Studies on the Northern Early Summer Teleconnection Patterns, Their Interannual Variations and Relation to Drought / Flood in China

By using the one-point correlation method, calculations have been made of the northern early summer 500 hPa teleconnection patterns. Seven teleconnection patterns are revealed, namely, the Western Atlantic (WA), the Eastern Atlantic (EA), the Eurasian (EU), the Bengal / Northern Pacific (BNP), the Western Pacific (WP), the East Asian / Pacific (EAP), and the Huanghe / East Asian (HEA) patterns. Their centers are determined and their yearly intensity indices (1951-1990) are calculated. On this basis the relationship between their interannual variations and the drought / flood in China is examined. It is noted that the EU, HEA and EAP wave trains are closely related to the drought / flood in China. The HEA and EAP patterns strongly influence the precipitation in eastern China. For example, the fierce floods experienced in 1991 early summer over China are related to the weak EAP and strong HEA patterns.     

Achievements on the Study of the Continent Atmospheric Baseline

The Study of the Continent Atmospheric Baseline (SCAB) is one of Fundamental Research Projects of the PRC Ministry of Science and Technology. It was formally started at the beginning of 2000. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Mt. Wa Liguan GAW/ WMO baseline observatory (Qinghai Province), atmospheric background stations in Lin'an (Zhejiang Province), Shangdianzi (Beijing) and Longfengshan (Heilongjiang Province) participated in the project. The main stipulated tasks are fulfilled, and the final summery report is being prepared. The main advances and achievements in the SCAB are as follows:     

A Numerical Study on Effects of Land-Surface Heterogeneity from “Combined Approach” on Atmospheric Process Part I: Principle and Method

1.IntroductionAnideallandsurfacemodelmustbothrealisticallydescribethelandsurfacecharacteristics(especiallytheuniversalheterogeneity)andbecomputationallyinexpensive.CurrentlyPOpularlandsurfacemodelsareallbasedon"bigfeartheory,inwhichamodelgridcellisdividedintomanypatches(e.g.,abaresoilpatchoravegetationpatch;manyregularpatchesdividedintoaccordingtogeographicallocations),andinwhichonlyinterpatchvariabilityistakenintoaccountwhileseldomintrapatchvariabilityis,whentheheterogeneityisconsidered.Even…     

The Impact of Soil Moisture on Dispersion-Related Characteristics

This study investigates the impact of soil moisture availability on dispersion-related characteristics: surface friction velocity (u* ), characteristic scales of temperature and humidity (T * and q * ), the planetary boundary layer height (h) and atmospheric stability classified by Monin-Obukhov length (L), Kazanski-Monin parameter (μ) and convective velocity scale (w* ) during daytime convective condition using a one-dimensional primitive equation with a refined soil model.     

Topographic Effect on the Energetics of Geostrophic Adjustment

1. IntroductionThe adjustment of mass and velocity fields tosome imposed state of imbalance, constitutes a clas-sical problem in meteorology and oceanography. Tak-ing into account of the earth's rotation, the process isusually referred to as 'geostrophic adjustment', and isconcerned with the wind and density fields that persistafter gravity waves have radiated excess energy away(Rossby, 1937), and with the form of the gravity-waveenergy itself. Since the pioneer work of Rossby (1937),the stud…     

The Effect of Asymmetric Wind Structures of Tropical Cyclones on Their Tracks

1. IntroductionStudies on the tracks of tropical cyclones (TCs)have been one of the core problems in TC dynamics.In earlier researches, TCs are often viewed aspoint vortices, Rankine vortices. For example, Yeh(1950) and Kuo (1969), adopting dynamical methods,studied the motions of TCs and the effects of environ-ments. Their findings indicated that the motion tracksof TCs are characterized by cyclonic trochoidal oscil-lations.Syono (1955), by solving the barotropic vorticityequation, obta…     

A Medium/Long-Range Forecast of Pacific Subtropical High Based on Dynamic Statistic Model Reconstruction

Based on the 500-hPa geopotential height field series of T106 numerical forecast products,by empirical orthogonal function(EOF)time-space separation,and on the hypotheses of EOF space-models being stable, the EOF time coefficient series were taken as dynamical statistic model variables.The dynamic system reconstruction idea and genetic algorithm were introduced to make the dynamical model parameters opti- mized,and a nonlinear dynamic statistic model of EOF separating time coefficient series was established.By the model time integral and EOF time-space reconstruction,a medium/long-range forecast of subtropical high was carried out.The results show that the dynamical model forecast and T106 numerical forecast were approximately similar in the short-range forecast(≤5 days),but in the medium/long-range forecast (≥5 days),the forecast results of dynamical model was superior to that of T106 numerical products.A new method and idea were presented for diagnosing and forecasting complicated weathers such as subtropical high,and showed a better application outlook.     

