A modelling investigation into lake-breeze development and convection triggering in the Nam Co Lake basin,Tibetan Plateau

This paper uses the cloud resolving Active Tracer High-resolution Atmospheric Model coupled to the interactive surface model Hybrid in order to investigate the diurnal development of a lake-breeze system at the Nam Co Lake on the Tibetan Plateau. Simulations with several background wind speeds are conducted, and the interaction of the lake breeze with topography and background wind in triggering moist and deep convection is studied. The model is able to adequately simulate the systems most important dynamical features such as turbulent surface fluxes and the development of a lake breeze for the different wind conditions. We identify two different mechanisms for convection triggering that are dependent on the direction of the background wind: triggering over topography, when the background wind and the lake breeze have the same flow direction, and triggering due to convergence between the lake-breeze front and the background wind. Our research also suggests that precipitation measurements at the centre of the basins on the Tibetan Plateau are not representative for the basin as a whole as precipitation is expected to occur mainly in the vicinity of the topography.     

Improvements of the coupled WRF-Lake model over Lake Nam Co,Central Tibetan Plateau

A series of model sensitivity simulations are carried out to calibrate and improve the Weather Research and Forecasting Model coupled with a one-dimensional lake model (WRF-Lake) based on observations over Lake Nam Co. Using the default lake model parameters, the solution of WRF-Lake exhibits significant biases in both the lake thermodynamics and regional climatology, i.e., higher lake surface temperature (LST), earlier onset of summer thermal stratification, and overestimated near-surface air temperature and precipitation induced by the lake’s excessive warming and moistening impacts. The performance of WRF-Lake is improved through adjusting the initial lake temperature profile, the temperature of maximum water density (Tdmax), the surface roughness length, and the light extinction coefficient. Results show that initializing the water temperature with spring observation mitigates the LST overestimation and reduces the timing error of the onset of thermal stratification. By further adjusting Tdmax from 4 °C to the observed value of 3.5 °C, the LST increase from June to mid-July is enhanced and the buildup of thermal stratification is more accurately predicted. Through incorporating the parameterized surface roughness length and decreasing the light extinction coefficient, the model better reproduces the observed daily evolution of LST and vertical lake temperature profile. The calibrated WRF-Lake effectively mitigates the overestimation of over-lake air temperature at 2 m height and precipitation over regions downwind the lake. This suggests that an improved lake scheme within the coupled WRF-Lake is essential for realistically simulating the lake–air interactions and the regional climate over the lake-rich Tibetan Plateau.

     

Summertime Thermally-Induced Circulations over the Lake Nam Co Region of the Tibetan Plateau

Performance of the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model(MM5) over the Lake Nam Co region of the Tibetan Plateau was evaluated based on the data from five surface observation sites in 2006. The interaction between two thermally-induced circulations(lake breezes and mountain-valley winds) was also investigated. The results show that MM5 could be used to simulate 2-m air temperature; however, MM5 needs improvement in wind field simulation.Two numerical simulations were conducted to study the effect of the lake on the local weather and wind system. The original land cover of the model was used in the control experiment, and the lake was replaced with grassland resembling the area surrounding the lake in the sensitive experiment. The results of the simulations indicate that the lake enhanced the north slope mountain-valley wind and the mountain changed the offshore flow direction at the north shore. During the day, a clear convergent zone and a strong upflow were observed over the north slope of the Nyainq?entanglha Range, which may cause frequent precipitation over the north slope. During the night, the entire area was controlled by a south flow.     

青藏高原东南部昌都地区近地层湍流输送的观测研究

利用我国1998年第2次青藏高原气象科学试验 (TIPEX) 昌都的湍流观测资料, 初步分析了三维风速、温度和湿度湍流谱、归一化方差与稳定度的关系、湍流通量和整体输送系数.结果表明, 白天标准化的湍流谱大多数满足2/3次方定律.风速方差与稳定度的关系在不稳定条件下基本服从1/3次方定律, 但水平风速方差比垂直速度方差与稳定度的关系离散.中性层结下的A、B值比平原地区大, 与起伏地形的值接近, C值与平原地区和起伏地区的差异不大.温度和湿度方差与不稳定层结的关系基本满足1/3次方定律, 而在稳定层结下的关系均无明显规律.湍流通量在干湿期转换中有突变现象, 干期的动量和热量通量均大于湿期, 热源强度以感热为主, 占80%.湿期热源强度明显增大, 其中以潜热为主, 占热源强度的60%.整体输送系数与稳定度的关系明显, 拟合得到的中性层结条件下的CDN和CHN分别为4.40×10-3和4.70×10-3, 其结果大于高原中、西部的同期观测值.     

