The Influence of Thermally-Induced Mesoscale Circulations on Turbulence Statistics Over an Idealized Urban Area Under a Zero Background Wind

The influence of mesoscale circulations induced by urban-rural differential surface sensible heat flux and roughness on convective boundary-layer (CBL) flow statistics over an isolated urban area has been examined using large-eddy simulation (LES). Results are analyzed when the circulations influence the entire urban area under a zero background wind. For comparison, the CBL flow over an infinite urban area with identical urban surface characteristics under the same background meteorological conditions is generated as a control case (without circulations). The turbulent flow over the isolated urban area exhibits a mix of streaky structure and cellular pattern, while the cellular pattern dominates in the control case. The mixed-layer height varies significantly over the isolated urban area, and can be lower near the edge of the urban area than over the rural area. The vertical profiles of turbulence statistics over the isolated urban area vary horizontally and are dramatically different from the control case. The turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) sources include wind shear, convergence, and buoyancy productions, compared to only buoyancy production in the control case. The normalized vertical velocity variance is reduced compared to the control case except in the central urban area where it is little affected. The low-level flow convergence is mainly responsible for the enhanced horizontal velocity variance in the central urban area, while wind shear is responsible for the additional local maximum of the horizontal velocity variance near the middle of the CBL outside the central area. Parameterizations in the prognostic equation for TKE used in mesoscale models are evaluated against the LES results over the isolated urban area. We also discuss conditions under which the urban-induced circulations occur and when they may affect the entire urban area. Given that urban-induced circulations can influence the entire urban area within hours for an urban area of a realistic size, it is inappropriate to directly apply empirical relations of turbulence statistics derived under horizontally-homogenous flow conditions to an urban area.     

Footprints and Fetches for Fluxes over Forest Canopies with Varying Structure and Density

A stochastic trajectory model was used to estimate scalar fluxfootprints in neutral stabilityfor canopies of varying leaf area distributions andleaf area indices. An analytical second-order closure model wasused to predict mean wind speed, second moments and the dissipationrate of turbulent kinetic energy within a forest canopy.The influence of source vertical profile on the flux footprint wasexamined. The fetch is longer for surface sourcesthan for sources at higher levels in the canopy. In order tomeasure all the flux components, and thus the total flux, with adesired accuracy, sources were located at the forest floor in thefootprint function estimation. The footprint functions werecalculated for five observation levels above the canopy top. Itwas found that at low observation heights both canopy density andcanopy structure affect the fetch. The higher abovethe canopy top the flux is measured, the more pronounced is the effectof the canopy structure. The forest fetch for flux measurements isstrongly dependent on the required accuracy: The 90% flux fetchis greater by a factor of two or more compared to the 75% fetch. Theupwind distance contributing 75% of flux is as large as 45 timesthe difference between canopy height and the observation heightabove the canopy top, being even larger for low observationlevels.     

Water Budgets of Tropical Cyclones: Three Case Studies

In this study, three tropical cyclones (TCs) that passed through the Taiwan Strait were analyzed; our results show that precipitation is not directly related to the intensity of TCs. From the perspective of water budget, moisture flux convergence was dominant and contributed ～70% of the moisture for TC precipitation over the ocean and almost all over the land, especially inside the TC circulation. Their spatial distributions were also similar. Evaporation contributed ～30% of the moisture for precipitation over the ocean but changed little with the time. Moisture flux convergence can be divided into two parts: wind convergence and moisture advection. Moisture flux convergence was mostly due to wind convergence, which was dominant in the southwestern quadrants of the TCs. Moisture advection was located in the northern area, and becomes relatively important when the TCs approached the land. The moisture flux convergence and its two parts varied during TC movement, with strengthening and contraction of moisture convergence present near landfall. The vertical structure of the three TC cases all indicated that the moisture convergence was mainly confined to the lower atmosphere under 800 hPa and a weak divergence region was present in the middle troposphere around 550 hPa.     

