Genesis of the monsoon trough boundary layer experiment (MONTBLEX)

This paper sets out the motivation for carrying out an observational experiment on the atmospheric boundary layer along the monsoon trough, in the light of earlier studies of the atmospheric boundary layer in India and elsewhere, and the significant role that the trough has been shown to play as a key semi-permanent feature of the southwest monsoon. The scientific objectives of the experiment are set out, and its planning and execution are touched upon. Some of the gains resulting from the experiment are mentioned, and lessons for the future about the conduct of such programmes are drawn.     

Planning MONTBLEX — An overview

The multi-institutional experiment MONTBLEX aimed at sensing and studying the atmospheric boundary layer over the monsoon trough region of the northern plains of India during the summer monsoon of 1990. Four core facilities consisting of micro-meteorological towers and state-of-the-art instrumentation were created along the trough axis. This overview emphasizes the key features of project planning, management and execution, and provides detail? of all the experimental observation sites.     

冰川槽谷横剖面定量化研究方法及其影响因素

冰川槽谷(“U”形谷)是冰川与下伏基岩相互作用的结果, 是典型的冰蚀地形, 对其定量化研究是了解冰川作用过程以及冰川槽谷演化过程的重要途径. 二次多项式(y=A+Bx+Cx²)和幂函数(y=ax^b)是定量描述冰川槽谷形态的两种较普遍的方法, 二次多项式可以描述冰川槽谷的整体形态且不需要考虑高程基准面的选择, 但是该方法不能用于槽谷间的比较且其只能较准确地描述接近抛物线的横剖面; 幂函数不但可以反映不同作用过程形成的谷地, 还能在不同横剖面间进行比较, 但幂函数在应用过程过会受到坐标原点选取、 对数变化、 后期堆积以及横剖面不对称的影响, 其运用过程更加复杂. 此外, 相同的幂函数指数b可能指示不同的槽谷形态, 形态比率FR的引入并与指数b结合起来使对槽谷形态的描述更加全面. 从冰川动力和外部环境方面出发, 影响槽谷形态的因素主要有冰川作用时间、 基岩的抗侵蚀能力、 岩性的分布以及裂隙、 冰量、 气候、 构造和冰川性质, 后三者对槽谷形态的定量化影响需要进一步进行探讨. 运用不同地区槽谷形态参数所做b~FR图探讨了山地冰川槽谷的发育模式, 发现山地冰川槽谷存在对应于两种不同冰川性质的相反的发育模式, 但是由于岩性、 气候等其他因素的影响, 造成了冰川槽谷发育模式有时出现了不对应的情况.     

全球季风和季风边缘研究

全球卫星探测和观测资料的积累,使以南海季风、亚洲季风为代表的季风研究兴起了一波研究热潮。区域季风认识的深入,推动了全球季风认识的发展,全球季风概念在20世纪末被提出来,并在21世纪初成为热点研究方向。季风边缘是与全球季风密切相关的概念,东亚夏季风北边缘的近期演变与全球季风过去几十年的减弱有关。全球季风的演变表现为分布全球的大气活动中心和季风槽的活动,[JP2]这些成员组成了一个完整的全球季风系统。按照上述季风研究的发展脉络,系统地总结全球季风和季风边缘研究的进展,并提出未来季风研究的方向会把全球大气活动中心与全球气候槽,包括全球季风槽联系起来,即从季风系统着手研究全球季风的年代际和世纪尺度变率。     

Sea-breeze-initiated rainfall over the east coast of India during the Indian southwest monsoon

Sea-breeze-initiated convection and precipitation have been investigated along the east coast of India during the Indian southwest monsoon season. Sea-breeze circulation was observed on approximately 70–80% of days during the summer months (June–August) along the Chennai coast. Average sea-breeze wind speeds are greater at rural locations than in the urban region of Chennai. Sea-breeze circulation was shown to be the dominant mechanism initiating rainfall during the Indian southwest monsoon season. Approximately 80% of the total rainfall observed during the southwest monsoon over Chennai is directly related to convection initiated by sea-breeze circulation.     

Review of the Global Monsoon and Monsoon Marginal Zones

全球卫星探测和观测资料的积累,使以南海季风、亚洲季风为代表的季风研究兴起了一波研究热潮。区域季风认识的深入,推动了全球季风认识的发展,全球季风概念在20世纪末被提出来,并在21世纪初成为热点研究方向。季风边缘是与全球季风密切相关的概念,东亚夏季风北边缘的近期演变与全球季风过去几十年的减弱有关。全球季风的演变表现为分布全球的大气活动中心和季风槽的活动,这些成员组成了一个完整的全球季风系统。按照上述季风研究的发展脉络,系统地总结全球季风和季风边缘研究的进展,并提出未来季风研究的方向会把全球大气活动中心与全球气候槽,包括全球季风槽联系起来,即从季风系统着手研究全球季风的年代际和世纪尺度变率。     

Characteristics of monsoon low level jet (MLLJ) as an index of monsoon activity

Temperature and wind data are used to describe variation in the strength of the Monsoon Low Level Jet (MLLJ) from an active phase of the monsoon to a break phase. Also estimated are the characteristics of turbulence above and below MLLJ.     

