The impact of surface properties on downward surface shortwave radiation over the Tibetan Plateau

The complexity of inhomogeneous surface–atmosphere radiation transfer is one of the foremost problems in the field of atmospheric physics and atmospheric radiation. To date, the influence of surface properties on shortwave radiation has not been well studied. The daily downward surface shortwave radiation of the latest FLASHFlux/CERES(Fast Longwave And Shortwave Fluxes Time Interpolated and Spatially Averaged/Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) satellite data was evaluated against in situ data. The comparison indicated that the differences between the two data sets are unstable and large over rugged terrain compared with relatively flat terrain, and the mean absolute error of the satellite products reaches 31.4 W m-2(12.3%) over rugged terrain. Based on the SSF(single satellite footprint)/CERES product, the influence of surface properties on the distribution of downward surface shortwave radiation(DSSR) was analyzed. The influence of surface properties on DSSR over the Tibetan Plateau is about twice as large as that in two other regions located at the same latitude(eastern China–western Pacific and subtropical North Pacific). A simulation was carried out with the help of the I3RC(International Intercomparision of Three-Dimensional Radiation Code) Monte Carlo 3D radiative transfer community model. The results showed that DSSR increases as surface albedo increases. Moreover, the impact of surface albedo on DSSR is larger if the spatial distribution of clouds is more non-uniform. It is hoped that these results will contribute to the development of 3D radiative transfer models and the improvement of satellite inversion algorithms.     

The interannual leading modes of the extratropical variability in the Southern Hemisphere simulated by the ECHAM-4 atmospheric model

 An ensemble of twenty-three 14-year experiments conducted with the ECHAM-4 GCM has been examined to test the model's capability to simulate the principal modes of interannual variability. The integrations were performed under specified monthly SST between 1979–1993. The analysis was focused on the Southern Hemisphere (SH) extratropics. Empirical orthogonal functions analysis (EOF) using seasonal anomaly fields has been performed to isolate the principal modes that dominate the southern extratropical variability at the interannual time scale. Leading patterns of 500 hPa geopotential height (z500) have been compared with those estimated from the ECMWF re-analysis dataset. The model is able to adequately reproduce the spatial pattern of the annular mode, but it represents the temporal variations of the oscillation less satisfactorily. The model simulation of the Pacific South American (PSA) pattern is better, both in the shape of the pattern and in the temporal evolution. To verify if the capability of the model to adequately simulate the temporal oscillation of the propagating patterns is related to the increased influence of the tropical external forcing, covarying SST-atmospheric modes have been identified by singular value decomposition (SVD). In winter (July-August-September, JAS) the tropical SST variability is highly correlated with the ENSO mode. In summer (January-February-March, JFM) the strength of the teleconnections is related to strong westerly anomalies, disrupted by a meridional out of phase relation near to South America. The large size of the ensemble was exploited by comparing the time-varying model spread and degrees of freedom of the simulated extratropical circulation. Results show that when the extratropical circulation has a few degrees of freedom, the reproducibility is relatively low and the ensemble is governed by a fairly robust zonally symmetric structure of dispersion. Received: 9 May 2000 / Accepted: 30 January 2001     

The energy cycle in atmospheric models

The energy cycle characterizes basic aspects of the physical behaviour of the climate system. Terms in the energy cycle involve first and second order climate statistics (means, variances, covariances) and the intercomparison of energetic quantities offers physically motivated “second order” insight into model and system behaviour. The energy cycle components of 12 models participating in AMIP2 are calculated, intercompared and assessed against results based on NCEP and ERA reanalyses. In general, models simulate a modestly too vigorous energy cycle and the contributions to and reasons for this are investigated. The results suggest that excessive generation of zonal available potential energy is an important driver of the overactive energy cycle through “generation push” while excessive dissipation of eddy kinetic energy in models is implicated through “dissipation pull‘’. The study shows that “ensemble model” results are best or among the best in the comparison of energy cycle quantities with reanalysis-based values. Thus ensemble approaches are apparently “best” not only for the simulation of 1st order climate statistics as in Lambert and Boer (Clim Dyn 17:83–106, 2001) but also for the higher order climate quantities entering the energy cycle.     

