Increasing drought has been observed by SPEI_pm in Southwest China during 1962–2012

Drought is regarded as an environmental disaster that has significantly impacted on economic and social development in recent decades, particularly in Southwest China (SWC). Here, we presented an analysis of spatiotemporal variations of meteorological drought in SWC. We computed the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index using the Penman–Monteith equation (SPEI_pm) and explored spatiotemporal variational evolution of drought in SWC during 1962–2012 utilizing the Mann–Kendall test, continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and rotated empirical orthogonal function (REOF). We also analyzed the relationship between the rotated principal component time series (RPCs) and the 74 circulation indices. The results showed that (1) SWC displayed a dry trend at annual and seasonal scale with a 2–4-year significant period. The SWC can be divided into six sub-climate regions with different aridity and wetness features. (2) Among the six regions, the Eastern Yunnan Plateau showed an obvious dry trend while Hanzhong Basin and the Eastern Mountain Areas showed a wet trend that was not significant. There were 2–8-year periods of oscillation in general within the variation of the six regions. (3) The indices of the strength of the polar vortex in Asia (APVA) may affect the drought evolution of the whole study area. The change of drought in Eastern Yunnan Plateau and Sichuan Basin may be associated with Tibetan Plateau High.     

Causes and Predictability of the 2021 Spring Southwestern China Severe Drought

In the spring of 2021, southwestern China (SWC) experienced extreme drought, accompanied by the highest seasonal-mean temperature record since 1961. This drought event occurred in the decaying phase of a La Ni?a event with negative geopotential height anomalies over the Philippine Sea, which is distinct from the historical perspective. Historically, spring drought over SWC is often linked to El Ni?o and strong western North Pacific subtropical high. Here, we show that the extreme drought in the spring of 2021 may be mainly driven by the atmospheric internal variability and amplified by the warming trend. Specifically, the evaporation increase due to the high temperature accounts for about 30% of drought severity, with the contributions of its linear trend portion being nearly 20% and the interannual variability portion being about 10%. Since the sea surface temperature forcing from the tropical central and eastern Pacific played a minor role in the occurrence of drought, it is a challenge for a climate model to capture the 2021 SWC drought beyond one-month lead times.     

2011年8月气候异常及成因分析

在总结2011年8月我国气候异常与大气环流特征的基础上,针对西南干旱和热带气旋活动偏少两大气候异常事件的成因进行了分析。结果表明：高度场偏高、西太平洋副热带高压偏强、夏季风偏弱和水汽条件较差等大气环流异常是导致高温干旱的主要原因;中部型拉尼娜事件的滞后影响和印度洋偏暖的影响是西南干旱的重要外强迫条件。南海对流活动偏弱,菲律宾以东季风槽位置偏北,热带气旋活动区域垂直风切偏大,西北太平洋副热带高压偏强等因素导致热带气旋活动偏少。     

基于CoLM模型的根分布对陆-气水热交换的影响研究:以玉米农田为例

利用2007—2008年辽宁锦州玉米农田生态系统野外观测站资料,基于CoLM模型对玉米根分布在陆-气水热通量模拟中的影响进行研究,结果表明:模型模拟性能随年际气象条件的差异而不同,与2007年相比,2008年生长季内降水偏多,感热和潜热模拟精度明显提高;决定根分布形态的50%和95%根总量土层深度(d50和d95)两个参数中,d50比d95敏感;根分布对土壤湿度的影响在极端干旱条件下很小,在一定土壤湿度范围内随土壤湿度及土层深度的增大而减小;在水汽通量各分量中,植物蒸腾受根分布影响最大,其次是土壤蒸发,而叶片蒸发不受影响;根分布对潜热和感热模拟的影响随土壤湿度增大而减小。     

中国西北地区东部近546年干旱事件特征分析

以西北地区东部的17个代表站1470—2008年的旱涝等级资料和1958—2015年5—9月气象站降水量数据为基础，建立了546年中国西北地区东部旱涝等级序列，采用经验正交函数分解、滑动t检验等统计方法，对其干湿演变规律进行分析，详细讨论了546年极端干旱事件及干旱持续性特征。结果表明:旱涝等级资料能够较好地反映西北地区东部干旱变化的时、空特征；在百年尺度上，20世纪发生旱、偏旱最为频繁，且高值区位于宁夏及陕北；干旱尺度因子的空间分布表明宁夏东部及陕北地区的干旱持续性相对较强，陇南及陕西南部地区的干旱持续性较差；空间范围较大且强度较大的重大干旱事件对干旱的持续发生起重要作用，历史上发生在1470—1500年和1910—1940年的两次西北地区东部百年甚至两百年一遇的极端干旱事件，对该地区干旱持续性的影响较为显著。      

