Ground-Based Observations of Unusual Atmospheric Light Emissions

Unusual atmospheric light emissions were observed from a station located in Shandong Province of East China. The main morphology of these events includes a bright glowing spot, which differs distinctly from any type of transient luminous events （TLEs） well recognized in literature, such as sprites, halos, elves, gigantic jets, blue jets, and blue starters. A comparison between the observations of four such light emission events and the data from lightning detection networks reveals no correlation between these events and the intense lightning activity in the adjacent area. The events reported in this paper may imply the existence of a new phenomenon with a mechanism that remains to be investigated with further observation and complementary lightning measurement.     

乌鲁木齐地区雷暴的气候特征

统计分析了乌鲁木齐地区4个代表站点1971-2007年的雷暴气候特征,结果表明：雷暴日山区多,市区和达坂城区少;37a来各地的雷暴日数随着时间的推移均呈逐渐减少趋势,各地雷暴平均活动期出现在4—9月,最多出现在7月,一日当中雷暴主要发生在午后14时至前半夜02时,各地雷暴持续时间以30min之内为多,各地的雷暴活动方位以偏北方向为最少,山区的雷暴持续期最长。该研究为今后进一步做好本地区防雷减灾工作提供了一定的参考依据。     

Analysis of the Winter Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Activity and Its Synoptic Background in China during 2010-20

Cloud-to-ground(CG)lightning data and the ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset are analyzed to gain insight into the spatiotemporal distribution and synoptic background of winter-season CG flashes between December 2010 and February 2020 in China.We identify three Winter Lightning Frequent Areas(WLAs):the southwest side of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau(WLA1),the east side of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau(WLA2),and the Poyang Lake Plain(WLA3).The CG lightning flashes most frequently occur at local midnight and have a monthly peak in February.The CG lightning in WLA1 is mostly generated in non-frontal weather;however,the lightning in WLA2 and WLA3 mostly occurs in frontal systems.The frontal circulation situation is divided into four typical types:transversal trough after high pressure,low vortex,confrontational convergence,and asymptotic convergence.In all typical weather patterns,the lightning occurs downstream of a 500 hPa trough and is accompanied by a southwesterly low-level jet.The convective parameters of winter thunderstorms differ greatly from those of summer thunderstorms.The maximum convective available potential energy(MCAPE)and K-index(KI)are more useful metrics than convective available potential energy(CAPE)and Showalter index(SI)during winter.This study further deepens the understanding of the distribution characteristics of winter CG lightning in China,which motivates further research to improve the ability of winter thunderstorm prediction.     

Lidar and Sun photometer observations of atmospheric boundary-layer characteristics over an urban area in a mountain valley

We present measurements of the vertical aerosol structure and the aerosol optical depth in the lower troposphere performed above the city of Sofia (an urban area situated in a mountain valley), western Bulgaria by means of a ground-based aerosol lidar operating continuously for a number of years. The lidar measurements were accompanied by measurements of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) in the visible and near infrared regions of the spectrum performed in October 2004 using Microtops II radiometers. The maximum values of the AOD were found to occur 1–2 h before the complete development of the atmospheric boundary layer, i.e. during the residual layer destruction, which confirms our hypothesis concerning the slope circulation effect on the processes taking place in the atmospheric boundary layer. The AOD values obtained by the lidar are lower than those taken by the sun photometer. Further, the AOD exhibits two different types of behaviour. In the case of a ‘clear atmosphere’ (i.e. in the absence of volcanic eruptions and/or dust transport from the Sahara) most of the aerosol accumulated within the atmospheric boundary layer over the urban area considered. The combined use of the two instruments allows the comparison between the optical characteristics of the atmospheric aerosol (e.g. aerosol extinction coefficient, etc.) obtained by the lidar and through an independent method (sun photometer).     

