On the relationship between meridional eddy transfer of angular momentum and meridional circulations in the earth's atmosphere

Summary Recent investigations have shown that the poleward flux of angular momentum across latitutde 30° N can be regarded essentially as an edey flux due to macroturbulence. Since the principal source region of atmospheric angular momentum is the frictional layer in the trade-wind zone it is necessary to have a mechanism which explains the transport of the angular momentum up to the upper troposphere and the tropopause level and into the planetary jet stream aroundlatitude 30° N. In the present paper it is shown that this transport can easily be explained by assuming the existence of a mean meridional circulation between the Equator and latitude 30°N. The mass transport in this meridional circulation cell can be computed from the empirical data for the poleward eddy flux of angular momentum presented byY. Mintz. The same data can then also be used to estimte the excess of precipitation over evaporation in the equatorial zone of the ascending branch of the circulation.

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Zusammenfassung Neuere Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, daß der Polwärtstransport des Rotationsimpulses über Breite 30° N hinaus im wesentlichen als Austauschströmung durch Makroturbulenz aufgefaßt werden kann. Da dase Hauptquellgebieet des atmosphärischen Rotationsimpulses die Reibungs-schicht der Passatzone ist, ist es notwendig, einen Mechanismus zu finden, der die Verlagerung des Rotationsimpulses bis in die obere Troposphäre und das Tropenpasausenniveau und in den planetarischen jet stream rund um den Brietenkreis 30° N erklärt. In der vorliegenden Arbiet wird gezeigt, daß diese Verlagerung durch die Annahme ener mittleren Meridionalzirkulation zwischen dem Äquator und 30° N leicht erklärt werden kann. Der Massentransport in dieser Meridionalzirkulationszelle kann aus den Empirischen Daten berechnet werden, dieY. Mintz für den turbulenten Polwärtstransport des Rotationsimpulses angegeben hat. Dieselben Werten können auch benützt werden, um den überschuß des Niederschlags über die Verdungstung in der Äquatorialzone des aufsteigenden Zirkulationszweiges zu berechnen.

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Résumé De récentes recherches ont montré que le flux du moment cinétique dirigé vers le pôle à travers la région de 30° lat. N peut être considéré comme étant essentiellement unflux dû à la macroturbulence. Etant donné que la source principale du moment cinétique atmosphérique est située dans la couche de friction dans la zone des vents alizés, il est nécessaire de trouver un mécanisme qui expliquerait le transport du moment cinétique vers la haute troposphère et le niveau de la tropopause ainsi que dans le jet stream planétaire autour du 30ème degré de latitude nord. Dans l'article suivant l'auteur montre comment il est possible d'expliquer facilement ce transport en admettant l'existence d'une circulation méridienne moyenne entre l'équateur et 30° lat. N. Le transport de masse dans cette cellule de circulation méridienne peut être calculé à partir des données empiriques indiquées parY. Mintz concernant le flux du moment cinétique dû à la turbulence et dirigé vers de pôle. Les mêmes données peuvent aussi être employées pour estimer l'excès des précipitations sur l'évaporation dans la zone équatoriale de la branche ascendante de la circulation.

     

Some dynamical properties of idealized thermally-forced meridional circulations in the tropics

Summary Through the use of a zonal balance model we investigate the properties of the tropical meridional circulation to a range of specified diabatic forcing fields for climatologically observed zonal winds. As in earlier studies, the solutions show that latent heat release away from the equator forces an asymmetric meridional circulation in response the anisotropy in the inertial stability parameter with respect to the meridional location of the forcing. The presence of strong zonal flows appears to play a relatively minor role in determining the magnitude and asymmetry of the meridional circulation, whereas the structure of the diabatic heating, particularly the meridional breadth, proves to be of much greater importance.A dynamic efficiency factor, which provides an analytic measure of the efficacy of diabatic heating at generating zonal kinetic energy, generally exhibits a meridionally symmetric structure except during Northern Hemisphere summer. This asymmetry gives rise to a pronounced sensitivity of zonal kinetic energy generation to the meridional location of ITCZ convection. Further examination of the flow pattern suggests that for zonal flows representative of those over the Indian Ocean during the Northern Hemisphere summer months, meridional displacements of the heating of less than 20° latitude can result in as much as an order of magnitude difference in the rate of kinetic energy generation. Solution of the balance system also implies the existence of a feedback mechanism, between zonally-organized convection and the energetics properties of the large-scale flow, that is highly sensitive to the meridional location of the convection.With 11 FiguresThe National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Mesoscale structure of tropical cyclones in the surface wind field

