A study of drought characteristics over the Canadian prairies

Abstract

Droughts, a major concern to all of Canada, particularly to the Canadian Prairies, typically occur once every three years. Most research addressing such droughts has concentrated on the large‐scale conditions associated with this form of extreme weather whereas little research has been conducted on its smaller scale characteristics. The present study addresses these smaller scale issues. Several datasets (surface observations, drought indices, and precipitation data) were used to identify droughts occurring over the Prairies since 1953 and to compare their characteristics with those years associated with non‐drought conditions. Warm season, May to September, hourly surface observations (temperature, moisture, clouds, and precipitation type) from ten observation sites were compared for four categories of moisture across the Canadian Prairies, extreme drought, drought, non‐drought, and extreme wet conditions. When compared to non‐drought or extreme wet conditions, drought and extreme drought conditions are naturally associated with warmer temperatures and drier conditions; there is also little change in the amount of total cloud cover but cloud bases are higher and the maximum temperature occurs 1–2 h later in the afternoon. Near‐surface energy increases systematically from extreme wet to extreme drought conditions.     

长江流域极端强降水分布特征的统计拟合

基于长江流域147个气象站1960-2005年最大值降水序列(AM)与超门限峰值降水序列(POT),选取4大类20种分布函数,采用极大似然法和线性矩法估算了参数,经柯尔莫洛夫-斯米尔诺夫检验,确定了降水极值的最优概率模型.对AM与POT两套极端强降水序列的频率分析均表明,Wakeby分布函数能够较好的拟合长江流域降水极值的概率分布.同时指出了降水极值的拟合存在的不确定性.     

昌吉地区旱涝特征分析

通过Z指数法和降水资料对昌吉地区8个国家级气象观测站37a(1971—2007年)的旱涝变化趋势和时空分布特征研究,发现昌吉州各地降水和旱涝变化具有一致性.20世纪70年代以来,各地具有由偏旱转为偏涝的趋势,其中,西部地区的偏涝速度最快,东部地区的偏涝速度最慢.各地出现干旱的频率高于雨涝的频率,其中,西部出现干旱频率最大,东部最小;相反,西部出现雨涝的频率最小,东部最大.     

Observed spatiotemporal characteristics of drought on various time scales over the Czech Republic

This paper analyses the observed spatiotemporal characteristics of drought in the Czech Republic during the growing season (April to September) as quantified using the Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) on various time scales. The SPEI was calculated for various lags (1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months) from monthly records of mean temperature and precipitation totals using a dense network of 184 climatological stations for the period 1961–2010. The characteristics of drought were analysed in terms of the temporal evolution of the SPEI, the frequency distribution and duration of drought at the country level, and for three regions delimited by station altitude. The driest and the wettest years during the growing season were identified. The frequency distribution of the SPEI values for seven drought category classes (in per cent) indicates that normal moisture conditions represent approximately 65 % of the total SPEI values for all time scales in all three regions, whereas moderate drought and moderate wet conditions are almost equally distributed around 10.5 %. Differences in extremely dry conditions (5 %) compared with extremely wet conditions (1.5 %) were observed with increasing SPEI time scales. The results of the non-parametric Mann–Kendall trend test applied to the SPEI series indicate prevailing negative trends (drought) at the majority of the stations. The percentage of stations displaying a significant negative trend for the 90, 95, 99, and 99.9 % confidence levels is approximately 40 %. An Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) analysis was used to identify the principal patterns of variability of the SPEI during the growing season that accounted for the highest amount of statistical variance. The variance explained by the leading EOF range 66 to 56 %, whereas for EOF2 and EOF3, the value is between 7 and 11 % and between 4 and 7 %, respectively, for the SPEI is calculated for 1- to 24-month lags.     

Uncertainties in projected runoff over the conterminous United States

Projections of runoff from global multi-model ensembles provide a valuable basis for the estimation of future hydrological extremes. However, projections suffer from uncertainty that originates from different error sources along the modeling chain. Hydrological impact studies have generally partitioned these error sources into global impact and global climate model (GIM and GCM, respectively) uncertainties, neglecting other sources, including scenarios and internal variability. Using a set of GIMs driven by GCMs under different representative concentration pathways (RCPs), this study aims to partition the uncertainty of future flows coming from GIMs, GCMs, RCPs, and internal variability over the CONterminous United States (CONUS). We focus on annual maximum, median, and minimum runoff, analyzed decadally over the twenty-first century. Results indicate that GCMs and GIMs are responsible for the largest fraction of uncertainty over most of the study area, followed by internal variability and to a smaller extent RCPs. To investigate the influence of the ensemble setup on uncertainty, in addition to the full ensemble, three ensemble configurations are studied using fewer GIMs (excluding least credible GIMs in runoff representation and GIMs accounting for vegetation and CO₂ dynamics), and excluding intermediate RCPs. Overall, the use of fewer GIMs has a minor impact on uncertainty for low and medium flows, but a substantial impact for high flows. Regardless of the number of pathways considered, RCPs always play a very small role, suggesting that improvement of GCMs and GIMs and more informed ensemble selections can yield a reduction of projected uncertainties.     

