Numerical simulation of plume-advection over a hill with coupled models. Part II: Results

Summary Two-dimensional simulations of plume advection over a hill are presented. The calculations are carried out in two steps. In a first step the flow is calculated by a mesoscale-model. This model solves the equations of motions in a cartesian grid. In a second step, the transport equation is solved using the calculated flow-parameters of the mesoscale model. The numerical formulation of the transport-equation was presented in Part I. This calculation is performed in a coordinatetransformed grid. The merit of this combination is discussed in the paper.With 11 Figures     

21个气候模式对东亚夏季环流模拟的评估Ｉ：气候态.

利用欧洲中期天气预报中心的40 a再分析资料(ERA40),评估了参与政府间气候变化专门委员会第四次评估报告(IPCC AR4)的21个全球海气耦合模式对东亚地区夏季大气环流气候态的模拟能力.结果表明:(1)尽管各模式模拟性能差异较大,但模式对东亚地区海平面气压场(SLP)、850 hPa风场及500 hPa位势高度场的气候态均有较好模拟;整体来说,500 hPa位势高度场模拟效果最好,SLP场模拟相对较差;(2)SLP在高原上模拟存在明显不足;多数模式能较好模拟850 hPa纬向、经向风场的基本特征;500 hPa位势高度场各模式模拟偏差一致性的区域性差异不明显;(3)模式对东亚地区夏季两大环流系统模拟整体偏弱,西太平洋副热带高压模拟明显偏弱.     

CFD simulation of airflow over a regular array of cubes. Part I: Three-dimensional simulation of the flow and validation with wind-tunnel measurements

Air flow inside an array of cubes is simulated. Cubes (edge length 0.15 m) are arranged in a regular array, separated by 0.15 m in the streamwise and spanwise directions. Numerical simulations are performed based on Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations (RANS), solved in a computational fluid dynamics model (CFD), with standard k–ε turbulent closure (two prognostic equations are solved for the turbulent kinetic energy k and its dissipation ε, respectively). Simulations are validated against wind-tunnel data using a technique based on hit-rate calculations, and calculated statistical parameters. The results show that the horizontal velocity is very well modelled, and despite some discrepancies, the model that fulfils the hit-rate test criteria gives useful results that are used to investigate three-dimensional (3-D) flow structures. The 3-D analysis of the flow shows interesting patterns: the centre of the canyon vortex is at 3/4 of the canyon height, and stronger downward than upward motions are present within the canyon. Such behaviour is explained by the presence of a compensation flow through the side of the canyon, which enters the canyon from the upper part and exits from the lower part. This complex 3-D structure affects the tracer dispersion, and is responsible for pollutant transport and diffusion.     

Twentieth century simulation of the southern hemisphere climate in coupled models. Part 1: large scale circulation variability

The ability of five, global coupled climate models to simulate important atmospheric circulation characteristics in the Southern Hemisphere for the period 1960–1999 is assessed. The circulation features examined are the Southern Hemisphere annular mode (SAM), the semi-annual oscillation (SAO) and the quasi-stationary zonal wave 3 (ZW3). The models assessed are the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model Version 3 (CCSM3), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Mark 3, the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Model, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies Model ER (GISS-ER) and the UK Meteorological Office Hadley Center Coupled Model Version 3. The simulations were compared to the NCAR–NCEP reanalyses. The models simulate a SAO which differs spatially from the observed over the Pacific and Indian oceans. The amplitudes are too high over the southern ocean and too low over the midlatitudes. These differences are attributed to a circumpolar trough which is too deep and extends too far north, and to the inability of the models to simulate the middle to high latitude temperature gradient. The SAM is well-represented spatially by most models but there are important differences which may influence the flow over the Pacific and in the region extending from the Ross to Weddell Seas. The observed trend towards positive polarity in the SAM is apparent in the ensemble averages of the GISS-ER and CCSM3 simulations, suggesting that the trend is due to external forcing by changes in the concentration of ozone and greenhouse gases. ZW3 is well-represented by the models but the observed trend towards positive phases of ZW3 is not apparent in the simulations suggesting that the observed trend may be due to natural variability, not external forcing.     

