Influence of the Amur River runoff on the hydrological conditions of the Amur Liman and Sakhalin Bay (Sea of Okhotsk) during the spring-summer flood

Hydrographic and satellite observation data obtained in June 2007 enabled to study the influence of the Amur River runoff on the hydrological conditions of the Amur Liman and the Sea of Okhotsk during the spring-summer flood. Salt waters from the Sea of Japan and fresh Amur River waters mix in the estuary (the Amur Liman). Freshened waters flow from the estuary into the Sea of Okhotsk as a jet-like flow drift, which forms a recirculating anticyclonic gyre in the Sakhalin Bay. The coastal current associated with the Amur River flow was obserwed near Sakhalin Island coast. The computed values of dynamic parameters (Kelvin number K=2, Froude number F = 0.4) showed that the Earth rotation and stratification are important factors in the dynamical balance of the Amur River plume during the spring-summer flood event.     

Seasonal and interannual variability of oceanographic conditions in the southwestern part of the Sea of Okhotsk

The seasonal variability of oceanographic conditions in the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk is described based on long-term mean temperature T and salinity S from observations along a standard oceanographic section Cape Aniva-Cape Dokuchaev (May–November). It is shown that the Soya Current is relatively weak in spring, with low temperature and salinity gradients along the section. The Sea of Okhotsk low-salinity water mass is observed in the upper layer. It was formed as a result of melting of a large amount of ice brought here with the East Sakhalin Current from the northwestern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. A cold intermediate layer (CIL) at depths of 50–150 m extends along the entire section. The cold intermediate layer core with a temperature at the edge of the Sakhalin shelf of about ?1.3°C is retained during a period of maximum warming in August; however, in October–November the intensified flow of the East Sakhalin Current (up to 50 cm/s) results in a situation when relatively warm low-salinity waters, connected with the Amur River runoff, dissipate CIL. The results of 12 surveys conducted by the Sakhalin Research Institute for Fisheries and Oceanography in 1998–2004 show significant deviations of T and S [10] in different years from the calculated values. Generally, maximum anomalies (ΔT > 4°C and ΔS > 0.55‰) are observed in the surface layer. Their values and statistical significance decrease with depth. However, the situation is opposite in some cases. The maximum deviation from normal was observed in June 1999, when warm and salt waters were located much further seaward from the Kunashir shelf, which is most likely connected with the Soya Current meandering.     

Seasonal variations of oceanic conditions near the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island

Seasonal variations of hydrological conditions in the area adjoining the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island are described based on the analysis of monthly mean temperature and salinity obtained over standard oceanic sections Makarov-Cape Georgii and Cape Svobodny-the sea and from nine oceanic surveys. The Poronai River runoff that promotes the formation of a warm surface layer with low salinity largely influences the water area of Terpeniya Bay in the northern part of the area studied. In spring, these waters primarily spread southward along the coast; in summer, they flow southeastward, forming a weak vortex structure at 144° E. In the fall, major changes occur below 20 m, where waters of the cold intermediate layer are replaced by warmer waters (4–6°C) of low salinity connected with the Amur River runoff. The destruction of the CIL core near the shelf edge at depths of about 100 m resulting from the fall intensification of the East Sakhalin Current is pronounced in the southern, abyssal part of the region. The coastal area is covered by waters with salinity below 32‰ connected with the Amur River runoff. The volume of low-salinity waters coming through the Cape Svobodny-the sea section into the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk is estimated at 3000 km³ taking into account instrumental measurements of flow rates.     

The analysis of long-term variability and estimation of the maximum water levels under conditions of high anthropogenic impact for the Amur River

The series of the maximum annual water level in the Amur River are long enough but non-uniform. The need is substantiated in dividing the series of the maximum water level into two uniform periods and in using the certain period (with the duration of more than 35 years) for the subsequent statistical analysis. This is the period which indicates the formation conditions of runoff and maximum water levels including the anthropogenic load (runoff control).     

