Magnitude and Frequency of Flooding in the Tagus Basin (Central Spain) over the Last Millennium

A relational database using Access, and an interface based on a Geographical Information System (GIS) with ArcView program, were created to allow spatial-temporal analysis of documentary flood data collected for the Tagus basin (Central Spain). High flood frequencies were registered in the periods: AD 1160–1210 (3%), 1540–1640 (11%; peak at 1590–1610), 1730–1760 (5%), 1780–1810 (4%), 1870–1900 (19%), 1930–1950 (17%) and 1960–1980 (12%). Flood magnitudes of those documentary events were estimated at four sites (Aranjuez, Toledo, Talavera and Alcántara) along the Tagus River using HEC-RAS Computer program, matching the calculated water surface profiles with historical references of flood stage. The largest floods took place during the periods AD 1168–1211 (Toledo and Talavera), AD 1658–1706 (Talavera), AD 1870–1900, and AD 1930–1950 (Aranjuez, Toledo, Talavera and Alcántara). The temporal distribution of flood magnitude and frequency is discussed within the context of climatic variability experienced by the Iberian Peninsula. Although flood producing mechanisms of Atlantic and Mediterranean basins of the Iberian Peninsula are related to different, independent atmospheric patterns, there is a clear coincidence between most periods showing high flood frequencies. These periods of high flooding seem to correspond to the initial and final decades of periods with climate deterioration described at the continental scale. This suggests that climatic variability over the last millennium has induced a response in hydrological extremes (positive or negative), irrespective of the flood-producing mechanism.     

Solar Signal in the Number of Floods Recorded for the Tagus River Basin over the Last Millennium

Recently, Benito et al. (2003) have created and analyzed a database using documentary flood data collected for the Tagus river basin (Central Spain). In this short contribution, the presence of the long-period cycles of solar activity in this data is analyzed.     

Variability of Sea-Ice Extent in Baffin Bay over the Last Millennium

Comparison of an ice core glaciochemical time-series developed from thePenny Ice Cap (PIC), Baffin Island and monthly sea-ice extent reveals astatisticallysignificant inverse relationship between changes in Baffin Bay spring sea-iceextent andPenny Ice Cap sea-salt concentrations for the period 1901–1990 AD.Empiricalorthogonal function analysis demonstrates the joint behavior between changesin PICsea-salt concentrations, sea-ice extent, and changes in North Atlanticatmosphericcirculation. Our results suggest that sea-salt concentrations in snowpreserved on thePIC reflect local to regional springtime sea-ice coverage. The PIC sea-saltrecord/sea-ice relationship is further supported by decadal and century scalecomparisonwith other paleoclimate records of eastern Arctic climate change over the last700 years. Our sea-salt record suggests that, while the turn of the century wascharacterized bygenerally milder sea-ice conditions in Baffin Bay, the last few decades ofsea-ice extentlie within Little Ice Age variability and correspond to instrumental recordsof lowertemperatures in the Eastern Canadian Arctic over the past three decades.     

Latitude-Dependent Response of East Asian Summer Monsoon to External Forcing in the Last Millennium

Response of the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM) rainfall to external forcing(insolation,volcanic aerosol,and greenhouse gases) is investigated by analysis of a millennium simulation with the coupled climate model ECHO-G.The model reproduces reasonably realistic present-day EASM climatology.The simulated precipitation variation in East Asia over the last millennium compares favorably with the observed and proxy data.It is found that the features and sensitivity of the forced response depend on latitude.On...     

Summer Monsoon Rainfall Variability in Central China over the Past 4700 Years and Its Possible Link to Solar Activity

