Changes in temperature and temperature gradients in the French Northern Alps during the last century

In mountain environments, local factors such as topography or exposure to the sun influence the spatial distribution of temperatures. It is therefore difficult to characterise the global evolution of temperatures over several decades. Such local effects can either accentuate or attenuate thermal contrasts between neighbouring areas. The present study uses two regional thermal indicators—thermal gradients and temperatures reduced to sea level—to monitor the monthly evolution of minimum and maximum temperatures in the French Northern Alps. Measures were calculated for the period extending from 1960 to 2007 based on data from 92 measuring stations. Temperature gradients were computed and further used to monitor the altitudinal evolution of temperatures. A characteristic regional temperature was determined for the whole of the French Northern Alps based on temperatures reduced to sea level, and changes in temperatures since 1960 were assessed. Multiple linear regression models made it possible to extend measurements over a longer period and to make enhanced calculations of temperature changes in the mountains since 1885. This is the first study to examine temperature changes in the French Northern Alps over such an extended period. Gradient data suggest that over the last 50 years, temperatures have changed at all altitudes. In addition, the evaluation of the temperature rise over 100 years reveals that minimal and maximal monthly temperatures trends are only significant a few months of the year.     

长江中下游地区冬夏干湿韵律特征分析

通过分析中国160站1952—2013年的月平均降水观测资料,揭示了长江中下游地区冬季和夏季降水间存在显著的韵律现象,即当该地区冬季降水异常偏少(偏多)时,次年夏季降水也趋于异常偏少(偏多),这里称之为干(湿)韵律现象。对干、湿韵律年大气环流背景的分析结果显示,干韵律年和湿韵律年对应的环流形势基本相反:在干(湿)韵律年冬季,东亚地区500 hPa位势高度距平呈现西高东低(东高西低)的分布型,中国南方东部主要受偏北(南)风异常控制,这不利(有利)于低纬度暖湿气流向长江中下游地区输送,导致该地区冬季降水异常偏少(多);在次年夏季,西北太平洋副热带高压异常偏弱(强),不利(有利)于西南暖湿气流向中国东部地区输送,使得长江中下游地区夏季降水也异常偏少(多)。研究进一步指出,长江中下游地区的冬夏干、湿韵律现象与东亚冬夏季风活动的强度密切相关。干、湿韵律现象多在东亚冬夏季风强度变化一致的情况下出现:冬、夏季风一致偏强时多导致干韵律现象,而一致偏弱时易导致湿韵律现象。     

North African climate variability. Part 1: Tropical thermocline coupling

Summary Tropical ocean thermocline variability is studied using gridded data assimilated by an ocean model in the period 1950–2000. The dominant patterns and variability are identified using EOF analysis applied to E–W depth slices of sea temperatures averaged over the tropics. After removing the annual cycle, an east–west ‘see-saw’ with an interannual to decadal rhythm is the leading mode in each of the tropical basins. In the case of the leading mode in the Pacific, the thermocline oscillation forms a dipole structure, but in the (east) Atlantic and (southwest) Indian Ocean there is a single center of action. The interaction of the ocean thermocline and atmospheric Walker circulations is studied through cross-modulus analysis of wavelet-filtered EOF time scores. Our study demonstrates how tropical ocean thermocline variability contributes to zonal circulation anomalies in the atmosphere. The equatorial Pacific thermocline oscillation explains 62 and 53% of the variability of the Pacific and Atlantic zonal overturning circulations, the latter driving convective polarity between North Africa and South America. The Pacific sea-saw leads the Atlantic zonal circulation by a few months.     

1955-2005年中国极端气温的变化

利用1955-2005年中国234站逐日最高、最低气温资料,通过计算趋势系数等,研究了中国年、季极端气温变化趋势的时空特征。结果表明：空间分布上,我国年和四季的极端低温均表现出稳定的增温趋势;年、春季和夏季极端高温在黄河下游地区出现了较明显的降温趋势,而在华南地区增温趋势较显著;时间演变上,无论年还是四季,极端低温的增温幅度明显大于极端高温的增幅;极端气温在四季均有增温趋势,尤其以冬季的升温最明显;年极端高温和低温的年代际变化基本一致。     

