Decadal climate predictions with a coupled OAGCM initialized with oceanic reanalyses

We investigate the effects of realistic oceanic initial conditions on a set of decadal climate predictions performed with a state-of-the-art coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model. The decadal predictions are performed in both retrospective (hindcast) and forecast modes. Specifically, the full set of prediction experiments consists of 3-member ensembles of 30-year simulations, starting at 5-year intervals from 1960 to 2005, using historical radiative forcing conditions for the 1960–2005 period, followed by RCP4.5 scenario settings for the 2006–2035 period. The ocean initial states are provided by ocean reanalyses differing by assimilation methods and assimilated data, but obtained with the same ocean model. The use of alternative ocean reanalyses yields the required perturbation of the full three-dimensional ocean state aimed at generating the ensemble members spread. A full-value initialization technique is adopted. The predictive skill of the system appears to be driven to large extent by trends in the radiative forcing. However, after detrending, a residual skill over specific regions of the ocean emerges in the near-term. Specifically, natural fluctuations in the North Atlantic sea-surface temperature (SST) associated with large-scale multi-decadal variability modes are predictable in the 2–5 year range. This is consistent with significant predictive skill found in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation over a similar timescale. The dependency of forecast skill on ocean initialization is analysed, revealing a strong impact of details of ocean data assimilation products on the system predictive skill. This points to the need of reducing the large uncertainties that currently affect global ocean reanalyses, in the perspective of providing reliable near-term climate predictions.     

北半球海冰强迫作用下大气可预报性研究

使用LASG/IAP GOALS耦合模式中的全球大气环流模式分量AGCMR15L9的计算结果，在其他外强迫维持气候值不变的情况下，用方差分析的方法，以外部方差与总方差之比R_e作为衡量标准，考察该模式关于海冰的季节和跨季节潜在可预报性的大小。结果发现，从总体上看，北半球海冰变化所造成的潜在可预报性较小，只有在大气低层的一些气候要素，如温度、湿度的结果中，才存在R_e＞0.5的现象。潜在可预报性结果的局地特征比较明显，高值往往发生在海冰年际变率大的区域里。与中低纬海温在中高纬地区的影响相比，不排除海冰的作用更大的可能性。另外，如果分区域看，北半球某些区域的海冰，在若干挑选出的其区域海冰面积发生大异常年份中的潜在可预报性可能会比不做挑选的总体结果要大。这说明北半球某些区域海冰在面积发生较大异常的时候，可能对同期或（及）后期环流有着比较重要的影响。     

First Results of Measurements with a Newly-Designed Phased-Array Sodar with RASS

Summary At a special measuring site for boundary-layer studies as well as land-surface processes the Meteorological Observatory Lindenberg of the German Weather Service (DWD) has recently put into operation a newly-desi gned phased-array SODAR/RASS, which has been developed by METEK on behalf of the DWD. This system provides the vertical profiles of the three-di mensional wind vector in the boundary layer on an operational basis and is furthermore suitable for getting information on the profile of virtual temperature up to about 400 m in height based on the addition of RASS components. The following paper describes both the technique of this SODAR/RASS and the various modes of operation as well as the different options in managing the system. First evaluations on the data availability concerning the maximum height coverage will give an impression on the system’s capabilities. Finally, the accuracy of the derived profiles of winds and temperature will be investigated by means of comparisons of the SODAR/RASS data with measurements of a six-sonde tethered-balloon system as well as meteorological data of a 99 m tower in the vicinity of the system. Received November 27, 1998 Revised April 9, 1999     

Telling stories with models and making policy with stories: an exploration

Narrative research is in vogue in the social sciences. A current debate in philosophy of economics concerns the role of storytelling in economic modelling, and a growing research programme in policy studies investigates the influence of stories on policy outcomes. These two streams of research have yet to be connected in an investigation of how scientific models, in addition to delivering numerical results, also shape policy through the stories that are told with them. This article addresses that gap, arguing that stories produced with integrated assessment models of global climate change are particular types of policy narratives. An analytical framework for studying their composition and content is suggested. The narrative analysis of modelled stories illuminates some of the models' underpinning values and beliefs. These values and beliefs influence the normative, policy-relevant conclusions generated with the models. For illustration, the framework is applied to the analysis of two variations of the Dynamic Integrated Climate Economy model that are used to tell different stories about climate justice and climate policy.

Key policy insights

• IAMs consist of mathematical structures and the stories told by manipulating these structures.

• There is an intricate but not fully deterministic relationship between IAM structures and stories.

• Examining both these elements contributes to our understanding of the models' role in climate governance.

• Appreciation of modelled stories may facilitate more effective use of IAMs in the policy process.

     

Assessment with agro-climatological information

Multidisciplinary teamwork can create efficient and effective assessment tools and supply information required for inputs in management decisions. In this paper, illustrations are provided to indicate that much information can be gained from using climatological data to assess the impact of the variability of weather and climate on agriculture. Climatic data have been collected and archived for many areas of the world. These data must not go unused.     