Impact of Planetary Wave Reflection on Tropospheric Blocking over the Urals–Siberia Region in January 2008

Planetary wave reflection from the stratosphere played a significant role in changing the tropospheric circulation pattern over Eurasia in mid-January 2008. We studied the 2008 event and compared with composite analysis(winters of 2002/2003,2004/2005, 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2010/2011 and 2011/2012), when the downward coupling was stronger, by employing time-lagged singular value decomposition analysis on the geopotential height field. In the Northern Hemisphere, the geopotential fields were decomposed into zonal mean and wave components to compare the relative covariance patterns. It was found that the wavenumber 1(WN1) component was dominant compared with the wavenumber 2(WN2) component and zonal mean process. For the WN1 field, the covariance was much higher(lower) for the negative(positive) lag, with a prominent peak around +15 days when the leading stratosphere coupled strongly with the troposphere. It contributed to the downward coupling due to reflection, when the stratosphere exhibited a partially reflective background state. We also analyzed the evolution of the WN1 anomaly and heat flux anomaly, both in the troposphere and stratosphere, during January–March 2008. The amplitude of the tropospheric WN1 pattern reached a maximum and was consistent with a downward wave coupling event influenced by the stratospheric WN1 anomaly at 10 h Pa. This was consistent with the reflection of the WN1 component over Eurasia, which triggered an anomalous blocking high in the Urals–Siberia region. We further clarified the impact of reflection on the tropospheric WN1 field and hence the tropospheric circulation pattern by changing the propagation direction during and after the event.     

Future Changes in Extreme High Temperature over China at 1.5℃-5℃ Global Warming Based on CMIP6 Simulations

Extreme high temperature(EHT)events are among the most impact-related consequences related to climate change,especially for China,a nation with a large population that is vulnerable to the climate warming.Based on the latest Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6(CMIP6),this study assesses future EHT changes across China at five specific global warming thresholds(1.5℃-5℃).The results indicate that global mean temperature will increase by 1.5℃/2℃ before 2030/2050 relative to pre-industrial levels(1861-1900)under three future scenarios(SSP1-2.6,SSP2-4.5,and SSP5-8.5),and warming will occur faster under SSP5-8.5 compared to SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5.Under SSP5-8.5,global warming will eventually exceed 5℃ by 2100,while under SSP1-2.6,it will stabilize around 2℃ after 2050.In China,most of the areas where warming exceeds global average levels will be located in Tibet and northern China(Northwest China,North China and Northeast China),covering 50%-70%of the country.Furthermore,about 0.19-0.44 billion people(accounting for 16%-41%of the national population)will experience warming above the global average.Compared to present-day(1995-2014),the warmest day(TXx)will increase most notably in northern China,while the number of warm days(TX90p)and warm spell duration indicator(WSDI)will increase most profoundly in southern China.For example,relative to the present-day,TXx will increase by 1℃-5℃ in northern China,and TX90p(WSDI)will increase by 25-150(10-80)days in southern China at 1.5℃-5℃ global warming.Compared to 2℃-5℃,limiting global warming to 1.5℃ will help avoid about 36%-87%of the EHT increases in China.     

Numerical Study on Impact of the Boundary Layer Fluxes over Wetland on Sustention and Rainfall of Landfalling Tropical Cyclones

Numerical studies have been carried out to investigate the sustention and intensification of Typhoon Nina (7503), and the impacts of saturated wetland on the sustention and rainfall of tropical cyclone (TC) over land through sensitivity experiments, using the PSU/NCAR non-hydrostatic mesoscale model MM5v3 and its TC bogus scheme. The results show that the vertical transfer of fluxes in the boundary layer over saturated wetland has significant influence on the intensity, structure, and rainfall of a landfalling TC. The latent heating flux and the sensible heating flux are both favourable for TC sustaining and intensification on which the latent heating transfer is more favourable than the sensible heating transfer. They are also favourable for the maintenance of the spiral structure, and have an evident effect on the distribution of TC rainfall. The momentum flux weakens the TC vortex wind fields significantly, and is the dominant factor to dissipate and fill in a low pressure system, while it increases the local precipitation induced by a typhoon.     