江苏省近45a极端气候的变化特征

利用江苏省35个测站1960—2004年45 a的逐日最高温度、最低温度、日降水量资料集,分析了近45 a江苏省极端高温、极端低温以及极端降水的基本变化特征。结果表明:(1)多年平均年极端高温的空间分布表现为西高东低,而极端低温则表现为自北向南的显著增加,极端降水的发生频次自南向北逐渐减少;(2)极端高温在江苏中部以及南部大部分地区有上升趋势,而西北地区则有弱的下降趋势;全省极端低温表现为显著的升高趋势;极端降水频次在南部地区有增加的趋势,北部减少趋势,中部则无变化趋势。(3)江苏极端高温、低温和极端降水的年际和年代际变化具有区域性差异,其中极端降水频次变化的区域性差异最为明显。     

1951～2002年中国平均最高、最低气温及日较差变化

利用1951～2002年全国733个台站的月平均最高、最低气温资料,对我国年、季平均最高、最低气温变化趋势的空间分布状况和时间变化特征进行了分析.结果表明:近52年来,我国平均最高气温的变化特征呈现北方增暖明显、南方变化不明显或呈弱降温趋势;年平均最低气温全国各地基本一致,呈明显的变暖趋势;无论是年还是季,平均最低气温的增暖幅度明显大于平均最高气温的增幅;我国年平均日较差多呈下降趋势,并在我国北方地区尤为明显,各季平均日较差亦均呈下降趋势,并以冬季的下降幅度为最大;年平均最高气温和最低气温的变化在年代际变化上基本呈现较为一致的步伐,即52年来主要的变暖均是从20世纪80年代中期开始,均在90年代后期达到了近52年来的历史新高,近年来又略有回落.     

An Analysis of the Discontinuity in Chinese Radiosonde Temperature Data Using Satellite Observation as a Reference

Reconciling upper-air temperature trends derived from radiosonde and satellite observations is a necessary step to confidently determine the global warming rate. This study examines the raw and homogenized radiosonde observations over China and compares them with layer-mean atmospheric temperatures derived from satellite microwave observations for the lower-troposphere(TLT), mid-troposphere(TMT), upper-troposphere(TUT), and lower-stratosphere(TLS) by three research groups. Comparisons are for averages over China, excluding the Tibetan Plateau, and at individual stations where metadata contain information on radiosonde instrument changes. It is found that major differences between the satellite and radiosonde observations are related to artificial systematic changes. The radiosonde system updates in the early 2000 s over China caused significant discontinuities and led the radiosonde temperature trends to exhibit less warming in the middle and upper troposphere and more cooling in the lower stratosphere than satellite temperatures. Homogenized radiosonde data have been further adjusted by using the shift-point adjustment approaches to match with satellite products for China averages. The obtained trends during 1979–2015 from the re-adjusted radiosonde observation are respectively 0.203 ± 0.066, 0.128 ± 0.044, 0.034 ± 0.039, and –0.329 ± 0.135 K decade^–1 for TLT, TMT, TUT, and TLS equivalents. Compared to satellite trends, the re-adjusted radiosonde trends are within 0.01 K decade^–1 for TMT and TUT, 0.054 K decade^–1 warmer for TLT, and 0.051 K decade^–1 cooler for TLS. The results suggest that the use of satellite data as a reference is helpful in identifying and removing inhomogeneities of radiosonde temperatures over China and reconciling their trends to satellite microwave observations. Future efforts are to homogenize radiosonde temperatures at individual stations over China by using similar approaches.     

The Use of Indices to Identify Changes in Climatic Extremes

Changes in the frequencies of extremes are investigated by a variety of methods using daily temperature data from the British Isles, and monthly 5° latitude × 5° longitude grid-box temperatures over the land and marine regions of the world. The 225 year long daily Central England Temperature record shows no significant increase in very warm days in recent years but there is a marked decrease in the frequency of very cold days. Thus the rise in temperature in the last two decades is principally associated with a reduction in very cold days. Temperatures on days with particular wind circulation or pressure pattern types over the British Isles show multidecadal variations. Analyses using monthly gridded temperature data around the world since 1951 indicate that the recent rise in global surface temperatures is accompanied both by reductions in the areas affected by extremely cool temperatures and by increases in the areas with extremely warm temperatures.     

Long-term changes and variability of monthly extreme temperatures in India

Extreme temperatures are changing worldwide together with changes in the mean temperatures. This study investigates the long-term trends and variations of the monthly maximum and minimum temperatures and their effects on seasonal fluctuations in various climatological regions in India. The magnitude of the trends and their statistical significance were determined by parametric ordinary least square regression techniques and the variations were determined by the respective coefficient of variations. The results showed that the monthly maximum temperature increased, though unevenly, over the last century. Minimum temperature changes were more variable than maximum temperature changes, both temporally and spatially, with results of lesser significance. The results of this study are good indicators of Indian climate variability and its changes over the last century.     

