Effects of various combinations of boundary layer schemes and microphysics schemes on the track forecasts of tropical cyclones over the South China Sea

This study investigates the effects of various combinations of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes and the microphysics schemes on the numerical forecasting of tropical cyclones (TCs). Using different combinations of three PBL schemes (YSU, MYJ and MYNN2) and four microphysics schemes (Ferrier, Goddard, WSM6 and Lin), a number of experiments are carried out for five landed TCs in the South China Sea during 2012. Results show that the combination of the YSU and Ferrier schemes performs the best for the TC track forecasting, although it does not perform the best for the forecast of precipitation. Further analysis reveals that the best performance of the track forecast by the combination of the YSU and Ferrier schemes mainly attributes to a more accurate steering flow as well as TC wind structure produced by this combination. These results provide a valuable reference to the operational numerical forecasting of TC tracks in the future.     

Climatic Characteristics of Influencing China Binary Tropical Cyclones

Based on the definition of Binary Tropical Cyclones (BTCs), the definition of influencing china binary tropical cyclones (ICBTCs) was proposed. During the BTCs period, if at least one of the two tropical cyclones causes precipitation over the mainland or one of the two largest islands-Hainan and Taiwan of China, the BTC is called ICBTC. Then, based on daily precipitation data and the tropical cyclone best track data during 1960-2017, this study analyzed the climatic characteristics of ICBTCs using the Objective Synoptic Analysis Technique (OSAT) and the above definitions. First, a total of 255 pairs of ICBTCs, which accounted for 60.6% of the total number of BTCs over the Western North Pacific, occurred with an annual average of 4.4. Annual frequency of ICBTCs showed a significant decreasing trend during 1960-2017. The longest duration of ICBTCs was 10 days, while durations concentrated in 1 day, 2 days and 3 days, accounting for 18.8%, 29.4% and 24.3%, respectively. In terms of geographical distribution, the ICBTCs mainly occurred over the range of 112°~138°E, 12°~30°N, with frequent zones in the oceans around the northern Philippines. In addition, both annual mean frequency and precipitation of the ICBTCs decrease from the southeast coast areas to the northwest inland regions, with severely-affected areas being the Taiwan Island, the Southeast Coast and the South Coast, and the most-severely-affected area being the Taiwan Island. Further analyses reveal that the average position of the two TCs on the maximum daily precipitation day during the ICBTCs period show an east-west distribution pattern, with the western TCs and the eastern TCs locating in the southwest wind water vapor channel of the East Asian Summer Monsoon and the warm-wet air flow of the southeast-wind on the southwest side of the subtropical high. This situation is beneficial to the western TCs obtaining water vapor from the southwest wind water vapor channel, and to the eastern TCs conveying water vapor to the western TCs, and then as a result, to the heavy rainfall over the Taiwan Island, the Southeast and the South Coasts of China caused by the western TCs.     

三江源区大气水汽含量时空特征及其转化变化

利用1979-2016年ERA-Interim再分析资料提供的1°×1°水汽通量和大气可降水量（PWV）数据,采用相关性分析、趋势分析法、累积距平及反距离加权（IDW）等方法,研究三江源地区PWV与水汽通量的时空分布特征和降水转化率（PCE）。结果表明:①过去38年来,经、纬向多年平均水汽通量分别为2.0 kg/（m·s）、10.3 kg/（m·s）,水汽通量纬向增幅高于经向,水汽在纬向汇入为主,经向输出为主;② PWV呈微弱增多趋势,年平均PWV为1 791.6~2 278.9 mm,季节平均PWV为122.2~1 134.2 mm,不同季节内空间差异明显;③三江源区多年平均PCE为24.6%,1989年最高,达32.8%;季节与多年平均PCE空间分布一致,都表现出由东南向西北递减的变化特征,季节分布变化差异大;④该地区空中水资源丰富但自然PCE低,开发潜力大,应用前景广阔。     

基于荧光素和图像追踪技术的冻融循环作用下土体水汽迁移量测装置系统研究

寒区高铁路基中粗颗粒填料水汽迁移可能是路基冻胀变形的来源,直观追踪冻融循环作用下土体水汽迁移过程,有助于研究水分迁移规律,为冻胀机理提供理论依据.基于此,提出采用荧光素示踪和图像处理技术方法,直观观测土体中水汽迁移的规律.首先开展荧光素示踪、蒸发试验及图像处理技术的研究,证明示踪剂可实现冻结锋面及外界液态水迁移的追踪;...     