Footprint estimation for scalar flux measurements in the atmospheric surface layer

The flux footprint is the contribution, per unit emission, of each element of a surface area source to the vertical scalar flux measured at height z _m ; it is equal to the vertical flux from a unit surface point source. The dependence of the flux footprint on crosswind location is shown to be identical to the crosswind concentration distribution for a unit surface point source; an analytic dispersion model is used to estimate the crosswind-integrated flux footprint. Based on the analytic dispersion model, a normalized crosswind-integrated footprint is proposed that principally depends on the single variable z/z _m , where z is a measure of vertical dispersion from a surface source. The explicit dependence of the crosswind-integrated flux footprint on downwind distance, thermal stability and surface roughness is contained in the dependence of z on these variables. By also calculating the flux footprint with a Lagrangian stochastic dispersion model, it is shown that the normalized flux footprint is insensitive to the analytic model assumption of a self-similar vertical concentration profile.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is funded by the National Science Foundation.     

2010年冬季浙江两次强降雪过程的对比分析

利用NCEP1°×1°再分析资料,对浙江2010年冬季两次强降雪过程的环流形势和物理量场进行了分析和讨论.结果表明:两次过程都是北方冷空气与西南暖湿气流交汇所致,冷空气较强时,锋区迅速南压,降雪持续时间较短,暴雪产生在中低层切变线的风速辐合区中;而冷空气强度适中时,“冷垫”和静止锋长时间存在,降雪持续时间则较长,暴雪产生在低空急流的左前方;降雪区上空有明显的水汽通量辐合,水汽通量大值区的演变与降雪过程有较好的对应关系;低空辐合和高空辐散的配置是强降雪产生的有利动力条件,其强度越强,降雪也越强.     

湍流微气象观测的印痕分析方法及其应用拓展

在地面与大气间湍流相互作用的研究工作中,印痕(footprint)与印痕分析发挥着越来越重要的作用。文中介绍微气象学意义下印痕与印痕分析的理论、方法、历史和最新研究进展。着重介绍了具有理论和实用意义的数学解析印痕模型和拉格朗日数值印痕模型。对印痕分析在实际工作中的应用与问题进行了评述。文中明确指出了印痕概念的三维空间性质,探讨了将印痕分析从微气象学范畴拓展到中尺度范围的可能性, 及其在大气环境问题研究中的意义。     

The Influence Of Vertical Wind Direction Shear On Dispersion In The Convective Boundary Layer, And Its Incorporation In Coastal Fumigation Models

The mean concentration distributionwithin a plume released from a point source in the atmosphericboundary layer can be greatly influenced by the systematic turningof wind with height (i.e. vertical wind direction shear). Such aninfluence includes a deflection of the plume centroid, with anassociated shearing of the vertical plume cross-section, and anenhancement of dispersion, in the horizontal plane. Wind directionshear is normally not accounted for in coastal fumigation models,although dispersion observations with shear acting as acontrolling parameter are not uncommon. A three-dimensionalLagrangian stochastic model is used to investigate the influenceof uniform wind direction shear on the diffusion of a point-sourceplume within the horizontally homogeneous convective boundarylayer, with the source located at the top of the boundary layer.Parameterisations are developed for the plume deflection andenhanced dispersion due to shear within the framework of aprobability density function (PDF) approach, and compared with theLagrangian model results. These parameterisations are thenincorporated into two applied coastal fumigation models: a PDFmodel, and a commonly used model that assumes uniform andinstantaneous mixing in the vertical direction. The PDF modelrepresents the vertical mixing process more realistically. A moreefficient version of the PDF model, which assumes a well-mixedconcentration distribution in the vertical at large times, isapplied to simulate sulfur dioxide data from the Kwinana CoastalFumigation Study. A comparison between the model results and thedata show that the model performs much better when the wind-sheareffects are included.     

