Characteristics of the Regional Meteorological Drought Events in Southwest China During 1960–2010

An objective identification technique for regional extreme events(OITREE) and the daily compositedrought index(CI) at 101 stations in Southwest China(including Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Chongqing)are used to detect regional meteorological drought events between 1960 and 2010. Values of the parameters of the OITREE method are determined. A total of 87 drought events are identified, including 9 extreme events. The 2009–2010 drought is the most serious in Southwest China during the past 50 years. The regional meteorological drought events during 1960–2010 generally last for 10–80 days, with the longest being 231days. Droughts are more common from November to next April, and less common in the remaining months.Droughts occur more often and with greater intensity in Yunnan and southern Sichuan than in other parts of Southwest China. Strong(extreme and severe) regional meteorological drought events can be divided into five types. The southern type has occurred most frequently, and Yunnan is the area most frequently stricken by extreme and severe drought events. The regional meteorological drought events in Southwest China have increased in both frequency and intensity over the study period, and the main reason appears to be a significant decrease in precipitation over this region, but a simultaneous increase in temperature also contributes.     

Impact of Anthropogenic Aerosols on Summer Precipitation in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Urban Agglomeration in China:Regional Climate Modeling Using WRF-Chem

The WRF model with chemistry(WRF-Chem) was employed to simulate the impacts of anthropogenic aerosols on summer precipitation over the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration in China. With the aid of a high-resolution gridded inventory of anthropogenic emissions of trace gases and aerosols, we conducted relatively long-term regional simulations,considering direct, semi-direct and indirect effects of the aerosols. Comparing the results of sensitivity experiments with and without emissions, it was found that anthropogenic aerosols tended to enhance summer precipitation over the metropolitan areas. Domain-averaged rainfall was increased throughout the day, except for the time around noon. Aerosols shifted the precipitation probability distribution from light or moderate to extreme rain. Further analysis showed that the anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing had a cooling effect at the land surface, but a warming effect in the atmosphere. However, enhanced convective strength and updrafts accompanied by water vapor increases and cyclone-like wind shear anomalies were found in the urban areas. These responses may originate from cloud microphysical effects of aerosols on convection, which were identified as the primary cause for the summer rainfall enhancement.     

Contrasting Trend of Wintertime Wind Speed Between Near-surface and Upper Air in China During 1979–2021

The long-term height-resolved wind trend in China under global warming still needs to be discovered. To fill this gap, in this paper we examined the climatology and long-term(1979–2021) trends of the wintertime wind speed at the near-surface and upper atmosphere in China based on long-term radiosonde measurements. At 700, 500, and 400 hPa,much higher wind speed was found over eastern China, compared with western China. At 300, 200, and 100 hPa,maximum wind speed was observed in the latitude zone...     

Recent Progress in the Impact of the Tibetan Plateau on Climate in China

Studies of the impacts of the Tibetan Plateau （TP） on climate in China in the last four years are reviewed. It is reported that temperature and precipitation over the TP have increased during recent decades. From satellite data analysis, it is demonstrated that most of the precipitation over the TP is from deep convection clouds. Moreover, the huge TP mechanical forcing and extraordinary elevated thermal forcing impose remarkable impacts upon local circulation and global climate. In winter and spring, stream flow is deflected by a large obstacle and appears as an asymmetric dipole, making East Asia much colder than mid Asia in winter and forming persistent rainfall in late winter and early spring over South China. In late spring, TP heating contributes to the establishment and intensification of the South Asian high and the abrupt seasonal transition of the surrounding circulations. In summer, TP heating in conjunction with the TP air pump cause the deviating stream field to resemble a cyclonic spiral, converging towards and rising over the TP. Therefore, the prominent Asian monsoon climate over East Asia and the dry climate over mid Asia in summer are forced by both TP local forcing and Eurasian continental forcing.
Due to the longer memory of snow and soil moisture, the TP thermal status both in summer and in late winter and spring can influence the variation of Eastern Asian summer rainfall. A combined index using both snow cover over the TP and the ENSO index in winter shows a better seasonal forecast.
On the other hand, strong sensible heating over the Tibetan Plateau in spring contributes significantly to anchor the earliest Asian monsoon being over the eastern Bay of Bengal （BOB） and the western Indochina peninsula. Qualitative prediction of the BOB monsoon onset was attempted by using the sign of meridional temperature gradient in March in the upper troposphere, or at 400 hPa over the TP. It is also demonstrated by a numerical experiment and theoretical study that the heating over the TP lea     

A Diagnostic Study of the Impact of El Nion on the Precipitation in China

1.IntroductionEINifioisthemostoutstandinginterannualvariabilityintheocean.Itiswellknownthattheheatsourcedrivingtheatmosphericgeneralcirculationismainlywithinthetropics.EINinooccursinthetropicalPacificandthewarmingoftheoceanduringtheEINinocancoveralar...     