A Numerical Study on Effects of Land-Surface Heterogeneity from ‘Combined Approach’ on Atmospheric Process Part II: Coupling-Model Simulations

Two land surface schemes, one the standard Biosphere / Atmosphere Transfer Scheme Version le (B0Z) and the other B1Z based on B0Z and heterogeneously-treated by ‘combined approach’ , were coupled to the meso-scale model MM4, respectively. Through the calculations of equations from the companion paper, parameters representing land surface heterogeneity and suitable for the coupling models were found out. Three cases were simulated for heavy rainfalls during 36 hours, and the sensitivity of short-term weath-er modeling to the land surface heterogeneity was tested. Through the analysis of the simulations of the three heavy rainfalls, it was demonstrated that B1Z, compared with B0Z, could more realistically reflect the features of the land surface heterogeneity, therefore could more realistically reproduce the circulation and precipitation amount in the heavy rainfall processes of the three cases. This shows that even short-term weather is sensitive to the land surface heterogeneity, which is more obvious with time passing, and whose influence is more pronounced in the lower layer and gradually extends to the middle and upper layer. Through the analysis of these simulations with B1Z, it is suggested that the bulk effect of smaller-scale fluxes (i.e., the momentum, water vapor and sensible heat fluxes) near the significantly-heterogeneous Land surface is to change the larger-scale (i.e., meso-scale) circulation, and then to influence the development of the low-level jets and precipitation. And also, the complexity of the land-atmosphere interaction was shown in these simulations.     

Effects of land-surface heterogeneity on numerical simulations of mesoscale atmospheric boundary layer processes

Landscape heterogeneity that causes surface flux variability plays a very important role in triggering mesoscale atmospheric circulations and convective weather processes. In most mesoscale numerical models, however, subgrid-scale heterogeneity is somewhat smoothed or not adequately accounted for, leading to artificial changes in heterogeneity patterns (e.g., patterns of land cover, land use, terrain, and soil types and soil moisture). At the domain-wide scale, the combination of losses in subgrid-scale heterogeneity from many adjacent grids may artificially produce larger-scale, more homogeneous landscapes. Therefore, increased grid spacing in models may result in increased losses in landscape heterogeneity. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting model in this paper, we design a number of experiments to examine the effects of such artificial changes in heterogeneity patterns on numerical simulations of surface flux exchanges, near-surface meteorological fields, atmospheric planetary boundary layer (PBL) processes, mesoscale circulations, and mesoscale fluxes. Our results indicate that the increased heterogeneity losses in the model lead to substantial, nonlinear changes in temporal evaluations and spatial patterns of PBL dynamic and thermodynamic processes. The decreased heterogeneity favor developments of more organized mesoscale circulations, leading to enhanced mesoscale fluxes and, in turn, the vertical transport of heat and moisture. This effect is more pronounced in the areas with greater surface heterogeneity. Since more homogeneous land-surface characteristics are created in regional models with greater surface grid scales, these artificial mesoscale fluxes may have significant impacts on simulations of larger-scale atmospheric processes.     

两次暴雨过程模拟对陆面参数化方案的敏感性研究

选取发生在江西和福建境内的两次暴雨个例,利用NCEP再分析资料在对暴雨发生前、后的环境场和物理量场进行诊断和对比分析的基础上,采用中尺度模式WRF V3.3,通过数值模拟探讨了陆面过程对两次暴雨过程的可能影响及其相关的物理过程。结果表明,2012年5月12日江西大暴雨主要受大尺度环流和中尺度天气系统影响,具有范围大、持续时间长等特点,属于大尺度降水为主的暴雨;而2011年8月23日福建暴雨发生在副热带高压控制下的午后,局地下垫面强烈的感热和潜热通量使低层大气不稳定性增强,触发了此次对流性降水为主的暴雨。通过资料诊断分析,可以判断陆面过程对福建暴雨个例的影响程度明显强于江西暴雨个例。通过关闭地表通量试验发现,陆面过程对暴雨模拟十分重要,尤其是对于该个例中对流性降水的发生起到关键性的作用。通过陆面参数化方案的敏感性试验发现,两次暴雨过程对陆面参数化方案均较为敏感。江西暴雨对陆面过程的敏感性主要体现在对流降水的模拟上,而福建暴雨则体现在大尺度降水的模拟方面,即福建暴雨对陆面参数化方案的敏感性强于江西暴雨。敏感性产生机制与降水类型关系紧密,大尺度降水对陆面过程的敏感性主要来源于不同参数化模拟的中高空对流系统的差异,而对流降水的敏感性则与不同参数化模拟的地表通量的差异有关。通过陆面参数的扰动试验进一步发现,相比于地表粗糙度和最小叶孔阻抗,土壤孔隙度和地表反照率则是影响对流降水对陆面过程敏感的关键因子,这在本质上与地表通量是否受到扰动有关。地表通量较风场而言,受扰动引起变化的空间范围广、时间响应快,变化具有明显规律性。所得结果可为深入理解陆面过程影响暴雨等天气过程和改进数值模式对暴雨的模拟能力提供一定的参考。     