一个新动力因子在登陆台风“凤凰”强降水过程中的应用

根据波动和风场辐合辐散与登陆台风强降水密切相关的特点,利用高分辨率的数值模拟资料,采用分别表征强降水区波动特征和辐合辐散特征的两个动力参数——位势散度波作用密度和散度垂直通量,对登陆台风"凤凰"的强降水过程做诊断分析;同时结合波扰动和辐合辐散两特征,发展了一个新的物理量——热力切变散度参数,并据此对台风"凤凰"的强降水过程做进一步诊断分析,结果表明在整个研究时段内,地面雨区被热力切变散度参数的异常值区始终覆盖,二者具有较一致的空间分布和时间演变趋势。基于GFS(Global Forecast System)预报产品的动力释用分析表明,利用数值预报场计算的热力切变散度参数的强信号出现在强降水区,而弱信号出现在非降水区,该参数对强降水落区有较好的指示作用。     

河南一次局地强降水过程的中尺度分析

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、常规观测资料,采用常规中尺度分析方法和Barnes滤波方法,对2013年6月7日14-20时林州站出现的一次局地强降水过程进行分析,结果发现此次降水过程是发生在东高西低的环流形势下,降水主要发生在500 h Pa低槽槽前;江淮气旋北端不断增强的偏东气流为降水区提供了充足的水汽条件;地形抬升有利于触发对流,并对降水有增幅作用。通过滤波分析发现,此次过程林州处于鞍型场中,且处于风向辐合线和风速辐合线附近;局地强降水发生在水汽通量负散度绝对值大值区与负散度绝对值大值中心重叠区。经过滤波前后对比发现,此次过程分析原始场得出的辐合上升运动区、水汽辐合中心、层结不稳定区与局地强降水落区有一定的偏差,而滤波场特征比较有指示意义。负散度绝对值大值区和地面中尺度辐合线附近有利于回波生成和发展;两回波带合并容易加强;短历时强降水发生前,垂直累积液态水含量迅速跃增;雷达径向速度辐合区有利于回波发展加强。     

Flux Footprints in the Convective Boundary Layer: Large-Eddy Simulation and Lagrangian Stochastic Modelling

We investigated the flux footprints of receptors at different heights in the convective boundary layer (CBL). The footprints were derived using a forward Lagrangian stochastic (LS) method coupled with the turbulent fields from a large-eddy simulation model. Crosswind-integrated flux footprints shown as a function of upstream distances and sensor heights in the CBL were derived and compared using two LS particle simulation methods: an instantaneous area release and a crosswind linear continuous release. We found that for almost all sensor heights in the CBL, a major positive flux footprint zone was located close to the sensor upstream, while a weak negative footprint zone was located further upstream, with the transition band in non-dimensional upwind distances −X between approximately 1.5 and 2.0. Two-dimensional (2D) flux footprints for a point sensor were also simulated. For a sensor height of 0.158 z _i, where z _i is the CBL depth, we found that a major positive flux footprint zone followed a weak negative zone in the upstream direction. Two even weaker positive zones were also present on either side of the footprint axis, where the latter was rotated slightly from the geostrophic wind direction. Using CBL scaling, the 2D footprint result was normalized to show the source areas and was applied to real parameters obtained using aircraft-based measurements. With a mean wind speed in the CBL of U = 5.1 m s⁻¹, convective velocity of w _* = 1.37 m s⁻¹, CBL depth of z _i = 1,000 m, and flight track height of 159 m above the surface, the total flux footprint contribution zone was estimated to range from about 0.1 to 4.5 km upstream, in the case where the wind was perpendicular to the flight track. When the wind was parallel to the flight track, the total footprint contribution zone covered approximately 0.5 km on one side and 0.8 km on the other side of the flight track.     

