Could the Recent Taal Volcano Eruption Trigger an El Ni?o and Lead to Eurasian Warming?

正The Taal Volcano in Luzon is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes of the Philippines. A recent eruption occurred on 12 January 2020(Fig. 1a), and this volcano is still active with the occurrence of volcanic earthquakes. The eruption has become a deep concern worldwide, not only for its damage on local society, but also for potential hazardous consequences on the Earth's climate and environment.     

Analysis of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Height Characteristics over the Arctic Ocean Using the Aircraft and GPS Soundings

正ERRATUM to: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, 4(2011), 124-130 On page 126 of the printed edition (Issue 2, Volume 4), Fig. 2 was a wrong figure because the contact author made mistake giving the wrong one. The corrected edition has been updated on our website. The editorial office is sincerely sorry for any     

Index to Vol.31

正AN Junling;see LI Ying et al.;(5),1221—1232AN Junling;see QU Yu et al.;(4),787-800AN Junling;see WANG Feng et al.;(6),1331-1342Ania POLOMSKA-HARLICK;see Jieshun ZHU et al.;(4),743-754Baek-Min KIM;see Seong-Joong KIM et al.;(4),863-878BAI Tao;see LI Gang et al.;(1),66-84BAO Qing;see YANG Jing et al.;(5),1147—1156BEI Naifang;     

Information for Contributors

正Journal of Meteorological Research is an international academic journal in atmospheric sciences edited and published by Acta Meteorologica Sinica Press,sponsored by the Chinese Meteorological Society.It has been acting as a bridge of academic exchange between Chinese and foreign meteorologists and aiming at introduction of the current advancements in atmospheric sciences in China.The journal columns include Articles.Note and Correspondence,and research letters.Contributions from all over the world are welcome.     

前寒武纪气候演化中的三个重要科学问题

自地球形成至寒武纪将近40亿年（距今46亿～5.4亿年,通常称为前寒武纪）的气候演变是一个具有特殊难度和挑战性的研究领域,同时也是基础和前沿的研究领域。文章选择了前寒武纪气候演化中的三个重要科学问题进行综述：大气演化、两次全球性的冰川期以及暗弱太阳问题。关于大气演化,本文首先描述了大气成分的演化历史,然后简述了影响大气成分演化的三个基本过程：大气逃逸、两次大气氧含量突然增加、碳酸盐-硅酸盐循环及其对气候系统的负反馈作用。两次全球性的冰川期分别发生在古元古代（距今24亿～21亿年）和新元古代（距今8亿～5.8亿年）,文章简述了其成因以及相关的气候模拟结果。暗弱太阳问题是地球历史气候演化的一个经典问题,论文简要地综述了一些最新的研究成果和观点。     

淮河流域水文极值预测模型研究

为探索气候变化影响下水文极值的非平稳性和预测方法,建立了水文极值非平稳广义极值（GEV）分布的统计预测模型。利用1952-2010年淮河上游流域累计面雨量和流量年最大值资料、同期500 hPa环流特征量资料以及17个CMIP5模式对环流特征量的模拟结果,筛选出对水文极值影响显著的年平均北半球极涡强度指数作为GEV分布参数的预测因子。分析了在RCP2.6、RCP4.5和RCP8.5情景下2006-2050年淮河上游流域水文极值对气候变化的响应。结果表明,10年以下与10年以上重现期的水文极值在非平稳过程中呈现前者下降而后者上升的相反变化趋势;多模型预测的集合平均在未来情景中均呈现上升趋势,情景排放量越大增幅越大,重现期越长增幅也越大。与极值的常态相比,极值的极端态更易受气候变化影响。     

CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS OF CLIMATIC EXTREMES IN CHINA DURING 1959–2014

The spatial and temporal variations of daily maximum temperature(Tmax), daily minimum temperature(Tmin), daily maximum precipitation(Pmax) and daily maximum wind speed(WSmax) were examined in China using Mann-Kendall test and linear regression method. The results indicated that for China as a whole, Tmax, Tmin and Pmax had significant increasing trends at rates of 0.15℃ per decade, 0.45℃ per decade and 0.58 mm per decade,respectively, while WSmax had decreased significantly at 1.18 m·s~(-1) per decade during 1959—2014. In all regions of China, Tmin increased and WSmax decreased significantly. Spatially, Tmax increased significantly at most of the stations in South China(SC), northwestern North China(NC), northeastern Northeast China(NEC), eastern Northwest China(NWC) and eastern Southwest China(SWC), and the increasing trends were significant in NC, SC, NWC and SWC on the regional average. Tmin increased significantly at most of the stations in China, with notable increase in NEC, northern and southeastern NC and northwestern and eastern NWC. Pmax showed no significant trend at most of the stations in China, and on the regional average it decreased significantly in NC but increased in SC, NWC and the mid-lower Yangtze River valley(YR). WSmax decreased significantly at the vast majority of stations in China, with remarkable decrease in northern NC, northern and central YR, central and southern SC and in parts of central NEC and western NWC. With global climate change and rapidly economic development, China has become more vulnerable to climatic extremes and meteorological disasters, so more strategies of mitigation and/or adaptation of climatic extremes,such as environmentally-friendly and low-cost energy production systems and the enhancement of engineering defense measures are necessary for government and social publics.     