L波段探空判别云区方法的研究

利用Ka波段毫米波云雷达联合雨滴谱仪、L波段探空和地面常规气象台站等观测资料对四川盆地秋季一次层状云弱降水过程进行观测,分析研究了其宏、微观结构特征及雨滴谱分布特征,并对云中融化层(零度层亮带)进行详细的分析和对比。结果表明：(1)云系内有对流泡,雨强大部分集中在2 mm·h^-1以下,降水峰值与对流泡具有较好的对应关系。(2)降水发生前主要为层状云,云顶高度约为3 km,云底高度约为1.5 km,云中主要以粒径小、相态单一的液相粒子为主; 降水发展期的云系以层状云为主,伴随对流泡发生,层状云顶高度约为4 km,云系内的对流泡云顶最高可达10 km,雷达回波及地形成地面降水,云中有明显的零度层亮带(融化层)现象; 降水消散期的云系变为双层云,下层以层积云为主,云顶高度在4 km以下,以粒径小、相态单一的液相粒子为主,上层云以高积云为主,云底高度约在5 km,云顶高度延伸到8 km以上,以粒径小、相态单一的冰相粒子为主。(3)降水发生前和降水发展期云滴谱呈单峰结构,谱较窄,谱宽在0.312~2.375 mm之间,峰值位于0.437 mm,以小粒子为主,降水消散期为双峰型,峰值位于0.437 mm和1.375 mm之间。降水发展期雨滴谱和数浓度相对更大。(4)层状降水云零度层亮带厚度为200~600 m,不同雷达参量上亮带厚度不同; 退偏振比对零度层亮带最为敏感,最早在垂直廓线上出现亮带信息,是粒子相态变化的重要指标; 亮带厚度与径向速度、谱宽、退偏振比差值相关度很高,但与回波强度差值关系不大。

     

Interaction of atmospheric chemistry and climate and its impact on stratospheric ozone

The interactively coupled chemistry-climate model ECHAM4.L39(DLR)/CHEM is employed in sensitivity calculations to investigate feedback mechanisms of dynamic, chemical, and radiative processes. Two multi-year model simulations are carried out, which represent recent atmospheric conditions. It is shown that the model is able to reproduce observed features and trends with respect to dynamics and chemistry of the troposphere and lower stratosphere. In polar regions it is demonstrated that an increased persistence of the winter vortices is mainly due to enhanced greenhouse gas mixing ratios and to reduced ozone concentration in the lower stratosphere. An additional sensitivity simulation is investigated, concerning a possible future development of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and climate. The model results in the Southern Hemisphere indicate that the adopted further increase of greenhouse gas mixing ratios leads to an intensified radiative cooling in the lower stratosphere. Therefore, Antarctic ozone depletion slightly increases due to a larger PSC activity, although stratospheric chlorine is reduced. Interestingly, the behavior in the Northern Hemisphere is different. During winter, an enhanced activity of planetary waves yields a more disturbed stratospheric vortex. This "dynamical heating" compensates the additional radiative cooling due to enhanced greenhouse gas concentrations in the polar region. In connection with reduced stratospheric chlorine loading, the ozone layer clearly recovers.     

The impact of land cover change on the atmospheric circulation

 The NCAR Community Climate Model (version 3), coupled to the Biosphere Atmosphere Transfer scheme and a mixed layer ocean model is used to investigate the impact on the climate of a conservative change from natural to present land cover. Natural vegetation cover was obtained from an ecophysiologically constrained biome model. The current vegetation cover was obtained by perturbing the natural cover from forest to grass over areas where land cover has been observed to change. Simulations were performed for 17 years for each case (results from the last 15 years are presented here). We find that land cover changes, largely constrained to the tropics, SE Asia, North America and Europe, cause statistically significant changes in regional temperature and precipitation but cause no impact on the globally averaged temperature or precipitation. The perturbation in land cover in the tropics and SE Asia teleconnect to higher latitudes by changing the position and strength of key elements of the general circulation (the Hadley and Walker circulations). Many of the areas where statistically significant changes occur are remote from the location of land cover change. Historical land cover change is not typically included in transitory climate simulations, and it may be that the simulation of the patterns of temperature change over the twentieth century by climate models will be further improved by taking it into account. Received: 27 May 1999 / Accepted: July 2000     