Thermal and wind structure of the monsoon trough boundary layer

Radiosonde data from Jodhpur, taken at 0530, 1730 and around 1100 hr IST during MONTBLEX 1990, reveal that the distribution of virtual potential temperature0 _v below about 500 hPa has a structure characterized by up to three layers each of approximately constant gradient. We are thus led to introduce a characterization of the observed thermal structure through a sequence of the symbolsN, S andU, standing respectively for neutral, stable or unstable conditions in the different layers, beginning with the one closest to the ground. It is found that, of the 29 combinations possible, only the seven classes,S, SS′, SNS′, NS, NSS′, USS′ andUNS are observed, whereS′ stands for a stable layer with a different gradient of0 _r. than in the layerS. It is also found that, in 90% of the launches at 0530 hr, 48% of the launches at 1730 hr and 69% of the launches around 1100 hr, the first radiosonde layer near the ground is stable; the classical mixed layer was found in only 11 % of the data set analysed, and, if present on other occasions, must have been less than 250 m in height, the first level at which radiosonde data are available. Supplementing the above data, sodar echograms, available during 82% of the time between June and August 1990, suggest a stable layer up to a few tens of metres 48% of the time. A comparative study of the radiosonde data at Ranchi shows that the frequent prevalence of stability near the surface at Jodhpur cannot be attributed entirely to the large scale subsidence known to be characteristic of the Rajasthan area. Further, data at Jodhpur reveal a weak low level jet at heights generally ranging from 400 to 900 m with wind speeds of 6 to 15 m/s. Based on these results, it is conjectured that the lowest layers in the atmosphere during the monsoons, especially with heavy clouding or rain, may frequently be closer to the classical nocturnal boundary layer than to the standard convective mixed layer, although often with shallow plumes that penetrate such a stable layer during daytime.     

Proper depiction of monsoon depression through IRS-P4 MSMR

In this paper, daily variations of satellite-derived geophysical parameters such as integrated water vapour (IWV), cloud liquid water content (CLW), sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface wind speed (SSW) have been studied for a case of monsoon depression that formed over the Bay of Bengal during 19th-24th August 2000. For this purpose, IRS P4 MSMR satellite data have been utilized over the domain equator — 25‡N and 40‡-100‡E. An integrated approach of satellite data obtained from IRS-P4, METEOSAT-5 and INSAT was made for getting a signal for the development of monsoon depression over the Indian region. Variations in deep convective activity obtained through visible, infrared and OLR data at 06 UTC was thoroughly analyzed for the complete life cycle of monsoon depression. Geophysical parameters obtained through IRS-P4 satellite data were compared with vorticity, convergence and divergence at 850 and 200 hPa levels generated through cloud motion vectors (CMVs) and water vapour wind vectors (WVWVs) obtained from METEOSAT-5 satellite. This comparison was made for finding proper consistency of geophysical parameters with dynamical aspects of major convective activity of the depression. From the results of this study it is revealed that there was strengthening of sea surface winds to the south of low-pressure area prior to the formation of depression. This indicated the possibility of increase in cyclonic vorticity in the lower troposphere. Hence, wind field at 850 hPa with satellite input of CMVs in objective analysis of wind field using optimum interpolation (OI) scheme was computed. Maximum cyclonic vorticity field at 850 hPa was obtained in the region of depression just one day before its formation. Similarly, with the same procedure maximum anticyclonic vorticity was observed at 200 hPa with WVWVs input. Consistent convergence and divergence at 850 and 200 hPa was noticed with respect to these vorticities. In association with these developments, we could get lowest values of OLR (120 W/m² ) associated with major convective activity that was consistent with the maximum values of integrated water vapour (6-8gm/cm²) and cloud liquid water content (50-60 mg/cm² ) persisting particularly in the southwest sector of the monsoon depression.     