2006—2011年西藏纳木错湖冰状况及其影响因素分析

湖冰是气候变化的指示器,为分析纳木错地区气候对湖冰冰情的影响,利用2006—2011年西藏纳木错(面积2000km2)和白马纳木错(面积1.45 km2)湖冰的观测资料,结合MODIS遥感影像资料分析了两个湖泊完全冻结日期、完全解冻日期、封冻期、湖冰厚度的状况及其与气温和风速的关系。纳木错湖湖冰冰情主要受气温的影响,同时也受风速的影响。纳木错湖的完全冻结日期集中在2月,完全解冻日期在5月中旬,封冻期平均天数为90 d,封冻期与冬季负积温具有较好的对应关系。面积较小的白马纳木错冰情的年际波动较大,其平均封冻期为124 d。纳木错湖的最大冰厚一般出现在3月,其厚度为58~65 cm。     

Major ionic composition of precipitation in the Nam Co region, Central Tibetan Plateau

A total of 48 precipitation samples have been collected from individual precipitation events at the Nam Co Monitoring and Research Station for Multisphere Interactions (Nam Co Station, 30°47′N, 90°58′E; 4730 m a.s.l) located in the central Tibetan Plateau from August 2005 to August 2006. All samples were analyzed for major cations (NH₄⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺) and anions (Cl⁻, NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻), conductivity and pH. Precipitation pH values ranged from 6.03 to 7.38 with an average value of 6.59. The high pH is due to large inputs of crustal aerosols in the atmosphere, which contain a large fraction of carbonate. Ca²⁺ is the dominant cation in precipitation with an average value of 65.58 μeq L^− 1 (4.91–301.41 μeq L^− 1), accounting for 54% of the total cations in precipitation. HCO₃⁻ is the predominant anion, accounting for 62% of the total anions. When compared with data from a snow pit in the Zhadang Glacier 50 km away (5800 m a.s.l), major ion concentration in precipitation at the Nam Co Station is much higher due to local aerosol inputs. Correlation and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis indicate that regional crustal aerosols and species from combustion emissions of residents are the major sources for these ions, lake salt aerosols from the Nam Co nearby and regional mineral aerosols from dry lake sediments are secondary sources, and sea salt contribution is the least due to the long distance transport.     

青藏高原改则地区近地层湍流特征

分析了第二次青藏高原气象科学试验（TIPEX）1998年6～7月加强期在改则取得的湍流资料,讨论了近地层湍流宏观统计量、温度、湿度结构参数以及通量整体输送系数等变化规律,结果表明在不稳定层结下,湍流宏观统计量等随稳定度的变化满足过去在平原地区得到的相似关系。     

Turbulent dissipation of cold air lake in a basin

Summary Problems of turbulent dissipation of a cold air lake (CAL) and the inversion layer bordering CAL on the upper boundary are presented and studied with the compound model. In wintertime such cold air lakes can persist for days even if rather strong winds are blowing above them. The required conditions for CAL dissipation are removed processes of its formation or maintenance, as well as a sufficiently strong invasion of turbulence in the inversion layer from above down-wards. By this, the inversion layer at first becomes stronger and dissipation is stopped, until the increase of turbulent kinetic energy of the upper flow enables further dissipation. Such turbulent dissipation process is shown by the model for typical conditions and for different initial values of the relevent variables.With 6 Figures     

The study of near-ground free convection conditions at Nam Co station on the Tibetan Plateau

This study investigates the near-ground free convection conditions (FCCs) based on eddy covariance (EC) measurements at Nam Co station near the Nam Co Lake on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The spatial and temporal structure of EC measurements at this station is evaluated by using the comprehensive software package TK2 together with a footprint model. The obtained high-quality turbulent flux data are used to study the occurrence of FCCs, which can be detected with the EC system by calculating the stability parameter. Two types of generation of FCCs can be identified. (1) During the wind direction change of a diurnal thermally forced land-lake circulation system in the morning, strongly reduced wind speeds and simultaneously high buoyancy fluxes lead to a period of dominance of buoyancy over shear, and hence, to the occurrence of FCCs. (2) On days with the appearance of clouds, the land-lake circulation is weakened or reversed, dependent on the temperature gradients between the land and the Nam Co Lake. During the period of adaptation of the land-lake breeze to the alternating situation of heating differences, wind speeds decrease and buoyancy again dominates over shear near the ground. These are the situations where FCCs are also detected during the entire day at Nam Co station. The investigation of FCCs regarding the whole measurement period shows that FCCs can be mainly attributed to case (1) during the non-monsoon period, while FCCs are generated by both mechanisms (1 and 2) during the monsoon season. An impact of the FCCs on the near-ground profiles of air temperature and humidity is demonstrated. The FCCs are assumed to play an important role for the land surface-atmosphere exchange processes and the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) conditions on the TP by providing an effective transport mechanism of near-ground air mass characteristics into upper parts of the ABL.     

