Adaptation of Pressure Based CFD Solvers for Mesoscale Atmospheric Problems

General purpose Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solvers are frequently used in small-scale urban pollution dispersion simulations without a large extent of ver- tical flow. Vertical flow, however, plays an important role in the formation of local breezes, such as urban heat island induced breezes that have great significance in the ventilation of large cities. The effects of atmospheric stratification, anelasticity and Coriolis force must be taken into account in such simulations. We introduce a general method for adapting pressure based CFD solvers to atmospheric flow simulations in order to take advantage of their high flexibility in geometrical modelling and meshing. Compressibility and thermal stratification effects are taken into account by utilizing a novel system of transformations of the field variables and by adding consequential source terms to the model equations of incompressible flow. Phenomena involving mesoscale to microscale coupled effects can be analyzed without model nesting, applying only local grid refinement of an arbitrary level. Elements of the method are validated against an analytical solution, results of a reference calculation, and a laboratory scale urban heat island circulation experiment. The new approach can be applied with benefits to several areas of application. Inclusion of the moisture transport phenomena and the surface energy balance are important further steps towards the practical application of the method.     

2008年1月一次强雨雪过程的诊断分析

采用NCEP1°×1°客观再分析资料和常规观测资料,对2008年1月25—29日发生在长江中下游地区的强雨雪过程进行诊断分析,结果表明,低空急流与强雨雪有着密切关系,强雨雪的发生需具备一定的温度条件以及水汽场与动力场的耦合机制。对强雨雪过程的湿Q矢量诊断分析表明,700hPa湿Q矢量辐合区以及850hPa锋生函数正值区与强雨雪区对应较好,对雨雪天气的发生有着很好的指示意义。湿位涡特征分析表明,此次强雨雪过程发生在层结稳定的大气中且垂直涡度发展较强。     

呼和浩特市降水化学特征分析

对2006年呼和浩特市降水离子监测资料进行分析,结果表明:降水呈碱性,季节分布明显,夏季降水集中且pH值为全年最低,冬季降水量少,pH值较高;SO42-离子为主要致酸离子,阳离子中Ca2+,Mg2+离子的浓度很高;降水中主要成分之间相关性显著,Ca2+的中和作用较强;降水气团的后向轨迹分析表明蒙古国的沙漠地区是呼和浩特冬春季碱性降水的主要来源,夏季较低的pH值降水则部分源于我国的华中、华北地区的酸性污染物中长距离输送。     

How effective is the new generation of GPM satellite precipitation in characterizing the rainfall variability over Malaysia?

We investigated the potential of the new generation of satellite precipitation product from the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) to characterize the rainfall in Malaysia. Most satellite precipitation products have limited ability to precisely characterize the high dynamic rainfall variation that occurred at both time and scale in this humid tropical region due to the coarse grid size to meet the physical condition of the smaller land size, sub-continent and islands. Prior to the status quo, an improved satellite precipitation was required to accurately measure the rainfall and its distribution. Subsequently, the newly released of GPM precipitation product at half-hourly and 0.1° resolution served an opportunity to anticipate the aforementioned conflict. Nevertheless, related evidence was not found and therefore, this study made an initiative to fill the gap. A total of 843 rain gauges over east (Borneo) and west Malaysia (Peninsular) were used to evaluate the rainfall the GPM rainfall data. The assessment covered all critical rainy seasons which associated with Asian Monsoon including northeast (Nov. - Feb.), southwest (May - Aug.) and their subsequent inter-monsoon period (Mar. - Apr. & Sep. - Oct.). The ability of GPM to provide quantitative rainfall estimates and qualitative spatial rainfall patterns were analysed. Our results showed that the GPM had good capacity to depict the spatial rainfall patterns in less heterogeneous rainfall patterns (Spearman’s correlation, 0.591 to 0.891) compared to the clustered one (r = 0.368 to 0.721). Rainfall intensity and spatial heterogeneity that is largely driven by seasonal monsoon has significant influence on GPM ability to resolve local rainfall patterns. In quantitative rainfall estimation, large errors can be primarily associated with the rainfall intensity increment. 77% of the error variation can be explained through rainfall intensity particularly the high intensity (> 35 mm d^-1). A strong relationship between GPM rainfall and error was found from heavy (~35 mm d^-1) to violent rain (160 mm d^-1). The output of this study provides reference regarding the performance of GPM data for respective hydrology studies in this region.     