Seasonal Variations in Marine Hydrological Characteristics off the Southwestern Coast of Sakhalin Island

Data of long-term observations at three standard oceanographic sections are analyzed. A complex pattern of seasonal variability of oceanographic conditions off the southwestern coast of Sakhalin Island is studied. It is shown that the cold West Sakhalin Current directed to the south is observed from May to October; the low-salinity cold flow of the Sea of Okhotsk water oriented to the north is recorded from November to March. The northern boundary of penetration of the Sea of Okhotsk water is identified.     

Climate changes in the Amur River basin in the last 115 years

Tendencies in climate change in the Amur River basin are generally synchronous to the global ones. During the last century, the annual mean temperature of surface air increased by 1.3°C, minimum warming being observed in the east part of the basin (0.6°C) and maximum one in the west part (1.7–2.5°C). The largest impact on the annual mean temperature growth comes from winter and spring temperature increase (2–4°C/100 years). During the last 30 years, the warming rate in the basin was 2–3 times higher than during the whole period of 1891–2004. Simultaneously with warming in the Amur River basin, annual and warm-season precipitation totals increased by 8 and 6%, respectively, during the 115-year period. The highest increase in precipitation totals occurs in cold season (29% during 115 years). During the last 30 years, together with intense warming in the Amur River basin, the annual precipitation totals are found to decrease by an average of 2.1%/10 years.     

Peculiarities of distribution and transformation of water in the Keret’ River tidal estuary

Presented are the results of the study of the processes of interaction between the river and sea water in the estuary of the Keret’ River flowing into the White Sea. The studies were carried out using the georadar method which enables one to register the boundary between fresh and salt water with the high spatial and temporal resolution. The use of this method helped to determine the boundaries of the area of distribution of fresh water in the estuary during different phases of the tidal cycle and to reveal the typical fluctuations of the boundary between fresh and salt water manifested at different values of river runoff and weather conditions.     

Monsoon circulation over the Amur River basin during catastrophic flood and extreme drought in summer

Two opposite Far East monsoon summer seasons over the Amur River basin are investigated which caused the extreme drought and fires in 2008 and catastrophic flood in 2013. It is shown that in the low-water summer of 2008 due to blocking processes, polar-front cyclones were almost absent over the Amur, were short, had fuzzy frontal systems, and did not bring precipitation. The summer monsoon circulation was suppressed, and in the Amur region continental air masses dominated over marine tropical air. On the contrary, the summer of 2013 was characterized by unprecedented cyclonic activity and the sharp strengthening ofthe moisture-laden monsoon flow from the ocean. As a result, the intensification of summer monsoon precipitation and the Amur flood were observed. It was established that the Far East summer monsoon anomalies are associated with the large-scale transformation of atmospheric circulation over the Asia-Pacific region.     

华南夏季风降水开始日的异常与前冬大气环流和海温的关系

利用1951～2004年NCEP/NCAR再分析资料及ERSST海温资料,研究了华南夏季风降水开始日期的变化特征及其与前期冬季大气环流和海温的关系。小波分析表明,夏季风降水开始日期具有明显的年际和年代际变化,年际变化以准2～3年变化为主,年代际变化周期约16年。华南夏季风降水开始偏早年在大气环流上的前兆信号表现为前期冬季乌拉尔山阻塞高压偏强、东亚大槽较深,阿留申低压偏强,冷空气活动偏强。冬季,鄂霍次克海附近的海温异常为华南夏季风降水开始迟早有物理意义的、稳定正相关前兆信号。合成分析表明,冬季鄂霍次克海附近SST正异常时,5月100 hPa青藏高压偏东偏北偏弱,异常偏西风控制华南;850 hPa环流在华南表现为东北风,华南受冷空气影响为主,华南夏季风降水开始日期偏晚。相反时,若冬季鄂霍次克海附近SST负异常,5月100 hPa青藏高压偏西偏南偏强,异常偏东风控制华南;850 hPa环流在华南表现为偏南风,华南受热带系统影响为主,华南夏季风降水开始日期偏早。并提出冬季中高纬度地区冷空气活动影响华南夏季风降水开始日异常的物理机制。     

