Near-Surface Coherent Structures and The Vertical Momentum Flux in a Large-Eddy Simulation of the Neutrally-Stratified Boundary Layer

The near-surface flow of a well-resolved large-eddy simulation of the neutrally-stratified planetary boundary layer is used to explore the relationships between coherent structures and the vertical momentum flux. The near-surface flow is characterized by transient streaks, which are alternating bands of relatively higher and lower speed flow that form parallel to the mean shear direction in the lower part of the boundary layer. Although individual streaks are transient, the overall flow is in a quasi-equilibrium state in which the streaks form, grow, decay and regenerate over lifetimes on the order of tens of minutes. Coupled with the streaky flow is an overturning circulation with alternating bands of updrafts and downdrafts approximately centered on the streaks. The surface stress is dominated by upward ejections of slower moving near-surface air and downward sweeps of higher speed air from higher in the boundary layer. Conditional sampling of the ejection and sweep events shows that they are compact, coherent structures and are intimately related to the streaks: ejections (sweeps) preferentially form in the updrafts (downdrafts) of the three-dimensional streak flow. Hence, consistent with other recent studies, we propose that the streak motion plays an important role in the maintenance of the surface stress by establishing the preferential conditions for the ejections and sweeps that dominate the surface stress. The velocity fluctuation spectra in the model near the surface have a k ⁻¹ spectral slope over an intermediate range of wavenumbers. This behaviour is consistent with recent theoretical predictions that attempt to evaluate the effects of organized flow, such as near-surface streaks, on the variance spectra.     

Simulation of Time Series of Concentration Fluctuations in Atmospheric Dispersion Using a Correlation-distortion Technique

Short-duration fluctuations in the concentration of airborne substances can be important in a variety of atmospheric dispersion problems, especially when assessing the risks posed by harmful materials. This paper discusses a simulation technique for generating individual realisations of fluctuating concentration time series in dispersing plumes based on target probability distributions and spectral functions. The scheme uses a correlation-distortion approach to simulate these time series. Gaussian processes with modified spectral characteristics are generated and then transformed to yield non-Gaussian processes with the desired spectral characteristics. The simulation scheme is initially developed for a single receptor, and is then extended to model pairs of correlated time series at two receptors. In fact, the modelling technique can be generalised to an arbitrary number of receptors and this provides, in principal, an approach that is applicable to a wide class of similar problems (such as the modelling of instantaneous puff releases or the response of line-of-sight detection systems). The simulation technique is illustrated using observations made during recent field experiments, conducted both in the United Kingdom and in the U.S.A., investigating the short-range dispersion of a passive tracer.     

Vertical Structure of the Urban Boundary Layer over Marseille Under Sea-Breeze Conditions

During the UBL-ESCOMPTE program (June–July 2001), intensive observations were performed in Marseille (France). In particular, a Doppler lidar, located in the north of the city, provided radial velocity measurements on a 6-km radius area in the lowest 3 km of the troposphere. Thus, it is well adapted to document the vertical structure of the atmosphere above complex terrain, notably in Marseille, which is bordered by the Mediterranean sea and framed by numerous massifs. The present study focuses on the last day of the intensive observation period 2 (26 June 2001), which is characterized by a weak synoptic pressure gradient favouring the development of thermal circulations. Under such conditions, a complex stratification of the atmosphere is observed. Three-dimensional numerical simulations, with the Méso-NH atmospheric model including the town energy balance (TEB) urban parameterization, are conducted over south-eastern France. A complete evaluation of the model outputs was already performed at both regional and city scales. Here, the 250-m resolution outputs describing the vertical structure of the atmosphere above the Marseille area are compared to the Doppler lidar data, for which the spatial resolution is comparable. This joint analysis underscores the consistency between the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) observed by the Doppler lidar and that modelled by Méso-NH. The observations and simulations reveal the presence of a shallow sea breeze (SSB) superimposed on a deep sea breeze (DSB) above Marseille during daytime. Because of the step-like shape of the Marseille coastline, the SSB is organized in two branches of different directions, which converge above the city centre. The analysis of the 250-m wind fields shows evidence of the role of the local topography on the local dynamics. Indeed, the topography tends to reinforce the SSB while it weakens the DSB. The ABL is directly affected by the different sea-breeze circulations, while the urban effects appear to be negligible.     

动物牙釉结构碳酸盐碳、氧同位素测试方法的比较

不同学者用磷酸平衡法分析古哺乳动物牙齿化石碳酸羟基磷灰石中结构碳酸盐的碳、氧稳定同位素组成时，预处理方法和实验条件也不尽相同。实测结果表明，预处理条件与磷酸法制备CO2的反应温度和反应时间均可能对分析结果产生影响，需在综合运用机械和化学手段除净外表附着碳酸盐的前提下，将样品充分研磨，并彻底分解其中的有机组分和非结构碳酸盐，再制备CO2。70℃的恒温水浴可以使化学反应和同位素分馏均在短时间内结束，且较为完全、彻底，测得的同位素数据重现性好；而25℃时反应进行较缓，氧同位素测试结果有时可能不理想     

山东兖州东滩矿3#煤层自燃临界氧浓度指标研究

文章采用煤自燃的模拟试验装置,对兖州东滩矿3#煤层煤样在不同的氧浓度条件下(分别为21%、13%、10%、7%和5%)进行了煤样自燃过程的实验研究,分别得到了两煤样的一氧化碳浓度与煤温关系曲线、自燃氧化中氧浓度的变化曲线、不同氧浓度下的热力学特性曲线、煤样CO增率与煤温关系曲线和煤样耗氧速度与煤温关系曲线。经过分析研究得出,不同温度下反应生成的标志气体成分不同,以一氧化碳、乙烯和乙炔作为标志气体比较合适,能准确反映出煤的不同自燃阶段。对数据分析对比研究,得出东滩煤矿3#煤层的自燃临界氧浓度指标为10%。     

