Retrieving multi-scale climatic variations from high dimensional time-series MODIS green vegetation cover in a tropical/subtropical mountainous island

【Title】
There are knowledge gaps in our understanding of vegetation responses to multi-scale climate-related variables in tropical/subtropical mountainous islands in the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, this study investigated inter-annual vegetation dynamics and regular/irregular climate patterns in Taiwan. We applied principal component analysis （PCA） on 11 years （2001~2011） of high-dimensional monthly photosynthetically active vegetation cover （PV） derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS） and investigated the relationships between spatiotemporal patterns of the eigenvectors and loadings of each component through time and multi-scale climate-related variations. Results showed that the first five components contributed to 96.4% of the total variance. The first component （PC1, explaining 94.5% of variance） loadings, as expected, were significantly correlated with the temporal dynamics of the PV （r = 0.94）, which was mainly governed by regional climate. The temporal loadings of PC2 and PC3 （0.8% and 0.6% of variance, respectively） were significantly correlated with the temporal dynamics of the PV of forests （r = 0.72） and the farmlands （r = 0.80）, respectively. The low-order components （PC4 and PC5, 0.3% and 0.2% of variance, respectively） were closely related to the occurrence of drought （r = 0.49） and to irregular ENSO associated climate anomalies （r = -0.54）, respectively. Pronounced correlations were also observed between PC5 and the Southern Oscillation Index （SOI） with one to three months of time lags （r = -0.35 ~ -0.43, respectively）, revealing biophysical memory effects on the time-series pattern of the vegetation through ENSO-related rainfall patterns. Our findings reveal that the sensitivity of the ecosystems in this tropical/subtropical mountainous island may not only be regulated by regional climate and human activities but also be susceptible to large-scale climate anomalies which are crucial and comparable to previous large scale analyses. This study demonstrates that PCA can be an effective tool for analyzing seasonal and inter-annual variability of vegetation dynamics across this tropical/subtropical mountainous islandin the Pacific Ocean, which provides an opportunity to forecast the responses and feedbacks of terrestrial environments to future climate scenarios.     

济宁市翟村铁矿小体重值与磁性铁品位的回归分析

利用济宁市翟村铁矿勘查过程中取得的体重测试值与磁性铁品位数据进行了回归分析,得出回归方程为y=2.74+0.026x,经显著性、精度检验并结合实际实践,证明该一元回归方程具有显著性,预测精度较高。可以用该方程预测翟村铁矿区小体重值。     

POSSIBLE INFLUENCE OF FEBRUARY-APRIL ARCTIC OSCILLATION ON THE ITCZ ACTIVITY OF WESTERN-CENTRAL PACIFIC

The daily patterns and activity of Intertropical Convergence Zone(ITCZ) in the Western-Central Pacific Ocean are analyzed using NOAA interpolated Outgoing Longwave Radiation dataset during the period from 1979 to 2008, and the relationships between ITCZ patterns and Arctic Oscillation(AO) is investigated in this paper. In accordance with the central activity region the daily ITCZ can be divided into six patterns—north, south, equator, double, full and weak pattern, respectively. The statistic result shows that the north(accounting for 30.98% of the total observations), south(31.11%) and weak(24.05%) ITCZ patterns are the most active daily patterns within a 30-year period, while the other three ITCZ patterns occur infrequently. Results show that the February-April AO index has a significant positive(negative) correlation with the frequency of the north(weak) ITCZ pattern from March-May to August-October, with the strongest correlation in April-June(March-May). At the same time, the lower tropospheric atmosphere circulation(850-hPa wind field) and SST anomalies corresponding to the AO change significantly in the tropical Pacific. When AO is in the positive phase, there is an anomalous westerly from the equator to 15°N and warmer SST in the critical north ITCZ active region, while there is an anomalous easterly and insignificant change of SST from the equator to 15°S. The wind and SST anomalies share the same characteristics of the equatorial asymmetry and thus enlarge the gradient between the south and north of equator, which would help reinforce convection in the north of equator and result in more frequent occurrence of the northern type of ITCZ.     