Change in future tropical cyclone activity over the western North Pacific under global warming scenario

Differences in atmospheric and oceanic environments which affect the tropical cyclone (TC) activity between the late twenty-first century (2071?C2100, A1B) and the late twentieth century (1971?C2000, 20C3M) are analyzed using multi-model ensemble from 15 general circulation models. Six factors (vertical wind shear, 700?hPa relative humidity, 850?hPa relative vorticity, outgoing longwave radiation, precipitation, and sea surface temperature) related to TC genesis predicts that more TCs in the future will occur than in the present. The result of maximum potential intensity analysis shows the frequency of occurrence and influence of stronger TCs will increase over the western North Pacific in the future. Anomalous northerly in the mid-latitudes of East Asia due to the strengthening of west-high and east-low pressure system pattern in the future plays an important role in blocking TC from moving toward mid-latitudes of East Asia. The multiple linear regression model (MLRM) developed using six predictors (independent variables) analyzed from NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data predicts that total TC genesis frequency during July to October (JASO), which predicted using data of 20C3M, will have more (2?C3) TCs than in the present.     

2018年1月中国东部季风区降雪异常的特征及原因

2018年1月中国东部季风区发生异常的降雪分布及局地的雨雪冰冻灾害。在分析东部季风区降雪时空分布特征的基础上,模拟典型站点的气团移动轨迹,并利用OLR数据研究水汽源区变化及输送过程对降雪异常的影响。结果表明:1月降雪主要分布在黄河以南地区,降雪范围内呈现出降雪量由南向北降低的规律,且降雪持续时间减小;西北方向西风带混合输送与南向水汽源区及近源局地水汽循环是降雪区主要的水汽来源,随着水汽移动轨迹的变化,降雪的空间分布也随之改变;水汽源区的变化状况通过对水汽输送通量及路径的改变,进而决定着东部季风区降雪量与时空分布特征,2018年1月水汽源区表现出明显La Nina年特征,并与气团的移动轨迹相吻合,La Nina事件应是导致降雪异常的深层次原因。     

Tropical cyclone early warnings for the regions of the Southern Hemisphere: strengthening resilience to tropical cyclones in small island developing states and least developed countries

Tropical cyclones (TCs) affect countries in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) tropics every year causing significant humanitarian impacts and much damage to the natural environment. To reduce TC impacts on societies, early warning systems (EWS) are used to communicate the risk to the public. In 1999, the Climate Change and Southern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclones International Initiative (CCSHTCII) was established to enhance EWS for TCs in SH countries, with particular focus on support for small island developing states and least developed countries to provide effective public early warnings of TC risk. In this paper, recent activities of the CCSHTCII to strengthen TC EWS are presented. Using TC best track data from the SH TC historical data archive, the impact of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on inter-annual and spatial variability of TC activity is examined. TC-ENSO relationships in the SH are analysed and used as a scientific basis for the production of TC season outlooks. Communication of TC early warnings through TC season outlooks is described, and recommendations for improving outlooks are provided.

     

On the driving forces of historical changes in the fatalities of tropical cyclone disasters in China from 1951 to 2014