Tropical deforestation and climate variability

A new tropical deforestation experiment has been performed, with the ARPEGE-Climat atmospheric global circulation model associated with the ISBA land surface scheme. Simulations are forced with observed monthly mean sea surface temperatures and thus inter-annual variability of the ocean system is taken into account. The local mean response to deforestation over Amazonia and Africa is relatively weak compared with most published studies and compensation effects are particularly important. However, a large increase in daily maximum temperatures is obtained during the dry season when soil water stress dominates. The analysis of daily variability shows that the distributions of daily minimum and maximum temperatures are noticeably modified with an increase in extreme temperatures. Daily precipitation amounts also indicate a weakening of the convective activity. Conditions for the onset of convection are less frequently gathered, particularly over southern Amazonia and western equatorial Africa. At the same time, the intensity of convective events is reduced, especially over equatorial deforested regions. The inter-annual variability is also enhanced. For instance, El Niño events generally induce a large drying over northern Amazonia, which is well reproduced in the control simulation. In the deforested experiment, a positive feedback effect leads to a strong intensification of this drying and a subsequent increase in surface temperature. The change in variability as a response to deforestation can be more crucial than the change of the mean climate since more intense extremes could be more detrimental for agriculture than an increase in mean temperatures.     

Observed Changes in One-in-20 Year Extremes of Canadian Surface Air Temperatures

Weather and climate extremes are often associated with substantial adverse impacts on society and the environment. Assessment of changes in extremes is of great and broad interest. This study first homogenizes daily minimum and maximum surface air temperatures recorded at 146 stations in Canada. In order to assess changes in one-in-20 year extremes (i.e., extremes with a 20-year return period) in temperature, annual maxima and minima of both daily minimum temperatures and daily maximum temperatures are derived from the homogenized daily temperature series and analyzed with a recently developed extreme value analysis approach based on a tree of generalized extreme value distributions (including stationary and non-stationary cases). The procedure is applied to estimate the changes over the period 1911 to 2010 at 115 stations, located mainly in southern Canada, and over the period 1961 to 2010 at 146 stations across Canada (including 37 stations in the North). The results show that warming is strongest for extreme low temperature and weakest for extreme high temperature and is much stronger in the Canadian Arctic than in southern Canada. Warming is stronger in winter than in summer and stronger during nighttime than daytime of the same season.     

1961-2004年宁夏极端气温变化趋势分析

 利用1961-2004年宁夏逐日最高、最低气温资料,分析了宁夏44 a来最高、最低气温的变化趋势。结果表明：宁夏的最高、最低气温表现出了明显的变化趋势,最高气温＜0℃的日数减少,＞30℃的日数增加;在年平均最低气温升高的同时,极冷日数也在增加,相对于1961-1990年的平均值,20世纪90年代和21世纪最初的4 a年极冷日数分别增加了1.1 d和0.7 d,距平百分率分别达350%和275%。     

1961-2004年宁夏极端气温变化趋势分析

利用1961-2004年宁夏逐日最高、最低气温资料,分析了宁夏44 a来最高、最低气温的变化趋势。结果表明：宁夏的最高、最低气温表现出了明显的变化趋势,最高气温＜0℃的日数减少,＞30℃的日数增加;在年平均最低气温升高的同时,极冷日数也在增加,相对于1961-1990年的平均值,20世纪90年代和21世纪最初的4 a年极冷日数分别增加了1.1 d和0.7 d,距平百分率分别达350%和275%。     

Summer Extreme Temperatures over East China during 1984-2004 Simulated by LASG/IAP Regional Climate Model CREM

The authors examine extreme summer temperatures over East China during 1984-2004 using a regional climate model named CREM(the Climate version of Regional Eta-coordinate Model),which was developed by LASG/IAP.The results show that the main features of the extreme summer temperatures over East China are reproduced well by CREM,and the skill for the minimum temperature is higher than that for the maximum temperature,especially along the Yangtze-Huai River Valley(YHV).The simulated extreme temperatures are lower than those of observation,especially for the maximum temperature.The bias of extreme temperatures is consistent with the cold bias of the climatological mean summer surface air temperature.The skill of the model in simulating the interannual variability of extreme temperatures increases from north to south.The simulated interannual variation of the minimum temperature is more reasonable than the maximum temperature.The underestimation of net solar radiation at the surface leads to a cold bias of the climatological mean temperature.Furthermore,the model underestimates the light and moderate rain,while overestimates heavy rain.It causes the simulated minimum temperature more reasonable than the maximum temperature.     