A review of atmospheric electricity research in China

The importance of atmospheric electricity research has been increasingly recognized in recent decades. Research on atmospheric electricity has been actively conducted since the 1980 s in China. Lightning physics and its effects, as important branches of atmospheric electricity, have received more attention because of their significance both in scientific research and lightning protection applications. This paper reviews atmospheric electricity research based primarily on ground-based field experiments at different regions in China in the last decade. The results described in this review include physics and effects of lightning, rocket-triggered lightning and its physical processes of discharge, thunderstorm electricity on the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas, lightning activity associated with severe convective storms, the effect and response of lightning to climate change, numerical simulation of thunderstorm electrification and lightning discharge, lightning detection and location techniques, and transient luminous events above thunderstorms.     

太行山地形影响下的极端短时强降水分析

2015年8月2日午夜和2011年8月9日前半夜,在两种不同天气系统背景下太行山东麓都出现了小时雨量超过50 mm的极端短时强降水天气,两次过程都是雷暴先在太行山区触发加强,经过下山2 h先后在丘陵站平山和山前平原站石家庄市区产生极端短时强降水。利用常规探测资料、地面加密观测资料、石家庄SA多普勒天气雷达资料,对不同天气系统背景下太行山特殊地形影响的极端短时强降水成因进行分析。结果表明:偏东气流被南北向的太行山地形强迫抬升,且与下山雷暴出流形成中尺度辐合线触发新的雷暴,雷达回波呈现后向传播特征和列车效应造成局地极端短时强降水。太行山地形通过增强辐合上升运动、增大垂直风切变使雷暴下山加强。不同天气系统强迫下,太行山特殊地形对雷暴发展作用不同。在偏西气流引导下,暖区极端短时强降水由阵风锋触发,具有突发性、降水时间短、伴随风力大的特点,下山雷暴出流加快且与山前偏东风的辐合加强,陆续在丘陵区和山前平原触发对流与下山雷暴合并加强造成极端短时强降水;而在东北气流引导下,回流冷锋和阵风锋共同触发的极端短时强降水具有持续时间较长、降雨总量较大、伴随风力较小的特点,太行山东坡对东北冷湿回流有阻挡积聚作用,东北偏北来的雷暴出流边界西端在迎风坡上强迫抬升使雷暴触发并加强,东北气流遇山后发生气旋性偏转使雷暴出流转向东南下山,与平原的偏东风辐合加强,造成丘陵区和山前平原的总降雨时间更长、降雨总量更大。     

On the observations of Mount St Helens volcanic emissions: Research note

Abstract

The envelopes of dust clouds from the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens in Washington State, U.S.A. were plotted as they traversed the northern United States and southern Canada. Visibility observations at many meteorological stations indicated the presence of volcanic ash and smoke and verified trajectory calculations. In addition, sulphur dioxide released by the volcano was detected as it passed over Toronto, Ontario, while satellite photographs showed dust clouds in the upper atmosphere.     

降雨强度对激光雷达测风精度的影响研究

多普勒激光雷达在大气、环境以及风能等领域得到越来越广泛的应用,但对于复杂天气下多普勒激光雷达的适用性仍然有待深入研究。为此本研究采用2020年8—10月期间位于福建三沙的地基多普勒激光雷达与边界层高塔所搭载的超声风温仪观测的风场数据进行对比,发现多普勒激光雷达在水平风速、风向方面具有稳定的高精度探测性能,与超声风温仪之间相关系数达到了0.948和0.984。相比之下,激光雷达垂直风速的探测误差较大,与超声风温仪之间相关系数仅有0.353。研究发现,降雨强度与激光雷达垂直风速误差呈正相关关系,强降雨下垂直风速偏差最大可达到9 m/s。     

微波链路测量降水研究综述

利用微波链路测量降水是降水测量的最新技术,具有作用于近地面大气、时空分辨率高等优势。文章总结了微波链路测量降水方法的发展现状和技术难点,结合微波通信的实际应用,分析了频段的选择依据、雨衰减量的精确测量和正演模型的精确建模需要考虑的因素,指出降水起始时间的准确识别和区域化反演算法是解决该方法实用化问题的关键技术,为利用微波链路测量降水的进一步研究提供了借鉴。     