Tropical cyclone (TC) disasters have frequently caused casualties in the coastal areas of China. According to the statistics of dead and missing people due to TCs from 1951 to 2014, the number of fatalities has been significantly decreasing over time. However, deadly TC events have still caused great losses of life in recent years, which are characterized as significant abrupt fluctuations superimposed along the downward trend of the long-term fatality time series. The numbers of fatalities caused by TC disasters are influenced by variables such as the intensity of TC hazards, the population exposed to TCs and the vulnerability of people to TC hazards. It is thus of great significance to analyze their temporal characteristics and understand the forces driving these changes. First, the time series of the TC wind, precipitation, spatial distribution of population, fatality and disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures of China from 1951 to 2014 are reconstructed. Second, the improved power dissipation index, total precipitation, integrated intensity and index of exposed population are calculated, and the population vulnerability indices, including mean and relative fatality rates, are derived. Third, the change trend of each index is detected using the Mann–Kendall test. Finally, the main driving factors of the long-term change trend and fluctuations of the TC fatalities are analyzed by a negative binomial regression model and standard deviation statistics. It is found that the decrease in vulnerability based on the improvement in structural and non-structural measures is the main driving force of the decreases in fatalities over the past six decades. Although the total population and exposure have increased dramatically in the coastal areas of China, their contributions to the increase in the fatality risk were counteracted by the decrease in vulnerability. Abrupt and catastrophic disasters were mostly caused by TCs with hazards of high intensity that surpassed the capacity of structural measures; the lack of forecasting or early warning, as well as improper emergency response actions, may also have triggered the great loss of lives. To reduce the fatalities of future TCs, especially those that may exceed the capacity of structural measures, the enhancement of non-structural measures and the adaptation of resilience strategies should be priorities for future people-centered disaster management.

     

Cluster analysis of tropical cyclone tracks around Korea and its climatological properties

After the fuzzy clustering method (FCM) that analyzes the tracks of the tropical cyclones (TCs) struck the Korean peninsula (hereafter, K-TC) for a 60-year period (1951?C2010), it is found that both frequency and intensity of K-TC have been increased in recent years. In the order of the cluster number, both K-TC track pattern and its full-track pattern tended to shift southward. That is, while the passage frequency of TC in mainland China and the Manchurian regions decreased, it instead over the sea. Due to this decrease in the topographic effect on TC before reaching Korea, TC intensity around Korea became stronger. The vertical wind shear well reflected a TC intensity around Korea, which became weaker in mid-latitudes of East Asia. On the other hand, the peak month of K-TC frequency lags in the order of the cluster number. The two clusters that most TCs pass through the Korean Peninsula showed a stronger intensity and higher frequency before the 1970s. Meanwhile, another two clusters that most TCs pass through the Straits of Korea or the western region of the Japanese Islands showed those characteristics from the 1980s onward. Consequently, the changes in TC track, recurvature, frequency, and intensity around Korea were related to the southward shift of the western North Pacific high in the order of the cluster number.     

辽宁省冬季区域暴雪水汽输送特征

利用1949 - 2015年NCEP/NCAR逐日及月平均资料, 对辽宁省冬季区域暴雪水汽输送特征进行研究, 结果表明： 受冬季风影响, 辽宁省冬季降水水汽主要来自西边界中纬度西风气流的输入, 区域暴雪的发生是经向水汽异常输送的结果, 西风带偏西气流与日本海反气旋性环流西南侧偏南气流在辽宁省交汇是辽宁省区域暴雪产生的主要原因。辽宁省区域暴雪水汽源地主要有西太平洋、 日本海、 东海和黄海, 其中东海、 黄海是直接的水汽源地。日本海高压是辽宁省区域暴雪水汽输送的关键系统, 82.4%的区域暴雪过程海平面气压场有日本海高压存在, 根据其位置和强度可分为偏北型、 偏南型和高压脊型, 不同环流型高压水汽输送强度不同, 区域暴雪分布范围不同。东海、 黄海湿度平流作用和风场辐合作用是辽宁省区域暴雪产生的贡献因子, 不同环流型日本海高压湿度平流作用的贡献不同。     

Characteristics of the changes in tropical cyclones influencing the South Korean region over the recent 10 years (2001–2010)

