A STUDY ON THE VARIATIONS OF ANNUAL FREQUENCY FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE IN NORTHWEST PACIFIC DURING THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS

In this paper, a study on the variation of annual frequency of tropical cyclone (TC) and its relation with SST, Southern Oscillation index, sunspot relative number and number of days for specific circulation patterns was made by using 1884-1988 data of annual frequency for Northwest Pacific TC occurrence, which had been corrected to tendencies.Preliminary results indicated that in the variation of annual TC frequency there exist obvious p.6riods of 21, 31, 15 and 6 years and sustaining periods lasting 12 years in average.Well-defined processes of inflexion were observed in 1931, 1959 and 1977 over the past hundred years.The results also suggested insignificant statistic tendency of annual TC frequency increasing (decreasing) in winter/spring (summer/autumn )in the El Nino years.When the stratosphere was in the zonally westerly phase, the northern zonal circulation would abnormally develop and solar activity would enhance to favour the generation and development of TC.     

Some Comments on the Magnetic Braking of CP Stars

The low rotation velocities of magnetic CP stars are discussed. Arguments against the involvement of the magnetic field in the loss of angular momentum are given: (1) the fields are not strong enough in young stars in the stage of evolution prior to the main sequence; (2) there is no significant statistical correlation between the magnetic field strength and the rotation period of CP stars; (3) stars with short periods have the highest fields; (4) a substantial number of stars with very low magnetic fields (B _e < 500 G) have rotation speeds that are typical of other CP stars; (5) simulations of the magnetic fields by Leroy and the author show that the orientation of dipoles inside rotating stars, both slow and fast, is consistent with an arbitrary orientation of the dipoles; and, (6) slow rotators with P>25 days, which form 12% of the total, probably lie at the edge of the velocity distribution for low mass stars. All of these properties conflict with the hypothesis of magnetic braking of CP stars.     

Conceptual model about the interaction between El Ni(n)o/ Southern Oscillation and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in far west equatorial Pacific

Interaction between the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in far west equatorial Pacific (QBOWP) and the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is studied using a new conceptual model. In this conceptual model, the QBOWP effects on ENSO are achieved through two ways: (1) the oceanic Kelvin wave along equatorial Pacific, and (2) the Atmospheric Walker Circulation anomaly, while ENSO effects on QBOWP can be accomplished by the atmospheric Walker Circulation anomaly. Diagnosis analysis of the model results shows that the Atmospheric bridge (Walker circulation) plays a more important role in interaction between the ENSO and QBOWP than the oceanic bridge (oceanic Kelvin wave along equatorial Pacific); It is found that by the interaction of the ENSO and QBOWP, a free ENSO oscillation with 3-5 years period could be substituted by a oscillation with the quasi-biennial period, and the dominant period of SST anomaly and wind anomaly in the far west equatorial Pacific tends to be prolonged with enhanced ENSO forcing. Generally, the multi-period variability in the coupled Atmosphere-Ocean System in the Tropical Pacific can be achieved through the interaction between ENSO and QBOWP.     

Deconstructing the best case scenario: lessons from water politics in La Paz-El Alto, Bolivia

For nearly a decade the La Paz-El Alto concession in Bolivia was heralded by donor organizations, the state and the commercial water industry alike as an emblematic ‘pro-poor’ water concession under the private sector model. Managed by one of the largest water multinationals in the world (the French company Suez), the network was extended beyond the new connections required by the original ‘pro-poor’ contract, acclaimed as a pioneer of new pro-poor technologies and frequently disseminated internationally as an example of best practice. This paper analyses the La Paz-El Alto concession’s pro-poor image focusing on issues of social exclusion and network extension, contract negotiation, participation and transparency. It documents the rise of social protest about the concession and critiques the failure of neoliberal regulatory systems to promote accountability to the poor. In the context of the continued transnationalisation of the water industry the paper highlights the need for new mechanisms and delivery models to ensure greater national control over private companies and the development of a framework for international water governance.     

区域气候模式侧边界的处理对东亚夏季风降水模拟的影响

在区域气候模式模拟中,侧边界的作用是引入大尺度强迫场。如何处理好侧边界,即大尺度强迫场和区域气候模式本身之间的关系问题,对于区域气候模式模拟和预报东亚夏季风降水具有重要意义。本文利用美国纽约州立大学Albany分校的区域气候模式（SUNYA-ReCM）,设计了两种不同的侧边界处理方法,来探讨侧边界对东亚夏季风降水模拟的影响。驱动区域模式的大尺度强迫场来自欧洲中期天气预报中心（ECMWF）及热带海洋大气研究计划（TOGA）的分析资料场。试验结果表明:（1）当模式的区域较大时,采用较小的侧边界缓冲区会在缓冲区与模式内部的交界处产生不连续;扩大缓冲区并且考虑不同尺度强迫在垂直方向上的不同作用,可以避免这一缺陷。（2）更重要的是采用后一种方案,即减少了区域气候模式在模拟大尺度环流场方面所起的作用,使得模式更多地依赖侧边界来得到更真实的、对东亚夏季风降水起重大影响的一些气流,如副高、西南季风和南海季风,对东亚夏季风降水无论是在大小上还是在雨带位置的演变上都能进行更好的模拟。     