Atmospheric Angular Momentum Time-Series: Characterization of their Internal Noise and Creation of a Combined Series

The atmosphere induces variations in Earth rotation. These effects are classically computed using the “angular momentum approach”. In this method, the variations in Earth rotation are estimated from the variations in the atmospheric angular momentum (AAM). Several AAM time-series are available from different meteorological centers. However, the estimation of atmospheric effects on Earth rotation differs when using one atmospheric model or the other. The purpose of this work is to build an objective criterion that justifies the use of one series in particular. Because the atmosphere is not the only cause of Earth rotation variations, this criterion cannot rely only on a comparison of AAM series with geodetic data. Instead, we determine the quality of each series by making an estimation of their noise level, using a generalized formulation of the “three-cornered hat method”. We show the existence of a link between the noise of the AAM series and their correlation with geodetic data: a noisy series is usually less correlated with Earth orientation data. As the quality of the series varies in time, we construct a combined AAM series, using time-dependent weights chosen so that the noise level of the combined series is minimal. To determine the influence of a minimal noise level on the correlation with geodetic data, we compute the correlation between the combined series and Earth orientation data. We note that the combined series is always amongst the best correlated series, which confirms the link established before. The quality criterion, while totally independent of Earth orientation observations, appears to be physically convincing when atmospheric and geodetic data are compared     

Seasonal ecosystem variability in remote mountain lakes: implications for detecting climatic signals in sediment records

Weather variation and climate fluctuations are the main sources of ecosystem variability in remote mountain lakes. Here we describe the main patterns of seasonal variability in the ecosystems of nine lakes in Europe, and discuss the implications for recording climatic features in their sediments. Despite the diversity in latitude and size, the lakes showed a number of common features. They were ice-covered between 5–9 months, and all but one were dimictic. This particular lake was long and shallow, and wind action episodically mixed the water column throughout the ice-free period. All lakes showed characteristic oxygen depletion during the ice-covered-period, which was greater in the most productive lakes. Two types of lakes were distinguished according to the number of production peaks during the ice-free season. Lakes with longer summer stratification tended to have two productive periods: one at the onset of stratification, and the other during the autumn overturn. Lakes with shorter stratification had a single peak during the ice-free period. All lakes presented deep chlorophyll maxima during summer stratification, and subsurface chlorophyll maxima beneath the ice. Phosphorus limitation was common to all lakes, since nitrogen compounds were significantly more abundant than the requirements for the primary production observed. The major chemical components present in the lakes showed a short but extreme dilution during thawing. Certain lake features may favour the recording of particular climatic fluctuations, for instance: lakes with two distinct productive periods, climatic fluctuations in spring or autumn (e.g., through chrysophycean cysts); lakes with higher oxygen consumption, climatic factors affecting the duration of the ice-cover (e.g., through low-oxygen tolerant chironomids); lakes with higher water retention time; changes in atmospheric deposition (e.g., through carbon or pigment burial); lakes with longer stratification, air temperature changes during summer and autumn (e.g., through all epilimnetic species).     

The Effect of Orography on Evaporation

The effect of orography on the spatial variability of surface evaporation is studied numerically for two hill heights and two prescribed forms of surface resistance. A numerical model of the planetary boundary layer carrying scalars of temperature and specific humidity, and with a surface energy balance scheme, is employed. It is found that the difference in mean evaporation between model runs with hills and analogous runs for flat terrain may be explained primarily by an increase in surface area and adiabatic cooling at the hill surface.     

中美大气化学联合考察实验结果的初步分析与比较

根据临安区域本底站观测资料分析结果得出,中国中纬度地区秋、冬季O₃及其前体物NO_x等浓度偏高,可以对农作物和地表生态系统产生影响.观测结果表明:近地层大气O₃浓度主要决定于地面总辐射量控制下的光化学反应过程;O₃的生成受到前体物NO_x的控制,但O₃与NO_x存在着明显的非线性关系.从PEM-WESTA和B的实验及1995年的观测资料表明,O₃的生成效率随着NO_x浓度的增大而减小.尽管O₃的生成速率秋季比冬季的大,但由于秋季较高的NO_x抑制了过氧基的生成,因此冬季O₃的累积量几乎可以和秋季相比拟.在临安观测的NMHC和NO_x的比值比国外同纬度地区测值要大.这说明在临安本底站O₃的光化学生成中,NMHC不是控制物种.从而提示我们,在这些季节临安O₃光化学产物能够被NO_x浓度所控制.中美大气化学联合考察(PEM-WEST-B)实验期间,台湾省的卡盯站SO₂的平均浓度为0.29ppb,O₃的平均浓度为42.2ppb,可以认为此值为低纬度海岛的本底值.1994年PEM-WEST-B实验期间临安站的观测资料和台湾省的卡盯站资料相比,临安站SO₂的浓度约为卡盯站SO₂浓度的50倍左右,从而可以看出人类活动对大气本底的显着影响.     

极冰气候效应的数值试验

利用一个大气环流模式（ＡＧＣＭ）和一个全球耦合海气模式（ＣＯＡＧＣＭ）,模拟了北极海冰边界范围的变化对月平均气候的影响。结果表明,极冰边缘的异常完全可以改变中高纬度某些地区的局地气候。受冷源的影响,北半球中高纬度冷高压加强,低纬度暖高压减弱。同时利用一个全球三维大气环流模式,作了海冰反照率参数化的数值试验,用两种不同的海冰反照率参数化方案,检验对地表面温度、海平面气压、极地表面对太阳辐射吸收的影响。模拟试验表明了冰雪圈反照率的反馈作用,对气候变化的影响十分重要。