Surface circulation downstream of the Point Arena upwelling center

Measurements from recently installed 5 MHz high-frequency radar (CODAR) stations south of Point Arena, California, are used to describe surface current patterns during the upwelling season (June-August 2007). The systems provide hourly current maps on a 5-km grid, covering a region from approximately 10 to 150 km offshore (the continental shelf into the deep ocean). These HF-radar observations provide an unprecedented view of circulation in this “coastal transition zone”, between the wind-driven circulation over the shelf and the California Current circulation offshore. Circulation patterns include: (1) bifurcation of the coastal upwelling jet downstream of Point Arena into an along-shelf (down-coast) branch and an offshore branch, and (2) a large-scale anticyclonic meander that often develops into an eddy-like recirculation south of the bifurcation. The “recirculation” feature extends well offshore, with surface currents 50-100 km from the coast consistently opposing the wind stress. The spatial and temporal evolution of the surface current features during upwelling events affects surface transport from Point Arena to areas in the south, increasing the travel time of a substantial fraction of newly upwelled water from a few days to roughly two weeks. Thus, surface currents even far offshore influence coastal transport of nutrients, phytoplankton and larvae on ecologically relevant timescales, with resultant connectivity patterns very different than implied by a simple examination of the mean flow.     

Influence of Mesoscale Eddies on Variations of the Kuroshio Path South of Japan

The influences of mesoscale eddies on variations of the Kuroshio path south of Japan have been investigated using time series of the Kuroshio axis location and altimeter-derived sea surface height maps for a period of seven years from 1993 to 1999, when the Kuroshio followed its non-large meander path. It was found that both the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies may interact with the Kuroshio and trigger short-term meanders of the Kuroshio path, although not all eddies that approached or collided with the Kuroshio formed meanders. An anticyclonic eddy that revolves clockwise in a region south of Shikoku and Cape Shionomisaki with a period of about 5–6 months was found to propagate westward along about 30°N and collide with the Kuroshio in the east of Kyushu or south of Shikoku. This collision sometimes triggers meanders which propagate over the whole region south of Japan. The eddy was advected downstream, generating a meander on the downstream side to the east of Cape Shionomisaki. After the eddy passed Cape Shionomisaki, it detached from the Kuroshio and started to move westward again. Sometimes the eddy merges with other anticyclonic eddies traveling from the east. Coalescence of cyclonic eddies, which are also generated in the Kuroshio Extension region and propagate westward in the Kuroshio recirculation region south of Japan, into the Kuroshio in the east of Kyushu, also triggers meanders which mainly propagate only in a region west of Cape Shionomisaki. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characteristics of convection and overshooting in RGB and AGB stars

Based on the turbulent convection model (TCM) of Li & Yang, we have studied the characteristics of turbulent convection in the envelopes of 2 and 5M⊙ stars at the red giant branch and asymptotic giant branch phases. The TCM has been successfully applied over the entire convective envelopes, including the convective unstable zone and the overshooting regions. We find that the convective motions become progressively stronger when the stellar models are located farther up along the Hayashi line. In the convect...     

上地幔Os同位素组成的演化

Re-Os同位素体系为研究地幔的成分-结构-演化提供了新的地球化学示踪和定年的工具.上地幔Os同位素组成演化的球粒陨石模型是Re-Os体系用于地幔物质定年的基础, 尤其在采用Re亏损模式年龄和Os同位素代理等时线年龄时.综合了铁陨石和各类球粒陨石、地幔橄榄岩包体和蛇绿岩豆荚状铬铁矿的Re-Os同位素体系研究的近期成果, 为认识对流上地幔Os同位素组成的演化提供了制约.对河北遵化蛇绿岩豆荚状铬铁矿岩的研究, 获得新太古代(2.5 Ga)时形成豆荚状铬铁矿的对流上地幔的187Os/188Os=0.110 2, 与球粒陨石型模式的一致.文献中常用的球粒陨石模式的参数如下: 地球形成时(4.558 Ga)初始值187Os/186Os为0.095 31, 现代值分别采用碳质球粒陨石的187Os/186Os比值为0.127 0和原始上地幔(PUM)的187Os/186Os比值为0.129 6, PUM与普通球粒陨石和顽火球粒陨石的187Os/186Os比值接近.      

非对称型强飓风中的准平衡流特征分析Ⅱ:波动结构

利用非对称波分量分解和小波分析的方法,对准平衡动力模型下非对称强飓风内中尺度波动的空间结构和时间序列特征进行分析.结果表明,平衡流场中1波扰动占主要地位且具有涡旋Rossby波的典型结构特征,准平衡流各波数下扰动的空间分布反映了中尺度波动的混合性质;模式大气和准平衡垂直运动的全局功率谱中,超过信度检验的强波动信号中不仅包含分别表征重力波和涡旋Rossby波的高频和低频波动信号,还存在表征具有物理性质不可分特性的混合涡旋Rossby-重力波的中频波动.混合波的出现建立了不同频段波动之间的能量交换通道,其信号的变化对飓风系统的强弱变化具有一定的指示作用.非平衡垂直运动的波动强信号则主要集中在高频和低频区域,反映了在飓风强度变化情况下,与高频重力波有关的快波调整过程所引起的垂直扰动的振荡和传播.强垂直风切变对飓风内中尺度波动的切向和径向传播具有重要影响,当环境垂直风切变很强时,准平衡1波扰动在径向和切向方向上均呈"驻波"形态,随着环境垂直风切变的减弱,1波扰动以混合波波速逆基本气流传播.     