The mesoscale structure of tropical cyclones in the northwest Pacific in 2002–2007 at different stages of evolution (from the genesis to the maximum intensity) is studied using the QuikSCAT satellite data and JRA-25 reanalysis data. It is demonstrated that the genesis of the tropical cyclone was preceded by the formation of the stable disturbance that was observed in the vorticity field on the average 47 hours before the first report. The variability is noted of the mesoscale structure of the cyclone during the process of its formation and evolution: the increase in the intensity of mesovortices, the decrease in their number as a result of the merging, the narrowing of the area occupied by them, and localization of this area near the center at the stage of maximum development. It is shown that the relationship between the mean intensity of mesovortices at the initial disturbance and the tropical cyclone intensity is close to linear and has high correlation coefficients.     

Development of sea surface temperature,surface wind and divergence anomalies during a composite ENSO episode

Summary The interannual variations in sea surface temperature (SST) in the equatorial east Pacific, which are dominated by the El Niño phenomenon, are shown for the period 1870–1983. Since 1870 25 significant warm events have occurred. These events are classified as weak, moderate, strong and very strong, according to the normalized SST anomalies in the region 130° W–80° W, 0°–5° S.The spatial and temporal development of a composite El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) episode, based on 10 very strong or strong events, is presented in terms of SST, surface wind and divergence anomalies for the tropical Pacific (10° N–30° S). During its evolution the following phases are distinguished: Antecedent Conditions, Onset Phase, Peak Phase, Mature Phase and Dissipation Stage.Some aspects of ocean-atmosphere interaction associated with this evolution and, more specifically, the initiation of the composite event, are described. Seasonally varying feedback processes between SST, surface wind and convergence anomaly patterns in the western Pacific/Indonesian region suggest a possible mechanism for the initiation of typical ENSO events.

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Zusammenfassung Die interannuären Variationen der Meeresoberflächentemperatur (SST) im äquatorialen Ostpazifik, die von dem El Niño-Phänomen dominiert werden, werden für die Periode 1870–1983 aufgezeigt. Seit 1870 traten 25 signifikante Ereignisse auf. Diese Ereignisse werden entsprechend den normierten SST-Anomalien in der Region 130° W–80° W, 0°–5° S als schwach, mittel, stark und sehr stark klassifiziert.Die räumliche und zeitliche Entwicklung einer Komposit-El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-Episode, die auf 10 sehr starken bzw. starken Ereignissen basiert, wird anhand von SST-, Bodenwind- und Divergenzanomalien für den tropischen Pazifik (10° N–30° S) dargestellt. Während ihrer Entwicklung werden die folgenden Phasen unterschieden: Vorausgehende Bedingungen, Einsetzphase, Spitzenphase, Reifestadium und Auflösungsstadium.Einige Aspekte der Wechselbeziehungen Ozean—Atmosphäre werden im Zusammenhang mit der Entwicklung und insbesondere der Auslösung des Komposit-Ereignisses beschrieben. Jahreszeitlich variierende Rückkopplungsprozesse zwischen SST-, Bodenwind- und Konvergenzanomalien in der westpazifischen/indonesischen Region stellen einen möglichen Mechanismus für die Auslösung typischer ENSO-Ereignisse dar.