ANALYSIS OF “BIMODAL PATTERN” STORM ACTIVITY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL

Storms that occur at the Bay of Bengal (BoB) are of a bimodal pattern, which is different from that of the other sea areas. By using the NCEP, SST and JTWC data, the causes of the bimodal pattern storm activity of the BoB are diagnosed and analyzed in this paper. The result shows that the seasonal variation of general atmosphere circulation in East Asia has a regulating and controlling impact on the BoB storm activity, and the “bimodal period” of the storm activity corresponds exactly to the seasonal conversion period of atmospheric circulation. The minor wind speed of shear spring and autumn contributed to the storm, which was a crucial factor for the generation and occurrence of the “bimodal pattern” storm activity in the BoB. The analysis on sea surface temperature (SST) shows that the SSTs of all the year around in the BoB area meet the conditions required for the generation of tropical cyclones (TCs). However, the SSTs in the central area of the bay are higher than that of the surrounding areas in spring and autumn, which facilitates the occurrence of a “two-peak” storm activity pattern. The genesis potential index (GPI) quantifies and reflects the environmental conditions for the generation of the BoB storms. For GPI, the intense low-level vortex disturbance in the troposphere and high-humidity atmosphere are the sufficient conditions for storms, while large maximum wind velocity of the ground vortex radius and small vertical wind shear are the necessary conditions of storms.     

LOW-FREQUENCY CIRCULATION AND EXTENDED-RANGE FORECAST IN CONNECTION WITH AUTUMN EXTREME HEAVY RAINFALL PROCESS IN HAINAN

Observed daily precipitation data from the National Meteorological Observatory in Hainan province and daily data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis-2 dataset from 1981 to 2014 are used to analyze the relationship between Hainan extreme heavy rainfall processes in autumn (referred to as EHRPs) and 10–30 d low-frequency circulation. Based on the key low-frequency signals and the NCEP Climate Forecast System Version 2 (CFSv2) model forecasting products, a dynamical-statistical method is established for the extended-range forecast of EHRPs. The results suggest that EHRPs have a close relationship with the 10–30 d low-frequency oscillation of 850 hPa zonal wind over Hainan Island and to its north, and that they basically occur during the trough phase of the low-frequency oscillation of zonal wind. The latitudinal propagation of the low-frequency wave train in the middle-high latitudes and the meridional propagation of the low-frequency wave train along the coast of East Asia contribute to the ‘north high (cold), south low (warm)’ pattern near Hainan Island, which results in the zonal wind over Hainan Island and to its north reaching its trough, consequently leading to EHRPs. Considering the link between low-frequency circulation and EHRPs, a low-frequency wave train index (LWTI) is defined and adopted to forecast EHRPs by using NCEP CFSv2 forecasting products. EHRPs are predicted to occur during peak phases of LWTI with value larger than 1 for three or more consecutive forecast days. Hindcast experiments for EHRPs in 2015–2016 indicate that EHRPs can be predicted 8–24 d in advance, with an average period of validity of 16.7 d.     

AN ATTRIBUTION ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN POTENTIAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION IN THE BEIJING–TIANJIN–HEBEI REGION UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE

Based on the measurements obtained at 64 national meteorological stations in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region between 1970 and 2013, the potential evapotranspiration (ET0) in this region was estimated using the Penman–Monteith equation and its sensitivity to maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), wind speed (Vw), net radiation (Rn) and water vapor pressure (Pwv) was analyzed, respectively. The results are shown as follows. (1) The climatic elements in the BTH region underwent significant changes in the study period. Vw and Rn decreased significantly, whereas Tmin, Tmax and Pwv increased considerably. (2) In the BTH region, ET0 also exhibited a significant decreasing trend, and the sensitivity of ET0 to the climatic elements exhibited seasonal characteristics. Of all the climatic elements, ET0 was most sensitive to Pwv in the fall and winter and Rn in the spring and summer. On the annual scale, ET0 was most sensitive to Pwv, followed by Rn, Vw, Tmax and Tmin. In addition, the sensitivity coefficient of ET0 with respect to Pwv had a negative value for all the areas, indicating that increases in Pwv can prevent ET0 from increasing. (3) The sensitivity of ET0 to Tmin and Tmax was significantly lower than its sensitivity to other climatic elements. However, increases in temperature can lead to changes in Pwv and Rn. The temperature should be considered the key intrinsic climatic element that has caused the "evaporation paradox" phenomenon in the BTH region.     

