Studying internal gravity waves generated by atmospheric fronts over the Moscow region

Internal gravity wave (IGW) data obtained during the passage of atmospheric fronts over the Moscow region in June–July 2015 is analyzed. IGWs were recorded using a group of four microbarographs (developed at the Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences) located at distances of 7 to 54 km between them. Regularities of variations in IGW parameters (spatial coherence, characteristic scales, propagation direction, horizontal propagation velocity, and amplitudes) before, during, and after the passage of an atmospheric front over the observation network, when the observation network finds itself inside the cyclone and outside the front, are studied. The results may be useful in studying the relationships between IGW effects in different physical fields at different atmospheric heights. It is shown that, within periods exceeding 30 min, IGWs are coherent between observation points horizontally spaced at distances of about 60 km (coherence coefficient is 0.6–0.9). It is also shown that there is coherence between wave fluctuations in atmospheric pressure and fluctuations in horizontal wind velocity within the height range 60–200 m. A joint analysis of both atmospheric pressure and horizontal wind fluctuations has revealed the presence of characteristic dominant periods, within which cross coherences between fluctuations in atmospheric pressure and wind velocity have local maxima. These periods are within approximate ranges of 20–29, 37–47, 62–72, and 100–110 min. The corresponding (to these dominant periods) phase propagation velocities of IGWs lie within an interval of 15–25 m/s, and the horizontal wavelengths vary from 52 to 99 km within periods of 35 to 110 min, respectively.     

Climatic parameters of wind-field variability in the Black Sea region: Numerical reanalysis of regional atmospheric circulation

A reanalysis of atmospheric circulation in the Black Sea region is performed with a high spatial resolution of 25 × 25 km for the period from 1958 to 2001. Climatic wind speed fields are estimated, as are their spatial structure and seasonal variability. Mesoscale regions of cyclonic and anticyclonic speed vorticity, which are connected with edge effects and orography, are distinguished. To single out the monsoon mechanism in the annual votricity cycle, numerical experiments on the sensitivity that the regional atmospheric circulation has to the sea-surface temperature perturbations have been carried out. Large-scale regional peculiarities of the surface wind field are considered for different seasons. The vorticity of the surface wind speed and strength is assessed. Large annual average values of the vorticity are obtained which are comparable with the range of seasonal variability; they evidence the defining role that wind plays in the generation and seasonal variability, as well as the average cyclonic water circulation in the Black Sea.     

A probabilistic description of the wind over Liverpool Bay with application to oil spill simulations

Surface winds from the UK Meteorological Office mesoscale (12 km grid) atmospheric model have been used to define the wind at a location in Liverpool Bay during 1997–2001. Winds from the SW (centred on 240°) with a speed of about 10 m/s (20 knots) were the most frequent, although weaker winds from the SE were also common. The wind spectra were red in character and showed no evidence for a peak at the synoptic (2–5 day) time scale; however, a zero-up-crossing analysis suggested a dominant periodicity at 3.1 days, and at this time scale the winds were spatially coherent over a distance of 300 km. A wind direction transition matrix was derived to quantify the probability with which the wind changed between two specified directions. This information was then used with an estimate of the mean duration of a wind event to compute a stochastic wind time series that contained a similar energy level, periodicity, and direction variability to the archived wind data. The archived and stochastic winds were then used in 1000 oil spill contingency simulations during which estimates of the mean and minimum times taken for oil to reach the coastline, and the percentage of the oil impacting selected sites were computed. The stochastic winds provided more realistic results, when compared against those derived using the wind archive, than those obtained using a wind rose representation of the winds. The derivation and use of a stochastic wind time series has application to a range of modelling studies.     

夏季南海北部粤东陆架锋面的动力特征分析*

本文利用现场观测资料和卫星遥感数据, 并结合ROMS(regional ocean modeling system)数值模拟对南海北部粤东陆架的锋面特征及其影响因素进行探讨。观测结果显示, 夏季南海北部陆架存在活跃的上升流温度锋面, 其水平尺度约为50km, 强度达到0.06℃∙km^-1, 大于同时期卫星遥感观测结果, 垂向影响深度超过20m, 且具有一阶理查森数(Richardson number, Ri)的典型动力学特征。进一步的ROMS 模式诊断分析结果显示, 锋面处水平梯度增强, 且动力学上表现出一阶Ri数, 为锋面不稳定的发生提供了有利条件。高分辨率模拟结果显示, 在夏季西南风的驱动下, 沿锋面地转流方向的风应力引起的跨陆架Ekman输运将锋面处冷水向暖水运移, 导致水平浮力梯度和锋面强度增强并形成负Ertel位涡(Ertel potential vorticity, EPV)。因此, 夏季风场强迫引起的Ekman浮力通量(Ekman buoyancy flux, EBF)可能是南海北部锋面不稳定现象的主要贡献者, 对局地动力环境有重要影响。     