Parsivel激光雨滴谱仪与雨量计观测降水的一致性分析

利用南京市气象局在江宁布设的激光雨滴谱仪、称重式雨量计和翻斗式雨量计,整理2014—2018年期间2590h的降水观测资料,重点分析了Parsivel激光雨滴谱仪对降雨和降雪的测量性能。结果表明,与称重式雨量计结果相比,翻斗式雨量计测量的降水时数和累积降水量均偏低,激光雨滴谱仪测量的降雨时数偏低,但累计降水量偏高15.07%;激光雨滴谱仪能够有效跟踪降水强度的变化,但在雨强较小(2.5mm·h~(-1))时对雨强略有低估,在降雨强度较大(≥2.5mm·h~(-1))时对雨强有不同程度的高估,最大可达近50%,而且雨强越大,一致性就越差;翻斗式雨量计无法有效测量降雪;激光雨滴谱仪则可以有效跟踪降雪的变化情况,但是受到测量原理的限制,对等效降水强度则有不同程度的高估。从5年数据来看,没有发现随着激光雨滴谱仪安装时间的增长,性能变差的问题。     

伴有区域暴雨的重庆秋季连阴雨及其暴雨特征

利用降水实测资料、1°×1°的NCEP格点再分析资料对2000年以来的伴有区域暴雨的重庆秋季连阴雨过程进行统计分析。结果表明：伴有区域暴雨的重庆秋季连阴雨过程主要发生在9月份,重庆西部地区为伴有区域暴雨的连阴雨过程的多发区;可将连阴雨期间区域暴雨就有无台风西进登陆我国分为两类,两类暴雨的影响系统的差异表现为,没有台风登陆时700hPa/850hPa的主要影响系统为切变线或者西南涡;有台风登陆时的主要影响系统则为台风倒槽;24小时变温、低层涡度、假相当位温、整层水汽通量以及比湿对连阴雨期间暴雨的预报有较好的指示意义,同样表征水汽条件的相对湿度的指示意义较差。     

青岛地区电场仪资料在一次雷暴天气过程中的应用分析

利用大气电场仪资料,结合天气实况、天气雷达和闪电定位仪等资料,对2013年7月1日青岛地区一次雷暴天气过程进行了综合分析。结果表明,当地面电场强度曲线在几十到几百毫秒量级内发生极性反转,变化幅度在2 kV/m以上,且完成后电场值会迅速回到极性反转前的电场值附近时,可以判断为发生了一次地闪。单站电场强度曲线可以反映出雷暴云与测站间距离的变化,闪电发生前电场强度的增加可为雷电预警提供时间。大气电场仪组网监测资料可以对雷暴云的移动路径做出判断。综合分析大气电场仪组网数据、天气雷达以及闪电定位资料等多源资料,可以更好地判断雷暴云的活动状况,提高雷电的预警准确率和时间提前量。     

Optical observations of transient luminous events associated with winter thunderstorms near the coast of Israel

We report the results of two observation campaigns conducted during the Northern Hemisphere winters of 2005–6 and 2006–7 aiming to detect transient luminous events (TLEs) above winter thunderstorms in the vicinity of Israel and the eastern coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. In 10 out of 31 different observation nights we detected 66 events: 56 sprites and 10 Elves. The detection ranges varied from 250 to 450 km. Sprites were found to be produced by active cells with a vertical dimension of 5–9 km and cloud top temperature ~ − 40 °C, embedded in a much larger matrix of stratiform precipitating cloudiness. This configuration closely resembles the conditions for winter sprites in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Synchronized with the optical observations, ELF data were recorded at two observation stations in Israel and Hungary in order to qualify and quantify parameters of the parent lightning discharge associated with the TLEs. These stations are located 500 km and 2100 km respectively from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, where most TLEs occur. Among the optically observed TLE events, we found that all the ELF signals were produced solely by positive cloud-to-ground flashes (+ CGs), most of which were recorded in Israel (88%) and Hungary (77%). Calculation of the Charge Moment Change showed average values of 1400 ± 600 C km, with some extreme events exceeding 3500 C km. The average time delay between the ELF transient of the parent + CG and the observed sprites was 55 ms, with shorter delays for column sprites (42 ± 34 ms) compared to carrot sprites (68 ± 34). Furthermore, based on the ELF data, there were no early identifiable precursors to TLE occurrence in the regional lightning activity. From the spatial formation of the observed columniform sprites, we propose that columniform sprites are sometimes arranged in a 3-dimensional circular pattern, thus mapping the instantaneous electric field in the mesosphere.     

