Changing structure of the precipitation process during 1960–2005 in Xinjiang, China

Using daily precipitation data spanning 1960–2005 from 51 meteorological stations in Xinjiang province, China, spatial and temporal changes in consecutive maximum wet days in the year, summer, and winter were investigated. Fifteen precipitation extreme indices, which reflect the attributes of consecutive maximum wet days, were defined, and the modified Mann–Kendall test was applied to detect the tendencies, and changes in the indices were evaluated through linear regression with the F test. Results showed that: (1) two consecutive wet days occurred most frequently in the year and summer, and the fractional contributions and precipitation intensities decreased as the duration increased; in winter, one wet day had the maximum possibility, fractional contributions decreased and intensities increased as the duration increased. (2) The possibility of consecutive wet days which had short durations reduced, while those of long durations increased; annual fractional contributions of short durations decreased, while those of long durations increased; summer and winter fractional contribution of all durations decreased first and then increased; the intensities of all durations increased. (3) The wet tendency was identified in Xinjiang; the wet trend in Southern Xinjiang was more significant than Northern Xinjiang in summer, while in winter the wet tendency in Northern Xinjiang was more pronounced.     

Trends of precipitation extremes during 1960–2008 in Xinjiang, the Northwest China

The spatial–temporal variability of the precipitation extremes defined by eight precipitation indices based on daily precipitation dataset was analyzed using the linear regression method and the Mann–Kendall test. The results indicate that increasing trends in the precipitation amount, rainy days, and the intensity of the extreme precipitation were identified at above 70 % of the total rain stations considered in this study, with more than 30 % of them were significant, while most stations show notable decreasing trend in the annual maximum consecutive no-rain days. Significantly increasing trends of the precipitation extremes are observed mainly in the northern Xinjiang and the north of the southern Xinjiang. Most extreme precipitation indices show a potential regime shift starting from the middle of 1980s. The magnitude of the trends is compatible with their pattern of spatial stability. The generally increasing trends in precipitation extremes are found in this study.     

Simulating the role of gravel in freeze–thaw process on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Soils containing gravel (particle size ≥2 mm) are widely distributed over the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP). Soil mixed with gravel has different thermal and hydrological properties compared with fine soil (particle size <2 mm) and thus has marked impacts on soil water and heat transfer. However, the most commonly used land models do not consider the effects of gravel. This paper reports the development of a new scheme that simulates the thermal and hydrological processes in soil containing gravel and its application in the QTP. The new scheme was implemented in version 4 of the Community Land Model, and experiments were conducted for two typical sites in the QTP. The results showed that (1) soil with gravel tends to reduce the water holding capacity and enhance the hydraulic conductivity and drainage; (2) the thermal conductivity increases with soil gravel content, and the response of the temperature of soil mixed with gravel to air temperature change is rapid; (3) the new scheme performs well in simulating the soil temperature and moisture—the mean biases of soil moisture between the simulation and observation reduced by 25–48 %, and the mean biases of soil temperature reduced by 9–25 %. Therefore, this scheme can successfully simulate the thermal and hydrological processes in soil with different levels of gravel content and is potentially applicable in land surface models.

     

Estimate of Hydrofluorocarbon Emissions for 2012–16 in the Yangtze River Delta,China

Hydrofluorocarbons(HFCs) have been widely used in China as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances,the production and use of which are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol.China is a major consumer of HFCs around the world,with its HFC emissions in CO_2-equivalent contributing to about 18% of the global emissions for the period2012-16.Three methods are widely used to estimate the emissions of HFCs-namely,the bottom-up method,top-down method and tracer ratio method.In this study,the tracer ratio method was adopted to estimate HFC emissions in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD),using CO as a tracer.The YRD region might make a significant contribution to Chinese totals owing to its rapid economic growth.Weekly flask measurements for ten HFCs(HFC-23,HFC-32,HFC-125,HFC-134 a,HFC-143 a,HFC-152 a,HFC-227 ea,HFC-236 fa,HFC-245 fa and HFC-365 mfc) were conducted at Lin'an Regional Background Station in the YRD over the period 2012-16,and the HFC emissions were 2.4±1.4 Gg yr~(-1) for HFC-23,2.8±1.2 Gg yr~(-1) for HFC-32,2.2±1.2 Gg yr~(-1) for HFC-125,4.8±4.8 Gg yr~(-1) for HFC-134 a,0.9±0.6 Gg yr~(-1) for HFC-152 a,0.3±0.3 Gg yr~(-1) for HFC-227 ea and 0.3±0.2 Gg yr~(-1) for HFC-245 fa.The YRD total HFC emissions reached 53 Gg CO_2-e yr~(-1),contributing 34% of the national total.The per capita HFC CO_2-equivalent emissions rate was 240 kg yr-1,while the values of per unit area emissions and per million GDP emissions reached 150 Mg km~(-2)yr~(-1) and 3500 kg yr~(-1)(million CNY GDP)-1,which were much higher than national or global levels.     