燕辽裂陷槽中元古界不整合面的性质

燕辽裂陷槽中元古代沉积层序中出现多个沉积间断和不整合面。本次研究对其中的5个不整合面进行野外考察,分析其地质特征并进行地层对比,最后判断其性质。大红峪组底部、高于庄组底部和杨庄组底部的不整合面是沉积属性,其中大红峪组底部不整合面是海侵超覆沉积的结果,高于庄组底部和杨庄组底部的不整合面由海平面升降变化所引起;铁岭组顶部和下马岭组顶部不整合面是构造属性,系大规模的抬升运动所造成。     

Intracontinental wedging and post-orogenic collapse in the mesohellenic trough

The Mesohellenic Trough is a 130 km long and about 30 km wide subsiding area which contains a thick sequence of well exposed Late Cenozoic post-orogenic sediments. This intermontane basin, located at the contact between the Apulian and Pelagonian collided margins, provides a good example of the characteristics needed to study the chronology of late orogenic intracontinental structures.The Mesohellenic Trough was developed from the Middle Eocene to Middle Miocene as a piggy-back basin along the eastern flanks of a giant pop-up structure. This structure consists of west-verging, foreland-propagating thrusts within the Apulian plate and of east-verging backthrusts within the Pelagonian plate. As a result the eastern parts of the Apulian margin were thickened and uplifted, followed by post-orogenic collapse.Internal deformation of the sedimentary infill varies widely along the trough axis. At the northern and southern terminations of the trough, two small indentors induced a tectonic escape towards the central part of the basin until the Middle Miocene. During this process of convergent wrenching, reverse strike-slip faults and pure strike-slip faults formed. Towards the central part of the trough, convergent wrenching decreased gradually until it was replaced by a post-orogenic collapse with normal and oblique normal faults trending parallel and/or perpendicular to the trough axis.     

Pacific coral oxygen isotope and the tropospheric temperature gradient over the Asian monsoon region: a tool to reconstruct past Indian summer monsoon rainfall

Having recognized that it is the tropospheric temperature (TT) gradient rather than the land–ocean surface temperature gradient that drives the Indian monsoon, a new mechanism of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) monsoon teleconnection has been unveiled in which the ENSO influences the Indian monsoon by modifying the TT gradient over the region. Here we show that equatorial Pacific coralline oxygen isotopes reflect TT gradient variability over the Indian monsoon region and are strongly correlated to monsoon precipitation as well as to the length of the rainy season. Using these relationships we have been able to reconstruct past Indian monsoon rainfall variability of the first half of the 20th century in agreement with the instrumental record. Additionally, an older coral oxygen isotope record has been used to reconstruct seasonally resolved summer monsoon rainfall variability of the latter half of the 17th century, indicating that the average annual rainfall during this period was similar to that during the 20th century. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

东帝汶海槽断裂特征与构造演化模式

东帝汶海槽位于澳大利亚板块西北帝汶海与帝汶岛之间,晚中新世澳大利亚板块与东南亚班达岛弧碰撞引发了帝汶岛与帝汶海槽的构造变形,由于弧-陆碰撞过程的复杂性,帝汶海槽的变形时间与机制仍然存在较大争议。为约束帝汶海槽变形时间、探讨其演化过程,依据二维地震数据,对东帝汶海槽的断裂特征进行定量分析,并结合钻井与天然地震事件探讨弧-陆碰撞背景下帝汶海槽的构造演化模式。研究结果表明,晚中新世（约6 Ma）澳大利亚板块与班达岛弧碰撞,引发了帝汶岛的隆升与帝汶海槽的沉降,变形持续至晚上新世（约3 Ma）,形成现今帝汶海槽形态。现今澳大利亚板块与班达岛弧之间的相对运动速率已逐渐减小趋于停止,未来二者可能会以一个整体继续向北运动。     

Study of horizontal scales of motion observed over Kharagpur during MONTBLEX-1990

Characteristic wavelengths for theu andv components of wind are studied using the Monsoon Trough Boundary Layer Experiment (MONTBLEX) data obtained from a Doppler Sonic Detection and Ranging System (sodar) over the land station Kharagpur (near sea-coast). The principal stability parameter (Z _i/L_o) is used to infer the behaviour of the non-dimensional form of the characteristic wavelength (L _H) within the entire stability range occurring during the sounding periods. This is compared with GATE - 1974 results (over the sea surface) published by Fitzjarrald (1978).     

Is there an attractor for the Indian summer monsoon?

Aperiodicity in the time series of Indian summer rainfall for 116 years is analysed using the phase space approach. The question whether a low-dimensional strange attractor is associated with the chaotic behaviour of the monsoon system is investigated. It is found that a strange attractor of dimensionality around 5·1 exists and the system has 12 relevant degrees of freedom.     

