Geo-effectiveness of solar wind extremes

Examples of extreme events of solar wind and their effect on geomagnetic conditions are discussed here. It is found that there are two regimes of high speed solar wind streams with a threshold of ∼ 850 km s^-1. Geomagnetic activity enhancement rate (GAER) is defined as an average increase in Ap value per unit average increase in the peak solar wind velocity (Vp) during the stream. GAER was found to be different in the two regimes of high speed streams with +ve and-ve IMF. GAER is 0.73 and 0.53 for solar wind streams with +ve and -ve IMF respectively for the extremely high speed streams (< 850 km s^-1). This indicates that streams above the threshold speed with +ve IMF are 1.4 times more effective in enhancing geomagnetic activity than those with -ve IMF. However, the high speed streams below the threshold with -ve IMF are 1.1 times more effective in enhancing geomagnetic activity than those with +ve IMF. The violent solar activity period (October–November 2003) of cycle 23 presents a very special case during which many severe and strong effects were seen in the environment of the Earth and other planets; however, the z-component of IMF (Bz) is mostly positive during this period. The most severe geomagnetic storm of this cycle occurred when Bz was positive.     

Storminess and vulnerability along the Atlantic coastlines of Europe: analysis of storm records and of a greenhouse gases induced climate scenario

Identification of the distinctive circulation patterns of storminess on the Atlantic margin of Europe forms the main objective of this study; dealing with storm frequency, intensity and tracking. The climatology of the extratropical cyclones that affect this region has been examined for the period 1940–1998. Coastal meteorological data from Ireland to Spain have been linked to the cyclone history for the North Atlantic in the analysis of storm records for European coasts. The study examines the evolution in the occurrence of storms since the 1940s and also their relationship with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Results indicate a seasonal shift in the wind climate, with regionally more severe winters and calmer summers established. This pattern appears to be linked to a northward displacement in the main North Atlantic cyclone track.

An experiment with the ECHAM4 A-GCM at high resolution (T106) has also been used to model the effect of a greenhouse gases induced warming climate on the climatology of coastal storms in the region. The experiment consists of (1), a 30-year control time-slice representing present-day equivalent CO₂ concentrations and (2), a 30-year perturbed period corresponding to a time when the radiative forcing has doubled in terms of equivalent CO₂ concentrations. The boundary conditions have been obtained from an atmosphere-ocean coupled OA-GCM simulation at low horizontal resolution. An algorithm was developed to allow the identification of individual cyclone movements in selected coastal zones. For most of the northern part of the study region, covering Ireland and Scotland, results describe the establishment by ca. 2060 of a tendency for fewer but more intense storms.

The impacts of these changes in storminess for the vulnerability of European Atlantic coasts are considered. For low-lying, exposed and ‘soft’ sedimentary coasts, as in Ireland, these changes in storminess are likely to result in significant localised increases in coastal erosion.     

Storms and shoreline retreat in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence

Storms play a major role in shoreline recession on transgressive coasts. In the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL), southeastern Canada, long-term relative sea-level rise off the North Shore of Prince Edward Island has averaged 0.3 m/century over the past 6000 years (>0.2 m/century over 2000 years). This has driven long-term coastal retreat at mean rates >0.5 m/a but the variance and details of coastal profile response remain poorly understood. Despite extensive sandy shores, sediment supply is limited and sand is transferred landward into multidecadal to century-scale storage in coastal dunes, barrier washover deposits, and flood-tidal delta sinks. Charlottetown tide-gauge records show mean relative sea-level rise of 3.2 mm/a (0.32 m/century) since 1911. A further rise of 0.7±0.4 m is projected over the next 100 years. When differenced from tidal predictions, the water-level data provide a 90-year record of storm-surge occurrence. Combined with wind, wave hindcast, and sea-ice data, this provides a catalogue of potentially significant coastal storms. We also document coastal impacts from three recent storms of great severity in January and October 2000 and November 2001. Digital photogrammetry (1935–1990) and shore-zone surveys (1989–2001) show large spatial and temporal variance in coastal recession rates, weakly correlated with the storm record, in part because of wave suppression or coastal protection by sea ice. Large storms cause rapid erosion from which recovery depends in part on local sand supply, but barrier volume may be conserved by washover deposition. Barrier shores with dunes show high longshore and interdecadal variance, with extensive multidecadal healing of former inlet and overwash gaps. This reflects recovery from an episode of widespread overwash prior to 1935, possibly initiated by intense storms or groups of storms in the latter half of the 19th century. With evidence from the storms of 2000–2001, this points to the importance of storm clustering on scales of weeks to years in determining erosion vulnerability, as well as the need for a long-term, large-scale perspective in assessing coastal stability. The expected acceleration in relative sea-level rise, together with projections of increasing storm intensity and greatly diminished winter ice cover in the southern GSL, implies a significant increase in coastal erosion hazards in future.     

