<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ua ‘afa le Aso</Emphasis> Stormy weather today: traditional ecological knowledge of weather and climate. The Samoa experience

This paper examines traditional ecological knowledge of weather and climate in Samoa, a Polynesian community in the South Pacific. The research found Samoans have their own unique seasonal calendar. The Samoan seasonal calendar is predominantly based on the observations of local environmental changes, which are in turn influenced by weather and climate. Monitoring changes in plants and animal behaviour, for example, are key indicators used by the Samoans to forecast changes in weather and climate. In addition, their communal and family social activities like hunting, fishing and feasting are driven by the seasonal calendar. The Samoans knowledge of cloud formation, conditions conducive to the formation and onset of severe weather systems and seasonal changes in climate, helped them anticipate, plan and adapt to extreme weather and climate events. The ability and knowledge of the Samoans to forecast the onset of extreme weather and climate events, relying predominantly on local environmental changes are vital tools that should be incorporated in the formulation of human induced climate change adaptation strategies.     

Statistical estimation of high-resolution surface air temperature from MODIS over the Yangtze River Delta,China

High-resolution surface air temperature data are critical to regional climate modeling in terms of energy balance, urban climate change, and so on. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature (LST) to estimate air temperature at a high resolution over the Yangtze River Delta region, China. It is found that daytime LST is highly correlated with maximum air temperature, and the linear regression coefficients vary with the type of land surface. The air temperature at a resolution of 1 km is estimated from the MODIS LST with linear regression models. The estimated air temperature shows a clear spatial structure of urban heat islands. Spatial patterns of LST and air temperature differences are detected, indicating maximum differences over urban and forest regions during summer. Validations are performed with independent data samples, demonstrating that the mean absolute error of the estimated air temperature is approximately 2.5°C, and the uncertainty is about 3.1°C, if using all valid LST data. The error is reduced by 0.4°C (15%) if using best-quality LST with errors of less than 1 K. The estimated high-resolution air temperature data have great potential to be used in validating high-resolution climate models and other regional applications.     

对流温度在北京夏季局地热力对流云分析中的应用

利用北京近郊地区南苑机场1990-2000年6-8月观测资料,分析了北京夏季对流云出现日数、出现时间、云底高、生命史等基本特征;利用北京站1995-2000年6-8月常规探空资料,分析了北京夏季对流温度和对流凝结高度的特征,尝试用对流温度预报对流云的出现,用对流凝结高度预报对流云的云高。结果表明:对流温度在局地热力对流云的预报中具有一定的指示意义,对流凝结高度能在一定程度上反映出对流云的云高。有对流云时,对流温度与实测温度之差在4℃以内的,占对流云总数的80%。在对流温度与实测温度之差≤4℃的有对流云日内,对流凝结高度与实测对流云云高之差90%以上都是在1200m以内,500m以内的也达到了53%。     

地形上空边界层流中低层锋面结构的理论研究II:暖锋、均匀地转流

利用一个有地形、边界层摩擦作用、简化的二层浅水锋面模型,在理论上研究了地形上空边界层流动中地面暖锋的结构及环流分布特征问题.暖锋的坡度主要取决于其暖域地转流、锋面移速,它随锋面移速增大而减小,这与冷锋特征相反.地形对暖锋坡度的影响作用较小.与无地形作用时相比,静止性暖锋冷域中,位于锋面界面附近的闭合正环流系,当暖锋位于地形上游,其伸展范围增大;当暖锋位于迎风坡时,其伸展范围缩小,中心位置上抬;锋面移至背风坡时,其伸展范围重新增大.对于冷域中远离地面暖锋的另一支正环流系来说,当暖锋位于地形上游或迎风坡时,它可被地形完全阻塞于背风侧,地形高度越高,地形阻塞作用越大.在暖锋锋区附近主要存在三支垂直上升运动带:(a)由于边界层摩擦辐合作用,导致在地面暖锋后缘暖区中形成一支水平尺度较小、强度较大的垂直运动带,它随着暖锋移速增大而减弱.该垂直运动带,当暖锋位于地形迎风侧,强度增加;暖锋位于地形背风侧,其强度减弱.(b)在锋区暖域沿锋面存在均匀的上升运动,(c)在冷域远离地面暖锋处,存在一支水平范围较宽,其中心位于边界层顶部附近的垂直运动带,当暖锋位于迎风坡时,这支垂直运动带可被地形阻塞于地形背风侧.     

中国农业气象模式(CAMM1.0)构建与应用

为发展适宜中国区域农业种植特点的农业气象模式,基于国外作物生长模拟方法,通过模式机理过程改进或重构以及应用方式革新,建立了中国农业气象模式（Chinese AgroMeteorological Model version 1.0,CAMM1.0）。CAMM1.0利用平均温度和土壤水分改进了作物发育进程模式,利用土壤水分改进了作物叶片光合作用、干物质分配和叶面积扩展过程模式,通过蒸发比法扩展了作物蒸散过程模式;自主建立了基于发育进程的冬小麦株高、基于遥感信息的作物灌溉、遥感数据同化、作物长势与灾害评价等模式。基于互联网技术构造了实时运转平台,主要功能包括作物生长过程实时常规模拟与用户个性化定制模拟。CAMM1.0的部分子模式采用多种方法构造,便于多模式集成。CAMM1.0对作物发育进程、光合过程、株高的模拟效果较好,但对土壤水分变化过程的拟合略差,模拟产量略偏低。CAMM1.0评价淮河流域夏玉米年际干旱减弱而涝渍增加的趋势与实际基本相符。     

An Efficient Non-iterative Bulk Parametrization of Surface Fluxes for Stable Atmospheric Conditions Over Polar Sea-Ice