参加CMIP5的四个中国气候模式模拟的东亚冬季风年际变率

本文比较了中国参加“国际耦合模式比较计划”（CMIP5）的四个大气环流模式（即FGOALS-g2、FGOALS-s2、BCC-CSM1-1、BNU-ESM大气模式）在观测海温驱动下,对东亚冬季风（EAWM）气候态和年际变率的模拟能力。结果表明,在气候态上,四个模式均合理再现了EAWM高低层环流系统（包括低层西伯利亚高压（SH）、阿留申低压、异常偏北风、和中高层东亚大槽、西风急流）,其中对2 m气温和500 hPa高度场的模拟技巧最高,四个模式模拟的结果与再分析资料的空间相关系数都达到0.99。在年际变率上,分别对东亚北部地区（30°N～60°N,100°E～140°E）和东亚南部地区（0°～30°N,100°E～140°E）的2 m气温进行经验正交函数分解（EOF）,提取变率主导模态。结果表明,在东亚北部地区,四个模式对2 m气温第一模态（简称“北部型”）的空间分布均有很高的模拟技巧,但只有BNU-ESM能够较好再现其对应的年际变率,其模拟的时间序列与观测的相关系数为0.69。四个模式均能模拟出观测中的3.1 a主导周期,但只有FGOALS-s2和BNU-ESM能模拟出观测中的2.5 a主导周期。在东亚南部地区,模式模拟的前两个主模态共同解释观测中第一模态（简称“南部型”）的特征,其中FGOALS-g2、FGOALS-s2和BNU-ESM的综合模拟技巧较高,但只有BNU-ESM成功再现了观测中2.5 a和3.1 a的主导周期。机理分析表明,FGOALS-g2、FGOALS-s2、BNU-ESM三个模式能合理再现菲律宾海反气旋,同时对南部型有较高的模拟能力,而BCC-CSM1-1则未能有效再现菲律宾海反气旋,使得 BCC-CSM1-1对南部型模拟技巧较低。观测和四个模式模拟的结果一致表现出北极涛动（AO）与北部型PC1呈显著相关,影响大于SH。     

长三角盛夏—初秋强降水的延伸期过程预报探析

针对长三角汛期强降水过程,根据不同降水类型的特性,提出分时段建立低频模型并给出建模流程。综合分析长三角汛期强降水期的低频特性,将低频气旋及反气旋区分划分7个关键区。重点研究盛夏—初秋时段的强降水特征,在总结强降水期低频特征的基础上,借助EOF分解建立延伸期大—暴雨的预报模型:1区或2区有低频气旋维持并发展;6区、7区或5区存在低频反气旋。并且在7个关键区中1、2区的低频气旋及5、6、7区的低频反气旋为主要低频系统,起决定作用,而3区的低频系统为次要低频系统,起辅助作用。利用该模型提前30 d预报出2012年汛期最强降水过程,并分析本次过程的低频系统演变,给出动态演变模型。     

The Second Decadal Leading Mode of East Asian Summer Monsoon Rainfall

The first decadal leading mode of East Asian summer rainfall （EASR） is characterized by rainfall anomalies along the East Asian subtropical rain belt. This study focuses on the second decadal leading mode （2DLM）, accounting for 17.3% of rainfall decadal vari- ance, as distinct from the other two neighboring modes of EAMR, based on the state-of-the-art in-situ rainfall data. This mode is characterized by a South-China-wet-Huaihe- River-dry pattern, and is dominated by a quasi-30-yr pe- riod. Further analysis reveals the 2DLM corresponds to an enhanced lower-level monsoon jet, an eastward extension of the western North Pacific subtropical high, and a weakened East Asian upper-level westerly jet flow. The Tibetan Plateau surface temperature and Pacific Decadal Oscillation （PDO） are closely linked with the 2DLM. The regressed SST pattern indicates the PDO-like pattern of sea surface temperature anomalies may have a telecon- nection relationship with the 2DLM of EASR.     

Decadal modes of sea surface salinity and the water cycle in the tropical Pacific Ocean: The anomalous late 1990s

Limitations in sea surface salinity (SSS) observations and timescale separation methods have led to an incomplete picture of the mechanisms of SSS decadal variability in the tropical Pacific Ocean, where the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dominates. Little is known regarding the roles of the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) in the large-scale SSS variability over the tropical basin. A self-organizing map (SOM) clustering analysis is performed on the intrinsic mode function (IMF) maps, which are decomposed from SSS and other hydrological fields by ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), to extract their asymmetric features on decadal timescales over the tropical Pacific. For SSS, an anomalous pattern appeared during 1997 to 2004, a period referred to as the anomalous late 1990s, when strong freshening prevailed in large areas over the southwestern basin and moderate salinization occurred in the western equatorial Pacific. During this period, the precipitation and surface currents were simultaneously subjected to anomalous fluctuations: the precipitation dipole and zonal current divergence along the equator coincided with the SSS increase in the far western equatorial Pacific, while the weak zonal current convergence in the southwestern basin and large-scale southward meridional currents tended to induce SSS decreases there. The dominant decadal modes of SSS and sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Pacific both resemble the NPGO but occur predominantly during the negative and positive NPGO phases, respectively. The similarities between the NPGO and Central Pacific ENSO (CP-ENSO) in their power spectra and associated spatial patterns in the tropics imply their dynamical links; the correspondence between the NPGO-like patterns during negative (positive) phases and the CP La Niña (CP El Niño) patterns for SSS is also discussed.     