Twentieth century simulation of the southern hemisphere climate in coupled models. Part II: sea ice conditions and variability

We examine the representation of the mean state and interannual variability of Antarctic sea ice in six simulations of the twentieth century from coupled models participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change fourth assessment report. The simulations exhibit a largely seasonal southern hemisphere ice cover, as observed. There is a considerable scatter in the monthly simulated climatological ice extent among different models, but no consistent bias when compared to observations. The scatter in maximum winter ice extent among different models is correlated to the strength of the climatological zonal winds suggesting that wind forced ice transport is responsible for much of this scatter. Observations show that the leading mode of southern hemisphere ice variability exhibits a dipole structure with anomalies of one sign in the Atlantic sector associated with anomalies of the opposite sign in the Pacific sector. The observed ice anomalies also exhibit eastward propagation with the Antarctic circumpolar current, as part of the documented Antarctic circumpolar wave phenomenon. Many of the models do simulate dipole-like behavior in sea ice anomalies as the leading mode of ice variability, but there is a large discrepancy in the eastward propagation of these anomalies among the different models. Consistent with observations, the simulated Antarctic dipole-like variations in the ice cover are led by sea-level pressure anomalies in the Amundsen/ Bellingshausen Sea. These are associated, to different degrees in different models, with both the southern annular mode and the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). There are indications that the magnitude of the influence of ENSO on the southern hemisphere ice cover is related to the strength of ENSO events simulated by the different models.     

An ENSO stability analysis. Part I: results from a hybrid coupled model

In this study, we use the Bjerknes stability (BJ) index as a tool to investigate overall El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) stability in a hybrid-coupled model (HCM) with various atmosphere and ocean background states. This HCM shows that ENSO growth rates as measured by the BJ index and linear growth rates estimated directly with a time series of the Niño 3.4 indices from the coupled model simulations exhibit similar dependence on background states, coupling strength, and thermodynamic damping intensity. That is, the BJ index and linear growth rates increase with a decrease in the intensity of the background wind, an increase in coupling strength, or a decrease in the intensity of thermodynamic damping, although the BJ index tends to overestimate the growth rate. A detailed analysis of the components of the BJ index formula suggests the importance of model climatological background states and oceanic dynamic parameters in determining ENSO stability. We conclude that the BJ index may serve as a useful tool for qualitatively evaluating the overall ENSO stability in coupled models or in observations without a detailed eigen-analysis that is difficult to perform in models more complex than relatively simple models.     

Simulation of the summer circulation over South America by two regional climate models. Part I: Mean climatology

Summary This study investigates the capabilities of two regional models (the ICTP RegCM3 and the climate version of the CPTEC Eta model – EtaClim) in simulating the mean climatological features of the summer quasi-stationary circulations over South America. Comparing the results with the NCEP/DOE reanalysis II data it is seen that the RegCM3 simulates a weaker and southward shifted Bolivian high (BH). But, the Nordeste low (NL) is located close to its climatological position. In the EtaClim the position of the BH is reproduced well, but the NL is shifted towards the interior of the continent. To the east of Andes, the RegCM3 simulates a weaker low level jet and a weaker basic flow from the tropical Atlantic to Amazonia while they are stronger in the EtaClim. In general, the RegCM3 and EtaClim show, respectively a negative and positive bias in the surface temperature in almost all regions of South America. For both models, the correlation coefficients between the simulated precipitation and the GPCP data are high over most of South America. Although the RegCM3 and EtaClim overestimate the precipitation in the Andes region they show a negative bias in general over the entire South America. The simulations of upper and lower level circulations and precipitation fields in EtaClim were better than that of the RegCM3. In central Amazonia both models were unable to simulate the precipitation correctly. The results showed that although the RegCM3 and EtaClim are capable of simulating the main climatological features of the summer climate over South America, there are areas which need improvement. This indicates that the models must be more adequately tuned in order to give reliable predictions in the different regions of South America.     

