Effects of the low-frequency zonal wind variation on the high frequency atmospheric variability over the tropics

Recently, there is increasing evidence on the interaction of atmospheric high-frequency (HF) variability with climatic low-frequency (LF) variability. In this study, we examine this relationship of HF variability with large scale circulation using idealized experiments with an aqua-planet Atmospheric GCM (with zonally uniform SST), run in different zonal momentum forcing scenarios. The effect of large scale circulation changes to the HF variability is demonstrated here. The HF atmospheric variability is enhanced over the westerly forced region, through easterly vertical shear. Our study also manifests that apart from the vertical wind shear, strong low-level convergence and horizontal zonal wind shear are also important for enhancing the HF variance. This is clearly seen in the eastern part of the forcing, where the HF activity shows relatively maximum increase, in spite of similar vertical shear over the forced regions. The possible implications for multi-scale interaction (e.g. MJO–ENSO interaction) are also discussed.     

Statistical relationship between two types of El Niño events and climate variation over the Korean Peninsula

Recently, a new type of El Niño (Warm-Pool El Niño) is more often observed than the conventional El Niño (Cold-Tongue El Niño); each has a distinctive spatial pattern. The two types of El Niño have different teleconnections; therefore their impacts on a specific region can be considerably different. In this study, we focus on statistical relationship between climate variation in Korea and the two types of El Niño. When the two types of El Niño are not separately considered, the statistical relation between climate variables in Korea and the El Niño events is weak in general. When the two types of El Niño are separately considered, however, each type exhibits significant relationship with climate variation in Korea. Therefore, consideration of two types of El Niño separately can potentially improve climate prediction over the Korean Peninsula.     

Evaporation from seasonally frozen bare and vegetated ground at various groundwater table depths in the Ordos Basin,Northwest China

In cold climates, the process of freezing–thawing significantly affects the ground surface heat balance and water balance. To better understand the mechanism of evaporation from seasonally frozen soils, we performed field experiments at different water table depths on vegetated and bare ground in a semiarid region in China. Soil moisture and temperature, air temperature, precipitation, and water table depths were measured over a 5‐month period (November 1, 2016, to March 14, 2017). The evaporation, which was calculated by a mass balance method, was high in the periods of thawing and low in the periods of freezing. Increased water table depth in the freezing period led to high soil moisture in the upper soil layer, whereas lower initial groundwater levels during freezing–thawing decreased the cumulative evaporation. The extent of evaporation from the bare ground was the same in summer as in winter. These results indicate that a noteworthy amount of evaporation from the bare ground is present during freezing–thawing. Finally, the roots of Salix psammophila could increase the soil temperature. This study presents an insight into the joint effects of soil moisture, temperature, ground vegetation, and water table depths on the evaporation from seasonally frozen soils. Furthermore, it also has important implications for water management in seasonally frozen areas.     

Trapping of electromagnetic waves by nonlinear resonant interactions with ion sound waves

Resonant wave-wave interaction among one ion sound wave and two electro-magnetic waves in an isotropic plasma is studied. The emphasis is on the possibility of trapping the electromagnetic wave. Equations for the three-wave system are derived. One particularly interesting case is that for which the frequency of ion sound wave is much less than the frequency of electromagnetic waves. For this case it is shown that energy exchange takes place only between the two high frequency waves. The ion sound wave does not participate in the energy exchange process but acts as a kind of catalyst for the interaction. Simple solutions are obtained. It is found that the electromagnetic energy is trapped within a certain spatial region. The trapping width is found to depend, among other parameters, on the magnitude of ion sound wave perturbation. Possible application of the theory to topside ionospheric observations of field-aligned propagation is discussed.     

Redundant and Nonredundant Information for Model Calibration or Hydraulic Tomography

Drawdown data from independent pumping tests have widely been used to validate the estimated hydraulic parameters from inverse modeling or hydraulic tomography (HT). Yet, the independent pumping test has not been clearly defined. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to define this independent pumping test concept, based on the redundant or nonredundant information about aquifer heterogeneity embedded in the observed heads during cross-hole pumping tests. The definition of complete, moderate redundancy and high nonredundancy of information are stipulated using cross-correlation analysis of the relationship between the head and heterogeneity. Afterward, data from numerical experiments and field sequential pumping test campaigns reinforce the concept and the definition.     