华东中尺度地形对浙北暴雨影响的模拟研究

以一次梅雨降水为例，利用中尺度模式进行一系列中尺度地形对降水的增幅影响的敏感性试验。结果表明，中尺度地形对强降水区域的分布和强度有很大的影响，强降水中心位于地形附近，地形引起的１２小时降水增幅高达总降水的９０％以上；中尺度地形作为一种外界迫动，初始在低层形成气旋性辐合和水汽热量的集中，然后通过凝结潜热释放所造成的中高层增温和高层辐散，使得地形垂直环流加强和向上伸展。于是在降水、潜热释放与地形垂直环流之间出现一种正反馈机制，导致地形对降水的强烈增幅；同时午后下垫面加热所形成的不稳定层结也有利于地形垂直环流的不稳定发展，产生新的雨峰；初始场的中尺度扰动似乎在降水的地形性增幅中并不起明显作用。     

江南地面热通量对江淮气旋暴雨影响的模拟研究

通过对一次江淮气旋暴雨个例的数值模拟，研究地面热通量与大尺度流型结合作用对气旋降水系统的影响。过程前期存在南北两大片地面热通量正值区，北片位于气旋所在处及其前方，南片位于上游低空急流处。模拟比较两片地面热通量的作用发现，前期南片地面热通量，特别是强潜热通量，通过与其上空低空急流的共同作用，对后期下游江淮气旋降水系统的加强起着更为重要的作用。对其机制的初步探讨表明：由地面通量进入低层大气的水汽，通过西南气流向长江中下游输送，改变下游大气的温湿结构，并通过积云对流和层状云雨潜热释放等非绝热过程，促进后期气旋降水系统的发展     

陆面过程对气候影响的数值模拟:SSiB与IAP/LASG L9R15 AGCM耦合及其模式性能

利用陆面过程模式 SSi B与 IAP/LASG发展的 L9R1 5AGCM的耦合 1 0 a积分试验 ,研究了全球尺度大气与地表的水分和能量交换以及陆地与大气环流和气候的相互作用。模拟表明 :SSi B模式可模拟出陆地上较为真实的表面通量及其日变化 ,较好地定量描述土壤 -植被 -大气连续体系 ( SPAC)中能量和水分的传输过程。因此 ,将其引入气候模式中能够模拟出比 CTL- AGCM更合理的气候平均状态、水汽分布以及水汽输送的气候特征 ,特别是亚洲夏季风水汽输送独特的地域性 ,再现了大气环流 ,尤其是陆面气候的基本特征。并指出 ,陆面过程参数化的引进及其陆面状况的变化显著地改善了全球陆地上的水分平衡状况。利用改进的再循环降水模式 ,进一步研究了陆面过程参数化明显改进降水模拟的物理机制。指出全球陆地 ,特别是盛夏北半球干旱、半干旱地区的再循环降水率明显减小 ,与陆面上表面潜热通量的显著减小区一致 ,从而克服了许多未耦合陆面过程的 AGCMs因对地表水过程非常简单地参数化导致的普遍存在着整个陆地降水偏高 ,改善了全球陆地上的水分平衡状况。因此 ,在充分耦合的陆气环流模式中模拟的降水分布与实况接近。     

北京奥运会开幕式期间的中尺度天气系统研究

利用北京地区稠密的地面观测网资料以及北京市观象台、海淀、上甸子3部风廓线仪的观测资料,通过分析2008年8月8日北京奥运会开幕式期间发生在北京地区的降水过程,讨论了此次过程中在环境风场、地形和城市热岛作用下,中尺度系统发展或减弱的可能机制及对城区降水的影响。结果表明:城市热岛和地形作用形成的次级环流圈对城区南北两侧的影响不同,在城区南侧,次级环流圈使南风减弱,同时受次级环流圈下沉气流影响,中尺度系统北上时会减弱;在城区北侧,次级环流圈使南风加强,中尺度系统南下时会使气流辐合增强,有利于中尺度系统发展。当环境风场是较弱的偏南风时,城市热岛-地形次级环流圈在城区1500 m以下形成辐合,以上辐散,在3000 m左右辐散最强,不利于北上的中尺度系统向城区发展形成降水。     