ENSO in a hybrid coupled model. Part I: sensitivity to physical parametrizations

 A hybrid coupled model (HCM) for the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere system is used to test the effects of physical parametrizations on ENSO simulation. The HCM consists of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory ocean general circulation model coupled to an empirical atmospheric model based on the covariance matrix of observed SST and wind stress anomaly fields. In this two-part work, part I describes the effects of ocean vertical mixing schemes and atmospheric spin-up time on ENSO period. Part II addresses ENSO prediction using the HCM and examines the impact of initialization schemes. The standard version of the HCM exhibits spatial and temporal evolution that compare well to observations, with irregular cycles that tend to exhibit 3- and 4-year frequency-locking behavior. Effects in the vertical mixing parametrization that produce stronger mixing in the surface layer give a longer inherent ENSO period, suggesting model treatment of vertical mixing is crucial to the ENSO problem. Although the atmospheric spin-up time scale is short compared to ENSO time scales, it also has a significant effect in lengthening the ENSO period. This suggests that atmospheric time scales may not be truly negligible in quantitative ENSO theory. Overall, the form and evolution mechanism of the ENSO cycle is robust, even though the period is affected by these physical parametrizations. Received: 17 April 1998 / Accepted: 22 July 1999     

ENSO simulation in coupled ocean-atmosphere models: are the current models better?

Maintaining a multi-model database over a generation or more of model development provides an important framework for assessing model improvement. Using control integrations, we compare the simulation of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and its extratropical impact, in models developed for the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report with models developed in the late 1990s [the so-called Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-2 (CMIP2) models]. The IPCC models tend to be more realistic in representing the frequency with which ENSO occurs, and they are better at locating enhanced temperature variability over the eastern Pacific Ocean. When compared with reanalyses, the IPCC models have larger pattern correlations of tropical surface air temperature than do the CMIP2 models during the boreal winter peak phase of El Niño. However, for sea-level pressure and precipitation rate anomalies, a clear separation in performance between the two vintages of models is not as apparent. The strongest improvement occurs for the modelling groups whose CMIP2 model tended to have the lowest pattern correlations with observations. This has been checked by subsampling the multi-century IPCC simulations in a manner to be consistent with the single 80-year time segment available from CMIP2. Our results suggest that multi-century integrations may be required to statistically assess model improvement of ENSO. The quality of the El Niño precipitation composite is directly related to the fidelity of the boreal winter precipitation climatology, highlighting the importance of reducing systematic model error. Over North America distinct improvement of El Niño forced boreal winter surface air temperature, sea-level pressure, and precipitation rate anomalies to occur in the IPCC models. This improvement is directly proportional to the skill of the tropical El Niño forced precipitation anomalies.     

A new framework for isolating individual feedback processes in coupled general circulation climate models. Part I: formulation

This paper proposes a coupled atmosphere–surface climate feedback–response analysis method (CFRAM) as a new framework for estimating climate feedbacks in coupled general circulation models with a full set of physical parameterization packages. The formulation of the CFRAM is based on the energy balance in an atmosphere–surface column. In the CFRAM, the isolation of partial temperature changes due to an external forcing or an individual feedback is achieved by solving the linearized infrared radiation transfer model subject to individual energy flux perturbations (external or due to feedbacks). The partial temperature changes are addable and their sum is equal to the (total) temperature change (in the linear sense). The decomposition of feedbacks is based on the thermodynamic and dynamical processes that directly affect individual energy flux terms. Therefore, not only those feedbacks that directly affect the TOA radiative fluxes, such as water vapor, clouds, and ice-albedo feedbacks, but also those feedbacks that do not directly affect the TOA radiation, such as evaporation, convections, and convergence of horizontal sensible and latent heat fluxes, are explicitly included in the CFRAM. In the CFRAM, the feedback gain matrices measure the strength of individual feedbacks. The feedback gain matrices can be estimated from the energy flux perturbations inferred from individual parameterization packages and dynamical modules. The inter-model spread of a feedback gain matrix would help us to detect the origins of the uncertainty of future climate projections in climate model simulations.     