The generation of phytoplankton patchiness by mesoscale current patterns

 Elken et al. (1994) suggested that phytoplankton patchiness can be generated by mesoscale eddies in light-limited, nutrient-replete environments. This hypothesis is explored using two ecological models of different physical complexity. The model results support the idea that the coupling of mesoscale eddy circulation and phytoplankton growth leads to differential growth rates and thus generates variability in phytoplankton distributions. The specific circulation of a cyclonic eddy isolates a phytoplankton population in its core. Due to the reduced vertical mixing, a higher growth rate is supported in the core, and phytoplankton concentrations increase compared to the surrounding environment. A one-dimensional model is used to explore the hypothesis in general and to perform sensitivity studies. A more realistic simulation uses a coupled three- dimensional model for the western Baltic Sea. Starting from vertically and horizontally homogeneous distributions for nutrients and plankton, the models generate patchiness due to the proposed mechanism. The described mechanism may apply for other mesoscale variable environments during light-limited growth periods as well, e.g., the frontal region of the Southern Ocean. Received: 31 March 2001 / Accepted: 31 August 2001     

Impact of Doppler Radar Wind in Simulating the Intensity and Propagation of Rainbands Associated with Mesoscale Convective Complexes Using MM5-3DVAR System

Pre-monsoon rainfall around Kolkata (northeastern part of India) is mostly of convective origin as 80% of the seasonal rainfall is produced by Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS). Accurate prediction of the intensity and structure of these convective cloud clusters becomes challenging, mostly because the convective clouds within these clusters are short lived and the inaccuracy in the models initial state to represent the mesoscale details of the true atmospheric state. Besides the role in observing the internal structure of the precipitating systems, Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) provides an important data source for mesoscale and microscale weather analysis and forecasting. An attempt has been made to initialize the storm-scale numerical model using retrieved wind fields from single Doppler radar. In the present study, Doppler wind velocities from the Kolkata Doppler weather radar are assimilated into a mesoscale model, MM5 model using the three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system for the prediction of intense convective events that occurred during 0600 UTC on 5 May and 0000 UTC on 7 May, 2005. In order to evaluate the impact of the DWR wind data in simulating these severe storms, three experiments were carried out. The results show that assimilation of Doppler radar wind data has a positive impact on the prediction of intensity, organization and propagation of rain bands associated with these mesoscale convective systems. The assimilation system has to be modified further to incorporate the radar reflectivity data so that simulation of the microphysical and thermodynamic structure of these convective storms can be improved.     

热带对流活动及其与ENSO关系的非线性特征

用非线性主成分分析方法和NCAR／NCEP长波辐射资料（OLR）,研究了热带对流异常及其与ENSO的关系。结果表明热带对流活动在时空上呈现出明显的非线性特征,它是热带对流活动对ENSO的非线性响应;热带对流异常的强度在E1 Nino时期比在La Nina时期强,且异常的中心位置偏东,表现出明显的时空上的不对称性。     

A Diagnostic and Numerical Study on a Rainstorm in South China Induced by a Northward-Propagating Tropical System

A strong cyclonic wind perturbation generated in the northern South China Sea （SCS） moved northward quickly and developed into a mesoscale vortex in southwest Guangdong Province, and then merged with a southward-moving shear line from mid latitudes in the period of 21-22 May 2006, during which three strong mesoscale convective systems （MCSs） formed and brought about torrential rain or even cloudburst in South China. With the 1° ×1° NCEP （National Centers for Environment Prediction） reanalysis data and the Weather and Research Forecast （WRF） mesoscale model, a numerical simulation, a potential vorticity inversion analysis, and some sensitivity experiments are carried out to reveal the formation mechanism of this rainfall event. In the meantime, conventional observations, satellite images, and the WRF model outputs are also utilized to perform a preliminary dynamic and thermodynamic diagnostic analysis of the rainstorm systems. It is found that the torrential rain occurred in favorable synoptic conditions such as warm and moist environment, low lifting condensation level, and high convective instability. The moisture transport by strong southerly winds associated with the rapid northward advance of the cyclonic wind perturbation over the northern SCS provided the warm and moist condition for the formation of the excessive rain. Under the dynamic steering of a southwesterly flow ahead of a north trough and that on the southwest side of the West Pacific subtropical high, the mesoscale vortex （or the cyclonic wind perturbation）, after its genesis, moved northward and brought about enormous rain in most parts of Guangdong Province through providing certain lifting forcing for the triggering of mesoscale convection. During the development of the mesoscale vortex, heavy rainfall was to a certain extent enhanced by the mesoscale topography of the Yunwu Mountain in Guangdong. The effect of the Yunwu Mountain is found to vary under different prevailing wind directions and intensities. The location o     

一次对流降水过程增雨催化时机的模拟分析和雷达识别

为加深对对流云增雨催化机制的理解,避免催化指标的随意性,通过三维积云数值模拟和雷达加密探测资料分析相结合的方法,对发生在湖北省西北部多山地区的一次对流降水过程进行了增雨催化时机的分析和识别.首先运用三维积云模式,通过催化模拟敏感试验,得出对流云增雨催化存在时间窗,最佳的催化时机应该为对流云发展的早期,催化后关键是增加雨和冰晶冻结后碰并霰增长这一冰相微物理过程的产量.根据模式分析结果,结合雷达观测资料分析,发现对流回波在生成及发展上表现出一些规律性,可以作为通过雷达观测识别增雨催化的时机和潜力区域的指标.