The Relative Impact of Regional Scale Land Cover Change and Increasing CO_2 over China

A series of 17-yr equilibrium simulations using the NCAR CCM3 (T42 resolution) were performed to investigate the regional scale impacts of land cover change and increasing CO2 over China. Simulations with natural and current land cover at CO2 levels of 280, 355, 430, and 505 ppmv were conducted. Results show statistically significant changes in major climate fields (e.g. temperature and surface wind speed) on a 15-yr average following     

Cold Air Activities in July 2004 and Its Impact on Intense Rainfalls over Southwest China

The severe rainfall events in the mid-summer of July 2004 and the roles of cold air in the forma- tion of heavy precipitation are investigated by using daily observational precipitation data of China and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis.The results show that the severe rainfalls in Southwest China are closely related to the cold air activities from the mid-high latitudes,and the events take place under the cooperative effects of mid-high latitude circulation and low latitude synoptic regimes.It is the merging of a cold vortex over mid-latitudes with the northward landing typhoon and eastward Southwest China Vortex,as well as the abrupt transformation from a transversal trough into an upright one that causes three large alterations of mid-high atmospheric circulation respectively in the early and middle ten days of this month.Then,the amplitude of long waves soon magnifies,leading to the unusual intrusion of cold air to low-latitude areas in the mid-summer.Meanwhile,the warm and humid southwest summer monsoon is quite active.The strong interactions of cold air and summer monsoon over Southwest China result in the large-scale convective rain- falls on the southern side of cold air. With regard to the activities of cold air,it can influence rainfalls in three prominent ways.Firstly,the incursion of upper-level cold air is often accompanied by partial southerly upper-level jet.The ascending branch of the corresponding secondary circulation,which is on the left front side of the jet center,provides the favorite dynamic upward motion for the rainfalls.Secondly,the southward movement of cold air contributes to the establishment of atmospheric baroclinic structure,which would lead to baroclinic disturbances.The atmospheric disturbances associated with the intrusion of cold air can destroy the potential instability strat- ification,release the convective available potential energy(CAPE)and finally cause convective activities.In addition,the advection processes of dry and cold air at the upper level along with the advection of humid and warm air at the lower level are rather significant for the reestablishment of potential instability in the precipitation area,which is one of the crucial factors contributing to persistent rainfalls.     

The Relative Impact of Regional Scale Land Cover Change and Increasing CO2 over China

A series of 17-yr equilibrium simulations using the NCAR CCM3 (T42 resolution) were performed to investigate the regional scale impacts of land cover change and increasing CO2 over China. Simulations with natural and current land cover at CO2 levels of 280,355, 430, and 505 ppmv were conducted. Results show statistically significant changes in major climate fields (e.g. temperature and surface wind speed) on a 15-yr average following land cover change. We also found increases in the maximum temperature and in the diurnal temperature range due to land cover change. Increases in CO2 affect both the maximum and minimum temperature so that changes in the diurnal range are small. Both land cover change and CO2 change also impact the frequency distribution of precipitation with increasing CO2 tending to lead to more intense precipitation and land cover change leading to less intense precipitation-indeed, the impact of land cover change typically had the opposite effect versus the impacts of CO2. Our results provide support for the inclusion of future land cover change scenarios in long-term transitory climate inodelling experiments of the 21st Century. Our results also support the inclusion of land surface models that can represent future land cover changes resulting from an ecological response to natural climate variability or increasing CO2. Overall, we show that land cover change can have a significant impact on the regional scale climate of China, and that regionally, this impact is of a similar magnitude to increases in CO2 of up to about 430 ppmv. This means that that the impact of land cover change must be accounted for in detection and attribution studies over China.     

Numerical Simulation for the Impact of Deforestation on Climate in China and Its Neighboring Regions

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The SST–Wind Coupling Pattern in the East China Sea Based on a Regional Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Model

To study the interaction between sea surface temperature (SST) and surface wind in the East China Sea (ECS), the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere–Wave–Sediment Transport (COAWST) modelling system is used to downscale a global atmospheric reanalysis product over the study area in 2013. A singular value decomposition (SVD) method is applied to SST and surface wind speed to study their coupling relationship in the ECS. The heterogeneous correlation map indicates that the surface wind has a negative correlation with the SST, especially in the Kuroshio Current. From lead-lag correlations between the first principal component of SST and surface wind SVD (filtered using a Lanczos high-pass filter with a 90-day cut-off), a correlation of about 0.1 is found at lag ?6, and a negative correlation of about ?0.3 is also found around lag 1. The results indicate a negative feedback between SST and wind fluctuations at short time-scales. Air–sea heat ?uxes contribute little to the SST variability in the ECS section of the Kuroshio and the analysis of the mixed-layer heat budget shows that the contribution of horizontal advection is dominant in determining the intraseasonal SST signals.     