Synoptic-Scale Analysis on Development and Maintenance of the 19–21 July 2021 Extreme Heavy Rainfall in Henan,Central China

In this paper, synoptic-scale analyses of frontogenesis, moisture budget, and tropospheric diabatic heating are performed to reveal the development and maintenance mechanisms for the extreme heavy rainfall in Henan Province of central China from 19 to 21 July 2021, based on station observations and the ECMWF Reanalysis version 5(ERA5)data. The results demonstrate that owing to the blocking effect of local topography, low-level wind convergence in Henan appeared underneath high-level divergence, ...     

Emissions from Russian domestic civil aviation in 2000–2012 and integrated assessment of their impact on the climate system

Emissions from Russian domestic civil aviation for the period of 2000–2012 are assessed for the following gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide. The integrated assessment of their impact on the climate system is performed using the values of the global warming potential. The CO₂ equivalent was used as a common measure of emissions. It is established that the modern impact of Russian civil aviation on the Earth climate is insignificant.     

Role of the 10–20-Day Oscillation in Sustained Rainstorms over Hainan,China in October 2010

Hainan, an island province of China in the northern South China Sea, experienced two sustained rainstorms in October2010, which were the most severe autumn rainstorms of the past 60 years. From August to October 2010, the most dominant signal of Hainan rainfall was the 10–20-day oscillation. This paper examines the roles of the 10–20-day oscillation in the convective activity and atmospheric circulation during the rainstorms of October 2010 over Hainan. During both rainstorms,Hainan was near the center of convective activity and under the influence of a lower-troposphere cyclonic circulation. The convective center was initiated in the west-central tropical Indian Ocean several days prior to the rainstorm in Hainan. The convective center first propagated eastward to the maritime continent, accompanied by the cyclonic circulation, and then moved northward to the northern South China Sea and South China, causing the rainstorms over Hainan. In addition, the westward propagation of convection from the tropical western Pacific to the southern South China Sea, as well as the propagation farther northward, intensified the convective activity over the northern South China Sea and South China during the first rainstorm.     

Trends in temperature extremes over nine integrated agricultural regions in China, 1961–2011

By characterizing the patterns of temperature extremes over nine integrated agricultural regions (IARs) in China from 1961 to 2011, this study performed trend analyses on 16 extreme temperature indices using a high-resolution (0.5° × 0.5°) daily gridded dataset and the Mann-Kendall method. The results show that annually, at both daytime and nighttime, cold extremes significantly decreased but warm extremes significantly increased across all IARs. Overall, nighttimes tended to warm faster than daytimes. Diurnal temperature ranges (DTR) diminished, apart from the mid-northern Southwest China Region and the mid-Loess Plateau Region. Seasonally, DTR widely diminished across all IARs during the four seasons except for spring. Higher minimum daily minimum temperature (TNn) and maximum daily maximum temperature (TXx), in both summer and winter, were recorded for most IARs except for the Huang-Huai-Hai Region; in autumn, all IARs generally encountered higher TNn and TXx. In all seasons, warming was observed at daytime and nighttime but, again, nighttimes warmed faster than daytimes. The results also indicate a more rapid warming trend in Northern and Western China than in Southern and Eastern China, with accelerated warming at high elevations. The increases in TNn and TXx might cause a reduction in agriculture yield in spring over Northern China, while such negative impact might occur in Southern China during summer. In autumn and winter, however, the negative impact possibly occurred in most of the IARs. Moreover, increased TXx in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta is possibly related to rapid local urbanization. Climatically, the general increase in temperature extremes across Chinese IARs may be induced by strengthened Northern Hemisphere Subtropical High or weakened Northern Hemisphere Polar Vortex.

     

Recent Progress in the Impact of the Tibetan Plateau on Climate in China

Studies of the impacts of the Tibetan Plateau （TP） on climate in China in the last four years are reviewed. It is reported that temperature and precipitation over the TP have increased during recent decades. From satellite data analysis, it is demonstrated that most of the precipitation over the TP is from deep convection clouds. Moreover, the huge TP mechanical forcing and extraordinary elevated thermal forcing impose remarkable impacts upon local circulation and global climate. In winter and spring, stream flow is deflected by a large obstacle and appears as an asymmetric dipole, making East Asia much colder than mid Asia in winter and forming persistent rainfall in late winter and early spring over South China. In late spring, TP heating contributes to the establishment and intensification of the South Asian high and the abrupt seasonal transition of the surrounding circulations. In summer, TP heating in conjunction with the TP air pump cause the deviating stream field to resemble a cyclonic spiral, converging towards and rising over the TP. Therefore, the prominent Asian monsoon climate over East Asia and the dry climate over mid Asia in summer are forced by both TP local forcing and Eurasian continental forcing.
Due to the longer memory of snow and soil moisture, the TP thermal status both in summer and in late winter and spring can influence the variation of Eastern Asian summer rainfall. A combined index using both snow cover over the TP and the ENSO index in winter shows a better seasonal forecast.
On the other hand, strong sensible heating over the Tibetan Plateau in spring contributes significantly to anchor the earliest Asian monsoon being over the eastern Bay of Bengal （BOB） and the western Indochina peninsula. Qualitative prediction of the BOB monsoon onset was attempted by using the sign of meridional temperature gradient in March in the upper troposphere, or at 400 hPa over the TP. It is also demonstrated by a numerical experiment and theoretical study that the heating over the TP lea     