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With 9 Figures     

The Circum-Pacific Teleconnection Pattern in meridional wind in the high troposphere

The Circum-Pacific Teleconnection Pattern (CPTP) is revealed in the meridional wind in the high troposphere via an emprirical orthogonal function (EOF) and correlation analysis on NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The CPTP is found to be composed of the North Pacific-North American teleconnection pattern (PNA), the South Pacific-South American teleconnection pattern (PSA), and the teleconnection patterns over the tropical western Pacific and the tropical eastern Pacific (or, Central America, or, tropical Atlantic). There is substantial interannual variability of the CPTP and a typical CPTP can be detected in some years. It is speculated that the zonal wind anomalies over the equatorial region in the western and eastern sides of the Pacific may play a role in linking the two hemispheres. The anomalous convection activities in the Tropics are plausible triggering factors for the zonal wind anomalies that are responsible for the composition of the CPTP.     

Geochemical behaviour of the Tunisian background aerosols in Sirocco wind circulations

This study examines spatial and time evolutions of the principal constituents of the Tunisian background aerosols under Sirocco wind circulations. Aerosols coming from the Sahara Desert were found to be loaded with particulate matter, especially silicon. The aerosols were shown to have varying geochemical behaviour along the ``South-North" displacement of the Saharan plumes, depending on the wind flow characteristics, geomorphologic features and the nature of soils swept by the wind. In the south and the center part of the country, the transfer of aerosol constituents to the soil (by gravity and/or impaction) was probably predominated by localized enrichment phenomena. The latter are reinforced by the effect of turbulent winds over bare soils, wind wakes and probably selective disintegration, especially in the vicinity of the geomorphologic features of central Tunisia. These relatively high features, extending over important distances, appear to be of paramount importance for the phenomena of redistribution of aerosol constituents even during periods without Sirocco wind circulations. In the northern section of the country, aerosol constituent concentrations dropped to almost 50%, in spite of the abundance of localized turbulent winds. This may be explained by the effect of forests and the relatively dense vegetation cover, which clearly reinforces the transfer phenomena to the soil and the attenuate of dust entrainment.     

On anomalous meridional circulations and Eliassen-Palm flux divergences in an idealized model of dissipating, non-breaking Rossby waves

Even in idealized models of steady, dissipating, non-breaking Rossby waves at small wave amplitude, and even in the absence of barotropic and baroclinic shear instabilities, there can be an anomalous Eliassen-Palm flux divergence in the sense that the divergence is positive when the background potential-vorticity gradient is also positive, implying upgradient eddy potential-vorticity transport. The phenomenon is illustrated in the simplest possible case of dissipation by Rayleigh friction and Newtonian cooling, and is shown by a more general argument not to be restricted to that case. The physical reason is that infrared radiative damping can act anti-dissipatively on potential-vorticity anomalies whenever the vertical disturbance structure is diffractive or evanescent, as with most real stratospheric synoptic and sub-synoptic-scale disturbances forced from below. Associated with this phenomenon are anomalous (eastward) phase tilts with height, and equatorward transformed Eulerian-mean (TEM) meridional velocities. It is pointed out that the latter is a clearcut example of a TEM circulation whose sense is opposite to that of the generalized Lagrangian-mean circulation (and the effective transport circulation in the sense of Plumb and Mahlman) induced by the same steady, small-amplitude disturbance.     

A note on the role of meridional wind stress anomalies and heat flux in ENSO simulations

Four comparative experiments and some supplementary experiments were conducted to examine the role of meridional wind stress anomalies and heat flux variability in ENSO simulations by using a high-resolution Ocean General Circulation Model （OGCM）. The results indicate that changes in the direction and magnitude of meridional wind stress anomalies have little influence on ENSO simulations until meridional wind stress anomalies are unrealistically enlarged by a factor of 5.0. However, evidence of an impact on ENSO simulations due to heat flux variability was found. The simulated Nino-3 index without the effect of heat flux anomalies tended to be around 1.0° lower than the observed, as well as the control run, during the peak months of ENSO events.     