Seasonal variability of oceanological conditions in the northern part of the Tatar Strait

An average long-term distribution of temperature and salinity is analyzed for different months (May–November) computed on the basis of materials accumulated at standard oceanological sections of the northern part of the Tatar Strait. The main attention is paid to the section Korsakov Cape-Cape Syurkum crossing the water area under study practically in the middle. In early spring, the cold waters with salinity of more than 33‰ are registered at the section Korsakov Cape-Cape Syurkum. The waters with smaller salinity are revealed only in late spring, in June. In the same period, the intensification of cold intermediate layer occurs, first of all, in the western part of the section. The waters in the surface layer near the Sakhalin coast are warmed more than at the continental shelf. During the summer, this difference gradually decreases and the surface layer temperature becomes even in September. On the contrary, the spatial salinity gradients increase. In the fall, under the influence of northern and northwestern winds being typical of this period, the upwelling is formed near the Sakhalin coast and the cold dense waters emerge in the narrow coastal strip. The direction of alongshore flow changes from northern to the southern one. At the section Korsakov Cape-Cape Syurkum in November, the influence of small-salinity waters associated with the Amur River runoff is significantly revealed.     

Relationship between the Late Spring NAO and Summer Extreme Precipitation Frequency in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

The relationship between the late spring North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the summer extreme precipitation frequency (EPF) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley (MLYRV) is examined using an NECP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and daily precipitation data from 74 stations in the MLYRV. The results show a significant negative correlation between the May NAO index and the EPF over the MLYRV in the subsequent summer. In positive EPF index years, the East Asian westerly jet shifts farther southward, and two blocking high positive anomalies appear over the Sea of Okhotsk and the Ural Mountains. These anomalies are favorable to the cold air from the mid-high latitudes invading the Yangtze River Valley (YRV). The moisture convergence and the ascending motion dominate the MLYRV. The above patterns are reversed in negative EPF index years. A wave train pattern that originates from the North Atlantic extends eastward to the Mediterranean and then moves to the Tibetan Plateau and from there to the YRV, which is an important link in the May NAO and the summer extreme precipitation in the MLYRV. The wave train may be aroused by the tripole pattern of the SST, which can explain why the May NAO affects the summer EPF in the MLYRV.     

Atmospheric Circulation Patterns over East Asia and Their Connection with Summer Precipitation and Surface Air Temperature in Eastern China during 1961–2013

Based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and Chinese observational data during 1961–2013, atmospheric circulation patterns over East Asia in summer and their connection with precipitation and surface air temperature in eastern China as well as associated external forcing are investigated. Three patterns of the atmospheric circulation are identified, all with quasi-barotropic structures: (1) the East Asia/Pacific (EAP) pattern, (2) the Baikal Lake/Okhotsk Sea (BLOS) pattern, and (3) the eastern China/northern Okhotsk Sea (ECNOS) pattern. The positive EAP pattern significantly increases precipitation over the Yangtze River valley and favors cooling north of the Yangtze River and warming south of the Yangtze River in summer. The warm sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical Indian Ocean suppress convection over the northwestern subtropical Pacific through the Ekman divergence induced by a Kelvin wave and excite the EAP pattern. The positive BLOS pattern is associated with below-average precipitation south of the Yangtze River and robust cooling over northeastern China. This pattern is triggered by anomalous spring sea ice concentration in the northern Barents Sea. The anomalous sea ice concentration contributes to a Rossby wave activity flux originating from the Greenland Sea, which propagates eastward to North Pacific. The positive ECNOS pattern leads to below-average precipitation and significant warming over northeastern China in summer. The reduced soil moisture associated with the earlier spring snowmelt enhances surface warming over Mongolia and northeastern China and the later spring snowmelt leads to surface cooling over Far East in summer, both of which are responsible for the formation of the ECNOS pattern.     