Connections Between Different Types of El Ni~no and Southern/Northern Oscillation

It has long been acknowledged that there are two types of El Ni(n)o events,i.e.,the eastern Pacific El Ni(n)o (EE) and the central Pacific El Ni(n)o (CE),according to the initial position of the anomalous warm water and its propagation direction.In this paper,the oceanic and atmospheric evolutions and the possible mechanisms of the two types of El Ni(n)o events were examined.It is found that all the El Ni(n)o events,CE or EE,could be attributed to the joint impacts of the eastward advection of warm water from the western Pacific warm pool (WPWP) and the local warming in the equatorial eastern Pacific.Before the occurrence of CE events,WPWP had long been in a state of being anomalous warm,so the strength of eastward advection of warm water was much stronger than that of EE,which played a major role in the formation of CE.While for the EE events,most contribution came from the local warming of the equatorial eastern Pacific.It is further identified that the immediate cause leading to the difference of the two types of El Ni(n)o events was the asynchronous variations of the Southern Oscillation (SO) and the Northern Oscillation (NO) as defined by Chen in 1984.When the transition from the positive phase of the NO (NO+) to NO- was prior to that from SO+ to SO-,there would be eastward propagation of westerly anomalies from the tropical western Pacific induced by NO and hence the growth of warm sea surface temperature anomalies in WPWP and its eastward propagation.This was followed by lagged SO-induced weakening of southeast trade winds and local warming in the equatorial eastern Pacific.These were conducive to the occurrence of the CE.On the contrary,the transition from SO+ to SO- leading the transition of NO would favor the occurrence of EE type events.     

The status of artisanal fishing in El Salvador

El Salvador is one of the most environmentally degraded nations in Latin America, but the declining fishing industry is under-studied compared with deforestation and landuse. This paper examines the reactions to fish stock decline of two generations of fishers in La Union, El Salvador on the Golfo de Fonseca, one of the most important fishing areas in Latin America, using face to face interviews and questionaires. Both older (>35 years) and younger (<36 years) fishers supplemented their income with trading, farming and loans from their relatives in the United States. All older fishers reported larger fish catches five and ten years previously than at present. Previously, fishers caught more fish, but significantly more younger fishers than older fishers reported their fathers caught more fish than they did, indicating an increasing gap in fish catches in recent decades. More younger fishers than older fishers had fathers or male kin who were also fishers, indicating young men were less likely to join fishing without a parent or kin already involved. Minorities of both older and younger fishers engaged in supplementary activities. Environmental degradation disuaded fishers from switching to farming or hunting. The findings are similar to findings elsewhere on the decline of fish resources and generational gaps in environmental knowledge, but differ in that some other studies report fewer opportunities for fishers to access alternative or complementary activities. These findings are relevant to Latin American studies, considering the great value of the Golfo de Fonseca to the livelihoods of Central America.     

El Niño and decadal effects on sea‐level variability in northern New Zealand: A wavelet analysis

Sea‐level data from two sites in northern New Zealand, along with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), are analysed for interannual and decadal variability using wavelets. The analysis shows, using statistically significant wavelet power, there is a significant relationship between mean sea level (MSL) and SOI. However, the relationship is highly variable, both in magnitude and in the range of time‐scales over which it occurs. This non‐stationarity necessitates the use of techniques such as wavelets for analysis. An interdecadal response in MSL around northern New Zealand has been isolated, with shifts occurring in 1950 and the late 1970s. This behaviour in MSL appears to coincide with shifts in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, thought previously to be largely centred in the North Pacific. A strong correlation between SOI and sea surface temperature (SST) is also demonstrated. This relationship appears to be stable in magnitude (a large change in SOI produces a large change in SST) and to occur over the same range of time‐scales. More SST and MSL data are required for other parts of New Zealand to determine whether these findings apply elsewhere.     

Effect of Decadal Changes in Air-Sea Interaction on the Climate Mean State over the Tropical Pacific

Collaboration of interannual variabilities and the climate mean state determines the type of E1 Nifio. Recent studies highlight the impact of a La Nifia-like mean state change, which acts to suppress the convection and low-level convergence over the central Pacific, on the predominance of central Pacific （CP） E1 Nifio in the most recent decade. However, how interannual variabilities affect the climate mean state has been less thoroughly investigated. Using a linear shallow-water model, the ef- fect of decadal changes of air-sea interaction on the two types of El Nifio and the climate mean state over the tropical Pacific is examined. It is demonstrated that the predominance of the eastem Pacific （EP） and CP E1 Nino is dominated mainly by relationships between anomalous wind stresses and sea surface temperature （SST）. Furthermore, changes between air-sea interactions from 1980-98 to 1999-2011 prompted the generation of the La Ninalike pattern, which is similar to the background change in the most recent decade.