The Northward Shift of Climatic Belts in China During the Last 50 Years and the Corresponding Seasonal Responses

Along the meridian of 105°E, the Chinese region are divided into two parts, east and west. The results show that in the east part of China the temperate extratropical belt, the warm extratropical belt,and the northern subtropical belt shift northward significantly, whereas the middle subtropical belt and the southern subtropical belt have less or no change. As for the northern subtropical belt, the maximal northward shift can reach 3.7 degrees of latitude. As for the warm extratropical belt, along the meridian of 120°-125°E, the maximal northward shift can reach 3-4 degrees. In the west part of China, each climatic belt changes little. Only in the Xinjiang area are the significant northward shifts. Correspondingly, it is found that in the last 50 years the traditional seasons have changed. For Beijing, Hailar, and Lanzhou, in general, summer becomes longer and winter shorter over the last 50 years. Summer begins early and ends late with respect to early 1950s. Contrary to the summer, winter begins la     

Monthly Changes in the Influence of the Arctic Oscillation on Surface Air Temperature over China

Partial Least Squares Regression （PLSR） is used to study monthly changes in the influence of the Arctic Oscillation （AO） on spring, summer and autumn air temperature over China with the January 500 hPa geopotential height data from 1951 to 2004 and monthly temperature data from January to November at 160 stations in China. Several AO indices have been defined with the 500-hPa geopotential data and the index defined as the first principal component of the normalized geopotential data is best to be used to study the influence of the AO on SAT （surface air temperature） in China. There are three modes through which the AO in winter influences SAT in China. The influence of the AO on SAT in China changes monthly and is stronger in spring and summer than in autumn. The main influenced regions are Northeast China and the Changjiang River drainage area.     

The Influence of ENSO on the Summer Climate Change in China and Its Mechanism

The influence of ENSO on the summer climate change in China and its mechanism from the observed data is discussed. It is discovered that in the developing stage of ENSO, the SST in the western tropical Pacific is colder in summer, the convective activities may be weak around the South China Sea and the Philippines. As a consequence, the subtropical high shifted southward. Therefore, a drought may be caused in the Indo-China peninsula and in the South China. Moreover, in midsummer the subtropical high is weak over the Yangtze River valley and Huaihe River valley, and the flood may be caused in the area from the Yangtze River valley to Huaihe River valley. On the contrary, in the decaying stage of ENSO. the convective activities may be strong around the Philippines, and the subtropical high shifted northward, a drought may be caused in the Yangtze River valley and Huaihe River valley.     

A Model Evaluation of Biological Effects on Seasonal Variation of Air–Sea CO2 Flux in the Yellow and East China Seas

Based on a coupled physical-biogeochemical model of the Yellow and East China Seas (YECS), the influence of biological activity on the seasonal variation of the air–sea CO₂ flux is evaluated. The solution of a sensitivity experiment that excludes biological activity is compared with that of a reference experiment that includes the full processes. The comparison reveals that biological activity results in a much stronger seasonal variation of surface dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and, hence, the ratio of total alkalinity to DIC in the northern parts of the YECS. The increased ratio resulting from biological DIC consumption contributes to the undersaturated partial pressure of CO₂ at the sea surface with respect to the atmosphere, causing the central Yellow Sea in summer and autumn to shift from being a CO₂ source to a sink; this same shift also occurs over the Changjiang Bank in summer. In the southern YECS, the biological effect is relatively weak. The comparison further reveals that low water temperature, instead of biological activity, is the dominant factor causing the YECS to become a carbon sink in spring. The biological effect on the variation of DIC (both at the surface and in the water column) differs greatly among the three representative regions of the YECS because of differences in primary production and hydrodynamic conditions. Particle-tracking simulations quantify the regional difference in horizontal advection. In the northern region, weaker horizontal advection causes the longer residence time of low DIC water induced by biological consumption. Over the entire YECS, biological activity contributes to about one-third of the total annual absorption of atmospheric CO₂.     