Doppler radar radial winds in HIRLAM. Part II: optimizing the super-observation processing

Doppler radar radial wind observations are modelled in numerical weather prediction (NWP) within observation errors which consist of instrumental, modelling and representativeness errors. The systematic and random modelling errors can be reduced through a careful design of the observation operator (Part I). The impact of the random instrumental and representativeness errors can be decreased by optimizing the processing of the so-called super-observations (spatial averages of raw measurements; Part II).
The super-observation processing is experimentally optimized in this article by determining the optimal resolution for the super-observations for different NWP model resolutions. A 1-month experiment with the HIRLAM data assimilation and forecasting system is used for radial wind data monitoring and for generating observation minus background (OmB) differences. The OmB statistics indicate that the super-observation processing reduces the standard deviation of the radial wind speed OmB difference, while the mean vector wind OmB difference tends to increase. The optimal parameter settings correspond at a measurement range of 50 km (100 km) to an averaging area of 1.7 km² (7.3 km²).
In conclusion, an accurate and computationally feasible observation operator for the Doppler radar radial wind observations is developed (Part I) and a super-observation processing system is optimized (Part II).     

Observed and modelled sea‐ice drift response to wind forcing in the northern Baltic Sea

The wind dependence of sea‐ice motion was studied on the basis of ice velocity and wind observations, and weather model output. The study area was a transition zone between open water and the ice‐covered ocean in the northern Baltic Sea. In the centre of the basin the sea‐ice motion was highly wind‐dependent and the linear relationship between the wind and the drift velocities explained 80% of the drift's variance. On the contrary, the wind‐drift dependence was low near the coast. The wind‐drift coherence was significant over a broader frequency range in the central part of the basin than for the coastal drift. The ice motion was simulated by a numerical model forced with five types of wind stress and with two types of current data, and the outcome was compared with the observed buoy drift. The wind and the wind‐induced surface current were the main factors driving the ice in the basin's centre, while internal ice stresses were of importance in the shear zone near the fast ice edge. The best wind forcing was achieved by applying a method dependent on atmospheric stability and ice conditions. The average air–ice drag coefficient was 1.4×10⁻³ with the standard deviation of 0.2×10⁻³. The improvement brought about by using an accurate wind stress was comparable with that achieved by raising the model grid resolution from 18 km to 5 km.     

HY-2 扫描辐射计风速数据产品与平台基观测数据的比较研究

基于南海北部PY30-1平台上2012年2月至9月测风仪观测的风速数据,开展了HY-2扫描辐射计风速数据比较研究。选取时空匹配窗口为5 min和25 km,利用HY-2扫描辐射计RM 100,70和35 km分辨率3种风速数据,分别与平台观测数据进行了比较。比较结果表明:在南海北部海域,HY-2扫描辐射计100 km分辨率风速和平台观测风速的均方根偏差为3.86 m/s;70 km分辨率风速和平台观测风速的均方根偏差为10.52 m/s;35 km分辨率风速和平台观测风速的均方根偏差为5.54 m/s。还进一步比较了有雨和无雨两种情况下HY-2扫描辐射计和平台数据的偏差,结果表明:有雨和无雨条件下都是100 km分辨率的数据偏差最小。这为在我国南海北部海域应用HY-2扫描辐射计的风速数据产品的选择提供了依据。     

The SeaSat-A satellite scatterometer

This paper describes the methods used to develop performance requirements and design characteristics for the microwave scatterometer (SASS) ocean-surface wind sensor on the NASA SeaSat-A satellite. Wind vector measurement requirements from the SeaSat user community such as wind speed and direction accuracy, resolution cell size, grid spacing, and swath width formed the basis for defining instrument characteristics. The resulting scatterometer is designed for 14.6 GHz using four fan beam antennas to measure wind speed and direction over a 1000-km swath width with a resolution cell size50 times 50km. Results presented show scatterometer accuracy satisfies user requirements for wind speed from 4 m/s to greater than 24 m/s for the nominal SeaSat-A orbit of 790 km altitude,108deginclination, and 0.001 eccentricity.     