贵州省气候评价的现状及发展方向

介绍了气候影响评价的定义、内容、贵州省发展现状及工作意义,重点对我省评价工作存在的主要问题及解决方法进行思考.     

Onset of the regional monsoon over Southeast Asia

Summary ?This is an observational study in which regional features of the different summer monsoon components over Asia especially the South China Sea (SCS) are examined. The authors use various data sets including satellite measurements to understand the onset, maintenance, and retreat of monsoon and explain the connection and independence among the variabilities in the monsoon components. It is shown that while outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data can only measure tropical convection, upper-tropospheric water vapor band brightness temperature (BT) represents appropriately convective precipitation in both the tropics and the extratropics. The authors define criteria for measuring the SCS monsoon using precipitation, BT, OLR, and lower-tropospheric winds and suggest that multi-variables should be considered to depict regional monsoon features adequately. Under the criteria defined in this study, the SCS summer monsoon is considered as an expansion of deep convection from the tropics. The onset of the monsoon occurs in mid-May, with its precursory signal found over the Indochina peninsula. It is characterized by an abrupt establishment, especially over the central SCS. Although the role of convection over the southern SCS in the monsoon onset is unclear, the early precipitation over the northern SCS and South China, resulted from the effect of subtropical fronts, is separated from the tropical monsoon rainfall. The relative independence from one monsoon component to another is explained by the effects from local topography and land-sea thermal contrast. Received November 5, 1999/Revised April 13, 2000     

西北太平洋热带气旋气候变化的若干研究进展

简要回顾了近年来国内外在西北太平洋热带气旋活动的季节、年际和年代际变化方面的研究,涉及到热带低频振荡、厄尔尼诺—南方涛动(EI Ni(n)o-Southern oscillation,ENSO)、印度洋海盆增暖、准两年振荡(quasi-biennial oscillation,QBO)等对西北太平洋热带气旋活动气候变化的影响,以及ENSO与热带气旋活动年际相关的年代际变化,展望了该领域的研究前景,并提出当前此研究领域中一些亟需研究的科学问题.     

中国及其周边地区多种水凝物资料的气候态特征比较

对云的水凝物含量进行研究有利于认识云的辐射性质和强迫效应,以及改善模式的预报性能。利用目前几种较为常用的卫星观测资料（ISCCP、MODIS和CloudSat）和再分析资料（CFSR和ERA-Interim）,对中国及其周边地区的多种水凝物变量,包括积分的云水路径、液水路径和冰水路径,以及分层的液态水含量和冰水含量的气候态水平及垂直分布特征进行了比较研究。结果表明,在总的水凝物含量方面,无论是描述整个中国及其周边地区的水平分布特征和主要变化模态,还是不同海陆区域的月变化特点,MODIS、ERA和CFSR三种资料都显示出较高的一致性,而ISCCP的绝对数值和变化幅度与它们均存在一定差异。在液态水含量方面,无论是水平还是垂直分布,ERA-Interim都有最高的数值,作为观测数据的MODIS和ISCCP则显著偏低。对于冰水含量,不同资料间无论是水平和垂直分布形式还是具体数值都存在明显差异。通过分析不同水凝物资料间气候态分布的差异性特征,有利于认识目前常用的几种水凝物资料的“不确定性”程度,从而更好地估计云的辐射效应,以及理解其在气候变化中所扮演的角色。      

Sea/land breeze climatological characteristics along the northern Croatian Adriatic coast

Summary Climatological characteristics along the northern Croatian Adriatic coast have been examined for nine meteorological stations for the summertime sea/land breeze circulation. The stations considered are Pula-airport, Opatija, Rijeka, Senj, Malinska, Rijeka-airport, Mali Lošinj, Rab and Zadar. The hourly surface measurements at each station from June to September for the period 1991–2004 as well as the radiosoundings in Zadar (from 2002 to 2004) were used for the analysis. A dataset with the sea/land breeze days was formed according to the several criteria. The mean daily maxima of both air and sea surface temperatures were more influenced by the large scale disturbances toward north (e.g. in Rijeka or Opatija) compared to the values for e.g. Zadar. Furthermore, the influence of the large scale disturbances diminished toward the south concerning the sea–land temperature difference only at the stations placed at Rijeka Bay and Velebit channel. The strongest sea breeze was found at Pula-airport and the most frequent ones at Opatija and Zadar. At Senj the rarest, the weakest and the shortest sea breeze was observed. The climatological records of wind speed and air-sea temperature difference (ΔT) showed for Opatija, Malinska and Zadar that the maximum measured wind speed is around 4.5 °C confirming the nonlinear relationship between the sea breeze speeds and the ΔT during the day. At most stations, the clockwise rotation of the hodographs prevails which is typical for the Northern hemisphere due to Coriolis force, with the exception at Senj and Malinska. While the hodographs for Pula, Rijeka-airport and Mali Lošinj display a later onset of the prevailing sea breeze because of the interaction among several sea breeze circulations, the results for Opatija, Zadar and Senj show considerably distorted hodographs because of the nearby channeling of the air flow.     