湖南持续性区域暴雨气候特征及暴雨落区分型

基于1961-2016年湖南88个台站逐日降水及NCEP再分析数据,利用突变分析、聚类分析、合成分析等方法,分析了湖南持续性区域暴雨的气候特征,并对暴雨落区进行了分型。结果表明,近56年湖南持续性区域暴雨过程年平均出现2次,最长持续日数为5天;夏季发生次数最多占73%,冬季未发生,出现较多的月份5,6,7和8月分别占16%,38%,20%和14%;持续性区域暴雨过程次数在1993年发生了均值突变,年平均过程次数从1961-1992年的1.4次增加至1993-2016年的2.8次。持续性区域暴雨过程年均发生0.9次以上的区域主要分布在湘中以北,湘中以北较湘南年均次数偏多。持续性区域暴雨强度全省区域平均值为82.5 mm·d^-1,大于85 mm·d^-1的台站主要分布在湘西北及湘东南。暴雨日强降水落区可分为4类空间分布型即湘西北型、湘中偏北型、湘中偏南型及湘东南型,4类空间分布型的累计暴雨日数占总持续性区域暴雨日数的百分比依次为25.6%,30.1%,21%和18.4%,湘西北型与湘东南型的降水强度较湘中偏北型与湘中偏南型的降水强度大,且强降水落区相对更集中;对应4类暴雨落区分型合成的925 hPa风场切变及水汽辐合大值区的位置、走向与4类暴雨空间分布型的强降水落区基本吻合,对强降水的落区有较好指示性。     

2009年石家庄地区大气气溶胶的飞机探测研究

利用2009年石家庄地区不同季节的3次机载粒子探测系统PMS(Particle Measurement System)的探测资料,结合地面天气形势、风场和探空资料对石家庄地区,晴空背景下大气气溶胶的统计特征、数浓度、平均粒径的垂直分布特征以及谱分布特征进行了分析。结果表明:晴天条件下气溶胶的数浓度随高度递减,粒径随高度变化不大;在数值上,4月16日气溶胶数浓度和粒径最大,其次是10月15日,最小的是6月10日,3次粒径变化幅度都不大;逆温层底层气溶胶明显积累,气溶胶浓度在1.5 km以下大气边界层内明显高于其他层次,逆温层的高度和厚度影响气溶胶的分布;3次不同季节晴天背景下石家庄地区气溶胶谱型基本一致呈单峰分布,小于0.3μm的细粒子对气溶胶的数浓度贡献最大。     

雷电研究的回顾和进展

该文从雷电定位技术的研发、北京地区闪电特征和时空分布、闪电活动与强对流天气过程、雷电预警预报研究、雷电物理过程研究和雷暴起电放电数值模式研究6个方面综述了雷电研究的一些结果和近期的研究进展。通过对雷电多方面的研究, 对雷电放电特征有了较系统地了解, 特别是对北京地区的雷电时空分布特征有了较清晰地认识; 在雷电预警预报技术和方法、雷电物理过程等方面也取得了一些重要进展。但由于雷电发生的时空随机性和瞬时性, 对闪电放电物理过程的观测试验和理论研究十分困难, 目前对我国闪电活动规律的认识也仍然不够全面。因此需要对雷暴内动力、微物理和起电放电过程及它们之间的相关性开展深入和长期的基础研究, 加深对雷电发生发展特征的认识和理解, 这将为雷电预警预报以及雷电监测资料在强对流天气过程的监测预警中发挥更重要的作用提供理论基础; 而在雷电激发和传输研究的基础上, 开展地闪连接过程和不同频段雷电电磁辐射对电子设备的破坏效应等雷电成灾机理研究, 将为雷电防护技术的提高提供科技支撑。     