THE EFFECT OF EQUATORIAL CENTRAL PACIFIC SSTAS ON THE INTERANNUAL VARIATION OF PRECIPITATION OVER SOUTHWEST CHINA DURING SPRING

The interannual variations of rainfall over southwest China (SWC) during spring and its relationship with sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the Pacific are analyzed, based on monthly mean precipitation data from 26 stations in SWC between 1961 and 2010, NCEP/NCAR re-analysis data, and Hadley global SST data. Sensitivity tests are conducted to assess the response of precipitation in SWC to SSTAs over two key oceanic domains, using the global atmospheric circulation model ECHAM5. The interannual variation of rainfall over SWC in spring is very significant. There are strong negative (positive) correlation coefficients between the anomalous precipitation over SWC and SSTAs over the equatorial central Pacific (the mid-latitude Pacific) during spring. Numerical simulations show that local rainfall in the northwest of the equatorial central Pacific is suppressed, and a subtropical anticyclone circulation anomaly is produced, while a cyclonic circulation anomaly in the mid-latitude western Pacific occurs, when the equatorial Pacific SSTAs are in a cold phase in spring. Anomalous northerly winds appear in the northeastern part of SWC in the lower troposphere. Precipitation increases over the Maritime Continent of the western equatorial Pacific, while a cyclonic circulation anomaly appears in the northwest of the western equatorial Pacific. A trough over the Bay of Bengal enhances the southerly flow in the south of SWC. The trough also enhances the transport of moisture to SWC. The warm moisture intersects with anomalous cold air over the northeast of SWC, and so precipitation increases during spring. On the interannual time scale, the impacts of the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs on rainfall in SWC during spring are not significant, because the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs are affected by the equatorial central Pacific SSTAs; that is, the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs are a feedback to the circulation anomaly caused by the equatorial central Pacific SSTAs.     

Global annual mean surface air temperature anomalies and their link with Indian summer monsoon failures

Analysis of the global mean annual temperature anomalies based on land and marine data for the last 88 years (1901-1988) of this century has been carried out with a view to find any relationship with failures in Indian summer monsoon rainfall. On the climatological scale (i.e. 30 years) it has been noticed that there is as abnormal increase in the frequency of drought years during epochs of global warming and cooling, while it is considerably less when global temperatures are near normal. Results are unchanged even when the data are filtered out for ENSO (El-Nino South-ern Oscillation) effect.It has also been noticed that during warm and cold epochs in global temperatures the amount of summer mon-soon rainfall decreases as compared to the rainfall during a normal temperature epoch.     

EFFECT OF TROPICAL CYCLONE PRECIPITATION ON ALLEVIATING THE DROUGHT SITUATION IN THE SOUTHEAST COASTAL REGIONS OF CHINA DURING SUMMER AND AUTUMN: USING THE IMPROVED OBJECTIVE SYNOPTIC ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE

To quantitatively study the role of tropical cyclone precipitation (TCP) on alleviating the drought in the southeast coastal region of China (SCR) during summer and autumn, the objective synoptic analysis technique (OSAT), improved for consistency and rationality, was used to separate the TCP data on the summers and autumns of 1963–2005 on the basis of daily precipitation data from stations and tropical cyclone best track data. After defining the season drought index, the actual drought distribution and the assumed drought distribution without TCP were acquired. The results showed that within 1 000 km from the southeast coastline of China, TCP accounted for 11.3% of natural precipitation (NP). Without TCP, the drought index in the SCR during summer would have increased from 0.2 to 0.6 or even above 1.0 in some regions whereas the drought index during autumn would have increased from 0.4 to 0.6 or above 1.2 in some regions. The impact of TCP on drought decreases progressively from the southeast coastline to the inland regions. The TCP proportion (TCPP) showed a significant negative correlation with the drought index in many regions of the southeast, and the significant region is wider in autumn than in summer. TCP relieved the drought most significantly within a range of 0–500 km from the southeast coastline. This drought relief showed different characteristics for the interannual variability in summer and autumn, and the cross wavelet transform indicated that the impact of TCP on drought mainly lies in 2–4-year time scales. In particular, there was a significant effect during the summers of 1977–1985 and in the autumns following that of 1985. Therefore, TCP has indeed largely alleviated drought in the SCR during summer and autumn.     