Fluxes of latent heat over the oceans: climatological studies and application of satellite observations

A short review is given of the different methods by which latent heat fluxes (or evaporation) over oceans are determined. In more detail, the applicability of the bulk aerodynamical formula is discussed. This formula is mainly used for climatological studies of heat fluxes and for the application of satellite data. As an example, for climatological studies we selected the work of Isemer and Hasse, who did a re-processing of the so-called Bunker data set to determine heat fluxes over the North Atlantic Ocean. In order to check their results, Isemer and Hasse calculated the annual mean heat budget for each latitudinal delt and derived from it the required ocean heat transport. With the aid of inverse modelling, the derived ocean transport was compared with the observed ocean transport and some of the used coefficients (e.g. bulk coefficients for latent and sensible heat flux) were altered. Though the ocean heat transport is changed by a large amount (at the equator 0.3 PW, original Bunker data; 0 PW, Isemer and Hasse; 0.76 PW, after inverse modelling (all northwards)) the overall patterns of the fields of the energy fluxes remain almost unchanged. The bulk coefficient for latent heat flux for example is altered by 5.6%.The geophysical parameters necessary for the bulk aerodynamic method can be determined from satellite observations: SST, q₀, u₀. Studies are described which used data from a microwave radiometer on SEASAT and NIMBUS7 to determine latent heat flux. An error calculation shows that the obtained accuracy is between 26 and 35 W m⁻². This accuracy is adequate enough to allow reasonable estimates to be made of these fluxes. More satellites are planned for launch with microwave radiometers and scatterometers which will increase the possibility of determining geophysical parameters more accurately for use in the bulk aerodynamic formula. They will provide the database from which large-scale fieldsof latent heat flux (for time scales shorter than a month or even for actual situations) can be derived.     

Probabilistic forecasting of seasonal drought behaviors in the Huai River basin,China

Results from high resolution 7-km WRF regional climate model (RCM) simulations are used to analyse changes in the occurrence frequencies of heat waves, of precipitation extremes and of the duration of the winter time freezing period for highly populated urban areas in Central Europe. The projected climate change impact is assessed for 11 urban areas based on climate indices for a future period (2021–2050) compared to a reference period (1971–2000) using the IPCC AR4 A1B Scenario as boundary conditions. These climate indices are calculated from daily maximum, minimum and mean temperatures as well as precipitation amounts. By this, the vulnerability of these areas to future climate conditions is to be investigated. The number of heat waves, as well as the number of single hot days, tropical nights and heavy precipitation events is projected to increase in the near future. In addition, the number of frost days is significantly decreased. Probability density functions of monthly mean summer time temperatures show an increase of the 95th percentile of about 1–3 °C for the future compared with the reference period. The projected increase of cooling and decrease of heating degree days indicate the possible impact on urban energy consumption under future climate conditions.     

Climate variability and projected change in the western United States: regional downscaling and drought statistics

Climate change in the twenty-first century, projected by a large ensemble average of global coupled models forced by a mid-range (A1B) radiative forcing scenario, is downscaled to Climate Divisions across the western United States. A simple empirical downscaling technique is employed, involving model-projected linear trends in temperature or precipitation superimposed onto a repetition of observed twentieth century interannual variability. This procedure allows the projected trends to be assessed in terms of historical climate variability. The linear trend assumption provides a very close approximation to the time evolution of the ensemble-average climate change, while the imposition of repeated interannual variability is probably conservative. These assumptions are very transparent, so the scenario is simple to understand and can provide a useful baseline assumption for other scenarios that may incorporate more sophisticated empirical or dynamical downscaling techniques. Projected temperature trends in some areas of the western US extend beyond the twentieth century historical range of variability (HRV) of seasonal averages, especially in summer, whereas precipitation trends are relatively much smaller, remaining within the HRV. Temperature and precipitation scenarios are used to generate Division-scale projections of the monthly palmer drought severity index (PDSI) across the western US through the twenty-first century, using the twentieth century as a baseline. The PDSI is a commonly used metric designed to describe drought in terms of the local surface water balance. Consistent with previous studies, the PDSI trends imply that the higher evaporation rates associated with positive temperature trends exacerbate the severity and extent of drought in the semi-arid West. Comparison of twentieth century historical droughts with projected twenty-first century droughts (based on the prescribed repetition of twentieth century interannual variability) shows that the projected trend toward warmer temperatures inhibits recovery from droughts caused by decade-scale precipitation deficits.     