Through the investigation of tropical cyclone (TC) characteristics related to climate change, this study found that the frequency of TCs occurring over the Western North Pacific has recently decreased slightly, while their average intensity has increased. The number of overall TCs that passed within the vicinity of South Korea has also been reduced, but the number of strong typhoons in the area, those with maximum wind speeds of more than 44 m/s, has significantly increased. These changes are closely related to the following phenomena. (1) The average genesis region of TCs that influence South Korea has moved eastward. Accordingly, the TCs tend to strengthen as they move westward for long distances along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) trade easterlies and the southern boundary of the North Pacific Subtropical High (NPSH). (2) The NPSH and Asia Monsoon trough, which are known to affect TC tracks, have extended to the northwest and southeast. This has caused TCs that travel to higher latitudes and curve back toward the Korean Peninsula to become more frequent. (3) TCs have approached the Korean Peninsula without hitting land. In addition, the sea surface temperature became higher than it was before. These factors have caused TCs to maintain their strength or become stronger than before.     

中国沿海登陆热带气旋活动特征分析

热带气旋是危害中国最严重的天气系统,分析和认识中国沿海登陆热带气旋活动的新特征对防灾减灾具有重要意义。依据近70年气象资料,采用统计学方法,对登陆中国沿海的热带气旋特征进行分析,研究发现:在气候变化的背景下,登陆中国的热带气旋发生了明显变化。近年台风登陆频数高于往年平均,其整体强度和最大值均呈增大趋势,年台风强度的不稳定性加剧;研究还发现台风强度越高,其生成地纬度带范围越窄且越靠近赤道;建立了高强度热带气旋（STY和SUPER TY）时间和纬度的关系"φ—m"。检验了台风季长与初旋日呈负相关且不受厄尔尼诺现象影响,台风季长符合正态分布并给出概率密度公式。     

Assessing the influence of assimilating radar-observed radial winds on the simulation of a tropical cyclone

Observations by Doppler weather radar are crucial for nowcasting and short-time forecasting of severe weather events as they bring in refined information of the atmosphere. However, due to the inevitable noises and non-meteorological signals, they cannot be assimilated straightforwardly into a numerical model. In the present study, assimilation of the radial component of wind velocity observed by two Doppler radars is performed in the numerical simulation of Supertyphoon Rammasun (2014) just before its landfall. After several quality-control steps, the radar-observed radial velocities are de-aliased, noise-reduced and assimilated into the model to improve initial conditions for the high-resolution simulation. Results show that only when using global background error covariance matrix can the observational increment be properly assimilated into the model, correcting large-scale background steering flow and yielding a simulated track close to the observed one. However, little improvement is found in simulating the TC core-scale structures by the assimilation of radar velocity as compared to the radar-observed flow, primarily due to the insufficient spatial resolution of the model that may lead to the incorrect representation of the TC core structure and the rejection of some core-region observations during the data assimilation procedure. Moreover, assimilation-induced asymmetries consume a certain portion of mean kinetic energy, preventing the simulated Rammasun from axisymmetrization and thus intensification as compared with the non-assimilated experiment.     

An HWRF-based ensemble assessment of the land surface feedback on the post-landfall intensification of Tropical Storm Fay (2008)

While tropical cyclones (TCs) usually decay after landfall, Tropical Storm Fay (2008) initially developed a storm central eye over South Florida by anomalous intensification overland. Unique to the Florida peninsula are Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades, which may have provided a surface feedback as the TC tracked near these features around the time of peak intensity. Analysis is done with the use of an ensemble model-based approach with the Developmental Testbed Center (DTC) version of the Hurricane WRF (HWRF) model using an outer domain and a storm-centered moving nest with 27- and 9-km grid spacing, respectively. Choice of land surface parameterization and small-scale surface features may influence TC structure, dictate the rate of TC decay, and even the anomalous intensification after landfall in model experiments. Results indicate that the HWRF model track and intensity forecasts are sensitive to three features in the model framework: land surface parameterization, initial boundary conditions, and the choice of planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme. Land surface parameterizations such as the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) Slab and Noah land surface models (LSMs) dominate the changes in storm track, while initial conditions and PBL schemes cause the largest changes in the TC intensity overland. Land surface heterogeneity in Florida from removing surface features in model simulations shows a small role in the forecast intensity change with no substantial alterations to TC track.     