Autumn atmospheric response to the 2007 low Arctic sea ice extent in coupled ocean–atmosphere hindcasts

The autumn and early winter atmospheric response to the record-low Arctic sea ice extent at the end of summer 2007 is examined in ensemble hindcasts with prescribed sea ice extent, made with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts state-of-the-art coupled ocean–atmosphere seasonal forecast model. Robust, warm anomalies over the Pacific and Siberian sectors of the Arctic, as high as 10°C at the surface, are found in October and November. A regime change occurs by December, characterized by weaker temperatures anomalies extending through the troposphere. Geopotential anomalies extend from the surface up to the stratosphere, associated to deeper Aleutian and Icelandic Lows. While the upper-level jet is weakened and shifted southward over the continents, it is intensified over both oceanic sectors, especially over the Pacific Ocean. On the American and Eurasian continents, intensified surface Highs are associated with anomalous advection of cold (warm) polar air on their eastern (western) sides, bringing cooler temperatures along the Pacific coast of Asia and Northeastern North America. Transient eddy activity is reduced over Eurasia, intensified over the entrance and exit regions of the Pacific and Atlantic storm tracks, in broad qualitative agreement with the upper-level wind anomalies. Potential predictability calculations indicate a strong influence of sea ice upon surface temperatures over the Arctic in autumn, but also along the Pacific coast of Asia in December. When the observed sea ice extent from 2007 is prescribed throughout the autumn, a higher correlation of surface temperatures with meteorological re-analyses is found at high latitudes from October until mid-November. This further emphasises the relevance of sea ice for seasonal forecasting in the Arctic region, in the autumn.     

Impacts of Anthropogenic Forcings and El Nio on Chinese Extreme Temperatures

This study investigates the potential influences of anthropogenic forcings and natural variability on the risk of summer extreme temperatures over China.We use three multi-thousand-member ensemble simulations with different forcings(with or without anthropogenic greenhouse gases and aerosol emissions) to evaluate the human impact,and with sea surface temperature patterns from three different years around the El Ni ?no–Southern Oscillation(ENSO) 2015/16 event(years 2014,2015 and 2016) to evaluate the impact of natural variability.A generalized extreme value(GEV) distribution is used to fit the ensemble results.Based on these model results,we find that,during the peak of ENSO(2015),daytime extreme temperatures are smaller over the central China region compared to a normal year(2014).During 2016,the risk of nighttime extreme temperatures is largely increased over the eastern coastal region.Both anomalies are of the same magnitude as the anthropogenic influence.Thus,ENSO can amplify or counterbalance(at a regional and annual scale) anthropogenic effects on extreme summer temperatures over China.Changes are mainly due to changes in the GEV location parameter.Thus,anomalies are due to a shift in the distributions and not to a change in temperature variability.     

The explosive volcanic eruption signal in northern hemisphere continental temperature records

Several catalogs of explosive volcanic eruptions are reviewed and their limitations assessed. A new, homogeneous set of high quality gridded temperature data for continental regions of the northern hemisphere is then examined in relation to the timing of major explosive eruptions. Several of the largest eruptions are associated with significant drops in summer and fall temperatures, whereas pronounced negative anomalies in winter and spring temperatures are generally unrelated to volcanic activity. The effect of explosive eruptions on temperature decreases latitudinally away from the location of the eruption. High latitude eruptions have the greatest impact on high and mid latitudes; low latitude eruptions mainly influence low and mid latitudes. Temperature depressions following major eruptions are very abrupt but short-lived (1 to 3 months) decreasing in magnitude over the course of the subsequent 1 to 3 years. Generally any signal is indistinguishable from noise after 12 months but a small recurrent drop in temperature is evident about 12 to 24 months after the initial anomaly. Considering all known eruptions which injected material into the stratosphere over the last 100 years (except the 5 largest eruptions) a significant temperature depression is observed over the continents only in the month immediately following the eruption. There is no evidence that large eruptions over the last 100 years have had a significant effect on low frequency temperature changes.     

Trends in Alaska temperature data. Towards a more realistic approach

Time series of seasonal temperatures recorded in Alaska during the past eighty years are analyzed. A common practice to measure changes in the long-term pattern of temperature series is to fit a deterministic linear trend. A deterministic trend is not a realistic approach and poses some pitfalls from the statistical point of view. A statistical model to fit a latent time-varying level independent of the Pacific climate shift is proposed. The empirical distribution of temperature conditional on the phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation is obtained. The results reveal that the switch between the negative and the positive phase leads to differences in temperatures up to 4°C in a given location and season. Differences across seasons and locations are detected. The effect of the Pacific climate shift is stronger in winter. An overall increase of temperatures is observed in the long term. The estimated trends are not constant but exhibit different patterns that vary in the sign and strength over the sample period.     