Based on 467 pairs of δ~(18) O and δ~(13) C records and 8 230 Th dates from a stalagmite(BF4) from Xiniu Cave, central China, we present a reconstruction of ~9-yr resolution monsoon rainfall record for the past 4700 years. Our δ~(18) O record shows good coherence with East Asian summer monsoon(EASM) rainfall proxies from adjacent regions during the overlapping intervals, suggesting that δ~(18) O signal in BF4 can be interpreted as a monsoon rainfall proxy. The δ~(13) C variations are related to changes in local processes at the cave site, and regional rainfall and temperature changes.Based on the δ~(18) O record, a series of dry periods can be identified at 4500–4200, 3500–3200, 2800–2500,1900–1600, 1400–1200, 700–500, and 400–200 yr BP, while a series of wet periods can be identified at 4200–3600,2400–2200, 3200–2800, 1100–900, 600–400, and 200–100 yr BP. Power spectrum analysis on our δ~(18) O record reveals significant cycles at ~470 and ~80 yr, coinciding with the typical solar periodic variations. This result suggests that changes in solar activity play a dominant role in driving centennial–decadal monsoon rainfall variation in central China. Due to minor changes in solar irradiance(less than 1.5 W m~(-2)) over the past 4700 years, our record was further compared to the El Ni?o–Southern Oscillation(ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO) proxies,confirming that solar forcing on monsoon rainfall changes might be amplified by the ENSO and PDO variations.From 600 to 150 yr BP(the Little Ice Age, LIA), a positive shift of ~2‰ can be revealed in both the δ~(18) O and δ~(13) C records, indicating a cold/dry climatic pattern. By comparing our δ~(18) O and δ~(13) C records with historical documents,we suggest that the climatic deteriorations between 450 and 250 yr BP may have caused serious social unrest at the end of the Ming Dynasty.     

塔里木河流域冰川洪水对气候变暖的响应

In past 50 years, the air temperature fluctuation was raising trend in Tarim River Basin. The annual mean temperature has increased by 0.3℃ in the whole Tarim River Basin, and by 0.6℃ in the mountain areas. With global warming, the frequency of unstable and extreme climatic events increased, glaciers retreating accelerated and snow meltwater increased have resulted in the more frequency of snow-ice disasters such as glacier debrisflow and glacier flash flood etc. Since 1980s, in the process of intense climate warming, glaciers melting intensified, ice temperature rose and glaciers flows accelerated, and lead to more glacial lakes and extending water storage capacity and stronger glacial lake outburst floods occurrence. It is proposed that the monitoring and evaluating of the impact of climate change on water resources and floods should be enhanced.     

柴达木盆地东北部过去1437 a的降水变化重建

利用青海柴达木盆地东北缘山地11个地点的祁连圆柏树轮宽度序列,在早期分析祁连圆柏的生长对气候要素响应的基础上,重建了青海德令哈和乌兰地区过去1437 a的年降水量变化序列。重建方程能够解释校准期（1955-2002年）内66%的降水量变化方差,尤其是重建的降水序列的低频变化能够很好地代表器测资料的变化。从过去1437 a的时间尺度来看,近40 a来柴达木东北缘地区处于相对湿润的时期,但最显著的湿润期出现在16世纪晚期。此外,小冰期期间降水量的变幅较大,而中世纪暖期降水低频变化相对较小。另外,重建降水量体现了150～250 a尺度的低频变化特征。     

塔里木河流域冰川洪水对全球变暖的响应

 塔里木河流域近50 a来气温主要呈波动上升趋势, 平均上升约0.3℃,其中山区平均升高0.6℃。随着气候变暖,不稳定天气出现的频率增多,冰川退缩,冰雪融水增大,使冰川泥石流和冰川突发洪水等冰雪灾害的发生频率呈上升趋势。在20世纪80年代以来的剧烈增温过程中,冰川消融加剧,冰温升高,冰川流速加快,从而造成冰湖增多和库容增大,冰湖溃决洪水的发生呈增加的趋势。建议加强气候变化对水资源和洪水影响的监测和评估。     

近千年中国东部夏季雨带位置的变化

Based on the variations of geographical locations, the summer rain belts over eastern China were classified in this study into eight types: Inner Mongolia, North China, the Yellow River, the Huaihe River, the Yangtze River, the northern and southern parts of Jiangnan ( to the south of the lower Yangtze River valley), and South China. The file of 8-type rain belts was compiled from 1470 to 2005, and in order to extend the file of rain belts, it was further merged into a file of 4-type rain belts and also completed during the last millennium from 1000 to 1999. At last, the two files show that summer rain belts frequently occur in the Yangtze River valley in warm climate periods, but in the Yellow River or the Huaihe River valley in cold periods.     