Impact of Different Intensity Tropical Cyclones on Precipitation Changes in China

Based on the daily precipitation data of more than 2 000 meteorological stations from 1960 to 2017 and the tropical cyclone (TC) best-track data of the China Meteorological Administration, the TC precipitation was identified by the Objective Synoptic Analysis Technique (OSAT). The research shows that the TC precipitation in China has a significant downward trend, which is slower than that of the research results 12 years ago. The TC precipitation in the peaking season (July to Sepember) accounted for 78.5% of the total TC precipitation. Both TC precipitation in peaking season and other months showed a significant downward trend. The TC precipitation climate trend is mainly characterized by reduction in spatial distribution, and shows obvious regional differences. From south to north, there is a distribution of “decreasing-increasing-decreasing”, and the decreasing trend centers are located in Guangdong and Hainan. According to the maximum intensity in the TC influence period, we classified TCs into three levels (weak TCs, medium intensity TCs and strong TCs) and studied the variations of TC precipitation in different intensities. The results show that the strong TC precipitation shows a significant decrease trend, which mainly determines the influence range and trend of TC total precipitation. Further analysis found that the frequency of affecting TC showed a significant reduction trend during the time period of 1960-2017 and an abrupt shift occurred in 1995. A comparative study of the two periods before and after 1995 showed that compared with the previous period (1960-1994), the frequency of TCs in the latter period (1995-2017) showed a significant decreasing trend in the south of 20°N. The maximum decreasing center was located in the northern part of the South China Sea, and this feature was mainly affected by the strong TC. It was decided that this trend of strong TC led to a decrease trend in the number of precipitation days in South China, especially in Guangdong and Hainan, which led to a decrease trend in TC precipitation.     

不同强度热带气旋对中国降水变化的影响

基于1960—2017年2 000多个气象台站逐日降水数据和中国气象局热带气旋(TC)最佳路径资料集,采用客观天气图分析法(OSAT)识别得到TC降水。研究表明,中国TC降水总体呈显著下降趋势,较12年前的研究结果下降趋势变缓;TC盛期(7~9月)降水占到TC总降水的78.5%,TC盛期降水和TC非盛期降水均呈显著下降趋势。TC降水气候趋势在空间分布上以减少为主要特征,并表现出明显的地域差异,自南向北呈"减少—增多—减少"的分布型,减少趋势中心位于广东和海南。按TC影响期最大强度分级(弱TC、中等强度TC和强TC)研究不同强度TC降水的变化,结果显示,强TC降水表现出显著减少趋势,主要决定着TC总降水的影响范围和趋势等主要特征。进一步分析发现,影响TC频数在1960—2017年呈显著减少趋势,并在1995年发生突变;对1995年前后2个时期的对比研究显示,与前一时期(1960—1994年)相比,后一时期(1995—2017年)影响TC活动频次在20°N以南的海域呈现出显著的减少趋势,减少大值中心位于南海北部,而且这一特征也主要由影响TC中的强TC所决定;强TC的这一变化趋势导致了华南地区尤其是广东和海南TC降水日数的减少,进而使得TC降水减少。     

地面GPS探测大气的最新进展

综述了利用地面ＧＰＳ站探测大气的技术，包括基本原理，方法，应用，最新进展和结果的介绍以及存在于该技术的误差源的讨论。从地面ＧＰＳ站的观测和表面气象参数可得出天顶湿延迟的估计，再由它和可降水汽量之间的转换关系就可得出ＰＷＶ估计。这种方法求得的ＰＷＶ时间序列不仅能提高天气预报的准确度而且有助于气候变化的研究和数值天气预报模型的改进，这就是新兴学科ＧＰＳ气象学形成的基础。     

Performance of nested WRF model in typhoon simulations over West Pacific and South China Sea