夏季区域西风指数对中国西北地区水汽场特征影响的对比分析

利用1970—1997年NCEP／NCAR冉分析月平均资料,设计了区域西风指数。通过分析西北地区夏季的水汽输送通量散度,发现该地区水汽平流引起的水汽输送通量散度项年际变化极小,而风场辐合(辐散)引起的水汽输送通量散度项年际变化却很大,在西北地区区域西风指数较强年份风场辐合比区域西风指数较弱年份强。由此可知．两风年际变化对西北地区的风场辐合(辐散)的影响是我国西北地区水汽场年际变化的主要原因。中国西北地区;区域西风指数;水汽输送通量散度;降水     

The impact of logging on the surrounding flow in a managed forest

The influence of a freshly logged area in a managed pine forest on the flow field is investigated by comparing sodar wind profile data over the forest canopy with the synoptic wind field extracted from North American Regional Reanalysis, National Centers for Environmental Prediction. As a consequence of the pressure gradient arising from the sharp temperature difference between the clearcut and the surrounding uncut forests, the local wind direction over the forest measured with the sodar departs dramatically from the prevailing synoptic wind direction when the latter is transverse to the clearcut-sodar direction. Sodar measurements also indicate systematic strong updrafts during daytime followed by nighttime downdrafts with wind coming from the logged area. This suggests the presence of horizontal advection carrying daytime warm air (or nighttime cool air) from the clearcut to the forested area. This paper also examines the influence of wind velocity, clearcut fetch, and solar radiation on locally generated circulations and advection. The presence of local circulations arising from contrasting neighboring surface characteristics well outside the footprint is of particular relevance for atmospheric flux sites where robust surface?Catmosphere exchange values are sought. This study highlights the high level of circumspection required at the time of identifying locations for flux sites. It also suggests vigilant monitoring of the surrounding landscape during eddy?Cflux measurements particularly in actively managed landscapes.     

一次超级单体风暴多普勒天气雷达资料的低层风场反演研究

本文使用二维变分风场反演方法对浙江台州2003年4月12日一次超级单体风暴的多普勒天气雷达探测资料进行低层风场反演研究。二维变分方法以均匀风场反演结果作为初猜场,在目标泛函中加入散度和涡度约束作为正则项来降低不适定性的影响。反演得到的低层水平风场比较好的符合超级单体风暴的组织化的气流结构和强的风切变,通过对散度场垂直积分获得垂直速度,上升气流主要集中在强回波区域,下沉气流一个位于风暴前进的左侧的弱回波区,一个位于钩状回波的内侧。     

The subcloud-layer eddy kinetic energy budget of a microburst-producing thunderstorm determined from jaws dual-Doppler measurements

Dual-Doppler data collected from 1646 to 1648 MDT on 14 July, 1982 in Colorado were employed to study the eddy kinetic energy budget in the subcloud layer of a microburst-producing thunderstorm during its mature stage. Each term in the budget equation was computed from the Doppler-derived winds and retrieved thermodynamic fields within the 10 by 10 km horizontal domain. Results show that in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) where the microburst dominates, the turbulent flow extracts energy from the mean flow in order for the microburst to maintain its strong diverging outflow at low levels. The vertical transport of eddy kinetic energy is predominantly downward in the low layer due to the organized downdrafts in the microburst area. The horizontal flux convergence (divergence) of eddy kinetic energy by the mean and eddying motions is approximately balanced by that of the vertical flux divergence (convergence). Similarly, the contributions from the pressure and buoyancy production terms are nearly in balance. As a result, a net change of the eddy kinetic energy generation in the subcloud layer is relatively small in comparison with the individual term in the budget equation.     