The 1997/ 98 enso cycle and its impact on summer climate anomalies in east asia

l.IntroductionTheENSOeventcanbeconsideredasthemostimp0rtantphenomenonoftheair-seainteractionintheequatoria1Pacific.WhenanENSOeventoccursintheequatorialPacific,severeclimateanomalieswillbecausedinmanyregionsoftheworld(Namias,l976;HorelandWallace,l98l;RasmussonandCarpenter,l982;RasmussonandWallace,l983).Similar-ly,theENS0eventalsohasalargeimpactonclimateanomaliesinEastAsia(WangandZhu,l986;FuandYe,l988).lnrespectoftheimpactofENSOeventonclimateanomaliesinChina,theinvestigationofHuanga…     

春季中国东海黑潮区大气热源异常对中国东部降水的影响

采用ERA-interim逐日再分析数据集与中国东部389个站逐日降水资料,通过相关和合成分析讨论了不同时间尺度上,春季中国东海黑潮区上空大气热源异常对东亚大气环流和中国东部降水的影响。观测分析表明,春季中国东海黑潮区上空为一显著的大气热源,大气对该热源的响应在不同时间尺度上表现出不同的形式。在较长时间的季节和年际尺度上,春季中国东海黑潮区大气热源增强时,可在大气对流层低层强迫出偏南气流,同期春季及后期夏季西太平洋副热带高压增强并西伸,相比于热源低值年西北太平洋副热带地区为一反气旋式异常环流所控制,中国长江中下游以南地区降水增多;反之亦然。与年际和季节时间尺度不同,在较短的天气时间尺度上,中国东海黑潮区上空大气热源增强可在其下方强迫出气旋式异常环流。大气热源的增强与中国东部对流层低层气旋式异常环流的东移有关,相应地在中国东部地区出现了显著的降水增多。     

Effect of surface albedo, water vapour, and atmospheric aerosols on the cloud-free shortwave radiative budget in the Arctic

This study is based on ground-based measurements of downward surface shortwave irradiance (SW), columnar water vapour (wv), and aerosol optical depth (τ) obtained at Thule Air Base (Greenland) in 2007–2010, together with MODIS observations of the surface shortwave albedo (A). Radiative transfer model calculations are used in combination with measurements to separate the radiative effect of A (ΔSW_A), wv (ΔSW_wv), and aerosols (ΔSW_τ) in modulating SW in cloud-free conditions. The shortwave radiation at the surface is mainly affected by water vapour absorption, which produces a reduction of SW as low as ?100 Wm^?2 (?18%). The seasonal change of A produces an increase of SW by up to +25 Wm^?2 (+4.5%). The annual mean radiative effect is estimated to be ?(21–22) Wm^?2 for wv, and +(2–3) Wm^?2 for A. An increase by +0.065 cm in the annual mean wv, to which corresponds an absolute increase in ΔSW_wv by 0.93 Wm^?2 (4.3%), has been observed to occur between 2007 and 2010. In the same period, the annual mean A has decreased by ?0.027, with a corresponding decrease in ΔSW_A by 0.41 Wm^?2 (?14.9%). Atmospheric aerosols produce a reduction of SW as low as ?32 Wm^?2 (?6.7%). The instantaneous aerosol radiative forcing (RF_τ) reaches values of ?28 Wm^?2 and shows a strong dependency on surface albedo. The derived radiative forcing efficiency (FE_τ) for solar zenith angles between 55° and 70° is estimated to be (?120.6 ± 4.3) for 0.1 < A < 0.2, and (?41.2 ± 1.6) Wm^?2 for 0.5 < A < 0.6.     

