On the precipitation regions within two storms affecting Atlantic Canada

Abstract

Two storms that produced heavy precipitation during the Canadian Atlantic Storms Program (CASP) field project are examined, with particular emphasis on their northern and western sectors. Precipitation was associated with upwards motion along the edges of an elevated warm core north of the surface low centre. Within the general pattern of precipitation, the highest rates occurred in narrow bands that were generally aligned with isotherms. The warm core contains regions of marginal symmetric instability and some of absolute instability.     

On the nature of rapidly deepening Canadian East Coast winter storms

Abstract

During the Canadian Atlantic Storms Program (CASP) field project from 15 January to 15 March 1986, seven storms underwent rapid deepening either within or adjacent to the observational network. The most rapid deepening phase of these storms was associated with the surface low‐pressure centre being located close to to the rain‐snow boundary and the end of this phase was associated with the low centre eventually moving to sub‐freezing surface temperatures. Precipitation bands of both rain and snow occurred during maximum deepening. Observations are consistent with divergence and subsidence occurring near the centre itself. It is suggested that a mesoscale circulation initiated by melting snow significantly affects the deepening process.     

Measurements of peroxyacetylnitrate in the marine boundary layer over the Atlantic

The atmospheric concentration of peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) was measured during a cruise of the R.S. Polarstern from Bremerhaven (Germany) to Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) in September/ October 1988. The measurements were made in-situ by a combination of electron capture gaschromatography with a cryogenic preconcentration step. The theoretical lower limit of detection (3) was 0.4 ppt. The mixing ratios of PAN varied by more than three orders of magnitude from 2000 ppt in the English Channel to less than 0.4 ppt south of the Azores (38° N). South of 35° N, PAN levels were below the detection limit, except at 30–31° S off the eastern coast of South America. Here, PAN mixing ratios of 10 to 100 ppt were detected in continentally influenced air masses. Detectable levels of PAN were mostly observed in air masses of continental or high northern origin. Changes in the wind directions were usually associated with substantial changes in the PAN mixing ratios.     

Tree-Ring Based Reconstructions of Precipitation for the Southern Canadian Cordillera

This paper reconstructs precipitation variability in the southern Canadian Cordillera over the past 3–400 years using dendroclimatologicaltechniques. Fifty-three total ring-width (RW) chronologies, 28 earlywood (EW) and 28 latewood (LW) chronologies were developed from open-grown, low-elevation stands of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) and Pinusponderosa (ponderosa pine) across the southern Canadian Cordillera. RW, EW and LW chronologies from both species were used to develop 13 annual (prior July to current June) precipitation reconstructions across the region. The reconstructions range in length from 165 to 688 years, pass verification tests and capture 39–64% of the variancein the instrumental record. Coincident, prolonged intervals of dry conditions are estimated for the years: 1717–1732, 1839–1859, 1917–1941 and1968–1979. Shorter dry intervals are identified between 1581–1586, 1626–1630,1641–1653 1701–1708, 1756–1761, 1768–1772, 1793–1800,1868–1875, 1889–1897 and 1985–1989. The historic drought of the 1920–1930s was the longest but not the most intense across this area in the last 300 years. Wet conditions occur in the majority of reconstructions for the years: 1689–1700, 1750–55,1778–1789, 1800–1830, 1880–1890, 1898–1916 and 1942–1960. Thesedata, in conjunction with data from adjacent areas, are used to provide the first maps of decadal precipitation anomalies for the region between 1700 and 1990.     

我国云降水物理飞机观测研究进展

飞机观测是云中粒子相态、分布和转化特征的重要探测技术。我国云降水物理飞机观测开始于20世纪60年代,经过60多年的发展,在飞机平台、机载测量技术、云微物理结构和降水形成机制认识等方面均取得了长足进步。发现积层混合云中对流泡区具有更高的过冷水含量,凇附增长起重要作用,符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制,而在层云区,当云厚度较小时,过冷水含量很少,冰雪晶的凝华、聚并增长起主导作用,并不符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制,而当云厚度较大时,过冷水含量较为丰富,凝华、聚并和凇附增长起主导作用,基本符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制;我国北方冬季降雪过程的形成机制主要是凝华-聚并机制,只有在水汽非常充足、云较厚的情况下,凇附增长过程才具有重要作用。近年虽然在人工影响天气播撒效应、数值模式云物理过程验证、卫星及雷达遥感数据检验、对流云结构观测等方面也取得了一些进展,但仍较薄弱,亟待加强。     