西南地区东部夏季旱涝的水汽输送特征

利用1959-2006年两南地区东部20个测站逐日降水量资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析月平均资料,分析了西南地区东部夏季旱涝年的水汽输送特征.结果表明,西南地区东部水汽来源主要有两个:第1条主要来自青藏高原转向孟加拉湾经缅甸和云南进入西南地区东部,第2条水汽经由孟加拉湾南部,强大的水汽输送带继续向东输送至中南半岛及南海,与南海越赤道气流所携带的水汽汇合后转向至西南地区东部,而由四太平洋副热带高压西侧转向的偏南水汽对向西南地区东部水汽输送也有影响.与西南地区东部夏季降水相联系的水汽通道中,印度洋水汽通道强度最强,太平洋水汽通道强度最弱.在印度季风区,偏北的高原南侧水汽通道(经向)强度远小于偏南的印度洋水汽通道.东亚季风区夏季水汽输送经向输送大于纬向输送,而印度季风区夏季水汽输送则是纬向输送大于经向输送.西南地区东部夏季降水与纬向通道的强度变化关系密切,而与经向通道的水汽输送强度变化关系不明显.当印度季风区南支水汽输送偏弱时,印度季风区北支(高原南侧)和东亚季风区向西的水汽输送偏强,使得以纬向输送为主的印度季风区经向水汽输送加大,而以经向输送为主的东亚季风区纬向水汽输送加大,从而使东亚地区的水汽输送带偏西,西南地区东部夏季降水偏多,可能出现洪涝,反之则可能出现干旱.西南地区东部夏季水汽有弱的净流出,是一个弱的水汽源区,南边界流入水汽量最多,干旱年整个区域水汽流出较常年明显,而洪涝年则有弱的净流入.夏季水汽通道水汽输送强弱变化与同期500 hPa高度场和SST场的分布形势密切相关.     

京津冀夏季雷达定量降水估测的误差统计及定量气候校准

雷达定量降水估测（QPE）是短时临近预报的关键部分,在定量降水预报（QPF）、强降水预警、城市积水内涝、地质山洪灾害、精细化天气服务等方面具有重要作用。利用京津冀地区雷达定量降水估测资料和逐时自动气象站降水观测数据,分析了2011—2016年夏季京津冀地区雷达定量降水估测的误差空间分布特征,并重点提出了一种新的雷达本地化定量气候校准算法。结果表明,京津冀地区雷达定量降水估测较好地反映了总降水量东北—西南带状分布特征,但西北部山区、东北部山区及西南部山区估计偏弱,东北部山前地带估计偏强,西北部存在虚假降水估计,而北京市城区估计最为准确。利用雷达本地化定量气候校准算法对1 h雷达定量降水估测进行气候尺度上的约束订正,检验结果表明,经过校准后的雷达定量降水估测偏差（BIAS）、平均绝对误差（MAE）、均方根误差（RMSE）和均方根相对误差（RRMSE）均减小。绝大部分站点偏差减小幅度超过50%,京津冀东部及南部平原地带平均绝对误差、均方根误差和均方根相对误差减小幅度在20%左右,而北部及西南部山区误差减小幅度相对较小。降水个例检验结果表明,经过雷达定量气候校准后的雷达定量降水估测强度更接近自动气象站观测的降水量级,且降水结构细致,偏差、平均绝对误差和均方根误差均减小,与自动气象站观测降水的相关系数增大,因此该算法有助于改进雷达定量降水估测的准确度。      

An assessment of climatological synoptic typing by principal component analysis and kmeans clustering

A common method of automated synoptic typing for climatological investigations involves data reduction by principal component analysis followed by the application of a clustering method. The number of eigenvectors kept in the principal component analysis is usually determined by a threshold value of relative variance retained, typically 85% to 95%, under the implicit assumption that varying this relative variance will not affect the resultant synoptic catalogue. This assumption is tested using daily 500-mb geopotential heights over northwest Canada during the winter period (December to February) from 1948 to 2006. Results show that the synoptic catalogue and associated surface climatological characteristics undergo changes for values of relative variance retained over 99%, indicating the typical thresholds are too low and calling into question the validity of performing principal component analysis prior to objective clustering.