利用行星边界层顶上方最邻近标准等压面的实测风推算地面风的方法及其比较

文中提出了一种在实际地形条件下,利用行星边界层顶上方最邻近标准等压面的实测风推算地面风的方法——修正的Taylor螺线法。试算表明,按这种方法和Taylor螺线法推算的地面风场的基本流型均与实测流场相似,但在风速模的均方根误差上,前者较之后者有显著改进.按文中方法推算得到的地面风场所求得的散度场的分布与天气区的配置也较合理,且散度值与实况比较接近.     

登陆台风特大暴雨成因分析

利用常规气象观测资料、卫星云图、雷达产品及福建省自动气象站资料,从高空环流形势、地面中尺度系统以及卫星云图和雷达回波特征等方面,分析了2016年第1号台风“尼伯特”造成福建特大暴雨的中尺度对流系统的特征和形成机制。结果表明:造成特大暴雨的中尺度系统是在台风外围强风速带触及福建沿海时形成的地面中尺度辐合线上发展的,高低空辐散与辐合耦合配置以及对流层中层干空气侵入的不稳定层结提供了有利的环境条件;台湾岛地形对台风空心结构形成、外围强风带影响与台风东侧气流分流并在福建中部沿海汇合具有重要作用。

     

我国热带气旋研究十年进展

使用中国气象局热带气旋年鉴、FY-2云顶亮温资料、常规观测资料及NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,对两个路径相似北上深入内陆,发生变性并直击黑龙江省的1215号超强台风“Bolaven（布拉万）”和1913号超强台风“玲玲（Lingling）”特征和降水差异进行对比分析。结果表明：（1）两次台风暴雨过程均与中尺度锋生有关。较强冷空气侵入促使“布拉万”西北侧锋区强烈锋生,深厚的上升运动形成中尺度对流区,降水强度大,使其变性快,移动慢。（2）“玲玲”北上到相同纬度时具有更大的强度,更深厚的湿层和低层更大的比湿,但由于仅有扩散南下的弱冷空气侵入台风环流,使其变性慢,移动快,台风中心北侧锋生作用弱,降水强度和范围均较小。（3）对流结构和降水强度有较大差异,“布拉万”云系东侧减弱消散,西侧和北侧与冷空气相互作用触发对流;“玲玲”云系结构基本维持不变,中尺度对流云团出现在台风中心及中心北部。（4）“布拉万”过程,大气具有强对流不稳定性,暴雨区域内对流活跃,强降水持续时间长。“玲玲”北上时,仅在低层有弱对流不稳定,对流较弱,强降水持续时间较短。暴雨区低层对流不稳定、中层湿对称不稳定,有利于强降水的维持和发展。

     

The effects of mesoscale convective cells on the surface wind field over the ocean

Near-surface wind velocities were measured on an array of anchored spar buoys in the East China Sea in February 1975 as a part of the Japanese AMTEX '75 (Air Mass Transformation Experiment), a subprogram of GARP. These data were used to determine the effects of atmospheric convection associated with mesoscale convective cells (MCC) on near-surface winds over the ocean. When MCC were present, a peak occurred in the near-surface wind spectrum in the so-called spectral gap.     

