A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF SNOW MASS VARIATIONS IN CHINA OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS*

Daily snow data for 2300 climate stations covering the period from 1951 through 1980 have been used to monitor and diagnose secular variations,year-to-year fluctuations,and the spatial characteristics of snow variation trends in China.An examination of time series reveals that there is a strong teleconnction to ENSO,to major volcanic eruptions,as well as to the CO₂-induced warming.The country-wide snow mass variations are positively correlated with global mean temperature,increasing during the current warming period and decreasing during the recent cooling period prior to the mid 1960s.A synchronous relationship exists between El Nino/Southern Oscillation and snowy winter in China.The year-to-year snow fluctuations seem to be generally out of phase with volcanic activity.The anomaly map shows that snow mass increased in high altitudes and moist regions,while it decreased in arid lowland and the southern boundary zone during the warming period.The potential CO₂-induced changes in snow mass will further aggravate the regional differentiation between high mountains and lowlands,between moist and arid regions.The number of snow cover days will decrease in the northern lowlands,and snowfall will increase in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,high mountains,and the lower reaches of the Changjiang(Yangtze) River.     

陕西早春一次罕见暴雨过程的环流演变及水汽输送分析

利用天气学、卫星云图和物理诊断方法,对2004年2月20日发生在陕西省的一次暴雨过程进行分析。结果发现：其环流演变是一次纬向型朝径向型环流快速调整的过程;暴雨区的主要水汽输送分别由700 hPa孟加拉湾的西南暖湿急流和低纬度热带低气压西侧的850 hPa的偏南气流提供,热带低压西侧的偏南急流直伸到陕西的位置决定了强降水的落区;云图分析显示暴雨期间在菲律宾附近有一个热带低气压云系存在并维持,与夏季出现大范围暴雨时的云图特征较为相似。结论表明对陕西春季的暴雨预报除考虑环流演变外,还应关注低纬地区的水汽和能量输送及热带低压云系活动状况。