Numerical Simulation of Impact of Aircraft NO_x Emissions on Ozone in the Atmosphere over China

The project was started in 1999 and completed in 2001. This project has also been selected by NSFC as an international collaborative research program with University of Oslo, Norway. Various scientific exchanges were conducted through mutual visits, joint workshops, etc. Through nearly 3-year studies, some research results have been obtained. A four-dimensional, 1° (latitude) × 1° (longitude) × 1 km (altitude) × 1 hour, inventory of aircraft NOx emissions over China for the calendar year of 1997 -1998 has been developed using the detailed schedule database of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The     

A Review of Research on Tropical Air–Sea Interaction,ENSO Dynamics,and ENSO Prediction in China

Remarkable progress has been made in observations, theories, and simulations of the ocean–atmosphere system,laying a solid foundation for the improvement of short-term climate prediction, among which Chinese scientists have made important contributions. This paper reviews Chinese research on tropical air–sea interaction, ENSO dynamics,and ENSO prediction in the past 70 years. Review of the tropical air–sea interaction mainly focuses on four aspects:characteristics of the tropical Pacific climate system and ENSO; main modes of tropical Indian Ocean SSTs and their interactions with the tropical Pacific; main modes of tropical Atlantic SSTs and inter-basin interactions; and influences of the mid–high-latitude air–sea system on ENSO. Review of the ENSO dynamics involves seven aspects: fundamental theories of ENSO; diagnosis and simulation of ENSO; the two types of ENSO; mechanisms of ENSO initiation; the interactions between ENSO and other phenomena; external forcings and teleconnections; and climate change and the ENSO response. The ENSO prediction part briefly summarizes the dynamical–statistical methods used in ENSO prediction, as well as the operational ENSO prediction systems and their applications. Lastly, we discuss some of the issues in these areas that are in need of further study.     

MM5 Simulations of the China Regional Climate During the LGM.Ⅰ: Influence of CO2 and Earth Orbit Change

Using a regional climate model MM5 nested to an atmospheric global climate model CCM3, a series of simulations and sensitivity experiments have been performed to investigate the relative Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate response to different mechanisms over China. Model simulations of the present day (PD) climate and the LGM climate change are in good agreement with the observation data and geological records, especially in the simulation of precipitation change. Under the PD and LGM climate, changes of earth orbital parameters have a small influence on the annual mean temperature over China.However, the magnitude of the effect shows a seasonal pattern, with a significant response in winter. Thus,this influence cannot be neglected. During the LGM, CO2 concentration reached its lowest point to 200 ppmv. This results in a temperature decrease over China. The influences of CO2 concentration on climate show seasonal and regional patterns as well, with a significant influence in winter. On the contrary, CO2concentration has less impact in summer season. In some cases, temperature even increases with decreasing in CO2 concentration. This temperature increase is the outcome of decrease in cloud amount; hence increase the solar radiation that reached the earth's surface. This result suggests that cloud amount plays a very important role in climate change and could direct the response patterns of some climate variables such as temperature during certain periods and over certain regions. In the Tibetan Plateau, the temperature responses to changes of the above two factors are generally weaker than those in other regions because the cloud amount in this area is generally more than in the other areas. Relative to the current climate, changes in orbital parameters have less impact on the LGM climate than changes in CO2 concentration. However,both factors have rather less contributions to the climate change in the LGM. About 3%-10% changes in the annual mean temperature are contributed by CO2.     

Impact of the configuration of stretching and ocean–atmosphere coupling on tropical cyclone activity in the variable-resolution GCM ARPEGE

This study starts by investigating the impact of the configuration of the variable-resolution atmospheric grid on tropical cyclone (TC) activity. The French atmospheric general circulation model ARPEGE, the grid of which is rotated and stretched over the North Atlantic basin, was used with prescribed sea surface temperatures. The study clearly shows that changing the position of the stretching pole strongly modifies the representation of TC activity over the North Atlantic basin. A pole in the centre of the North Atlantic basin provides the best representation of the TC activity for this region. In a second part, the variable-resolution climate model ARPEGE is coupled with the European oceanic global climate model NEMO in order to study the impact of ocean–atmosphere coupling on TC activity over the North Atlantic basin. Two pre-industrial runs, a coupled simulation and a simulation forced by the sea surface temperatures from the coupled one, are compared. The results show that the coupled simulation is more active in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico while the forced simulation is more active over eastern Florida and the eastern Atlantic. The difference in the distribution of TC activity is certainly linked with the location of TC genesis. In the forced simulation, tropical cyclogenesis is closer to the west African coast than in the coupled simulation. Moreover, the difference in TC activity over the eastern Atlantic seems to be related to two different mechanisms: the difference in African easterly wave activity over the west of Africa and the cooling produced, in the coupled simulation, by African easterly waves over the eastern Atlantic. Finally, the last part studies the impact of changing the frequency of ocean–atmosphere coupling on Atlantic TC activity. Increasing the frequency of coupling decreases the density of TC activity over the North Atlantic basin. However, it does not modify the spatial distribution of the TC activity. TC rainfalls are decreased by 8?% in the high frequency coupled run.