A Diagnostic Study of the Impact of El Nion on the Precipitation in China

1.IntroductionEINifioisthemostoutstandinginterannualvariabilityintheocean.Itiswellknownthattheheatsourcedrivingtheatmosphericgeneralcirculationismainlywithinthetropics.EINinooccursinthetropicalPacificandthewarmingoftheoceanduringtheEINinocancoveralar...     

Improvement of the Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino Planetary Boundary-Layer Scheme Based on Observational Data in China

The Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino (MYNN) planetary boundary-layer (PBL) scheme is a second-order turbulence closure model that is an improved version of the Mellor–Yamada scheme based on large-eddy simulation data. It simulates PBL structure and evolution well, particularly over the ocean surface. However, when used with various underlying surfaces in China, the scheme overestimates the turbulent momentum flux and the sensible heat flux. Based on observations of surface fluxes in China, we attempt to improve the MYNN model by modifying the parameters and representation of the turbulence scale. Closure constants and empirical expressions in the diagnostic equation are chosen first, and an additional component of the turbulent heat flux is considered in the potential temperature prognostic equation to improve the surface heat-flux modelling. The modified MYNN scheme is incorporated into a three-dimensional mesoscale model and is evaluated using various underlying surface observations. Amelioration of the surface turbulent fluxes is confirmed at five observational sites in China over different land-use types.     

Modeling of urban heat island and its impacts on thermal circulations in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region,China

Through regulating the land–atmosphere energy balance, urbanization plays an important role in modifying local circulations and cross-border transport of air pollutants. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) metropolitan area in northern China is frequently influenced by complex atmospheric thermal circulations due to its special topography and geographic position. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model combined with remote sensing is used to explore the urbanization impacts on local circulations in the BTH region. The urban heat island (UHI) effect generated around Beijing and Tianjin shows complex interactions with local thermal circulations. Due to the combined effects of UHI and topography, the UHI circulation around Beijing and valley breeze at the southern slopes of Yan Mountain are coupled together to reinforce each other. At the coastal cities, the increased land/sea temperature gradient considerably accelerates the sea breeze along Bohai Bay and moves the sea breeze front further inland to reach as far as Beijing. This study may lay a foundation for the better understanding of air pollutant dispersion on complex terrain.

     

Haze trends over the capital cities of 31 provinces in China, 1981–2005

This paper presents the patterns and trends of haze over 31 provincial capitals in China between 1980 and 2005. The haze measurements were based on human visual range observations at 31 synoptic meteorological stations operated by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). The high haze regions were found in largely populated cities such as Chongqing, Beijing, and Shenyang, while the low haze regions were located in the cities with small populations such as Lhasa, Kunming, and Guiyang in southwestern China and Haikou in southern China. The haziness of the 12 cities shows a significantly (95%) decreasing trend, while that of the 13 cities shows a significantly increasing trend over the 25-year study period. The increases are evident in the eastern and southwestern cities in China. It has also been found that there is a decreasing haze trend in winter but an increasing trend in summer for many cities. Nonetheless, the causality for the reduction of aerosol emissions has not been established. This report is the first survey and preliminary analysis done on haze patterns and trends from 1980 to 2005 over the capital cities of 31 provinces in Mainland China.     

A diagnostic study of the impact of El Niño on the precipitation in China

The impact of El Niño on the precipitation in China for different seasons are investigated diagnostically. It is found that El Niño can influence the precipitation in China significantly during its mature phase. In the Northern winter, spring and autumn, the positive precipitation anomalies are found in the southern part of China during the El Niño mature phase. In the Northern summer, the patterns of the precipitation anomalies in the El Niño mature phase are different from those in the other seasons. The negative precipitation anomalies appear in both southern and northern parts of China, while in between around the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River valleys the precipitation anomalies tend to be positive. In the Northern winter, spring and autumn, the physical process by which El Niño affects the precipitation in the southern part of China can be explained by the features of the circulation anomalies over East Asia during the El Niño mature phase (Zhang et al., 1996). The appearance of an anticyclonic anomaly to the north of the maritime continent in the lower troposphere during the El Niño mature phase intensifies the subtropical high in the western Pacific and makes it shift westward. The associated southwesterly flow is responsible for the positive precipitation anomalies in the southern part of China. In the Northern summer, the intensified western Pacific subtropical high covers the southeastern periphery of China so that the precipitation there becomes less. In addition, the weakening of the Indian monsoon provides less moisture inflow to the northern part of China.