High resolution simulation of the South Asian monsoon using a variable resolution global climate model

This study examines the feasibility of using a variable resolution global general circulation model (GCM), with telescopic zooming and enhanced resolution (~35 km) over South Asia, to better understand regional aspects of the South Asian monsoon rainfall distribution and the interactions between monsoon circulation and precipitation. For this purpose, two sets of ten member realizations are produced with and without zooming using the LMDZ (Laboratoire Meteorologie Dynamique and Z stands for zoom) GCM. The simulations without zoom correspond to a uniform 1° × 1° grid with the same total number of grid points as in the zoom version. So the grid of the zoomed simulations is finer inside the region of interest but coarser outside. The use of these finer and coarser resolution ensemble members allows us to examine the impact of resolution on the overall quality of the simulated regional monsoon fields. It is found that the monsoon simulation with high-resolution zooming greatly improves the representation of the southwesterly monsoon flow and the heavy precipitation along the narrow orography of the Western Ghats, the northeastern mountain slopes and northern Bay of Bengal (BOB). A realistic Monsoon Trough (MT) is also noticed in the zoomed simulation, together with remarkable improvements in representing the associated precipitation and circulation features, as well as the large-scale organization of meso-scale convective systems over the MT region. Additionally, a more reasonable simulation of the monsoon synoptic disturbances (lows and disturbances) along the MT is noted in the high-resolution zoomed simulation. On the other hand, the no-zoom version has limitations in capturing the depressions and their movement, so that the MT zone is relatively dry in this case. Overall, the results from this work demonstrate the usefulness of the high-resolution variable resolution LMDZ model in realistically capturing the interactions among the monsoon large-scale dynamics, the synoptic systems and the meso-scale convective systems, which are essential elements of the South Asian monsoon system.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF EFFECTS OF LAND SURFACE PROCESSES ON CLIMATE——IMPLEMENTING OF SSiB IN IAP/LASG AGCM AND ITS PERFORMANCE

This is an investigation of exchanges of energy and water between the atmosphere and thevegetated continents,and the impact of and mechanisms for land surface-atmosphere interactionson hydrological cycle and general circulation by implementing the Simplified Simple Biosphere(SSiB)model in a modified version of IAP/LASG global spectral general model(L9R15 AGCM).This study reveals that the SSiB model produces a better partitioning of the land surface heat andmoisture fluxes and its diurnal variations,and also gives the transport of energy and water amongatmosphere,vegetation and soil explicitly and realistically.Thus the coupled SSiB-AGCM runslead to the more conspicuous improvement in the simulated circulation,precipitation,mean watervapor content and its transport.particularly in the Asian monsoon region in the real world thanCTL-AGCM runs.It is also pointed out that both the implementation of land surfaceparameterizations and the variations in land surface into the GOALS model have greatly improvedhydrological balance over continents and have a significant impact on the simulated climate.particularly over the massive continents.Improved precipitation recycling model was employed to verify the mechanisms for landsurface hydrology parameterizations on hydrological cycle and precipitation climatology in AGCM.It can be argued that the recycling precipitation rate is significantly reduced,particularly in the aridand semi-arid region of the boreal summer hemisphere,coincident with remarkable reduction inevapotranspiration over the continental area.Therefore the coupled SSiB-AGCM runs reduce thebias of too much precipitation over land surface in most AGCMs,thereby bringing the simulatedprecipitation closer to observations in many continental regions of the world than CTL-AGCMruns.     

Effect of land model ensemble versus coupled model ensemble on the simulation of precipitation climatology and variability

Through a series of model simulations with an atmospheric general circulation model coupled to three different land surface models, this study investigates the impacts of land model ensembles and coupled model ensemble on precipitation simulation. It is found that coupling an ensemble of land models to an atmospheric model has a very minor impact on the improvement of precipitation climatology and variability, but a simple ensemble average of the precipitation from three individually coupled land-atmosphere models produces better results, especially for precipitation variability. The generally weak impact of land processes on precipitation should be the main reason that the land model ensembles do not improve precipitation simulation. However, if there are big biases in the land surface model or land surface data set, correcting them could improve the simulated climate, especially for well-constrained regional climate simulations.