Forecasting skill of weather research and forecasting (WRF) model in simulating typhoons over the West Pacific and South China Sea with different trajectories has been studied in terms of track direction and intensity. Four distinct types of typhoons are chosen for this study in such a way that one of them turns toward left during its motion and had landfall, while the second took a right turn before landfall. The third typhoon followed almost a straight line path during its course of motion, while the fourth typhoon tracked toward the coast and just before landfall, ceased its motion and travelled in reverse direction. WRF model has been nested in one way with a coarse resolution of 9?km and a fine resolution of 3?km for this study, and the experiments are performed with National Center for Environmental Prediction-Global Forecasting System (NCEP-GFS) analyses and forecast fields. The model has been integrated up to 96?h and the simulation results are compared with observed and analyzed fields. The results show that the WRF model could satisfactorily simulate the typhoons in terms of time and location of landfall, mean sea-level pressure, maximum wind speed, etc. Results also show that the sensitivity of model resolution is less in predicting the track, while the fine-resolution model component predicted slightly better in terms of central pressure drop and maximum wind. In the case of typhoon motion speed, the coarse-resolution component of the model predicted the landfall time ahead of the actual, whereas the finer one produced either very close to the best track or lagging little behind the best track though the difference in forecast between the model components is minimal. The general tendency of track error forecast is that it increases almost linearly up to 48?h of model simulations and then it diverges quickly. The results also show that the salient features of typhoons such as warm central core, radial increase of wind speed, etc. are simulated well by both the coarse and fine domains of the WRF model.     

A brief summary of Dr. G. V. Rao’s research interests

A brief summary of Dr. G. V. Rao's research interests is presented. Many of his earlier studies were in conjunction with the summer Monsoon Experiment of 1979 (MONEX-79). These included: 1) the structure of the Somali jet based on aerial observations; 2) sea-level air trajectories over the equatorial Indian Ocean; 3) structural features of the east African low-level flow; 4) effects of Indian Ocean surface temperature anomaly patterns on the summer monsoon circulations; 5) structures of the monsoon low-level flow over the Arabian Sea; 6) characteristics and momentum-flux budgets of the Arabian Sea convective bands; and 7) evaporation and precipitation over the Arabian Sea during the monsoon seasons. Dr. Rao's research efforts in recent years had focused on case studies of mesocyclones spawned by tropical cyclones (TCs) in Florida using Doppler radar data and a mesoscale numerical model. These included: 1) research on tornadic mesocyclones spawned by TC Earl in 1998; 2) documentation of subtle differences between tornadic and non-tornadic mesocyclones in TC Floyd in 1999; and 3) numerical simulation of the tornadic environment observed in peninsular Florida during TC Earl in 1998. Preliminary findings show that the supercells' cold pools interacted with an existing boundary resulting in increased baroclinicity and horizontal vorticity, and a maximization of the tornado production potential by the updrafts. The model successfully simulated the mesoscale features of the mesocyclones and the tornadic environment observed during TC Earl. A 24 h simulation of accumulated rainfall within the inner domain agreed well with the observed precipitation pattern over the region.     

Tropical Cyclone Impacts on Coastal Regions: the Case of the Yucatán and the Baja California Peninsulas,Mexico

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are large-scale natural disturbances that generate strong winds and heavy rainfall, impacting coastal and inland environments. TCs also influence biogeochemical and hydrological cycles controlling aquatic primary productivity in tropical and subtropical coastal ecosystems. We assessed TC landfall activity and identified sites along the Mexican east and west coasts with high frequency in the period 1970–2010 and evaluated TCs with significant precipitation. Changes in chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations before and after storm impacts were estimated using remotely sensed ocean color. There were 1,065 named TCs with a wide diversity in tracks. Three states with the highest number of landfalls were identified: Baja California Sur and Sinaloa on the west coast and Quintana Roo on the east coast. While a relative increase in Chl-a values following TC landfalls in the Baja California and Yucatán Peninsula regions appeared to be strongly linked to TC strength, the intensity of precipitation, the spatial scales of the two peninsulas, and the relative movement of TCs appeared to have contributed to Chl-a variability. Satellite estimates of Chl-a in the nearshore coastal waters following TC passage were likely enhanced by coastal morphology and water discharge along with constituents such as suspended particulate, colored dissolved organic matter and nutrients from rivers, tributaries, and groundwater.