Estimating the baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation in the Sea of Okhotsk

The first baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation (R ₁) in the Sea of Okhotsk is estimated using the hydrological datasets from the World Ocean Atlas (WOA) 2001 and WOA 2013. It is established that the maximum values of R ₁ are observed over the Kuril Basin (18–20 km), and its minimum values (1.5–2 km), over the northern shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk. In the central part of the sea R1 varies from 8 to 10 km. The seasonal variability of R1 for both datasets is characterized by the minima in winter and by the maxima in summer. It was found that on the eastern shelf of Sakhalin Island R ₁ reaches the maximum both in November (～6 km) and in April (～4-5 km). According to the obtained estimates of R ₁, the model grid resolution of 3 to 8 km should be used for the eddy-permitting numerical simulation of circulation in the Sea of Okhotsk, and the model grid resolution from 1.5 to 2 km, for the explicit simulation of mesoscale variability.     

Investigation of surges in marine estuaries (A case study for the Don River mouth)

Upsurges and downsurges in the Don River mouth are investigated using the observational data of the standard hydrometeorological network. The characteristics ofsurges are determined, andthe catalog of maximum annual dangerous surges is compiled for the observation points in the estuarine offshore zone and mouth reach of the Don River from the beginning of observations till 2014. The series of the maximum annual upsurges and downsurges at marine gaging stations in the Taganrog Bay are formed and statistically processed. The distribution of surges along the Taganrog Bay is analyzed. Catastrophic surges which cause adverse and severe events are identified as well as the qualitative and quaniiiaiive patterns of surge peneiraiion to the Don River mouth. The coefficients of upsurges and downsurges, the intensity of their attenuation, and water levels with the probability of 0.1, 1, and 50% at different river runoff are calculated at all gaging stations in the Don estuary for specific upsurges and downsurges. The results of test computations of surges for the specific point in the Taganrog Bay for 2013-2015 based on the numerical hydrodynamic model of the Sea of Azov are compared with observational data. The possibility was revealed of forecasting downsurges and upsurges based on synoptic conditions over the Sea of Azov with the lead time of three days using hydrodynamic models that allowed developing the prediction scheme of surge transformation calculation.     

Statistical model for seasonal prediction of tropical cyclone frequency in the mid-latitudes of East Asia

This study constructed a multiple linear regression model (MLRM) for the seasonal prediction of summer tropical cyclone (TC) frequency in the mid-latitudes of East Asia and then analyzed its validity using large-scale environments. The 850-hPa geopotential heights of the preceding April in the open ocean east of the Philippines and in the Bering Sea were used as independent variables. In the low-frequency years predicted by the MLRM, there was a larger amount of sea ice around the Sea of Okhotsk during the preceding spring and its cooling effect continued into the summer. In addition, topographic and geographic effects around the Sea of Okhotsk that results in the easy formation of cold air created an anomalous cold high over this region in the summer. As a result, the northerlies from an anomalous cold high around the Sea of Okhotsk caused cold surface air temperature anomalies in the mid-latitudes of East Asia, which played an important role in preventing a western Pacific subtropical high from advancing toward the mid-latitudes of East Asia. Eventually, these environments led to a reduced summer TC frequency in the mid-latitudes of East Asia.     