Response of inland lake dynamics over the Tibetan Plateau to climate change

The water balance of inland lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) involves complex hydrological processes; their dynamics over recent decades is a good indicator of changes in water cycle under rapid global warming. Based on satellite images and extensive field investigations, we demonstrate that a coherent lake growth on the TP interior (TPI) has occurred since the late 1990s in response to a significant global climate change. Closed lakes on the TPI varied heterogeneously during 1976–1999, but expanded coherently and significantly in both lake area and water depth during 1999–2010. Although the decreased potential evaporation and glacier mass loss may contribute to the lake growth since the late 1990s, the significant water surplus is mainly attributed to increased regional precipitation, which, in turn, may be related to changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation, including the intensified Northern Hemisphere summer monsoon (NHSM) circulation and the poleward shift of the Eastern Asian westerlies jet stream.     

青藏高原雨季特征及其对气候增暖的响应

利用青藏高原气象台站逐日观测资料,采用候雨量稳定通过临界阈值的方法对高原雨季起讫期进行客观定量划分,在此基础上,进一步分析增暖背景下雨季起讫期和雨季降水演变特征,并对比增暖前后高原雨季起讫期及不同等级降水的响应特征.结果表明:青藏高原雨季平均开始期为5月第3候、结束期为9月第6候、共持续28候;青藏高原雨季降水集中期为...     

大气层结对青藏高原近地层湍流特征的影响

本文利用1986年夏季青藏高原试验（TIPMEX-86）期间获取的资料,计算分析了该年6月和7月拉萨和那曲近地层摩擦速度u*、特征温度θ*、Monin-Obukhov长度L及理查逊数Ri在不同大气层结及不同高度的分布特征。分析结果表明：不同大气层结下,湍流运动形式是不同的,湍流热力场的变化远远大于湍流动力场。就空间变化而言,θ*随高度变化较大,而u*的变化较小。对大气层结而言,在稳定条件下,u*、θ*随高度变化较大;在不稳定条件下,θ*、u*随高度变化较小。在不稳定层结相近的状况下,高原开阔草地上的各种湍流参数,接近或大于北京城郊非均匀地形的数值,而在很稳定的层结下,则高原的参数值小于北京。     

青藏高原及其邻近区域穿越对流层顶质量通量的时空演变特征

利用1958~2001年ECMWF资料, 根据Wei公式估算了青藏高原及其邻近区域穿越对流层顶的质量通量 (CTF), 分析了CTF的时空分布特征。分析结果表明: (1) CTF分布呈现纬向型, 在副热带西风急流北侧即对流层顶断裂带中存在东西向的TST (对流层向平流层输送)[CD*2]STT (平流层向对流层输送)[CD*2]TST的波列结构 (水平输送项决定), 而南侧分布决定于垂直输送项。 (2) 在80°E~105°E范围内, 冬春季节, 青藏高原南部及其以南区域为TST, 北部为STT; 夏秋季节, 整个区域几乎由TST所控制。西风急流南侧的CTF主要决定于垂直项, 而北侧主要决定于水平项, 再往北, 垂直项与水平项贡献相当。 (3) 青藏高原与孟加拉湾区域平均CTF在所有季节均为TST, 即有从对流层到平流层净的向上输送, 2月强度最大, 7月为另一个极大值; 两个极大值有不同的产生机制, 后者决定于垂直项, 而前者由水平项决定。 (4) 青藏高原 (及孟加拉湾) 区域年平均CTF在1958~2001年之间的变化趋势在1982年左右出现一个转折: 1982年之前, CTF为递减过程; 而之后CTF为相对较强的增长。上述结果表明: 尽管冬季高原上空为下沉气流, 但高原上空的水平输送项有很强的向上贡献, 这与丛春华等 (2003) 得出的STT不一致。但需要指出的是, 根据Wei公式计算的CTF, 〖JP2〗尤其在急流附近, 对资料中存在的误差十分敏感 (Gettleman等, 2000), 因此青藏高原主体上空在冬季是STT还是TST, 有待于进一步的分析研究。     