称重式降水传感器异常降水记录特征分析

为掌握称重式降水传感器的仪器性能,分析称重式降水传感器在业务应用中存在的问题,提高称重式降水传感器数据可用性,选取北京地区38个台站称重降水传感器的异常降水观测进行统计分析,依照产生原因对异常降水记录开展归纳分类,将其总结为4个类型,即电源干扰型、温度敏感型、滞后型和融冻型,并分别对各类型异常降水记录的产生原因与误报特征进行分析,最后提出增加直流稳压模块、加强温度系数测定、改进设备结构或工艺、规范维护操作等多方面的对应解决思路。     

Characterizing Atmospheric Aerosols off the Atlantic Canadian Coast During C-FOG

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - Marine aerosols play an important role in the Earth’s climate, but their effects remain highly uncertain due to a poor understanding of their sources, properties,...     

Mesoscale observations of surface fronts and low pressure centres in Canadian East Coast winter storms

The movements of surface cold and warm fronts and low pressure centres have been observed in several Atlantic Canada winter storms. Statistical aspects of the well-defined surface fronts (7 warm and 6 cold) are presented. Surface wind direction change was considered as the best indicator of the boundaries of the front; frontal zone widths ranged from 23 to 144 km. Average values of wind shifts were 107° for the cold fronts and 85° for warm fronts. Several case studies are presented, based primarily on surface MesoNet data (near Halifax, Nova Scotia and on Sable Island). In two of the cold fronts, there was a two-stage surface structure and rapid evolution as the front passed over the MesoNet. In some cases, both warm and cold, the wind shift and temperature change were coincident while in others they were not. In particular we observed that wind shifts often started 20–30 min ahead of the start of a temperature decrease in these cold frontal passages. A possible mechanism for this is discussed. We found little or no evidence of along-front structure in our data although other investigators have found considerable along-front variation on scales of 0(10 km). Observations of the passage of one low pressure centre are presented. In a second case, surface temperature changes indicated an apparent low pressure centre passage through the Sable Island MesoNet but closer inspection provides an alternative interpretation.     

冬季北大西洋涛动对中国春季降水异常的影响

利用中国397个测站降水资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,采用相关分析、合成分析等方法,研究了冬季北大西洋涛动(NAO)对我国春季降水的影响。结果表明,我国春季降水与前期冬季NAO关系密切,冬季NAO偏强(弱)时,我国东部南方地区春季降水偏多(少),北方地区春季降水偏少(多)。冬季NAO信号通过波列形式传播至东亚地区,使得春季东亚副热带急流和温带急流发生变化,冬季NAO偏强(弱)时,春季东亚副热带西风急流增强(减弱),温带急流减弱(增强)。进一步分析表明,冬季NAO异常会引起春季乌拉尔山高压脊和东亚大槽的变化,导致东亚对流层上层的温度发生变化,并由此产生经向温度梯度异常,这可能是NAO影响东亚高空急流的原因之一。春季东亚对流层上层的气温变冷(暖),使得东亚地区30°-40°N区域产生下沉(上升)运动,20°-30°N区域产生上升(下沉)运动,最终导致我国东部南方地区春季降水偏多(少)、北方地区春季降水偏少(多)。     

横向雨量器的设计及由风引起的降水测量误差订正

该文提出了横向雨量器的设计原理。经30个站7年2.8万多次的坑式雨量器、台站雨量器和横向雨量器的对比观测, 证实降水量测量的绝对差值与横向降水量呈一元幂函数关系, 相关系数达0.99。在现行的台站观测业务中, 只要增加横向雨量器的并行观测, 就可对台站雨量器测量的降水量 (包括雪量) 实施订正。订正后的精度接近于坑式雨量器的测量精度。订正方法简便易行, 可应用于业务观测。     

Measurements of H2S and SO2 over the Atlantic Ocean

Concentrations of sulfur gases H₂S and SO₂ have been measured in the marine atmosphere over the Atlantic Ocean at various sites. Mean values of 40 ng H₂S m^-3 STP and 209 ng SO₂ m^-3 STP are the results of the measurements. A diurnal variation of H₂S concentration was detected on the west coast of Ireland with nighttime concentrations of up to 200 ng H₂S m^-3 STP and values below detection limit (15 ng H₂S m^-3 STP) during daytime.     

Simulations of Coastal Fog in the Canadian Atlantic with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - We evaluate the efficacy of microphysics and planetary-boundary-layer (PBL) parametrizations of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for simulation of the...     