Precipitation distribution with altitude

Summary A new type of approximating function is advanced to describe the relationship of monthly precipitation amount to altitude. Three of its parameters have an evident physical meaning. One of them directly depends on air temperature. The attempt was undertaken to connect the remaining two with some climatic and orographic factors. The results of this research can be useful to evaluate alterations of precipitation distribution with altitude under a changed climate.With 5 Figures     

Correction of errors associated with measurement of net all-wave radiation with double-domed radiometers

Comparisons between measurements of net all-wave radiation made with double and single-domed radiometers have confirmed the existence of a significant offset between the two types of instrument. The availability in the UK and Niger, West Africa, of independent instruments to measure all the radiation components indicated that the double-domed instrument was in error and permitted the determination of a correction factor which is shown to be dependent on net long-wave radiation balance. It is also shown that this factor can be expressed in terms of the more often available net short-wave radiation balance so that retrospective correction of net radiation data is possible.     

Reproducibility of seasonal ensemble integrations with ECMWF GCM and its association with ENSO

Summary This study evaluates seasonal climate potential predictability with a dataset of nine-member ensemble seasonal integrations produced by the ECMWF GCM for the ERA-15 period (1979–1993). The methodology used here is the measure of the ensemble reproducibility for a particular season defined by Yang et al (1998). High reproducibility reflects the dominant role of the lower boundary forcing in seasonal climate anomaly, indicating good potential predictability. Spatial patterns of the reproducibility for selected variables are documented, which exhibit obvious regionality and seasonality. Such variables are always highly reproducible over most of the tropical regions. Over the northern extratropics, primary reproducible information, taking the 500hPa geopotential height for example, is found over the PNA region during winter while over most of Asia during summer. Winter has the largest reproducible area; autumn has the lowest, while summer and spring are in between. Association of the reproducibility with ENSO events was examined regionally. Internal variances due to ensemble spread were broken down for individual years, and the reproducibility was computed for four categories: El Niño, La Niña, ENSO, and non-ENSO years. The reproducibility during winter especially over the PNA region is insensitive to ENSO events, with exceptions over the tropical western Pacific, central Siberia and Western Europe. Contrarily, ENSO events have significant impacts on the reproducibility over the southwest USA and most of Asian monsoon region during summer. These results suggest that ENSO events may not be helpful to the seasonal climate predictability over the PNA region during winter, but they may increase predictable information over many regions of the northern extratropical continents during summer.     

Dealing with climate science denialism: experiences from confrontations with other forms of pseudoscience

Climate science denialism is a form of pseudoscience. This contribution provides proposals for how to counter it, based on previous research on the demarcation between science and pseudoscience and on the author’s experience of tackling other forms of pseudoscience. Science denialism has much in common with other variants of pseudoscience, but it also has characteristics of its own. In particular, it is much more prone than other forms of pseudoscience to seek conflicts with genuine science. Like other science denialists, those attacking climate science have fabricated a large number of fake controversies in issues where there is no authentic scientific controversy. The defence of climate science against science denial has to take this into account. There is no reason to accept the denialists’ agenda or to treat their claims as legitimate alternatives to science. Climate science should primarily be presented to the public in ways that are independent of denialist activities, rather than reactively in response to those activities. Disclosures of the strategies, motives and funding of denialism are important contributions to the public understanding of the fake controversies. It is also important to document the scientific consensus and make it known. The public defence of climate science is an important and urgent undertaking, and active contributions by as many scientists as possible are needed.

Key policy insights

• Climate science denialism is a form of pseudoscience, and much can be learned from confrontations with other types of pseudoscience.

• The creation of fake controversies is a key strategy of climate science denialism. It is important to expose this strategy and not to accept denialists’ choice of an agenda.

• ‘Equal time’ arrangements should be rejected since they put the truthful side at a disadvantage. It takes more time to refute a single lie than to deliver ten new ones.

• The experience from fighting tobacco science denialism shows that it is highly efficient to expose the hidden operations, funding and motives behind denialism.

• As many scientists as possible should take part in the public defence of climate science. This is one of the best ways to show our consensus.

     

On the interaction of tropical cyclones with each other and with different atmospheric structures

The paper deals with the investigation of the interaction of tropical cyclones (TC) of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with each other and with the polar front on the basis of computations using the mesoscale numerical ETA-model. The process of the interaction is demonstrated of TC Man-yi with the polar front accompanied by the distortion of vorticity circle and its consolidation with the vorticity zone of the polar front as well as by the formation of a convective “tail” interacting with the frontal zone. It is shown how one can define the beginning of this interaction, the moment of the potential trajectory turn, and the interaction process between a pair of tropical cyclones using the sea level pressure and vorticity fields. The transformation of the kinetic energy field at the isobaric surface of 850 hPa can serve as an indicator of the energy transfer between the cyclones. The influence of islands on the hurricane Gustav resulting in certain changes in the structure of vorticity, wind speed and kinetic energy fields is considered.     