In climate and weather prediction models the near-surface turbulent fluxes of heat and momentum and related transfer coefficients are usually parametrized on the basis of Monin–Obukhov similarity theory (MOST). To avoid iteration, required for the numerical solution of the MOST equations, many models apply parametrizations of the transfer coefficients based on an approach relating these coefficients to the bulk Richardson number \(Ri_{b}\). However, the parametrizations that are presently used in most climate models are valid only for weaker stability and larger surface roughnesses than those documented during the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean campaign (SHEBA). The latter delivered a well-accepted set of turbulence data in the stable surface layer over polar sea-ice. Using stability functions based on the SHEBA data, we solve the MOST equations applying a new semi-analytic approach that results in transfer coefficients as a function of \(Ri_{b}\) and roughness lengths for momentum and heat. It is shown that the new coefficients reproduce the coefficients obtained by the numerical iterative method with a good accuracy in the most relevant range of stability and roughness lengths. For small \(Ri_{b}\), the new bulk transfer coefficients are similar to the traditional coefficients, but for large \(Ri_{b}\) they are much smaller than currently used coefficients. Finally, a possible adjustment of the latter and the implementation of the new proposed parametrizations in models are discussed.     

华南区域季节性降水的差异分析

运用EOF方法研究华南区域降水时空分布特征,结果表明：（1）华南地区各季节降水在年际和年代际的时间变化上有区域一致性,但有季节性差异,其中春季和秋季在20世纪80年代后降水明显减少,旱年增多;而夏季90年代后降水明显增加,涝年增多;冬季变化则不明显。（2）华南地区各季节降水在空间分布上也有差异,其中春季降水呈现东多西少的分布特征,大值中心位于广西东北部、广东中部及西南沿海。夏季和秋季降水相似,呈南多北少的分布特征,大值中心位于广西沿海和广东西南沿海。冬季降水呈东北多西南少的分布特征,大值中心位于粤北。     

西北东部霾的时空特征与天气特征研究

利用常规地面观测资料和CALIOP/CALIPSO卫星遥感资料统计分析了中国西北东部霾的多年变化以及霾事件期间气溶胶光学特性的垂直空间分布特征,并以2013年3月和11月发生在西北东部的霾天气为例分析了霾发生时大气气溶胶粒子的形状及大小的垂直分布特征、对应的天气形势和气象要素的变化。结果表明:西北东部霾日出现频率由20世纪80年代至90年代末逐渐减小,但21世纪起又明显增加;霾事件主要发生在11、12和1月。霾发生时,在对流层内霾影响最严重的区域在距地面2~4 km范围,垂直方向气溶胶后向散射系数的范围集中于0.8×10-3~2.5×10-3km-1·sr-1,且随高度增加而增大;气溶胶的体积退偏比大部分20%,气溶胶较为规则,不规则的多分布在地表向上4 km以下,随着高度的增加气溶胶不规则性减弱。色比数值大部分0.8,8~12 km气层中主要是色比为0.0~0.4的粒子。当高空受高压系统控制,地面为均压场,近地面出现逆温层时易产生霾。     

风廓线雷达探测降水过程的初步研究

为利用风廓线雷达 (WPR) 开展降水研究, 分析了2006年8月25-26日北京延庆WPR探测降水个例。降水前高空出现持续时间长达10h以上的水平风垂直切变; 在信噪比 (SNR) 时间序列资料中出现比较清晰的SNR极值层, SNR极值层所处高度与水平风垂直切变高度相吻合。降水期间及前后, 水平风探测高度明显增高2km以上。随地面降水的临近, 下降速度所处高度逐渐降低, 从高空一直延伸到低空, 持续时间长达10h。资料分析表明:国产WPR可以在降水天气工作, 其探测资料能及时反映大尺度流场的变化。通过WPR提供的功率谱密度、SNR、水平速度、垂直速度等多种资料, 可从多种角度了解降水过程; 特别是WPR可以同时探测垂直气流速度、粒子落速及其高度分布, 进而可以估计降水粒子尺度谱及其高度分布, 便于开展更深层次的降水物理过程研究。     

Predictable climate dynamics of abnormal East Asian winter monsoon: once-in-a-century snowstorms in 2007/2008 winter

In 2008 (January–February), East Asia (EA) experiences the most severe and long-persisting snowstorm in the past 100 years. Results in this study show that 2007/2008 winter is dominant by the third principal mode of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) which explains 8.7% of the total surface air temperature variance over EA. Significantly distinguished from the first two leading modes, the third mode positive phase features an increased surface pressure over the northwestern EA, an enhanced central Siberian high (CSH), a strengthened and northwestward extended western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) and anomalously strong moisture transport from western Pacific, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal to EA. It also exhibits an intimate linkage with the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the Arctic Ocean areas adjacent to northern Eurasian continent, central North Pacific and northeastern Pacific. Such SSTAs emerge in prior autumn and persist through ensuing winter, signifying precursory conditions for the anomalous third EAWM mode. Numerical experiments with a simple general circulation model demonstrate that the Arctic SSTAs excite geo-potential height anomalies over northern Eurasian continent and impacts on the CSH, while the extra-tropical Pacific SSTAs deform the WPSH. Co-effects of them play crucial roles on origins of the third EAWM mode. Based on these results, an empirical model is established to predict the third mode of the EAWM. Hindcast is performed for the 1957–2008 period, which shows a quite realistic prediction skill in general and good prediction ability in the extreme phase of the third mode of the EAWM such as 2007/2008 winter. Since all these predictors can be readily monitored in real time, this empirical model provides a real time forecast tool and may facilitate the seasonal prediction of high-impact weather associated with the abnormal EAWM.