卫星云图资料在台风路径相似预报中的应用

利用中国气象局（CMA）最佳台风路径资料、地面加密自动站资料、SRTM30数据与ERA5再分析资料,对2013年相似路径台风“苏力”与“潭美”造成的福建暴雨落区差异的成因进行了分析。结果表明：（1）两次台风暴雨过程中福建强降水落区相对于台风移动路径方向的位置在其登陆前后有所不同,台风登陆前强降水均位于其路径北侧（闽东北）,台风登陆后“苏力”强降水转至其路径南侧,而“潭美”强降水则位于路径附近。（2）台风登陆前“潭美”相较于“苏力”低纬存在强水汽输送带、闽东北上空高能高湿、低层辐合和高层辐散形成的抽吸作用,配合垂直正涡度场及地形抬升作用,该区域上升运动强且伸展高度高,导致其路径北侧降水强度更大、范围更大。（3）台风登陆后,“苏力”路径的南侧为强水汽辐合中心、气流汇合区及能量锋区,垂直正涡度柱南倾,上升运动强烈且强对流不稳定;“潭美”移动路径附近为强水汽辐合中心,西北气流与偏西气流汇合,维持暖湿结构,正涡度柱范围位于台风中心附近,该区域配合低层辐合、高层辐散,强垂直上升运动。受地形的引导、阻挡作用,低层气流加速辐合与抬升,有利于强降水的维持和加强。（4）台风强降水落区与环境风垂直切变有较好的对应关系,强降水区往往位于环境风垂直切变矢量下游和左侧;“苏力”和“潭美”登陆前后环境风垂直切变强弱和方向不同,可能是造成福建暴雨落区差异的重要原因之一。

     

Analysis of the vortivity and divergence of the thermal wind in pure geostrophic flow

By applying the horizontal del operator to the thermal wind equation in vectorial form and considering only horizontal geostrophic motion, expressions are found for the vorticity and divergence of thermal wind. It is shown that vorticity, in the case of pure geostrophic flow at all levels, depends upon four factors, namely: latitude, horizontal distribution of temperature, temperature lapse rate and divergence of horizontal temperature gradient. The divergence of the thermal wind, on the other hand, depends only upon the orientation of the mean isotherms of an isobaric layer relative to the parallel circles. These terms are evaluated and it is shown that the latitude term and the lapse rate term are far greater than the remaining terms of the vorticity equation for geostrophic flow. A criterion is then given which enables to determine the conditions for irrotational horizontal motion with vertical geostrophic wind shear.

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Zusammenfassung Durch Anwendung des horizontalenNabla-Operators auf die thermische Windgleichung in vektorieller Form und bei ausschließlicher Berücksichtigung der geostrophischen Horizontalbewegung lassen sich Ausdrücke für die vorticity und die Divergenz des thermischen Windes herleiten. Es wird gezeigt, daß die vorticity im Falle einer rein geostrophischen Strömung in allen Niveaus von folgenden vier Faktoren bedingt ist: Breite, horizontale Temperaturverteilung, vertikaler Temperaturgradient und Divergenz des horizontalen Temperaturgradienten. Andrerseits hängt die Divergenz des thermischen Windes nur von der Orientierung der mittleren Isothermen einer in Bezug auf die Parallelkreise isobaren Schicht ab. Diese vier Terme werden ausgewertet und es wird gezeigt, daß das Breitenglied und der Term für den Vertikalgradienten viel größer sind als die übrigen Terme der vorticity-Gleichung für geostrophische Strömung. Schließlich wird ein Kriterium entwickelt, das gestattet, die Bedingungen für rotorfreie Horizontalbewegung mit vertikaler geostrophischer Windscherung zu bestimmen.

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Résumé On peut déduire des équations sur la rotationelle et la divergence du vent thermique en appliquant l'opérateur nabla horizontal à l'équation du vent thermique sous une forme vectorielle et en ne considérant que le mouvement géostrophique horizontal. On démontre que la rotationelle, dans le cas d'un courant géostrophique pur, dépend dans tous les niveaux des quatre facteurs suivants: latitude, répartition horizontale de la température, gradient vertical de la température et divergence du gradient horizontal de température. D'autre part, la divergence du vent thermique ne dépend que de l'orientation des isothermes moyennes d'une couche isobare par rapport aux parallèles. En évaluant ces quatre termes, on montre que les termes relatifs à la latitude et au gradient vertical sont beaucoup plus grands que les autres termes de l'équation de la rotationelle pour un courant géostrophique. Pour terminer, l'auteur développe un critère qui permet de déterminer les conditions pour un mouvement horizontal irrotationel mais avec un cisaillement vertical géostrophique du vent.