Measurements of atmospheric dimethyl sulfide and carbon disulfide in the western Atlantic boundary layer

Shipboard measurements of atmospheric dimethyl sulfide were made during two transects along the east coast of the United States and at several stations in the Gulf of Maine. Limited measurements of carbon disulfide and hydrogen sulfide are also reported. The mean DMS mixing ratio was 29 pptv (=25, n=84, median 19 pptv) during the Atlantic transects, and 101 pptv (=67, n=77, median 79 pptv) in the Gulf of Maine. Distinct diurnal variations were found in the DMS data from the transects. The meteorology of the study area appears to control day-to-day differences in the magnitude of these diurnal variations, although rapid daytime oxidation is suggested in some cases. Diurnal variations were also evident in near-shore stations in the Gulf of Maine due to nocturnal boundary-layer inversion. Diurnal variation was not evident at other sites in the Gulf due to large scale changes in the atmospheric circulation pattern, which effectively masked any effects due to oxidation processes. Model simulations confirm that the DMS levels and diurnal variation found during the transects are not consistent with atmospheric oxidation processes alone. Atmospheric CS₂ and H₂S mixing ratios were less than 3 pptv during the transects, except for a single period of higher CS₂ mixing ratios (reaching 11 pptv) during advection of continental air. Calculations of the flux of oceanic sulfur to the eastern United States show that the contribution of natural sulfur to the North American sulfur budget is small compared to anthropogenic sources.     

利用星载测雨雷达探测结果对夏季中国南方对流和层云降水气候特征的分析

本文利用热带测雨卫星(TRMM)上搭载的测雨雷达(PR)十年的探测结果, 对夏季中国南方对流降水和层云降水的气候特征进行了分析。研究结果表明:夏季中国南方层云降水频次较对流降水频次高出两倍以上, 而对流降水强度至少是层云降水强度的4倍; 就整个中国南方而言, 这两种类型的降水对总降水量贡献相当。日变化分析表明夏季中国南方大部分地区的对流降水主要出现在午后, 层云降水出现时间并不集中, 但这两类降水的频次日变化均显示了明显的地域性特征; 对降水廓线日变化的分析结果表明, 对流降水和层云降水廓线的日变化主要表现在“雨顶”高度的日变化, 即对流降水云的厚度有明显的日变化变化特征, 不同地区的降水廓线存在明显的差异。降水率剖面分析结果显示了对流降水的“雨顶” 高度日变化较层云降水剧烈, 降水率的日变化则相反, 且层云降水率的地域性特征更强。     

Linkage Between Mei-yu Precipitation and North Atlantic SST on the Decadal Timescale

This paper investigates the relationship between mei-yu and North Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA). Results show that they are significantly associated with each other on the decadal timescale. Both mei-yu precipitation and mei-yu duration are characterized by significant decadal variability. Their decadal components are closely correlated with a triple mode of North Atlantic SSTA in the preceding winter. Regression analysis demonstrates that the wintertime North Atlantic SSTA may impose a delayed impact on East Asia Summer Monsoon (EASM) circulation and mei-yu on the decadal timescale. The persistency of SSTA plays an important role during this course. The triple SSTA mode can persist from winter until late spring. It is suggested that the springtime SSTA may excite a stationary wave-train propagating from west Eurasia to East Asia and exert an impact on mei-yu.     

Weakening of Winter North Atlantic Oscillation Signal in Spring Precipitation over Southern China

In this study,the relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO)in winter(December–February)and the precipitation over southern China(SCP)in the following spring(March–May)was investigated.Results showed an interdecadal change,from strong to weak connection,in their connection.Before the early1980s,they were highly correlated,with a strong(weak)winter NAO followed by an increased(decreased)spring SCP.However,after the early 1980s,their relationship was weakened significantly.This unstable relationship may be linked to the climatological change of East Asian jet.Before the early 1980s,the wave train along the Asian jet propagated the NAO signal eastward to East Asia and affected local upper-tropospheric atmospheric circulation.A strong NAO in winter led to an anomalous anticyclonic circulation at the south side of 30 N in East Asia in spring,resulting in an increase of SCP.In contrast,after the early1980s,the wave train pattern along the Asian jet extended eastward due to strengthening of the climatological East Asian jet.Correspondingly,the NAO-related East Asian atmospheric circulations in the upper troposphere shifted eastward,thereby weakening the linkage between the spring SCP and the winter NAO.