2003年夏季中高纬度环流与淮河流域降水

研究了 2 0 0 3年夏季中高纬环流特征以及乌拉尔山、鄂霍茨克海和贝加尔湖三个地区阻高指数逐候的变化情况。 6月下旬至 7月上旬东亚中高纬出现“双阻”形势 ,造成淮河流域持续一个多月的集中强降水 ,但是在 7月底 ,鄂霍次克海阻高再度建立并持续 ,致使盛夏西太平洋副热带高压较常年偏南 ,所以雨带的位置也未能北移。因此 2 0 0 3年夏季主要雨带维持在淮河流域     

S2S气候模式产品在黄河流域径流预测中的应用

次季节气候和径流预测是主动减灾的一个关键。基于国家气候中心第三代气候模式系统的次季节到季节模式(CMA-CPS v3 S2S)的气候预测信息和HBV水文模型,应用集合预测技术研发了未来40 d时段平均径流量和时段内极端干旱概率预测模型,应用平均方差技巧评分、距平相关系数、相对操作特征曲线面积、布赖尔技巧评分开展了回报检验,并检验了2021年黄河流域径流异常预测效果。结果表明,所建模型能够以较高技巧预测黄河流域未来40 d时段平均的径流量,且表现出枯季预测技巧高、湿季技巧低的季节差异;对秋末11月和冬季3个月(12月、1月、2月)的极端干旱概率预测也有较高技巧。对于2021年5—8月黄河上中游干旱和9—10月的秋汛,该方法正确预测了除6月、9月外的其他4个月的径流异常方向,但异常程度与实况存在差异。对径流预测水平影响因素的进一步分析表明,S2S降水预测能力影响径流预测水平,特别是丰水期的径流预测,但还有降水之外的其他因素影响径流预测技巧。     

On the origin and evolution of sea-ice anomalies in the Beaufort-Chukchi Sea

 The origin and space-time evolution of Beaufort-Chukchi Sea ice anomalies are studied using data and a recently developed dynamic-thermodynamic sea-ice model. First, the relative importance of anomalies of river runoff, atmospheric temperature and wind in creating anomalous sea-ice conditions in the Beaufort-Chukchi Sea is investigated. The results indicate that wind anomalies are the dominant factor responsible for creating interannual variability in the Beaufort-Chukchi Sea ice cover. Temperature anomalies appear to play a major role for longer time scale fluctuations, whereas the effects of runoff anomalies are small. The sea-ice model is then used to track the position of a positive sea-ice anomaly as it is transported by the Beaufort Gyre toward the Transpolar Drift Stream and then exported out of the Arctic Basin into the Greenland Sea via Fram Strait. The model integration shows that sea-ice anomalies originating in the western Beaufort Sea can survive a few seasonal cycles as they propogate through the Arctic Basin and can account for a notable amount of anomalous ice export into the Greenland Sea. These anomalies, however, represent a small contribution to the fresh water budget in this area when compared with sea-ice fluctuations generated by interannually varying local winds. Received: 1 May 1997/Accepted: 22 October 1997     

Synoptic conditions of the formation of a catastrophic flood on the Amur River in 2013

Considered are the synoptic mechanisms of the catastrophic flood formation on the Amur River in summer 2013; these enabled revealing the set of reasons responsible for the unprecedented rise of the water level. Demonstrated is the primary importance of the series of polar-front cyclones of the unprecedented duration and intensity being the main circulation link of the summer Far Eastern monsoon. It is revealed that the intensification of monsoon rains is associated with the active participation of the marine tropical air from the Pacific Ocean in frontal processes. The simultaneous deepening of the monsoon low over the land and the strengthening of the subtropical high over the ocean became a reason for the dramatic intensification of the moisture-laden monsoon flow.     

Atomic mercury distribution features in the surface air layer in the Sea of Japan in the fall of 2010

Presented are the results of mercury content measurements in the surface air layer in the Sea of Japan in the period from October 27 to November 11, 2010. It is revealed that the mercury content varied from 0.6 to 3.8 ng/m³. It is demonstrated that the mercury concentration distribution has geographical zoning and depends on the movement of air masses and on the closeness of anthropogenic sources. The maximum mercury concentration is detected in the central part of the sea at the southwestern and southern directions of the wind, that is associated with the industrial emissions of East Asia countries. The minimum mercury concentration corresponding to the concentration in the surface air layer of the Arctic, Atlantic Ocean (Northern Hemisphere), and the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea was observed along the coast of Primorye at the northwestern wind direction.