Detection of meteorological fronts over the North Sea with Valensole skywave radar

The skywave radar located at Valeusole is described. The front localization method is reviewed and discussed. Wind direction was mapped over the North Sea during a three-day experiment. Thirty maps were collected and two cold fronts were successfully detected and tracked. Data corresponding to one front are presented, discussed, and compared to French Meteorological Office (FMO) surface charts. The measurements show that this front did not move with a constant velocity. Front detection is finally discussed in terms of spatial localization accuracy, resolution, and detectability.     

卫星散射计与海面平台所测的风场数据比较

基于南海北部海面PY30-1石油平台气象站测风仪2011年7月19日—2012年9月17日实测的风场数据,分别开展了对卫星搭载的ASCAT和HY-2散射计所测风场数据的比较研究,分析散射计的测风能力(选取的时空窗口为30 min和25 km)。结果表明:在南海北部海域,ASCAT 散射计所测风速和PY30-1石油平台气象站观测风速的均方根误差为2.53 m/s,风向偏差较大,均方根误差为47.87°;HY-2散射计所测风速和PY30-1石油平台气象站观测风速的均方根误差为3.41 m/s,风向的均方根误差为58.66°。分别按低、中和高风速的不同条件将ASCAT和HY-2散射计所测的风场数据与PY30-1石油平台气象站观测的风场数据加以比较可知,ASCAT和HY-2散射计都具有较好的测风能力, 前者所测风速与PY30-1石油平台气象站测风仪观测风速的均方根误差稍小于后者。在150 min和15 km的时空窗口下,ASCAT与HY-2散射计所测风速的均方根误差为0.72 m/s,风向的均方根误差为8.50°。     

Variability of sea surface temperature in the Japan Sea and its relationship to the wind-curl field

The variability of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Japan Sea is investigated using the complex EOF analysis of daily data produced at Tohoku University, Japan (New Generation SST; 2002–2006). The relationship with the wind field is investigated from the daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data with a 1° spatial resolution. Anomalies in the SST (SSTAs) are calculated by subtracting the basin-average annual variation estimated as a leading mode of temperature. The leading mode of an SSTA represents a adjustment to the annual mean variation, most significant in December in the zone of subtropical waters entering the sea through the Korean Strait and in the northwestern sea, over which a cyclonic wind curl develops in the cold period. The semiannual variability mode is identified, which is characterized by the largest temperature increase (decrease) in the western branch of the subarctic front (in the Tatar Strait), which lags by two months behind the semiannual changes in wind curl over the sea. An episodic SSTA movement is detected in the northern part of the sea, which moves from east to west along the western branch of the Tsushima Warm Current with a speed corresponding in magnitude to an advective scale.     

中法海洋卫星微波散射计近海岸产品在台风遥感监测中的应用

中法海洋卫星(Chinese-French Oceanography Satellite,CFOSAT)搭载的微波散射计(CFOSAT Scatterometer,CSCAT)采用 Ku 波段扇形波束旋转扫描体制,具有观测几何信息丰富、观测样本数多的特点,是一种新型的海面风场遥感仪器。CSCAT 的原始空间分辨率可达10 km×12-5 km,是目前空间分辨率最高的微波散射计,为开发高质量的近海岸高分辨率海面风场产品提供了可能性。首先,回顾了 CSCAT 近海岸风场遥感的原理,并利用辅助数据验证了这种新的科学产品的有效性。 然后,利用 CSCAT 近海岸风场开展了台风灾害监测研究。与标准 25 km 分辨率的产品相比, CSCAT 近海岸风场可以更细致地描绘台风结构,能够为气象和海洋防灾减灾提供更精准的信息支持与决策服务。     