Seasonal change in body length of important small copepods and relationship with environmental factors in Jiaozhou Bay,China

Differences among species in prosome length and in species’ response to environmental factors do exist. Therefore, it is useful to examine prosome length for different copepod species in variable environments. Seasonal variations in prosome length of four small copepods and their copepodite stages in the Jiaozhou Bay were compared and the relative influence of temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll concentration were examined. Two peaks were found in the mean prosome length of Paracalanus parvus (in early winter and May). For Acartia bifilosa, the maximum values of all copepodites occurred mainly from February to April, and decreased to the bottom in July. Prosome length of Acartia pacifica peaked when it first appeared in June, then reached to the minimum in July. Parvocalanus crassirostris only appeared from late summer to autumn and the mean prosome length showed no clear changes. Correlations of adult prosome length with environmental factors were evaluated. For the four species, temperature was negatively correlated to prosome length except for P. crassirostris. But the different species varied markedly in their responds to temperature. A. bifilosa showed a more definite trend of size variation with temperature than P. parvus and A. pacifica. Correlations of prosome length with salinity were significantly positive for almost all the small copepods. The relationship between chlorophyll concentration and prosome length was complicated for these copepods, but for P. parvus, chlorophyll concentration was also an important affecting factor. Furthermore, investigation needs to be done on food quality for some copepod. These results are essential to estimate the biomass and the production, and to understand these small copepods’ population dynamics in this human-affected bay.     

ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES SINCE LATE PLEISTOCENE IN ESTUARINE PLAIN OF JIULONG RIVER, FUJIAN PROVINCE

TheestuarineplainoftheJiulongRiver,whichisthesecondlargestrivernexttotheMinjiangRiverinFujianPrc)vince,intervenesbetweenXi~enandZhangzhoucitiesinthesouthoftheprovince.'I'heplainconsistsofthreeparts:thenorthernplain,thesouthernPlainandZiniIsles.Withsoutllcrn--Subtr<)picoceanicm(>nasexinclimate,itdevelol>saregionalvegetationtypeofeveTgreen13r(Jad--lcav(3dfores[,ofwhicll,however,mosthasbeendestroyedbyhumanbeing.Nowaday-s.shruborgrasslandvegetationcanbeseenonthehillsintheviciTlily'ofthisarea…     

内蒙古维拉斯托锡多金属矿石英脉形态分带定量分析

为探讨维拉斯托锡多金属矿床含锡石英脉形态分带的成矿动力学机制,通过利用分形和混合分布工具对断层脉带和上、下节理脉带进行定量分析。上、下节理脉带在脉厚、钨锡品位分形维数和混合筛分分布方面均具有相似性,暗示了两者可能具有相似的成矿机制。与上、下节理脉带相比,断层脉带的脉厚和钨锡品位分形维数均较小,断层脉带内的聚焦化流动、较低的脉体成核率、脉体叠加生长和矿化叠加富集可能是导致断层脉带的厚脉和富矿比例均高于上、下节理脉带的重要原因。     

Consistent seasonal snow cover depth and duration variability over the Western Himalayas (WH)

Precipitation in solid form, i.e., snow, during winter season over the Western Himalayas (WH) leads to the build-up of seasonal snow cover. Seasonal snow cover build-up (snow cover depth and duration) largely depends on atmospheric variables such as temperature, precipitation, radiation, wind, etc. Integrated (combined) influence of atmospheric variables on seasonal snow cover gets reflected in terms of spatial and temporal variability in seasonal snow cover build-up pattern. Hence spatial and temporal variability of seasonal snow cover build-up can serve as a good indicator of climate change in high altitude mountainous regions like the WH. Consistent seasonal snow cover depth and duration, delay days and early melt days of consistent seasonal snow cover at 11 stations spread across different mountain ranges over the WH were analyzed. Mean, maximum and percentiles (25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th) of consistent seasonal snow cover depth and duration show decline over the WH in the recent past 2–3 decades. Consistent seasonal snow cover is found to melt early and snow cover build-up pattern is found to show changes over the WH. Decline in consistent seasonal snow cover depth, duration and changing snow cover build-up pattern over the WH in recent decades indicate that WH has undergone considerable climate change and winter weather patterns are changing in the WH.