Some studies of the growth of monsoon disturbances

The structure of the monsoon depression and the observed flow features prior to and at the time of monsoon depression formation (composite of 15 depressions) are examined. The composite monsoon depression (transient eddy) has a scale of 25° longitude and extends up to 300 mb and has the greatest intensity at 700 mb. It shows north-north-east to south-south-west tilt in the lower levels indicating that it may draw upon zonal kinetic energy for its growth. The disturbance has lower temperatures to its west and tilts westwards with height indicating that eddy available potential energy is not converted from zonal available potential energy by large scale advection. There appears to be a reduction of vertical shear at the time of formation of monsoon depressions and this possibly aids cumulus convection. The profiles of potential vorticity indicate extremes (i) in the upper troposphere and (ii) at several midtropospheric levels in the region of the monsoon trough indicating the possibility of combined barotropic-baroclinic instability. Using multi-level quasi-geostrophic model and employing the eigen-value technique it is shown that the monsoon zonal current is notbaroclinically unstable. A barotropic stability analysis is also done for monsoon zonal current in the lower and middle tropospheres. It yields very slowly growing unstable modes at lower tropospheric levels with wave lengths of 2500 km and 5000 km.     

Probabilities of excess and deficient southwest monsoon rainfall over different meteorological sub-divisions of India

Temporal distribution of southwest monsoon (June –September) rainfall is very useful for the country’s agriculture and food grain production. It contributes more than 75% of India’s annual rainfall. In view of this, an attempt has been made here to understand the performance of the monthly rainfall for June, July, August and September when the seasonal rainfall is reported as excess, deficient or normal. To know the dependence of seasonal rainfall on monthly rainfall, the probabilities of occurrence of excess, deficient and normal monsoon when June, July, August and also June + July and August + September rainfall is reported to be excess or deficient, are worked out using the long homogenous series of 124 years (1871-–1994) data of monthly and seasonal rainfall of 29 meteorological sub-divisions of the plain regions of India. In excess monsoon years, the average percentage contribution of each monsoon month to the long term mean (1871–1994) seasonal rainfall (June –September) is more than that of the normal while in the deficient years it is less than normal. This is noticed in all 29 meteorological sub-divisions. From the probability analysis, it is seen that there is a rare possibility of occurrence of seasonal rainfall to be excess/deficient when the monthly rainfall of any month is deficient/excess.     

鄂尔多斯盆地南部环形区成因与秦祁海槽间构造关系

近年来,鄂尔多斯盆地南部环形影像特征逐渐引起人们的关注。这个独立于鄂尔多斯盆地的环形整体特殊形状的成因各有说法。在野外地质考察的基础上,通过分析对比和探究各种相关资料,发现：鄂尔多斯盆地南部环形区和秦祁海槽在各大构造运动中都有密切联系,二者处于同一应力场;鄂尔多斯盆地南部环形区的主要成因为其与秦祁海槽等周围块体之间的相互作用,包括挤压、碰撞、旋转和磨蚀;鄂尔多斯盆地南部环形区受到古生代到新生代多次构造运动的影响,其中燕山运动和喜马拉雅运动对其抬升及形状的形成起主要作用。     

Timing and extent of Holocene glaciations in the monsoon dominated Dunagiri valley (Bangni glacier), Central Himalaya,India

Field stratigraphy and optical and radiocarbon dating of lateral moraines in the monsoon dominated Dunagiri valley of the Central Himalaya provide evidence for three major glaciations during the last 12 ka. The oldest and most extensive glaciation, the Bangni Glacial Stage-I (BGS-I), is dated between 12 and 9 ka, followed by the BGS-II glaciation (7.5 and 4.5 ka) and the BGS-III glaciation (∼1 ka). In addition, discrete moraine mounds proximal to the present day glacier snout are attributed to the Little Ice Age (LIA). BGS-I started around the Younger Dryas (YD) cooling event and persisted till the early Holocene when the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) strengthened. The less extensive BGS-II glaciation, which occurred during the early to mid-Holocene, is ascribed to lower temperature and decreased precipitation. Further reduction in ice volume during BGS-III is attributed to a late Holocene warm and moist climate. Although the glaciers respond to a combination of temperature and precipitation changes, in the Dunagiri valley decreased temperature seems to be the major driver of glaciations during the Holocene.     

盾构施工引起的地表横向沉降槽分析

基于龙东路-世纪公园站区间隧道现场实测资料,对由盾构施工引起的沉降槽的形状进行了深入研究。首先绘出埋深不同的沉降槽的实测形状;再利用数学拟合方法对沉降槽的形状、影响范围、宽度系数及最大沉降量出现的位置进行的研究,指出它们均与隧道的埋深有着密切的关系;最后,用统计学的方法给出隧道埋深与最大沉降量以及沉降槽宽度系数与隧道埋深之间的定量关系式。