大气环流与灾害性天气气候研究:黄士松先生学术成就和贡献回顾

黄士松先生出生于1920年10月27日,系我国著名的气象学家和气象教育家、新中国气象事业的奠基人之一。他从事气象科学研究六十余载,始终面向世界气象科学前沿,立足中国天气气候实际,围绕大气环流与灾害性天气气候问题,在大气环流成因、副热带高压变动规律、平流层与对流层环流联系、南北半球环流联系、东亚夏季风体系结构和暴雨台风重大灾害性天气过程等诸多研究领域取得了开创性、前瞻性和系统性成果。他提出了诸多新发现、新理论、新观点和新方法,均具有重大学术与实践指导意义,为丰富天气学、气候学及提高中国天气预报和气候预测水平作出了重要学术贡献。值此黄士松先生百年诞辰之际,本文从大气环流、副热带高压、东亚夏季风及暴雨和台风4个方面对先生的主要学术成就进行了回顾,以此纪念和缅怀他对气象科学的重要学术贡献。     

A complementary depiction of the interannual variation of atmospheric circulation associated with ENSO events: Research note

Abstract

A simple diagnostic scheme, which combines a low‐pass temporal filter (with an 18‐month cutoff time) with a regular empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, is used to delineate the synchronous evolution of El Nino‐Southern Oscillation‐related (ENSO‐related) modes in various variables of the ocean‐atmosphere system. Based on the causal relation chain of diabatic heating, divergent circulation and rotational flow, the diagnostic scheme extracts ENSO modes from the following data sources: the Pacific sea surface temperature (SST), the past 14‐years (1979–1992) of data generated by the Global Data Assimilation System of the National Meteorological Center, and a 10‐year (1979–1988) general circulation model climate simulation made at the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres. The analysis reveals the following: (a) the eigencoefficient time series of the first eigenmodes of selected filtered variables, which explain about 40–50% of their total variance, synchronize with the filtered SST averaged over Area NINO‐3; (b) the spatial structures of the first eigenmodes resemble the ensemble departures associated with ENSO events of these variables from their long term means; and (c) the results show that the proposed scheme can be easily applied to isolate and illustrate the time evolution of ENSO modes which exist in the long term observational database as well as in climate simulations.     

北京夏季强雷暴降水回波结构与闪电特征个例分析

利用北京市气象局短时临近交互预报系统（VIPS）资料,对2008年奥运会期间两次强降水天气过程雷达回波结构及闪电时空特征进行了细致分析。结果表明,局地性强雷暴降雨天气中,降雨率峰值与闪电活动峰值关系有超前也有略滞后的情况;关于云闪和地闪出现时间,云闪一般要超前地闪5～15min;强降水回波单体中,总闪电次数的70％以上出现在大于40dBZ的强回波区,当最大回波强度大于60dBZ时,云闪出现在强回波区的概率接近90％,说明回波强度越强,云闪出现在强回波区的概率越大;对云闪与雷达回波垂直结构分析发现,强降水单体中云闪发生的高度主要在6km以上,且云闪发生频数峰值出现在8～11km高度。     

A brief review of the Eulerian variational principle for atmospheric motions in rotating coordinates: Research note

Abstract

The Eulerian variational principle in a rotating coordinate system is briefly reviewed. It is shown that the principle leads to the equation of motion of adiabatic flow of an inviscid fluid including Coriolis force. This principle can be used for studying atmospheric motions.