HY-2B卫星散射计海面风场产品质量分析 *

星载微波散射计是获取全球海面风场信息的主要手段, HY-2B卫星散射计的成功发射为全球海面风场数据获取的持续性提供了重要保障。本文利用欧洲中期天气预报中心(European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, ECMWF)再分析风场数据、热带大气海洋观测计划(Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Array, TAO)和美国国家数据浮标中心(National Data Buoy Center, NDBC)浮标获取的海面风矢量实测数据, 对HY-2B散射计海面风场数据产品的质量进行统计分析。分析表明, HY-2B风场与ECMWF再分析风场对比, 在4~24m·s^-1风速区间内, 风速和风向均方根误差(root mean square error, RMSE)分别为1.58m·s^-1和15.34°; 与位于开阔海域的TAO浮标数据对比, 风速、风向RMSE分别为1.03m·s^-1和14.98°, 可见HY-2B风场能较好地满足业务化应用的精度要求(风速优于2m·s^-1, 风向优于20°)。与主要位于近海海域的NDBC浮标对比, HY-2B风场的风速、风向RMSE分别为1.60m·s^-1和19.14°, 说明HY-2B散射计同时具备了对近海海域风场的良好观测能力。本文还发现HY-2B风场质量会随风速、地面交轨位置等变化, 为用户更好地使用HY-2B风场产品提供参考。     

Surface current patterns in front of the Venice Lagoon

Surface patterns of the low-frequency current in a 20 × 30 km region in front of the Venice Lagoon were analysed from a 13-month-long HF radar data set. Surface circulation was related to prevalent wind regimes in the area and to the tidal flow through the lagoon inlet. Three different categories of wind-forcing were defined: bora (NE wind), sirocco (SE wind), and finally the category containing all other wind directions and calms (winds lower than 3 m/sec). Mean flow and vorticity spatial distributions were discussed for different wind conditions. The coastal area about 5 km wide is characterized by a flow field with maximum vorticity. Outside the coastal boundary layer the interior flow is part of the Adriatic basin-wide cyclonic circulation. Two counter-rotating vortices of the dimension of about 4–5 km were evidenced in the average flow field in front of the lagoon inlet (Malamocco inlet) in all situations except for the bora. The vortex-pair is probably associated with the tidal flow through the inlet. The bora wind induces a strong southward coastal jet detached from the coast by about 5 km homogenizing the flow and eliminating the dipole. The average coastal flow pattern in calm wind conditions was also analysed as a function of the strong inflow/outflow (currents in the inlet > 0.7 m s⁻¹) from the lagoon inlet. In both cases the vorticity pattern is similar, with the negative vorticity to the left of the inlet and positive to the right looking seaward.     

Response of water column to strong wind forcing,southern Brazilian inner shelf: Implications for sand ridge formation

The result of two sequential oceanographic stations of 36 hours each in the area of sand ridges are presented. One station was located in the trough between two sand ridges and the other was at the crest of a sand ridge. At these stations salinity and temperature of the sea water, currents, winds, waves, and barometric pressure were measured each hour.During the observations, a cold front passed; this generated westerly winds that grew in speed from 24 to 52 km h^?1. The average height of the wind generated waves grew from 1.0 to 1.5 m and their periods increased from 7 to 10 s, and the speed of the northeast directed surface current increased from 40 to 82 cm s^?1. A bottom current (also directed northeast) increased from 26 to 34 cm s^?1.After the cold front had passed, the wind backed to the southeast and decreased in speed from 26 to zero km h^?1. The surface current in a northwest direction decreased from 29 to 8 cm s^?1. A bottom current (also directed northwest) decreased from 22 to 3 cm s^?1. Later, swells from the southeast appeared and their periods increased from 5 to 9 s and their heights grew from 1.0 to 1.5 m. After 3 hours, the speeds of the surface and bottom currents increased from 8 to 72 cm s^?1 and 3 to 62 cm s^?1 respectively.This cold front induced strong winds and storm-wave currents able to erode sediments (assuming a threshold velocity of 20 cm s^?1) and transport them in a north-northeast direction.The origin and the maintenance of these sand ridges is thought to be a function of sediments eroded from troughs and piled up at ridge crests during a storm condition. Some eroded sediments are transported north of Verga lighthouse where they are deposited on a smooth bottom.     