青藏高原云对地气系统短波吸收辐射强迫的气候研究

利用地球辐射平衡试验（ＥＲＢＥ）和国际卫星云气候计划（ＥＳＣＣＰ）提供的总云量、得星反射率资料,计算并分析了青藏高原地气系统年、月平均云对太阳短波吸收辐射的强迫,揭示了其与总云量的关系。结果表明：高原的短事射云强迫与总云量有较好的非线性相关,呈幂指数形式,且季节变化明显;短波辐射云强迫的地理分布与高原云的分产好,高原主体和北部是短波辐射云强迫的低值区,高原东南部和西部边缘迎风部位为强迫的高值区。     

Skill and reproducibility of seasonal rainfall patterns in the tropics in ECHAM-4 GCM simulations with prescribed SST

 The ECHAM4 atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) has been integrated at T30 resolution through the period 1960–1994 forced with the observed sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) as compiled at the Hadley Centre (GISST2.2). Three experiments were made starting from different initial conditions. The large-scale tropical precipitation patterns simulated by the model have been studied, focusing on the skill (i.e. the capability to simulate the observed anomaly over land areas) and reproducibility (i.e. the GCM’s interannual rainfall variance that is independent from the initial conditions). Analysis of variance is used to estimate the reproducibility amongst ensemble members at each grid-box, but most emphasis is placed on large-scale patterns, as revealed by various singular value decomposition analyses (SVDAs), between observed and model fields (OM analyses) and amongst the different model runs (MM analyses). Generally, it is found that the first model mode in the MM analysis is very similar to that in the OM analysis, suggesting the model mode with strongest reproducibility is also the mode which tallies best with observations. For the global tropics, the first MM mode is highly reproducible (external variance above 90%) and the first OM couplet is very skillful (correlation between observed and model SVDA time series is over 0.84). The extent to which skill and reproducibility is related to El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has been investigated by comparing the OM and MM time series with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). For the global tropics, most of the OM and MM variance is common with the SOI, though in boreal summer, the first modes do also have some clear independence from the SOI. The analyses were repeated at the regional scale for Oceania, tropical America, tropical Africa and tropical Southeast Asia. A highly reproducible mode is found in all cases except October-December in Africa. Skill, while always positive, is more variable, strongest for Oceania and tropical America and weakest for Africa. Comparisons with the SOI suggest skill in tropical America and tropical Africa has substantial components that are independent of the SOI, especially in boreal spring and summer when the tropical Atlantic SSTs are strongly related to the leading OM and MM time series. Received: 1 January 1997 / Accepted: 28 July 1997     

The impact of internal atmospheric variability on the North Pacific SST variability

The impact of internal atmospheric variability on North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) variability is examined based on three coupled general circulation model simulations. The three simulations differ only in the level of atmospheric noise occuring over the ocean at the air-sea interface. The amplitude of atmospheric noise is controlled by use of the interactive ensemble technique. This technique simultaneously couples multiple realizations of a single atmospheric model to a single realization of an ocean model. The atmospheric component models all experience the same SST, but the ocean component is forced by the ensemble averaged fluxes thereby reducing the impact of internal atmospheric dynamics at the air-sea interface. The ensemble averaging is only applied at the air-sea interface so that the internal atmospheric dynamics (i.e., transients) of each atmospheric ensemble member is unaffected. This interactive ensemble technique significantly reduces the SST variance throughout the North Pacific. The reduction in SST variance is proportional to the number of ensemble members indicating that most of the variability can simply be explained as the response to atmospheric stochastic forcing. In addition, the impact of the internal atmospheric dynamics at the air-sea interface masks out much of the tropical-midlatitude SST teleconnections on interannual time scales. Once this interference is reduced (i.e., applying the interactive ensemble technique), tropical-midlatitude SST teleconnections are easily detected.     

The biogeochemical sulfur cycle in the marine boundary layer over the Northeast Pacific Ocean

The major components of the marine boundary layer biogeochemical sulfur cycle were measured simultaneously onshore and off the coast of Washington State, U.S.A. during May 1987. Seawater dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations on the continental shelf were strongly influenced by coastal upwelling. Concentration further offshore were typical of summer values (2.2 nmol/L) at this latitude. Although seawater DMS concentrations were high on the biologically productive continental shelf (2–12 nmol/L), this region had no measurable effect on atmospheric DMS concentrations. Atmospheric DMS concentrations (0.1–12 nmol/m³), however, were extremely dependent upon wind speed and boundary layer height. Although there appeared to be an appreciable input of non-sea-salt sulfate to the marine boundary layer from the free troposphere, the local flux of DMS from the ocean to the atmosphere was sufficient to balance the remainder of the sulfur budget.     