区域酸性沉降的数值研究 I. 模式

建立了一个三维时变的欧拉型区域酸性污染物沉降模式，模式包括源排放、平流输送、湍流扩散、干沉积、气相化学、液相化学及湿清除等六大部分。考虑到计算条件的承受能力和应用性的要求，在把握酸沉降形成的关键过程的前提下，合理地简化设计模式。相对于国内已有的工作，本模式在干沉积、气相化学、液相化学和湿清除等方面均有所改进。     

Numerical simulation of seasonal distribution of precipitation over the eastern Mediterranean with a RCM

Regional climate model (RCM) RegCM3 with 50 km horizontal resolution driven from the lateral boundaries by the data from NCEP/NCAR re-analysis is used in a series of ten climate downscaling experiments over the eastern Mediterranean (EM) region. Results of the experiments are characterized by seasonal precipitation patterns with notable offshore precipitation zones positioned ~50 km westward of a less intense precipitation zone over the coastal area. Atmospheric processes determining the distribution of seasonal precipitation patterns in the EM are analyzed based on results of the RCM experiments performed. Level of success of the model representation of the actual precipitation over the ECM appears to be depending on that of precipitation balance over different parts of the domain. Excessive moisture convergence over a sub-area usually takes place at the expense of moisture divergence from neighboring areas. Synoptic mechanism causing formation of the precipitation zone in the offshore zone appears to be associated with the role of meridionally oriented atmospheric trough systems extending from Scandinavia or Siberia to the EM during the period with rainy events. In such situations, air flows with strong northern components lead to intense transport of cold air masses to the EM. Meeting of the cold air masses the warm and humid air over the sea surface in the offshore zone causes formation of persistent squall lines and heavy rains there. Such processes may continue quite long as long as the troughs are stationary.     

Numerical simulation of a cut-off low over southern Australia

Summary Cut-off low pressure systems over southern Australia are synoptic scale low pressure systems which have a closed circulation at the surface and a deep trough at the 500 hPa level. They usually develop from a deep trough in the westerlies, and often are companied by a Southern Ocean cold front. It is one of the most significant types of weather systems over southern Australia. Moderate or heavy rainfall is often associated with cut-off lows. Few studies so far have been conducted on them. In terms of prediction, the most interesting aspects are the position and intensity of the cut-off low pressure systems, the rainfall amount and distribution and sharp winds, when they are present. In this paper, a numerical model developed at the University of New South Wales, HIRES (HIgh RESolution model), is employed to simulate the cut-off low of August 31 to September 2, 1997. The modeling results are encouraging, showing that HIRES can forecast very well the location and intensity of the cut-off low system and its associated precipitation. The impact of an improved, explicit physics scheme on the simulation is also examined. The explicit scheme further improves the rainfall prediction. Received August 7, 1999 Revised October 23, 1999     

Numerical simulation of the structure and evolution of a polar mesocyclone over the Kara Sea. Part 1. Model validation and estimation of instability mechanisms

Numerical experiments based on the WRF model were conducted to analyze the structure and evolution of the polar mesoscale cyclone developed over the Kara Sea on September 29-30, 2008. It was found that baroclinic instability in the lower troposphere and convective instability (including that due to the wind-induced surface heat exchange) did not play a significant role. Significant contribution was made by the downward advection of potential vorticity from the upper troposphere and by the conditional instability of second kind. It is demonstrated that if water phase transitions are not taken into account, the mesocyclone intensity is reduced by 7-20% and the time of its development increases by 4 hours. The advection of potential vorticity was not the only process causing the intensification of the lower potential vorticity anomaly associated with cyclonic circulation.     

Investigations of the development of thunderstorm with hail. Part 3. Numerical simulation of cloud evolution

The three-dimensional nonstationary model of a convective cloud is used for investigating a thunderstorm with hail which developed over Pyatigorsk on May 29, 2012 and produced a severe hailstorm. The values of cloud characteristics (liquid water content, ice content, vertical velocity, etc.) are obtained. The importance ofconsidering wind shear is noted. The simulation results are used to analyze the transformation of precipitation field and the electric charge structure of the analyzed cloud during its development.     