运用气象信息确定最优农业种植决策

根据益阳县农科所耕地面积、种植方式等资料，在运用线性规划原理优化农业种植决策的基础上，考虑气候资料和天气预报信息，运用运筹学单点图形法确定最优农业种植决策，可获得明显的经济效益。     

VBScript实现网上考试

利用VBScript编程实现动态ASP网页中网上考试。例举了数据库、创建网上考试页面的关键性步骤、提供部分源程序。     

用技术来应对气候变化

<正>最近英国广播公司(BBC)发表了一篇综述性质的文章,探讨用科学技术和工程来"应对气候变化"。文章从能源、运输和工程3个方面进行论述。核心思想是:要想世界经济继续增长,同时又不造成气候变化加速,就将需     

寿县不同强度雾的微物理特征及其与能见度的关系

雾对交通运输有不利影响,尤其是强浓雾。本文利用2019年1月上中旬在寿县国家气候观象台应用FM-100型雾滴谱仪测量的雾滴谱数据和常规气象观测数据,分析了不同强度雾的微物理特征,以及能见度与含水量、雾滴数浓度、相对湿度之间的关系,在此基础上建立了能见度参数化方案。结果表明:（1）随着雾的强度增强,雾中含水量显著增大,大雾、浓雾和强浓雾阶段含水量平均值分别为0.003 g m?3、0.01 g m?3和0.09 g m?3;当含水量大于0.02 g m?3,出现强浓雾的比例高达95%。（2）雾滴数浓度、雾滴尺度随着雾强度增强而增大,从大雾到浓雾,雾滴数浓度显著增加（增幅67%）,而从浓雾到强浓雾,雾滴尺度显著增大,平均直径、平均有效半径分别增加62%、135%;当雾滴有效半径大于4.7 μm,出现强浓雾的比例高达95%。（3）强浓雾、浓雾、大雾雾滴数浓度谱分布均为双峰结构,谱分布整体偏向小粒子一端,强浓雾谱型为Deirmendjian分布,浓雾、大雾均为Junge分布;强浓雾的雾水质量浓度谱呈现多峰特征,最大峰值出现在21.5 μm处,浓雾雾水质量浓度谱为双峰分布,大雾为单峰型,最大峰值均出现在5 μm处。（4）含水量、数浓度与能见度均呈反相关关系,含水量对能见度的影响最为显著;分别采用全样本和分段方式建立了四种能见度参数化方案,评估检验结果表明,基于含水量的能见度分段拟合方案对能见度的估算效果最好。     

川西平原一次暖区暴雨的能量天气学分析

利用NCEP 1°×1°再分析资料,应用能量天气学方法对发生在2015年8月14日的川西平原暖区暴雨进行了分析。结果表明,总能量在8月14日经历了在上午积聚和午后释放的过程,并且随着时间由北向南增加,这和雨带从成都往眉山、乐山移动一致。总能量极大值14时出现在30°N附近,这和强降雨中心午间出现在眉山吻合。14日白天潜热能和总能量变化趋势一致,且不同时段变化值接近,潜热能的变化是导致总能量变化的主要因子,潜热能是此次川西平原暖区暴雨的主要贡献者。川西平原潜热能明显增大,有利于出现降水,潜在不稳定区和雨区有较好的对应关系。饱和能差较小,对流不稳定能量增加,有利于出现降水。14日14时对流不稳定能量和潜在不稳定能量显著增大,能量平衡高度达到200h Pa附近,导致成片暴雨区的出现。      

Gas phase reactions of alkyl nitrates with hydroxyl radicals under tropospheric conditions in comparison with photolysis

Rate constants for the reaction of OH radicals with some branched alkyl nitrates have been measured applying a competitive technique. Methyl nitrite photolysis in synthetic air was used as OH radical source at 295±2 K and 1000 mbar total pressure. Using a rate constant of 2.53×10^-12 cm³ s^-1 for the reaction of OH radicals with n-butane as reference, the following rate constants were obtained (units: 10^-12 cm³ s^-1): isopropyl nitrate, 0.59±0.22; isobutyl nitrate, 1.63±0.20; 3-methyl-2-butyl nitrate, 1.95±0.15; 2-methyl-1-butyl nitrate, 2.50±0.15; 3-methyl-1-butyl nitrate, 2.55±0.35. These values have been combined with the literature data to recalculate the substituent factors F(X) for the different nitrate groups which can be used to predict OH rate constants for organic nitrates for which experimental data are not available.Preliminary measurements of the photolysis frequency of isopropyl nitrate have shown that for this nitrate as a model substance, OH reactions and direct photolysis are of equal importance under tropospheric conditions.