The impact of atmospheric and oceanic heat transports on the sea-ice-albedo instability during the Neoproterozoic

In order to simulate the climatic conditions of the Neoproterozoic, we have conducted a series of simulations with a coupled ocean–atmosphere model of intermediate complexity, CLIMBER-2, using a reduced solar constant of 6% and varied CO₂ concentrations. We have also tested the impact of the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia that has been hypothesized to play an important role in the initiation of an ice-covered Earth. Our results show that for the critical values of 89 and 149 ppm of atmospheric CO₂, a snowball Earth occurs in the supercontinent case and in the dislocated configuration, respectively. The study of the sensitivity of the meridional oceanic energy transport to reductions in CO₂ concentration and to the dislocation of the supercontinent demonstrates that dynamics ocean processes can modulate the CO₂ threshold value, below which a snowball solution is found, but cannot prevent it. The collapse of the overturning cells and of the oceanic heat transport is mainly due to the reduced zonal temperature gradient once the sea-ice line reaches the 30° latitudinal band but also to the freshening of the tropical ocean by sea-ice melt. In term of feedbacks, the meridional atmospheric heat transport via the Hadley circulation plays the major role, all along the CO₂ decrease, by increasing the energy brought in the front of the sea-ice margin but does not appear enough efficient to prevent the onset of the sea-ice-albedo instability in the case of the continental configurations tested in this contribution.     

中国天山西部森林积雪短波辐射收支特征

本文通过对中国科学院天山积雪与雪崩研究站不同开阔度森林下积雪表面短波辐射的观测研究,分析了森林积雪短波辐射收支特征,短波辐射透射率。结果表明：阴坡林下积雪表面短波辐射小于阳坡,且随森林开阔度的减小而减小;林下雪面短波辐射和净短波辐射随太阳高度角增加而逐渐增加,不同开阔度林下雪面短波辐射和净短波辐射的差异也随太阳高度角的增加而不断增大;阳坡、阴坡林冠上方和80%开阔度林下积雪短波辐射在晴天日变化呈单峰型,林下积雪短波辐射峰值出现时间由林冠上方直接辐射和散射辐射的相对关系决定;多云天气,短波辐射的日变化特征取决于云量的变化;林冠开阔度越大,其短波辐射率越大,日平均短波辐射透射率随太阳高度角的增加而增加,且开阔度越大,其增加速率越快,短波辐射透射率日变化呈“U”型,早晚大于12:00~17:00。     

The East Pacific Wavetrain: Its variability and impact on the atmospheric circulation in the boreal winter

The East Pacific wavetrain(EPW) refers to here the intense stationary wave activity detected in the troposphere over the East Pacific and North America in 45 northern winters from 1958 to 2002.The EPW is generated in the lower troposphere over the East Pacific,propagating predominantly eastward into North America and slightly upward then eventually into the stratosphere.The intensity of the EPW varies from year to year and exhibits apparent decadal variability.For the period 1958-1964,the EPW was in its second maximum,and it was weakest for the period 1965-1975,then it was strongest for the period 1976-1987.After 1987,the EPW weakened again.The intensity and position of the members(i.e.,the Aleutian low,the North American trough,and the North American ridge) of the EPW oscillate from time to time.For an active EPW versus a weak EPW,the Aleutian low deepens abnormally and shifts its center from the west to the east of the date line,in the middle and upper troposphere the East Asian trough extends eastward,and the Canadian ridge intensifies at the same time.The opposite is true for a weak EPW.Even in the lower stratosphere,significant changes in the stationary wave pattern are also observed.Interestingly the spatial variability of the EPW assumes a Pacific-North American(PNA)-like teleconnection pattern.It is likely that the PNA low-frequency oscillation is a reflection of the oscillations of intensity and position of the members of the EPW in horizontal direction.