Discrete modeling of strain accumulation in granular soils under low amplitude cyclic loading

An advanced understanding of the strain accumulation phenomenon in granular soils subjected to low amplitude cyclic loading with relatively high frequency is needed to enhance the ability to predict the settlement of granular soils induced by vibrations. In the current study, the discrete element method is used to study this phenomenon. A loose and a medium dense sample composed of a relatively large number of spheres are considered. A series of stress controlled cyclic triaxial tests with different excitation amplitudes and frequencies is performed on these samples at different static stress states. The response of these samples at the macroscopic and microscopic scales is analyzed. The sample density, the cyclic stress amplitude and the static stress state importantly affect strain accumulation. However, the cyclic excitation frequency has a small effect on strain accumulation. At the microscopic scale, frictional sliding occurring at a few contacts continuously dissipates energy and the fraction of these contacts varies periodically during cyclic loading. The coordination number of these samples increases slightly as strain accumulates. However, the anisotropy remains almost constant during low amplitude cyclic excitation. A qualitatively good agreement between numerical and experimental results is found.     

Low-pressure evolution of arc magmas in thickened crust: The San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain,Central Andes,Northern Chile

Magmatism at Andean Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ), or Central Andes, is strongly influenced by differentiation and assimilation at high pressures that occurred at lower levels of the thick continental crust. This is typically shown by high light to heavy rare earth element ratios (LREE/HREE) of the erupted lavas at this volcanic zone. Increase of these ratios with time is interpreted as a change to magma evolution in the presence of garnet during evolution of Central Andes. Such geochemical signals could be introduced into the magmas be high-pressure fractionation with garnet on the liquidus and/or assimilation from crustal rocks with a garnet-bearing residue. However, lavas erupted at San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain show no evidence of garnet fractionation in their trace element patterns. This volcanic chain is located in the active volcanic arc, between 22°00^′S and 22°30^′S, over a continental crust ∼70 km thick. Sampled lavas show Sr/Y and Sm/Yb ratios <40 and <4.0, respectively, which is significantly lower than for most other lavas of recent volcanoes in the Central Andes. In addition, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios from San Pedro–Linzor lava flows vary between 0.7063 and 0.7094. This is at the upper range, and even higher than those observed at other recent Central Andean volcanic rocks (<0.708). The area in which the San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain is located is constituted by a felsic, Proterozoic upper crust, and a thin mafic lower crustal section (<25 km). Also, the NW–SE orientation of the volcanic chain is distinctive with respect to the N–S orientation of Central Andean volcanic front in northern Chile. We relate our geochemical observations to shallow crustal evolution of primitive magmas involving a high degree of assimilation of upper continental crust. We emphasize that low pressure AFC- (Assimilation Fractional Crystallization) type evolution of the San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain reflects storage, fractionation, and contamination of mantle-derived magmas at the upper felsic crust (<40 km depth). The ascent of mantle-derived magmas to mid-crustal levels is related with the extensional regime that has existed in this zone of arc-front offset since Late-Miocene age, and the relatively thin portion of mafic lower crust observed below the volcanic chain.     

Earthquake, strong tide and global low temperature

＂La Madre＂ is a kind of upper atmospheric air current, and occurs as ＂warm phase＂ and ＂cold phase＂ in the sky of Pacific Ocean alternately. There exists this phenomenon, called ＂Oscillation Decade in the Pacific＂ （ODP）, for 20 - 30 years. It is concerned with 60 year cycle of the tides. Lunar oscillations explain an intriguing 60-year cycle in the world＇s temperature. Strong tides increase the vertical mixing of water in the oceans, drawing cold ocean water from the depths to surface, where it cools the atmosphere above. The first strong seismic episode in China was from 1897 to 1912; the second to the fifth was the in 1920-1937, 1946-1957, 1966-1980, 1991-2002, tsrectruely. The alternative boundaries of＂La Madre＂ warm phase and cold phase were in 1890, 1924, 1946 and 2000, which were near the boundaries of four strong earthquakes. It indicated the strong earthquakes closedly related with the substances＇ motion of atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere, the change of gravity potential, and the exchange of angular momentum. The strong earthquakes in the ocean bottom can bring the cool waters at the deep ocean up to the ocean surface and make the global climate cold. the earthquake, strong tide and global low temperature are close inrelntion for each othen.