On the Effect of Surface Heat-Flux Heterogeneities on the Mixed-Layer-Top Entrainment

We used a set of large-eddy simulations to investigate the effect of one-dimensional stripe-like surface heat-flux heterogeneities on mixed-layer top entrainment. The profiles of sensible heat flux and the temporal evolution of the boundary-layer depth revealed decreased entrainment for small heat-flux amplitudes and increased entrainment for large heat-flux amplitudes, compared to the homogeneously-heated mixed layer. For large heat-flux amplitudes the largest entrainment was observed for patch sizes in the order of the boundary-layer depth, while for significantly smaller or larger patch sizes entrainment was similar as in the homogeneous case. In order to understand the underlying physics of this impact, a new approach was developed to infer local information on entrainment by means of the local flux divergence. We found an entrainment maximum over the centre of the stronger heated surface patch, where thermal energy is accumulated by the secondary circulation (SC) that was induced by the surface heterogeneity. Furthermore, we observed an entrainment maximum over the less heated patch as well, which we suppose is to be linked to the SC-induced horizontal flow convergence at the top of the convective boundary layer (CBL). For small heat-flux amplitudes a counteracting effect dominates that decreases entrainment, which we suppose is the horizontal advection of cold air in the lower, and warm air in the upper, CBL by the SC, stabilizing the CBL and thus weakening thermal convection. Moreover, we found that a mean wind can reduce the heterogeneity-induced impact on entrainment. If the flow is aligned perpendicular to the border between the differentially-heated patches, the SC and thus its impact on entrainment vanishes due to increased horizontal mixing, even for moderate wind speeds. However, if the flow is directed parallel to the border between the differentially-heated patches, the SC and thus its impact on entrainment persists.     

A Simple Parameterisation for Flux Footprint Predictions

Flux footprint functions estimate the location and relative importance of passive scalar sources influencing flux measurements at a given receptor height. These footprint estimates strongly vary in size, depending on receptor height, atmospheric stability, and surface roughness. Reliable footprint calculations from, e.g., Lagrangian stochastic models or large-eddy simulations are computationally expensive and cannot readily be computed for long-term observational programs. To facilitate more accessible footprint estimates, a scaling procedure is introduced for flux footprint functions over a range of stratifications from convective to stable, and receptor heights ranging from near the surface to the middle of the boundary layer. It is shown that, when applying this scaling procedure, footprint estimates collapse to an ensemble of similar curves. A simple parameterisation for the scaled footprint estimates is presented. This parameterisation accounts for the influence of the roughness length on the footprint and allows for a quick but precise algebraic footprint estimation.     

Flux Footprint Simulation Downwind of a Forest Edge

Surface fluxes, originating from forest patches, are commonly calculated from atmospheric flux measurements at some height above that patch using a correction for flux arising from upwind surfaces. Footprint models have been developed to calculate such a correction. These models commonly assume homogeneous turbulence, resulting in a simulated atmospheric flux equal to the average surface flux in the footprint area. However, atmospheric scalar fluxes downwind of a forest edge have been observed to exceed surface fluxes in the footprint area. Variations in atmospheric turbulence downwind of the forest edge, as simulated with an E – model, can explain enhanced atmospheric scalar fluxes. This E – model is used to calculate the footprint of atmospheric measurements downwind of a forest edge. Atmospheric fluxes appear mainly enhanced as a result of a stronger sensitivity to fluxes from the upwind surface. A sensitivity analysis shows that the fetch over forest, necessary to reach equilibrium between atmospheric fluxes and surface fluxes, tends to be longer for scalar fluxes as compared to momentum fluxes. With increasing forest density, atmospheric fluxes deviate even more strongly from surface fluxes, but over shorter fetches. It is concluded that scalar fluxes over forests are commonly affected by inhomogeneous turbulence over large fetches downwind of an edge. It is recommended to take horizontal variations in turbulence into account when the footprint is calculated for atmospheric flux measurements downwind of a forest edge. The spatially integrated footprint is recommended to describe the ratio between the atmospheric flux and the average surface flux in the footprint.     