近千年中国东部夏季雨带位置的变化

提出一个把中国东部夏季雨带位置划分为8类的方案：内蒙古、华北、黄河下游、淮河、长江、江南北部、江南南部、华南。建立了1470-2005年8类雨带的档案。8类雨带又可归并为4类：华北、黄淮、长江、江南。建立了1000 -1999年4类雨带的档案。这两份档案显示气候温暖时雨带在长江的频次高,而气候寒冷时雨带在黄淮的频次高。     

江淮梅雨长期变化对太阳活动因子的响应分析

利用美国国家海洋大气局(NOAA)地球物理数据中心(NGDC)1954-2005年太阳黑子数资料,把太阳活动作为地球气候的外强迫因子,采用小波分析和交叉小波分析方法,研究了太阳黑子数与江淮梅雨特征量及西太平洋副热带高压指数的关系。结果表明:太阳活动与江淮梅雨的相关性存在南北差异,北部呈现正相关而南部呈现负相关,且正负相关性在时间序列上保持不变;江淮南部梅雨量与太阳黑子数有稳定的11年共振周期及0.5~1年的相位滞后;西太平洋副热带高压指数与太阳黑子数也有较好的相关关系,说明太阳活动影响地球气候可能存在太阳活动—西太平洋副热带高压—江淮梅雨这样一条过程链。     

太阳活动对京津冀地区旱涝的影响

利用中国气象科学院等整理的中国近五百年旱涝等级资料, 应用小波分析、 相关矩分析等方法, 详细分析了太阳黑子变化与京津冀地区旱涝的关系。在统计太阳黑子极值年附近旱涝特征时发现, 在太阳黑子峰值年附近京津冀地区容易出现偏旱的年份, 低谷年附近容易出现偏涝的年份。小波分析结果表明, 太阳黑子与旱涝指数在9.8年、 78.6年、 132.2年周期处存在对应关系, 说明太阳黑子的变化对京津冀地区的旱涝有一定影响。通过旱涝指数与太阳黑子相对数的相关矩分析, 发现两者相关关系存在阶段性的转折变化, 即由正相关转为负相关, 或者由负相关转为正相关, 相关矩发生转折的时间间隔最长为81年, 最短为23年, 平均为50年。本文还对相关矩阶段性变化的可能原因进行了初步分析。     

渠江流域汛期强降水时空分布特征

本文从分析研究渠江流域汛期强降水时空分布入手,试图揭示该流域21世纪以来洪水频发的原因。经对渠江流域1970~2012年降水资料分析研究得出:(1)渠江流域汛期降水量、暴雨日数、降水变差系数呈“北大南小”的空间分布;“北区(河流汇水区,下同)”近年来汛期降水量增大、暴雨频率增加、降水趋于极端;(2)短时强降水多发生在04~08时,频发区主要位于“北区”,近年来频次呈上升趋势;(3)小时雨强极值“北区”普遍大于“南区”;近43年渠江流域汛期小时雨强极值总体呈增大趋势,“北区”尤为明显。因此,渠江流域汛期发生的强降水趋势性变化,是导致该流域洪水频发的主要原因之一。      

Changes in heat wave characteristics over Extremadura (SW Spain)

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Heat wave (HW) events are becoming more frequent, and they have important consequences because of the negative effects they can have not only on the human...     

Recent trends in temperature and precipitation over the Balearic Islands (Spain)

Changes in climatic parameters are often given in terms of global averages even though large regional variability is generally observed. The study of regional tendencies provides not only supplementary conclusions to more large-scale oriented results but is also of particular interest to local policy-makers and resource managers to have detailed information regarding sensible and influential climatic parameters. In this study, changes in precipitation for the Balearic Islands (Spain) have been analyzed using data from 18 rain gauges with complete daily time series during the period 1951–2006 and two additional sites where only monthly totals were available. Tendencies for maximum and minimum 2-m temperatures have also been derived using data from three thermometric stations with daily time series for the period 1976–2006. The thermometric stations are located at the head of the runways in the airports of the three major islands of the archipelago, where urbanization has arguably not had a relevant impact on the registered values. The annual mean temperature in the mid-troposphere and lower stratosphere has also been analyzed using the Balearics radiosonde data for the period 1981–2006. Results show there is a negative tendency for annual precipitation (163 mm per century) with 85% significance on the sign of the trend. An abrupt decrease in mean yearly precipitation of 65 mm is objectively detected in the time series around 1980. Additionally, the analysis shows that light and heavy daily precipitation (up to 4 mm and above 64 mm, respectively) increase their contribution to the total annual, while the share from moderate-heavy precipitations (16–32 mm) is decreasing. Regarding the thermometric records, minimum temperatures increased at a rate of 5.8°C per century during the 31 years and maximum temperatures also increased at a rate of 5.0°C per century, both having a level of statistical significance for the sign of the linear trend above 99%. Temperatures in the mid-troposphere decreased at a rate of ??5.4°C per century while a tendency of ??7.8°C per century is found in the lower stratosphere. The level of statistical significance for the sign of both the tropospheric and stratospheric linear trends is above 98% despite the great inter-annual variability of both series.     