The Mediterranean response to different space–time resolution atmospheric forcings using perpetual mode sensitivity simulations

The Mediterranean basin features a semi-enclosed sea, where interactions and feedbacks between the atmosphere and the Sea at various temporal and spatial scales play a predominant role in the regional climate. This study analyzes the Mediterranean Sea response in sensitivity experiments conducted by driving the NEMO-MED12 oceanic model in perpetual mode with various atmospheric forcings, all produced by the WRF non-hydrostatic mesoscale atmospheric model, but differing by their resolutions: two horizontal resolutions (20 km at basin scale and 6.7 km in the North-Western [NWE] area) and two temporal resolutions (daily and three-hourly). The atmospheric fields available from August 1998 to July 1999 are in good agreement with estimates derived from satellite data. The heat budget of the Mediterranean Sea represents an heat loss of 5 W/m² and the annual freshwater budget is ?1.04 m, in agreement with climatologies. An increase in the spatial resolution in the NWE area modifies the modeled circulation from ?10% to +15% for the SST, from ?30% to +50% for the SSS, from ?10% to +30% for the MLD and from ?10% to +30% for the EKE in surface. The increase in the wind speed with a better chanelling by the land orography enhances in particular the oceanic convection process in the NWE area. On the other hand, the increase in the temporal resolution reduces the convection process, because of the diurnal restratification of the oceanic upper layer. It also reduces the surface parameters high-frequency variability, whereas it increases the EKE values in surface, due to the rapid response to the wind.     

A scanning multichannel microwave radiometer for Nimbus-G and SeaSat-A

A scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) has been designed for the Nimbus-G spacecraft and incorporated also into the SeaSat-A payload for the primary purpose of determining sea surface temperatures and wind stress on a nearly all-weather basis. Observations of microwave polarization components will be made at wavelengths of 0.8, 1.4, 1.7, 2.8, and 4.6 cm over a swath 822 km wide below the Nimbus-G and 595 km wide below the SeaSat-A spacecraft. The smallest spatial resolution cell is about 20 km at a wavelength of 0.8 cm, and proportionately larger at the other wavelengths. Using algorithms based on a combination of experimental data and physical models for converting the observed brightness temperatures, the indicated accuracies of the results (excluding conditions of significant rainfall) are within 1 K for sea surface temperature and 2 m/s for surface wind speeds, over a range from 0-50 m/s.     

利用断头树估计2016年6月23日阜宁县龙卷风强度与尺度

2016年6月23日在盐城市阜宁县附近发生特大龙卷风事件,人员财产损失惨重。本文利用天气图和多普勒雷达图等气象资料,对此次龙卷风的产生机制进行分析,再根据受灾相对较严重的5个地区断头树情况的调查资料,以“大风中风速达到约42 m/s时,大风经过的树林中折断树的百分比急剧升高到50%”为依据,来估计风速达到42 m/s的龙卷风范围。调查结果显示:大气不稳定层结,冷、暖湿空气交汇,风的垂直风切变是此次龙卷风的重要诱发因子;此次龙卷风风速达到42 m/s的影响范围的长度至少达到20 km,最大宽度至少达到952 m。     

基于HY-2A微波散射计海面风场资料的台风风剖面信息提取研究

台风风剖面信息是直观反映与台风中心不同距离的各点与平均风速关系的曲线,它是确定各级台风风圈范围的重要基础。本文利用HY-2A微波散射计海面风场资料,结合Holland风场模型提出了一种新的台风风剖面信息提取方法,并选取2012–2017年期间16期典型台风进行应用。结果表明:34 kt与50 kt风圈半径的平均均方根误差为37.6 km与18.3 km,该方法具有较好的适用性和精度。本研究对于描述台风结构特征及潜在的破坏力和台风可能的影响范围具有一定的现实意义。     

Major variability modes and wind patterns over the Sea of Japan and adjacent areas

The expansion of wind fields observed at fixed times (four times daily) in complex empirical orthogonal functions is performed for the Japan Sea area (34°–53° N, 127°–143° E). The wind fields are taken from the 1998–2004 NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data with better spatial resolution (1° × 1°) than the standard product, which are publicly available on the Internet. Major modes of wind variability in the Japan Sea area are identified. The modes determine a general direction of air-mass transport throughout a year, zonal and meridional modulation, and a cyclonic and an anticyclonic eddy component. Objective classification of wind fields with respect to the prevailing flow direction is performed, and wind stress and wind-curl patterns are obtained for major events in the cold and warm periods of the year. The pattern obtained can be used in hydrodynamic numerical models of the general circulation of the Japan Sea.