我国西南地区秋季降水年际变化的空间差异及其成因

使用1980～2010年全国站点降水资料、ERA-Interim再分析环流资料、哈德莱海表温度资料,运用聚类分析和旋转经验正交函数分解,对西南地区的秋季降水按照其年际变化规律进行分区,进而分析影响各区域降水变化的物理过程和机理。结果表明:西南地区被分为东、西两个区域。西南东、西区域秋季降水的年际变化、显著周期、旱涝异常年份、相关的环流系统都有明显差异。西南东部秋季降水主要与热带海温异常有关,受低纬度环流影响。当赤道东太平洋为暖海温异常,热带印度洋为西正东负的偶极子型海温异常时,分别激发出西北太平洋反气旋和孟加拉反气旋,共同向西南东部输送水汽,造成西南东部降水偏多。西南西部降水在秋季三个月份与不同的环流形势对应:9月降水由中南半岛反气旋输送的暖湿气流决定;10月降水受高原以东反气旋环流和孟加拉湾低槽共同影响;11月降水主要受中高纬环流异常的影响,与斯堪的纳维亚遥相关存在显著负相关。     

Strengthened influence of the East Asian trough on spring extreme precipitation variability over eastern Southwest China after the late 1980s

The relationship between variations in the East Asian trough (EAT) intensity and spring extreme precipitation over Southwest China (SWC) during 1961–2020 is investigated. The results indicate that there is an interdecadal increase in the relationship between the EAT and spring extreme precipitation over eastern SWC around the late 1980s. During the latter period, the weak (strong) EAT corresponds to a strong and large-scale anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) over the East Asia–Northwest Pacific region. The EAT-related anomalous southerlies (northerlies) dominate eastern SWC, leading to significant upward (downward) motion and moisture convergence (divergence) over the region, providing favorable (unfavorable) dynamic and moisture conditions for extreme precipitation over eastern SWC. In contrast, during the former period, the EAT-related circulation anomalies are weak and cover a relatively smaller region, which cannot significantly affect the moisture and dynamic conditions over eastern SWC; therefore, the response in extreme precipitation over eastern SWC to EAT is weak over the period. The interdecadal change in the relationship between eastern SWC spring extreme precipitation and the EAT could be related to the interdecadal change in the EAT variability. The large (small) variability of the EAT is associated with significant (insignificant) changes in spring extreme precipitation over eastern SWC during the latter (former) period.摘要本文研究表明东亚大槽强度与中国西南地区东部春季极端降水的关系在20世纪80年代末后显著增强, 这可能与东亚大槽自身变率的年代际变化有关. 在80年代末之后, 东亚大槽的变率显著增强, 其对应的大气环流异常也偏强, 范围偏大, 可以显著影响西南地区东部的水汽和动力条件, 从而引起该地区春季极端降水的显著变化. 而在80年代末之前, 东亚大槽的变率偏弱, 其对应的大气环流异常也偏弱, 范围偏小, 因此不能对西南地区东部春季极端降水的变化产生显著影响.     

近半个世纪我国干旱变化的初步研究

利用我国地面606个气象观测台站1951—2006年的逐日降水量和平均气温资料, 使用《气象干旱等级》国家标准中推荐使用的综合气象干旱指数（I_C）, 分析了近半个世纪以来全国及不同地区干旱变化情况。结果表明:总体而言, 全国干旱面积在近50年没有显著增加或减少的趋势, 但不同地区差异较大; 其中东北和华北地区干旱化趋势显著, 特别是20世纪90年代后期至21世纪初, 上述地区发生了连续数年的大范围严重干旱, 在近半个世纪中十分罕见; 东北、华北和西北地区东部的大部分地区在近50年中持续时间最长的干旱事件多发生在1980年以后的20多年中, 而且上述地区在近20多年来干旱发生得更加频繁。另外, 我国干旱化趋势最显著的地区与增暖幅度最大的地区有很大的一致性, 表明区域增暖在干旱变化中起着一定作用。     