     

东亚高空温带急流区经向风的季节变化及其与亚洲季风的关系

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料研究东亚高空温带急流的位置、强度、结构和季节转换特征及其与亚洲季风的关系,发现温带急流在300 hPa高度上最为明显,在风场分布上表现为全风速大值脊线延伸区和流线密集区,冬季主要活动于120°E以西的45°—60°N地区,在逐日风场上对应着急流发生频数的高值区域,并与副热带急流有清晰的分界。对比温带急流和副热带急流中的经向风强度发现,温带急流区的北风分量明显强于副热带急流中的南风分量,在温带急流的形成和季节变化过程中经向风分量起着重要作用。温带急流所在区域为对流层纬向温度梯度大值区,同时经向温度梯度也比较大,因而温带急流位于具有最大纬向温度梯度同时又有南北方向温度梯度这样一个特定的区域,从而形成了温带急流与副热带急流不同的结构特征和季节变化,而东亚地区海陆热力差异引起的温度梯度及其季节转换是引起温带急流季节变化的主要原因。此外,温带急流的强度与副热带急流位置之间具有协同变化关系,温带急流区经向风强度的季节转换时间与东亚大气环流的季节转换、亚洲夏季风爆发和江淮流域梅雨开始也有着密切关系,与中国东部地区冬季和夏季的降水之间具有显著的相关关系。从气候平均的角度来看,温带急流强度变化早于亚洲季风爆发和梅雨开始时间,因而对亚洲季风爆发和梅雨开始有预示作用。     

Triggering of atmospheric circulations by moisture inhomogeneities of the earth's surface

A two-dimensional mesoscale soil-atmosphere model is used to simulate the triggering of atmospheric convection by horizontally varying soil water content. The variation is periodic with a wavelength between 4 and 40 km, which is considered a realistic scale for the variation of land surface characteristics. Three stages of convection can be clearly discerned: a short initial stage when convection sets in and where the size of the conective cells is determined by , a mature stage with well developed cells whose size is still determined by , and a decay/transformation stage, characterized by the formation of narrow regions of strong updrafts and wide regions of moderate downdrafts, independent of . Parameters relevant for the transition are given, and the importance of the feedback between soil and atmosphere is demonstrated. The dependence of convective parameters, e.g., height of the convective layer, vertical velocity and fluxes of heat and moisture on is investigated. The calculations of the mature stage are compared with the predictions of a linear model.     

强对流天气发生前期地面风场特征

根据对华东地区9次强对流天气的地面风场分析发现,强对流的发生发展与锋前暖区的中尺度辐合线有密切关系,与地面中尺度辐合线相伴的扰动辐合值为-0.8×10~(-4)·s~(-1)左右.当有移动的天气系统与其相遇时,交点附近扰动辐合值迅速增大,促使对流迅猛发展且移速加快.辐合线的形成与大尺度背景和特定地形有关.移动的中尺度辐合线与变压风有关而静正辐合线常与露点锋相伴.     

东亚季风区冬季经向风的季节内变化及其可能机理

利用1979—2013年ERA-interim再分析资料,通过均方差分析、功率谱分析、带通滤波及合成分析等统计方法系统地分析了东亚季风区冬季经向风的季节内变化及其可能机理。结果表明,东亚季风区冬季经向风异常在我国华南一带变化显著,振荡周期为10~20 d(准双周振荡)。在准双周尺度上,水平方向上,850 h Pa异常北风主要呈现从高纬向低纬传播的特点,60°N附近异常经向风向东南方向传播,副热带30°N附近弱的异常经向风向东传播,二者在华南汇合,随后分为两支中心,分别向南和向东继续传播,我国华南一带存在基本气流向准双周尺度波动的能量转换,因此异常经向风在华南会显著增强;垂直方向上,对流层上层、中层、下层的经向风呈现强—弱—强的异常中心特征,对流层下层850 h Pa和上层200~300 h Pa均存在经向风大值中心;我国东部上空300 h Pa上,副热带地区波动比850 h Pa更明显,60°N附近波动向东南方向移动,同样在我国东部地区合并,波动辐合导致波动能量增强。