The impact of AIRS atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles on hurricane forecasts: Ike (2008) and Irene (2011)

Atmospheric Infra Red Sounder(AIRS) measurements are a valuable supplement to current observational data, especially over the oceans where conventional data are sparse. In this study, two types of AIRS-retrieved temperature and moisture profiles, the AIRS Science Team product(Sci Sup) and the single field-of-view(SFOV) research product, were evaluated with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF) analysis data over the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Ike(2008) and Hurricane Irene(2011). The evaluation results showed that both types of AIRS profiles agreed well with the ECMWF analysis, especially between 200 h Pa and 700 h Pa. The average standard deviation of both temperature profiles was approximately 1 K under 200 h Pa, where the mean AIRS temperature profile from the AIRS Sci Sup retrievals was slightly colder than that from the AIRS SFOV retrievals. The mean Sci Sup moisture profile was slightly drier than that from the SFOV in the mid troposphere. A series of data assimilation and forecast experiments was then conducted with the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model and its three-dimensional variational(3DVAR) data assimilation system for hurricanes Ike and Irene. The results showed an improvement in the hurricane track due to the assimilation of AIRS clear-sky temperature profiles in the hurricane environment. In terms of total precipitable water and rainfall forecasts, the hurricane moisture environment was found to be affected by the AIRS sounding assimilation.Meanwhile, improving hurricane intensity forecasts through assimilating AIRS profiles remains a challenge for further study.     

VARIABILITY OF INTER-ANNUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE AND HUAXI REGION’S AUTUMN PRECIPITATION

The moving-window correlation analysis was applied to investigate the relationship between autumn Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events and the synchronous autumn precipitation in Huaxi region, based on the daily precipitation, sea surface temperature (SST) and atmospheric circulation data from 1960 to 2012. The correlation curves of IOD and the early modulation of Huaxi region’s autumn precipitation indicated a mutational site appeared in the 1970s. During 1960 to 1979, when the IOD was in positive phase in autumn, the circulations changed from a “W” shape to an ”M” shape at 500 hPa in Asia middle-high latitude region. Cold flux got into the Sichuan province with Northwest flow, the positive anomaly of the water vapor flux transported from Western Pacific to Huaxi region strengthened, caused precipitation increase in east Huaxi region. During 1980 to 1999, when the IOD in autumn was positive phase, the atmospheric circulation presented a “W” shape at 500 hPa, the positive anomaly of the water vapor flux transported from Bay of Bengal to Huaxi region strengthened, caused precipitation ascend in west Huaxi region. In summary, the Indian Ocean changed from cold phase to warm phase since the 1970s, caused the instability of the inter-annual relationship between the IOD and the autumn rainfall in Huaxi region.     

宁波地区海-陆下垫面差异对雷暴过程影响的数值模拟

利用耦合Noah陆面过程的WRF模式对2009年6月5日傍晚发生在宁波地区的一次雷暴过程进行数值模拟,通过改变下垫面覆盖类型的敏感性试验,探讨了海洋和陆地下垫面对雷暴过程的影响。结果表明,WRF模式能够较合理地模拟出雷暴的发生、发展过程。雷暴发生前期,由于海-陆强烈的热力差异,海风特征明显,海风引起的抬升运动触发了雷暴,海风形成的强辐合区对应雷暴过程累积降水量的大值区。当研究区域全部被替换成陆地后,地表的粗糙度增大,在研究区域东部由于摩擦辐合加强,产生了强烈的上升运动,多个发展旺盛的对流单体在上升运动区生成,使雷暴产生的降水区域东扩、降水量增大、雷暴维持时间延长。当研究区域所有陆地被替换成水体后,白天地表通量减小,大气边界层中湍流运动减弱,边界层高度降低,大气层结变得稳定,不利于对流发展。     

贵州中东部地区一次锋后强对流天气成因分析

强对流天气常常出现在锋前不稳定层结区或锋面附近,对于锋后的强对流天气往往容易出现漏报现象。利用常规观测资料、雷达卫星资料,对贵州中东部地区2009-02-26夜间出现的锋后冰雹天气形成机制进行分析。结果表明,该次过程主要是由于冷空气势力加厚增强抬升中层相对较暖空气,造成中层出现对流不稳定,加上低空急流脉动效应与其最大风速中心前的辐合上升运动共同影响,引发对流的产生和发展。强的垂直风切变对强对流发展与维持也起到促进作用。     