Estimation of Turbulent Fluxes Using the Flux-Variance Method over an Alpine Meadow Surface in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau

The flux-variance similarity relation and the vertical transfer of scalars exhibit dissimilarity over different types of surfaces,resulting in different parameterization approaches of relative transport efficiency among scalars to estimate turbulent fluxes using the flux-variance method.We investigated these issues using eddycovariance measurements over an open,homogeneous and flat grassland in the eastern Tibetan Plateau in summer under intermediate hydrological conditions during rainy season.In unstable conditions,the temperature,water vapor,and CO2 followed the flux-variance similarity relation,but did not show in precisely the same way due to different roles(active or passive) of these scalars.Similarity constants of temperature,water vapor and CO2 were found to be 1.12,1.19 and 1.17,respectively.Heat transportation was more efficient than water vapor and CO2.Based on the estimated sensible heat flux,five parameterization methods of relative transport efficiency of heat to water vapor and CO2 were examined to estimate latent heat and CO2 fluxes.The strategy of local determination of flux-variance similarity relation is recommended for the estimation of latent heat and CO2 fluxes.This approach is better for representing the averaged relative transport efficiency,and technically easier to apply,compared to other more complex ones.     

Infrared observations and numerical modelling of grassland fires in the Northern Territory, Australia

Summary This paper reports on a small-scale pilot experiment held early in the dry season near Darwin, Australia, in which fine-scale observations of several prescribed fires were made using infrared digital video. Infrared imaging is used routinely to locate fires as infrared radiation suffers little attenuation as it propagates through the smoke that normally obscures visible imagery. However, until now, little use has been made of digital video imagery in analyzing the convective-scale structure of prescribed (or wild) fires. The advantage of digital video imagery is that the individual frames can be objectively analyzed to determine the convective motion in the plane viewed by the camera. The infrared imagery shows mostly rising plumes, much like convective clouds. The flow is highly convective, and the vertical transport of heat is confined to relatively narrow thermals. The updrafts range from a few ms^–1 to around 15ms^–1. A numerical model is used to simulate one of the prescribed fires at very high-resolution. For the most part, the model predictions compare well to the observations. The model produces plumes that are around 7m high, and spaced around 5m apart, which is similar to that observed. The model correctly predicts the mean rate of spread of the fire to be 1.3ms^–1. Perhaps the most serious limitations to using infrared observations of the type presented here are the difficulties in interpreting precisely the relationship between the observed infrared temperature field and the air temperature calculated by the model, and the exact connection between the infrared camera derived flow field and that calculated by the model.     

青藏高原地区地表及行星反射率

文章讨论了利用ISCCP卫星观测资料确定青藏高原地区地表反射率的方法,在无积雪地区和季节,地表反射率可以ISCCP可见光反射率为基础,在模式计算过程中,假定紫外反射率以及红外与可见光反射率的比值分别为常数。敏感性试验表明,由这两个假设所产生的误差并不显著。在有积雪地区或季节,地表平均反射率可直接由ISCCP可见光反射率表示。试验结果与地面实际观测作了比较,除沙漠区外,两者比较一致。文中还计算了高原晴天行星反射率。经与ERBE卫星观测比较,发现从5月至9月高原周围沙漠区气溶胶对辐射平衡有较显著的影响。而在其     

5月青藏高原5套地表感热通量资料的对比分析

基于1979-2017年5月青藏高原地区149个站点观测资料计算的地表感热通量（OBCH）和4套再分析资料提供的地表感热通量,对比分析了青藏高原地表感热通量的时空变化特征。结果表明：5月各地表感热再分析资料在高原主体部分（3 000 m以上部分）的气候平均值均为正值,说明高原主体5月为同一热源,且均呈高原西部（90°E为界）感热通量偏大,东部偏小的特征。5月高原主体各套平均地表感热通量均呈减弱趋势,除ERA感热表现为增强外,其余3套再分析资料在高原西部均表现为减弱,减弱趋势显著;5套资料在高原东部均表现为减弱趋势,除OBCH资料外,均表现为显著减弱。EOF分析发现,除了ERA-Interim资料,其余4套资料在高原主体第一模态主要表现为一致性变化,第二模态空间分布呈明显差异。从各套资料与OBCH资料的时间相关来看,ERA-Interim资料与OBCH资料相关系数可达0.70,说明二者在5月具有较好的年际变化一致性特征,而NCEP2资料与OBCH资料相关系数仅为0.33,说明二者具有较大的年际变化差异。