%–20% of India's annual cereal production. Not only the probability of drought, but the UMGP region has become increasingly drought-prone in recent decades. Moreover, cereal production in the UMGP region has experienced a gradual declining trend from 2000 onwards, which is consistent with the increase in drought-affected areas from 20%–25% to 50%–60%, before and after 2000,respectively. A higher correlation coefficient(-0.69) between the cereal production changes and drought-affected areas confirms that at least 50% of the agricultural(cereal) losses are associated with drought. While analyzing the individual impact of precipitation and surface temperature on SPEI at 6 month timescale [SPEI(6)] we find that, in the UMGP region,surface temperature plays the primary role in the lowering of the SPEI. The linkage is further confirmed by correlation analysis between SPEI(6) and surface temperature, which exhibits strong negative values in the UMGP region. Higher temperatures may have caused more evaporation and drying, which therefore increased the area affected by drought in recent decades.     

Bacterial response to contrasting sediment geochemistry in the Central Indian Basin

In order to investigate whether geochemical, physiographic and lithological differences in two end‐member sedimentary settings could evoke varied microbe–sediment interactions, two 25 cm long sediment cores from contrasting regions in the Central Indian Basin have been examined. Site TVBC 26 in the northern siliceous realm (10°S, 75·5°E) is organic‐C rich with 0·3 ± 0·09% total organic carbon. Site TVBC 08 in the southern pelagic red clay realm (16°S, 75·5°E), located on the flank of a seamount in a mid‐plate volcanic area with hydrothermal alterations of recent origin, is organic‐C poor (0·1 ± 0·07%). Significantly higher bacterial viability under anaerobic conditions, generally lower microbial carbon uptake and higher numbers of aerobic sulphur oxidizers at the mottled zones, characterize core TVBC 26. In the carbon‐poor environment of core TVBC 08, a doubling of the ¹⁴C uptake, a 250 times increase in the number of autotrophic nitrifiers, a four‐fold lowering in the number of aerobic sulphur oxidizers and a higher order of denitrifiers exists when compared with core TVBC 26; this suggests the prevalence of a potentially autotrophic microbial community in core TVBC 08 in response to hydrothermal activity. Microbial activity at the northern TVBC 26 is predominantly heterotrophic with enhanced chemosynthetic activity restricted to tan‐green mottled zones. The southern TVBC 08 is autotrophic with increased heterotrophic activity in the deepest layers. Notably, the bacterial activity is generally dependent on the surface productivity in TVBC 26, the carbon‐rich core, and mostly independent in TVBC 08, the carbon‐poor, hydrothermally influenced core. The northern sediment is more organic sink‐controlled and the southern sediment is more hydrothermal source‐controlled. Hydrothermal activity and associated rock alteration processes may be more relevant than organic matter delivery in these deep‐sea sediments. Thus, this study highlights the relative importance of hydrothermal activity versus organic delivery in evoking different microbial responses in the Central Indian Basin sediments.