Re-examination of Trends Related to Tropical Cyclone Activity over the Western North Pacific Basin

In order to re-examine some trends related to tropical cyclones（TCs） over the western North Pacific since 1949,the unreliable maximum sustained wind(V_max) recorded in the 1949-1978 TC best-track data from the Shanghai Typhoon Institute was modified based on the wind-pressure relationships（WPRs） in this study. Compared to the WPR scheme based on the cyclostrophic balance,the WPR scheme based on the gradient balance could give a better fit to TCs under higher wind speeds and could introduce smaller estimated errors for TCs locating at higher latitudes as well as TCs landing on the continent.After the V_max modification based on minimum sea-level pressure and TC center latitude,the revised annual number of category 4-5 typhoons shows no long-term trend,while the potential destructiveness measured by power-dissipation index decreases slightly,and this trend is not significant in the period 1949-2008.     

近千年全球温度变化研究的新进展

结合国内外有关研究,综合评述了美国国家科学院国家研究理事会的报告 --"近两千年地面温度的重建"。重点介绍了气候变暖的新证据,3个特征时期即20世纪气候变暖、小冰期（LIA）、中世纪暖期（MWP）和近千年温度变化模拟的结果。     

复杂地形下黑河流域的太阳辐射计算

基于数字高程模型(DEM)数据,在充分考虑了地形因子对太阳直接辐射和散射辐射的影响后,实际计算了起伏地形下黑河流域的太阳辐射。在忽略地表和大气之间的多次反射后,地表太阳总辐射计为三项:按起伏坡面上实际入射角考虑的太阳直接辐射、经过下垫面天空视角因子订正的坡面天空散射辐射和考虑周围地形反射效应的附加辐射。计算结果表明:局地地形起伏对太阳直接辐射、总辐射空间分布的影响非常强烈,使得复杂地形下不同坡向间总辐射和直接辐射平均计算差额十分显著,且太阳天顶角从较小增大至中等大小时,这两种平均计算差额均加大一倍多;在较小和中等大小太阳天顶角下,不同坡向间总辐射平均计算差额,均较相同条件下直接辐射平均计算差额为小,这是因为总辐射还包括了天空漫射和邻近地形反射辐射因子,这两个因子和坡面上太阳入射方位的变化共同影响地表入射太阳辐射;起伏地形主要使得太阳辐射在局地区域内背阴、向阳坡向间发生显著的重新分配。因此,在复杂地形地区进行太阳辐射计算时必须考虑地形的影响。     

Atmospheric Surface-Layer Response to the Annular Solar Eclipse of 15 January 2010 over Thiruvananthapuram,India

On 15 January 2010, Thiruvananthapuram in India (8.5°N, 76.9°E) witnessed one of the longest possible noontime annular solar eclipses spanning a period of about 7 min centred at 1314 local time. Here, we present a case study on the behaviour of the atmospheric surface layer by comparing the eclipse-induced observations with similar measurements recorded on cloud-free/clear-sky days. During the peak period of the eclipse, the incoming solar irradiance was reduced by 87% of its normal values, resulting in an air-temperature decrease near the surface of 1.2°C in association with a significant reduction in turbulent kinetic energy, momentum flux and sensible heat flux. The rate of instantaneous decay in solar radiation and sensible heat flux from the first contact of the eclipse to its annularity was greater than that seen during normal evening hours.     

我国南方中东部地区地面太阳总辐射变化规律

为进一步探讨我国地面太阳辐射的变化规律及其原因,选择我国南方中东部地区,利用该区域1961—2007年33个站点的地面太阳总辐射资料,结合云量、大气水汽含量和能见度等观测资料,综合研究该区域地面太阳总辐射的变化规律及其原因。结果表明:1961—1989年,我国南方中东部地区地面太阳总辐射呈下降趋势,之后发生逆转,1995年后其变化趋于缓和,1961—2007年总体呈现变暗—变亮—变缓的趋势。究其原因,该区域云量平均值由峰入谷、云量下降速率由快变慢可能是产生此变化趋势的原因之一;其次,20世纪80年代到21世纪初,气溶胶光学厚度上升趋势减缓,气溶胶地面辐射强迫变化趋于缓和,某些区域甚至出现下降,也导致部分站点地面太阳总辐射由暗变亮。