Analysis of Transient Flow to an Extended Fully Penetrating Well at Constant-Head Pumping

Vertical wells with radial extension at the well bottom can improve the rate of water production. No study has yet investigated the effects of the transient state and anisotropy in directional hydraulic conductivities on the wellbore flux rate for this type of well. This study derives a semianalytical transient drawdown solution for constant-head pumping at a fully penetrating well radially extended at the bottom of a confined, anisotropic aquifer by applying Laplace transform and separation of variables as well as conducting a Fourier analysis. The results of this new solution indicate that transient and steady-state wellbore flux rates can be increased by a factor of two for greater radial extension of the well. Compared with an isotropic aquifer (a ratio of vertical and horizontal hydraulic conductivities equal to one), an anisotropic aquifer with the ratio less than one may produce a higher transient wellbore flux rate and lower steady-state wellbore flux rate. Moreover, the time required to achieve the steady-state wellbore flux rate can be substantially affected by anisotropy of the aquifer.     

Induced Groundwater Flux by Increases in the Aquifer's Total Stress

Fluid‐filled granular soils experience changes in total stress because of earth and oceanic tides, earthquakes, erosion, sedimentation, and changes in atmospheric pressure. The pore volume may deform in response to the changes in stress and this may lead to changes in pore fluid pressure. The transient fluid flow can therefore be induced by the gradient in excess pressure in a fluid‐saturated porous medium. This work demonstrates the use of stochastic methodology in prediction of induced one‐dimensional field‐scale groundwater flow through a heterogeneous aquifer. A closed‐form of mean groundwater flux is developed to quantify the induced field‐scale mean behavior of groundwater flow and analyze the impacts of the spatial correlation length scale of log hydraulic conductivity and the pore compressibility. The findings provided here could be useful for the rational planning and management of groundwater resources in aquifers that contain lenses with large vertical aquifer matrix compressibility values.     

Incorporating uncertainty into the estimation of biological reference points for a spiny lobster (Panulirus penicillatus) fishery

The status of a fishery is often defined as the probability of fishing mortality rate exceeding a perilous level for long‐term sustainability. Lobster stock assessments are often subject to large uncertainty in input data and high levels of natural variability in lobster life history processes, which calls for incorporating uncertainty associated with both indicator and management reference points in an evaluation of biological risk of overfishing. Using a Monte Carlo simulation approach, we evaluated the impacts of uncertainty in modelling on the determination of the status of the Taitung spiny lobster (Panulirus penicillatus) fishery (Taiwan), which has not been quantitatively determined despite its commercial importance. The commonly used biological reference points derived from the per recruit model (F _0.1 the fishing mortality rate where the slope of the curve of yield‐per‐recruit model is 10% of the maximum slope and F _4Q%, the fishing mortality rate that reduces the expected egg production for a cohort of female lobsters to 40% of that produced in the absence of a fishery of the egg‐per‐recruit model) were influenced by uncertainties associated with lobster life history and fishery parameters. A large uncertainty in the current fishing mortality rate (F _cnr) and estimates of biological reference points (F _BRPs) increased the uncertainty in determining the risk of overexploitation throughout the confidence levels of the stochastic decision‐making framework. This simulation study suggests that the target reference point of F _40% is less sensitive to the input parameters’ uncertainty than F _0.1 We suggest a further evaluation of other F‐based references points and development of biomass‐based reference points before final selection and implementation for the management of the Taitung lobster fishery.     

Recent warming in the Yellow/East China Sea during winter and the associated atmospheric circulation

We examine characteristics in the variability of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Yellow/East China Sea during the boreal winter (December–January–February) for the period 1950–2008 in observations. It is found that the mean SST in the Yellow Sea/East China Sea gradually increases during recent decades. A warming trend of a basin scale SST is significant in most of the regions in the Yellow/East Sea, which is well explained by the variability of the first empirical orthogonal function SST mode. We suggest one candidate mechanism that the North Pacific oscillation (NPO)-like sea level pressure play an important role to warm the Yellow/East China Sea. Anomalous anticyclonic circulation, which is the southern lobe of NPO-like sea level pressure over the North Pacific, causes a weakening of northerly mean winds over the Yellow/East China Sea during winter. This contributes to increase in the SST in the Yellow/East China Sea through the changes in the latent heat and sensible heat fluxes.