西南地区夏季高温热浪时空分布特征及其成因

利用98个测站逐日最高气温资料和ERA-interim再分析数据集,对1979~2018年西南地区夏季高温热浪的时空分布特征及其年际变化异常成因进行研究。结果表明:(1)气候平均西南地区夏季高温热浪频次从东南向西北减少,空间差异显著。近几十年来,西南地区高温热浪总体上显著增多,并表现出明显的年际和年代际变化特征。(2)EOF分解第1模态主要表现为全区一致型,可以反映西南地区夏季高温热浪变化的主要特征。第2模态空间分布大致呈现出南正北负的反相变化特征。(3)西南地区高温热浪偏多可能与对流层中层青藏高原以东至朝鲜半岛的明显高压异常相联系。在这个高压异常的控制下,西太平洋副热带高压向西移动,这有利于西南地区降水减少,云量减少,到达地表的太阳短波辐射增加。同时,东亚西风急流位置北移,可以阻止来自中高纬的冷空气入侵西南地区,引起这里降水减少干旱频发。最终,异常干燥和炎热的地表条件,与有利的大气环流背景相配合,从而造成西南地区夏季高温热浪事件的发生。      

基于CI指数的黑龙江省作物生长关键期干旱变化

利用1961—2008年黑龙江省逐日气象观测资料,计算综合气象干旱指数（CI）,分析黑龙江省作物生长关键期（5—8月）气象干旱频率和气象干旱强度变化。结果表明：黑龙江省作物生长关键期干旱频率1960年最大为79%,1980年最小为58%,干旱频发中心位置变化不大,主要出现在松嫩平原西南部,但集中区向北转移。黑龙江省作物生长关键期干旱强度1960年为最强,其次为2000年,干旱强度最大区域基本稳定在松嫩平原西南部和三江平原中东部。2000年以来,作物生长关键期干旱频发且强度加大,北部渐频、渐强,原来较少发生干旱的三江平原干旱也时有发生且强度较大。     

陇东伏旱的气候变化及预报

利用陇东伏期降水量和蒸发量两要素,定义了伏旱指数来定量表达伏旱,通过对陇东15县(区)伏期降水和伏旱指数的分析,探讨了陇东伏旱的气候特征。对陇东伏期的500hPa平均形势,早年及多雨年环流特征进行分析,找出早年、多雨年的主要差异。通过500hPa高度场、太平洋海温与伏旱的相关性,探讨影响陇东伏旱的成因。最后建立了伏旱的预测模型,并进行了预报,经评定效果良好。     

Hydrology of Prairie Pothole Wetlands during Drought and Deluge: A 17-Year Study of the Cottonwood Lake Wetland Complex in North Dakota in the Perspective of Longer Term Measured and Proxy Hydrological Records

From 1988 to 1992 the north-central plains of North America had a drought that was followed by a wet period that continues to the present (1997). Data on the hydrology of the Cottonwood Lake area (CWLA) collected for nearly 10 years before, and during, the recent dry and wet periods indicate that some prairie pothole wetlands served only a recharge function under all climate conditions. Transpiration from groundwater around the perimeter of groundwater discharge wetlands drew water from the wetlands by the end of summer, even during very wet years.Long-term records of a climate index (Palmer Drought Severity Index), stream discharge (Pembina River), and lake level (Devils Lake) were used to put the 17-year CWLA record into a longer term perspective. In addition, proxy records of climate determined from fossils in the sediments of Devils Lake were also used. These data indicate that the drought of 1988-92 may have been the second worst of the 20th century, but that droughts of that magnitude, and worse, were common during the past 500 years. In contrast, the present wet period may be the wettest it has been during the past 130 years, or possibly the past 500 years.     

Cause of severe droughts in Southwest China during 1951–2010

The cause of severe droughts over the Southwest China (SWC) during the local dry season is investigated based on the station rainfall data and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data during 1951–2010. The droughts are in general consistent with local anomalous descent in the middle troposphere. The diagnosis of the vertical motion (omega) equation indicates that the local descent is primarily maintained by the anomalous cold temperature advection processes. Both the advection of anomalous temperature by mean wind and the advection of mean temperature by anomalous wind contribute to maintaining the anomalous descent over the SWC region. A composite analysis shows that the circulation anomaly over SWC is induced by remote forcing from the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. During La Niña years, enhanced heating over the Maritime Continent induces anomalous downward motion over SWC through the connection of local Hadley circulation. Adiabatic warming associated with the downward motion helps to set up and maintain the local anomalous anticyclone. Another possible route is through the North Atlantic-Asia teleconnection, in which downstream Rossby wave energy propagation plays a crucial role. A negative-phase North Atlantic Oscillation may trigger a large-scale wave train pattern that induces an anomalous anticyclone over the subtropical Asia and promotes the dry condition over SWC.     