中国南方大范围持续性低温、雨雪和冰冻组合性灾害事件:客观识别方法及关键特征

组合性灾害事件是指同时出现的若干个天气灾害的组合,它的发生会明显加重致灾程度。本文利用1961～2013年冬季我国南方区域206个台站的日平均温度、日降水量及雨凇资料,建立了冬季大范围持续性低温、雨雪和冰冻组合性灾害事件的客观识别方法,并揭示了三类组合性灾害事件的关键特征。首先,基于低温、雨雪、冰冻天气的强度和面积阈值以及持续天数建立了大范围持续性低温事件、雨雪事件以及冰冻事件各自的客观判识方法。在此基础上界定出了三类常见组合性灾害事件,即低温—雨雪灾害事件（C-RS）、低温—冰冻灾害事件（C-F）以及低温—雨雪—冰冻灾害事件（C-RS-F）。三类组合性灾害事件常见于1月上旬至2月中旬。尽管三类组合性灾害事件在低温和降水等方面有相似之处,但其形成条件却明显不同。充沛的水汽供应和大范围强烈的水汽辐合是低温—雨雪灾害事件和低温—雨雪—冰冻灾害事件发生的关键条件,而逆温层和冷垫则是低温—冰冻灾害事件和低温—雨雪—冰冻灾害事件发生的必要条件。亚洲中高纬大型斜脊系统是低温—冰冻灾害事件和低温—雨雪—冰冻灾害事件的关键环流特征,为强冷空气活动提供了有利环流条件。低温—雨雪灾害事件期间亚洲中高纬则盛行波状环流,有利于适度冷空气活动。在水汽供应和逆温层形成方面,三类组合性灾害事件受控于不同的副热带异常环流系统。孟加拉湾南支槽和南海上空异常反气旋分别是低温—雨雪灾害事件和低温—冰冻灾害事件形成的副热带关键环流系统,而孟加拉湾南支槽和西北太平洋异常反气旋相结合为低温—雨雪—冰冻灾害事件形成的副热带关键环流系统。     

Circulation over Bulgaria and its connection with NAO indices and Sea Surface Temperatures

Trends in atmospheric pressure, circulation and some relationships between North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices, sea surface temperatures, and atmospheric circulation over Bulgaria are discussed in this article. Data for measured atmospheric pressure at stations Burgas, Pleven, and Sandanski are used. Information about atmospheric circulation over Bulgaria was obtained using sea level pressure and 700 hPa Omega (vertical velocity) reanalysis daily data for grid cells covering the territory of Bulgaria for the period 1948–2010. Zonal and meridional indices for Bulgaria were also calculated based on the data for sea level pressure. NAO index calculated by NOAA and NCAR is correlated with atmospheric pressure and circulation. A total of 12 areas in three major water basins influencing Bulgarian climate—North Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas—were studied. Main methods employed in the article are statistical—trend analysis, multiple linear regression, correlation, nonparametric tests, etc. There is no change in the mean values of atmospheric pressure over Bulgaria. Circulation over Bulgaria during the research period increases its anticyclonal patterns mainly due to the decrease of the number of cyclones. Dynamics in zonal and meridional indices for Bulgaria result in an increase of the northwest transport in the winter and an increase of the northeast transport in the summer. Cyclones over Bulgaria determine the values of atmospheric pressure. Influence of the NAO on atmospheric pressure and circulation is stronger in winter. Atmospheric processes, expressed by the number of cyclones and anticyclones, are most active in spring. Current trends are towards increasing of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) at all investigated places. Temporally, the effect of SSTs on the number of cyclones, anticyclones, zonal and meridional indices for Bulgaria during the different seasons comes with a delay of 1 to 3 months. Constructed multiple linear regression (MLR) models with predictors SSTs adequately describe the atmospheric circulation over Bulgaria. There is a clear pattern of SSTs distribution, which leads to a higher number of cyclones over Bulgaria in winter—lower than normal temperatures in the Aegean Sea and higher than normal in the Black Sea. A decrease in the difference of temperatures between the Gulf Stream and western colder parts leads to higher values of winter zonal transport over Bulgaria. Higher than normal temperatures in Black Sea lead to a higher number of cyclones in spring. Higher difference in temperatures of the North Atlantic leads to a stronger cyclogenesis and enhanced zonal transport, which affects autumn circulation over Bulgaria.