北半球夏季遥相关的年际振荡及其与ENSO循环的可能联系

利用４３年夏季５００ｈＰａ高度场资料刻划了北半球夏季东亚太平洋型遥相关和积雪强迫型遥相关的强度．分析结果揭示了它们准４年周期振荡间的位相关系,并推测了在该时间尺度上与ＥＮＳＯ循环的可能联系．     

Aqueous Phase Reaction of HNO4: The Impact on Tropospheric Chemistry

We use a global atmospheric chemistry transport model to study the possible influence of aqueous phase reactions of peroxynitric acid (HNO₄) on the concentrations and budgets of NO_x, SO_x, O₃ and H₂O₂. Laboratory studies have shown that the aqueous reaction of HNO_4aq withHSO^– _3aq, and the uni-molecular decomposition of the NO₄ ^– anion to form NO₂ ^– (nitrite) occur on a time scale of about a second. Despite a substantial contribution of the reaction of HSO^– _3aq with HNO_4aq to the overall in-cloud conversion of SO₂ to SO₄ ^2–, a simultaneous decrease of other oxidants (most notably H₂O₂) more than compensated the increase in SO₄ ^2– production. The strongest influence of heterogeneous HNO₄ chemistry was found in the boundary layer, where calculated monthly average ozone concentrations were reduced between 2% to 10% andchanges of H₂O₂ between –20% to +10%compared to a simulation which ignores this reaction. Furthermore, SO₂ was increased by 10% to 20% and SO₄ ^2–depleted by up to 10%. Since the resolution of our global model does not enable a detailed comparison with measurements in polluted regions, it is not possible to verify whether considering heterogeneous HNO₄ reactions results in a substantial improvement of atmospheric chemistry transport models. However, the conversion of HNO₄ in the aqueous phase seems to be efficient enough to warrant further laboratory investigations and more detailed model studies on this topic.     

Dominant cloud microphysical processes of a torrential rainfall event in Sichuan,China

High-resolution numerical simulation data of a rainstorm triggering debris flow in Sichuan Province of China simulated by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model were used to study the dominant cloud microphysical processes of the torrential rainfall. The results showed that: (1) In the strong precipitation period, particle sizes of all hydrometeors increased, and mean-mass diameters of graupel increased the most significantly, as compared with those in the weak precipitation period; (2) The terminal velocity of raindrops was the strongest among all hydrometeors, followed by graupel’s, which was much smaller than that of raindrops. Differences between various hydrometeors’ terminal velocities in the strong precipitation period were larger than those in the weak precipitation period, which favored relative motion, collection interaction and transformation between the particles. Absolute terminal velocity values of raindrops and graupel were significantly greater than those of air upward velocity, and the stronger the precipitation was, the greater the differences between them were; (3) The orders of magnitudes of the various hydrometeors’ sources and sinks in the strong precipitation period were larger than those in the weak precipitation period, causing a difference in the intensity of precipitation. Water vapor, cloud water, raindrops, graupel and their exchange processes played a major role in the production of the torrential rainfall, and there were two main processes via which raindrops were generated: abundant water vapor condensed into cloud water and, on the one hand, accretion of cloud water by rain water formed rain water, while on the other hand, accretion of cloud water by graupel formed graupel, and then the melting of graupel formed rain water.     

The Expansion of Intensive Beef Farming to the Brazilian Amazon

Systems of intensive animal farming, such as the confinement of beef cattle, are widespread in the developed world. Such practices have been under scrutiny since the 1960s for animal welfare and pollution issues. Here, we document the expansion of intensive beef farming to the Brazilian Amazon in order to assess socio-environmental implications. Using a combination of data mining and field surveys, we developed a georeferenced dataset of 201 cattle confinements in the states of Mato Grosso (Cerrado and Amazon biomes), Pará and Rondônia (Amazon biome), collected in 2017. In Mato Grosso, the country’s agribusiness powerhouse, confinements are well established and account for ˜20% of the cattle slaughter. But rapid expansion in Pará and Rondônia remains largely unnoticed due to the absence of data since 2012. We used the new dataset to map cattle confinements across space and time. For the first time, (1) we document an expansion to the Amazon biome; (2) we also show that confinements are associated with substantially higher productivity rates, though intensified pasture-based systems can reach comparable yields; (3) that confinements have crop production levels 2-3 times higher than comparable properties, both in- and out-of-farm; and (4) that confinements tend to slow down on-property deforestation when compared to fattening ranches in the Amazon biome, although off-property effects could be substantial and need further study. Overall, the implications of intensive beef farming for animal welfare and local waste generation in Brazil require attention as pressure to avoid deforestation continues to stimulate the practice.