Scalar fluxes from urban street canyons. Part I: Laboratory simulation

Flow over urban surfaces depends on surface morphology and interaction with the boundary layer above. However, the effect of the flow on scalar fluxes is hard to quantify. The naphthalene sublimation technique was used to quantify scalar vertical fluxes out of a street canyon under neutral conditions. For an array of eight canyons with aspect ratio H/W=0.75 (here, H is building height and W is the street width), increased flux was observed in the first two or three canyons for moderate and low roughness upstream. This is consistent with predictions of the length scale for initial adjustment of flow to an urban canopy. The flux was constant after the initial adjustment region and thus dependent only on local geometry. For a street canyon in the equilibrium part of the array, each facet of the street canyon was coated with naphthalene to simulate scalar release from street, walls and roof, to evaluate the effect of street canyon geometry on fluxes for H/W=0.25, 0.6, 1 and 2. Fluxes from the roof and downstream wall were considerably larger than fluxes from the street and upstream wall, and only the flux from the downstream wall exhibited a simple decrease with H/W. For each H/W there was a monotonic decrease between downstream wall, street and upstream wall transfer. This suggests that flow decelerates around the recirculation region in the lee of the upstream building, i.e. a recirculating jet rather than a symmetrical vortex. The addition of a second source within the street canyon resulted in reduced fluxes from each facet for H/W>0.25, due to increased concentration of naphthalene in the canyon air.     

Surface energy balance complexity in GCM land surface models. Part II: coupled simulations

 Global coupled simulations with the Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre climate model and the CHAmeleon Surface Model (CHASM) are used to examine how four general extensions to the representation of the basic land surface energy balance affect simulated land-atmosphere interface variables: evaporation, precipitation, skin temperature and air temperature. The impacts of including separate surface energy balance calculations for: vegetated and non-vegetated portions of the land surface; an explicit parametrisation of canopy resistance; explicit bare ground evaporation; and explicit canopy interception are isolated and quantified. The hypothesis that these aspects of surface energy balance parametrisation do not contain substantial information at the monthly time scale (and are therefore not important to consider in a land surface model) is shown to be false. Considerable sensitivity to each of the four general surface energy balance extensions is identified in average pointwise monthly changes for important land-atmosphere interface variables. Average pointwise changes in monthly precipitation and land evaporation are equal to about 40 and 31–37% of the global-average precipitation and land evaporation respectively. Average pointwise changes for land surface skin temperature and lowest model layer air temperature are about 2 and 0.9 K respectively. The average pointwise change and average pointwise biases are statistically significant at 95% in all cases. Substantial changes to zonally average variables are also identified. We demonstrate how the globally averaged surface resistance parameter can vary from 150 to 25 s/m depending on which aspects of the surface energy balance are treated implicitly. We also show that if interception is treated implicitly, the effective surface resistance must vary geographically in order to capture the behaviour of a model which treats this process explicitly. The implication of these results for the design of land surface models is discussed. Received: 8 July 1999 / Accepted: 1 September 2000     

2003年8月“巴蜀夜雨”过程的模拟和分析研究

结合中尺度数值预报模式AREM的数值试验和观测资料分析,对2003年8月川西地区的9次夜雨过程进行了模拟研究和综合分析.结果表明,在一定环流背景下,川西地区特殊地形引起的沿坡地的辐合上升运动和下垫面提供给低层大气的热通量所导致的大气层结不稳定,对川西夜雨的形成和发展有重要影响.白天,随着陆-气通量交换的增加,低层大气的温度和湿度逐步升高,并在午后达到极值.与此同时,低层偏南暖湿气流在盆地西部由于气旋性弯曲而形成的东北风在午后逐渐加强,这支气流在盆地西部被地形阻挡,产生爬升运动.辐合上升将低层高温高湿的大气向上输送,使得大气不稳定层结的厚度以及强度都增加;日落以后,低层大气的相对湿度随着气温的降低而增大,容易饱和而形成凝结,同时大气中积累了相当可观的对流有效位能,低层辐合抬升等因素容易触发不稳定能量释放,造成对流性夜雨天气.强烈的对流辐合运动需要周围大气的入流补偿,促使偏东风气流增强且向高空伸展,这令辐合抬升作用进一步增强.     

短时风暴数值预报模式研究 I. 模式的理论框架

本文致力于发展一个旨在用于中-β尺度天气系统研究和预报对流风暴的数值预报模式（中-β模式）。模式的动力学框架为三维非静力可压缩的完全弹性模型，对声波的处理采用时间分离求解及阻尼和压缩方法，模式只选择了对风暴系统短时预报有重要意义的一些物理过程，从而简化了模式的参数化方法，节省了计算量。