TYPICAL ANOMALOUS WIND STRESS PATTERNS IN TROPICAL PACIFIC ASSOCIATED WITH EL NINO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION

Based on years of month-to-month observations of sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) and wind stress anomaly, typical wind stress patterns in the tropical Pacific associated with ENSO are Studied with the techniques of linear regression and EOF analysis. The anomalous field, which is linearly correlated with ENSO, is found to be varying at low frequencies on the temporal scale and to be in four typical patterns of distribution horizontally.Pattern 1 is of the easterly anomaly and wind stress divergence in the equatorial region east of the date line. Pattern 2 is of the westerly anomaly and wind sttess convergence in the equatorial region east of the date line. Pattern 3 is of the westerly anomaly and wind stress convergence south of the Equator but east of the data line, with the easterly anomaly west of it. Pattern 4 is of the weak easerly anomaly east 160°W and the westerly anomaly west of 160°W. Wind stress fields linearly independent of ENSO are of a high-frequency process with a typical pattern off the Equator that has a large horizontal amplitude. Using an ocean anomaly-forcing model with the regressed wind stress anomaly field that is associated with ENSO, principal signals of ENSO are reproduced. It indicates the fundamental nature of the typical wind field anomaly patterns revealed for the genesis of El Nino.     

Numerical analysis of flux footprints for different landscapes

Summary A model for the canopy – planetary boundary layer flow and scalar transport based on E- closure was applied to estimate footprint for CO₂ fluxes over different inhomogeneous landscapes. Hypothetical heterogeneous vegetation patterns – forest with clear-cuts as well as hypothetical heterogeneous relief – a bell-shaped valley and a ridge covered by forest were considered. The distortions of airflow caused by these heterogeneities are shown – the upwind deceleration of the flow at the ridge foot and above valley, acceleration at the crest and the flow separation with the reversed flow pattern at lee slopes of ridge and valley. The disturbances induce changes in scalar flux fields within the atmospheric surface layer comparing to fluxes for homogeneous conditions: at a fixed height the fluxes vary as a function of distance to disturbance. Correspondingly, the flux footprint estimated from model data depends on the location of the point of interest (flux measurement point) and may significantly deviate from that for a flat terrain. It is shown that proposed method could be used for the choice of optimal sensor position for flux measurements over complex terrain as well as for the interpretation of data for existing measurement sites. To illustrate the latter the method was applied for experimental site in Solling, Germany, taking into account the complex topography and vegetation heterogeneities. Results show that in certain situations (summer, neutral stratification, south or north wind) and for a certain sensor location the assumptions of idealized air flow structure could be used for measurement interpretation at this site, though in general, extreme caution should be applied when analytical footprint models are used in the interpretation of flux measurements over complex sites.     

“07.08”陕西关中短历时强暴雨水汽条件分析

利用T213资料和地面逐时加密观测资料,对2007年8月8-9日陕西关中短历时强暴雨过程的水汽条件进行了详细的分析。结果表明,关中短历时强暴雨水汽来源于关中周围的高湿区,暴雨期间暴雨区上空水汽浅薄,地面至低层风向快速变化使暴雨区地面到低空湿度经历了减小—突然增加—快速减小的过程,水汽的聚集是通过偏东气流输送实现的,东西向水汽辐合是暴雨区水汽辐合的主要贡献者,北边界水汽的输入、输出和东边界水汽输入的突然增大、减小对暴雨的发生、发展及其结束有一定的指示意义;暴雨中心位于水汽通量大值中心及其下风向的水汽通量辐合中心之间;暴雨区可降水量的大小主要取决于水平水汽通量辐合的大小,水平水汽通量辐合的大小关键在于水平风场形成的辐合大小,而强降水的发生、加强、减弱及消亡与水汽的局地变化和水汽平流的变化关系更加紧密;近地层充足的水汽供应和水汽垂直输送形成的反环流圈使暴雨区水汽、能量迅速增加和抬升,建立了不稳定大气并触发能量释放,强降水开始;反之,形成暴雨的水汽条件不复存在,强降水结束。