Calibration of weather radar using region probability matching method (RPMM)

In this paper, spatiotemporal variability of drought in Xilingol grassland during pasture growing season (from April to September) was investigated, using 52 years (1961–2012) of precipitation data recorded at 14 rain gauge stations in the study area. The Standardized Precipitation Index was used to compute the severity of drought. The Mann-Kendall test, the linear trend, and the sequential Mann-Kendall test were applied to standardized precipitation index (SPI) time series. The results indicate that drought has become increasingly serious on the region scale during pasture growing season, and the rate of SPI decreases ranged from ?0.112 to ?0.013 per decade. As for the MK test, most of the stations, the Z value range is from ?1.081 to ?0.005 and Kendall’s τ varies from ?0.104 to ?0.024. Meanwhile, drought is increased obviously from the northwest to the southeast region. Meanwhile, the occurrence probability of each severity class, times for reaching different drought class from any drought severity state, and residence times in each drought class have been obtained with Markov chain. Furthermore, the drought severities during pasture growing season in 2013–2016 are predicted depending on the weighted Markov chain. The results may provide a scientific basis for preventing and mitigating drought disaster.     

Interannual winter rainfall variability in SW South Africa and large scale ocean–atmosphere interactions

Summary The Southwestern Cape (SWC) region of South Africa is characterized by winter rainfall mainly via cold fronts and by substantial interannual variability. Evidence is presented that interannual variability in SWC winter rainfall is related to sea-surface temperature (SST) and sea-ice anomalies in the central South Atlantic and adjoining Southern Ocean and to large scale ocean–atmosphere interaction in this region. During wet winters, the jet is strengthened just upstream of the SWC and significant cyclonic anomalies extend from the SW Atlantic over the region. SST tends to be anomalously warm (cool) in the SW Atlantic and SE Atlantic (central South Atlantic) and sea-ice extent increased in the central South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. These patterns favor increased cyclogenesis upstream, a more northward track of midlatitude depressions, local intensification near the SWC and enhanced rainfall. Roughly the reverse patterns occur during dry winters. Some preliminary results from atmospheric GCM experiments are presented which help support these findings. Received November 9, 2001 Revised December 28, 2001     

Complex aspen forest carbon and root dynamics during drought

Drought-induced vegetation mortality has been documented on every vegetated continent in recent decades and constitutes a major uncertainty in climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and carbon cycle feedbacks. While recent research has focused on specific failure mechanisms during drought-induced forest die-off, a broader understanding of the physiology of trees under drought, especially changes in growth and carbon allocation, is needed for determining the sensitivity of forests to drought and interacting mechanisms during forest mortality. I present here multi-tissue and high-resolution temporal dynamics of tree carbon resources during moderate experimental and natural drought in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) forests, a major forest type in western North America that recently experienced widespread drought-induced die-off. Drought led to substantial declines in inferred carbon uptake. Tree carbohydrate concentrations, however, largely increased in concert with substantial decreases in growth and severe declines in root biomass. These findings highlight that growth declines, especially in fine roots which are important to water uptake, and increased carbon allocation to root non-structural carbohydrates are key responses to drought in aspen and could play an important role in widespread die-off. They suggest multi-year consequences of drought and carbon-hydraulic interconnections. They underscore the need for a more integrated multi-tissue, multi-process, and multi-year perspective of climate-induced forest mortality.     

基于3种遥感指数的东北春玉米干旱识别对比

以东北春玉米为研究对象,探究利用植被光合特性的日光诱导叶绿素荧光(solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence,SIF)指数、近红外-短波红外波段构建的归一化差值水分指数(normalized difference water index,NDWI)和可见光-近红外波段构建的归一化差值植被指数(normalized difference vegetation index,NDVI)识别东北春玉米干旱的准确度和敏感度。研究发现:SIF指数、NDWI和NDVI对干旱识别准确度均超过80%,其中重度干旱准确度超过94%,且在春玉米苗期表现最佳;3种指数对比可知,SIF指数在春玉米干旱识别的准确度和敏感度方面均最佳,分别为89.27%和81.65%,NDWI敏感度次之,NDVI最差。表明基于光合特性的SIF指数在识别东北春玉米干旱方面优于基于地物光谱特性所构建的植被指数。