新一代天气雷达与强对流天气预警

简要介绍了对流风暴的分类、对流风暴的强弱和强对流天气的多普勒天气雷达识别和预警技术，以及新一代天气雷达对强对流风暴预警水平的改进。     

平凉地区对流风暴地闪活动与环境层结因子相关性分析

利用1997年和1998年6－8月间在甘肃平凉地区的3站闪电定位系统所取得的地闪资料与当天早晨探空资料进行了初步的统计分析。分析结果，对流风暴中地闪活动与环境层结因子之间有较好的相关性，不稳定度、余额不稳定度5℃处的环境温度、温度层结中（中层）平均相对湿度是影响对流风暴中地闪活动的重要因子，对流风暴的地闪活动可通过这些因子进行预报。     

2000年4月6日磁暴期间磁扰变化在低纬子午链的纬度效应

利用低纬地磁子午链上H和D分量的分均值数据 ,分析了 2 0 0 0年 4月 6日磁暴期间磁扰变化的纬度效应 .主要特点是 :(1 )急始期间H分量急始跃变幅随磁纬降低而减小 ,且急始变幅的下降率随磁纬降低而逐渐增大 ;(2 )初相期间H分量第 2峰值的变幅和初相持续时间随磁纬降低而减小 ;(3)主相期间H分量迅速减小 ,并随纬度降低最大变幅明显增加 ;(4)恢复相H分量呈两阶段上升趋势 ,前一阶段迅速上升 ,后一阶段上升速度明显减小 .最后对这些磁扰变化的纬度效应与空间电流体系的密切关系作了讨论 .     

剥蚀及地幔作用下青藏高原隆升过程的数值模拟

修改了England和Mckenzie的黏性薄层流变模型中控制大陆形变的连续性方程,将剥蚀作用对高原隆升演化的影响直接引入该方程,并考虑下伏地幔小尺度对流对增厚岩石层的搬离作用对高原隆升演化后期的影响,用有限差分法直接模拟青藏高原隆升过程. 数值模拟结果所显示的高原隆升演化过程与实际观测资料吻合较好,揭示了高原隆升演化过程的非平稳和多阶段的特性;同时还表明上地幔小尺度对流对岩石层底部的搬离作用可能是最近8Ma以来高原快速隆升的主导机制.     

新一代天气雷达观测的福建夏季对流云特征

2001年和2002年7～9月利用福建省建阳市和龙岩市二部新一代天气雷达对福建夏季对流云进行系统的观测.通过对观测资料的统计分析和实例分析得到不同类型福建夏季对流云的生命史、尺度、强度等特征;多单体合并对流云液态水总量最大,发展-成熟阶段平均值达4.8×109 kg,是福建夏季对流云中最重要降水云型;对流云发展的不同阶段,不同高度层辐合辐散特点.这些结果为进一步研究夏季南方对流云结构、降水原理提供科学依据.     

环电流区中性原子观测特性模拟研究

为了给双星计划中性原子(ENA)探测仪的研制提供可靠 的理论依据，并为未来中性原子探测数据的分析及研究做好准备，针对双星轨道初步模拟计 算了双星ENA探测仪对磁暴时中性原子的观测特性. 建立了磁暴主相期间环电流离子分布的 一 个近似理论模式，并模拟计算了极轨卫星在极区上空、赤道面以及其他位置上对不同强度磁 暴主相期间环电流区ENA空间角分布及能谱的观测结果. 研究表明，存在环电流区方向和南 北极区环电流粒子沉降带两个中性原子强度极大区域；磁暴越强烈，注入区高度越低，环电 流区观测到的ENA通量越高；处于有利位置的ENA探测器可分辨注入区内边界或注入前沿；EN A探测器能够分辨环电流带离子分布的不均匀性；由于离子交换截面的差异，H，O，He 3种E NA的能谱分布不同；在10～80keV能谱范围内通量较强，易于观测；环电流区H，O两种ENA 通 量较强，有利于观测；而环电流区He ENA通量很弱，不易于观测. 模拟计算研究表明，双星 极轨卫星能够对环电流区ENA进行有效探测；低纬轨道上的ENA探测器也能够对环电流区ENA 进行一些观测；ENA探测器的研制应重视低、中能量范围ENA的探测.     

长江流域一次暴雨过程中的不稳定条件分析

文中分析了 1998年 7月 2 0～ 2 3日发生于长江流域的持续性降水和暴雨过程 ,在分析大尺度降水和中小尺度暴雨相对应的环流场和天气实况的基础上 ,主要分析相应大气层结的对流不稳定和条件性对称不稳定条件 ,并对切变线上涡层不稳定做了重点介绍和分析 ,计算了条件性对称不稳定判据和涡层不稳定判据。结果表明 :降水期间大气低层有对流不稳定和对称不稳定能量的积聚 ,在这两类不稳定条件都基本满足的情况下 ,涡层不稳定的维持对此次降水过程中暴雨的发生提供了有利的不稳定环境场 ,具体的计算分析还表明环境场的配置制约着切变线上低涡扰动的发展 ,是造成降水的重要原因之一。