The increasing predominance of extreme precipitation in Southwest China since the late 1970s

Extreme precipitation events cause severe environmental and societal damage worldwide. Southwest China (SWC) is sensitive to such effects because of its overpopulation, underdevelopment, and fragile ecosystems. Using daily observations from 108 rain-gauge stations, the authors investigated the frequency of extreme precipitation events and their contribution to total precipitation in SWC since the late 1970s. Results indicate that total precipitation is decreasing insignificantly, but rainfall-events frequency is decreasing significantly, whereas the region is experiencing more frequent and intense extreme precipitation events. Note that although fewer stations are statistically significant, about 60% of the rain-gauge stations show an increasing trend in the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation. Furthermore, there is an increasing trend in the contribution of total extreme precipitation to total precipitation, with extreme precipitation becoming dominant in the increasingly arid SWC region. The results carry important implications for policymakers, who should place greater emphasis on extreme precipitation and associated floods and landslides when drafting water-resource management policies.摘要本文分析了中国西南20世纪70年代末以来极端降水事件的频率, 强度及其对总降水的贡献. 结果表明, 该地区约60%的降水站点极端降水的频率和强度正在增加, 而大多数站点总降水频率明显减少. 同时极端降水总量对总降水量的贡献有显著增加的趋势, 极端降水在日益干旱的中国西南地区变得更具主导性. 研究结果提醒应更加重视极端降水及其可能引发的次生灾害, 如洪水, 山体滑坡等.     

Properties and stability of a meso-scale line-form disturbance

By using the 3D dynamic equations for small- and meso-scale disturbances, an investigation is performed on the heterotropic instability (including symmetric instability and traversal-type instability) of a zonal line-like disturbance moving at any angle with respect to basic flow, arriving at the following results: (1) with linear shear available, the heterotropic instability of the disturbance will occur only when flow shearing happens in the direction of the line-like disturbance movement or in the direction perpendicular to the disturbance movement, with the heterotropic instability showing the instability of the internal inertial gravity wave; (2) in the presence of second-order non-linear shear, the disturbance of the heterotropic instability includes internal inertial gravity and vortex Rossby waves. For the zonal line-form disturbance under study, the vortex Rossby wave has its source in the second-order shear of meridional basic wind speed in the flow and propagates unidirectionally with respect to the meridional basic flow. As a mesoscale heterotropic instable disturbance, the vortex Rossby wave has its origin from the second shear of the flow in the direction perpendicular to the line-form disturbance and is independent of the condition in the direction parallel to the flow; (3) for general zonal line-like disturbances, if the second-order shear happens in the meridional wind speed, i.e., the second shear of the flow in the direction perpendicular to the line-form disturbance, then the heterotropic instability of the disturbance is likely to be the instability of a mixed Rossby–internal inertial gravity wave; (4) the symmetric instability is actually the instability of the internal inertial gravity wave. The second-order shear in the flow represents an instable factor for a symmetric-type disturbance; (5) the instability of a traversal-type disturbance is the instability of the internal inertial gravity wave when the basic flow is constant or only linearly sheared. With a second or nonlinear vertical shear of the basic flow taken into account, the instability of a traversal-type disturbance may be the instability of a mixed vortex Rossby – gravity wave.     

热源强迫的非线性惯性重力内波及其应用

利用动力学分析中的相平面方法,由z坐标系下的非绝热大气运动方程组导出了与非线性惯性重力内波有关的KdV方程,然后利用直接积分法得到两类有天气意义的孤立波解.初步建立了孤立波解与高原低涡的联系,进一步从理论上论证了高原低涡具有与热带气旋类低涡类似的涡眼和暖心结构的特征.     

非线性惯性重力内波的特征及天气意义

对大气非线性惯笥重力内波方程组,利用相平面分析法导出了相应的ＫｄＶ方程。采用直接积分法求出两类有意义的孤立波解,讨论了波解的基本特征,并着重分析了一类奇异孤立波与某些天气系统（如青藏高原５００ｈＰａ低涡）的可能联系。     

Chemical ozone loss in the Arctic vortex in the winter 1995–96: HALOE measurements in conjunction with other observations

Severe chemical ozone loss has been detected in the Arctic in the winter and spring of 1995–96 by a variety of methods. Extreme reductions in column ozone due to halogen catalysed chemistry were derived from measurements of the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) on board the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite in the Arctic vortex. Here, we discuss further aspects of the HALOE observations in the Arctic over this period. Potential problems, both in the data themselves and in the methodology of the data analysis are considered and the reason for the differences between the Arctic ozone losses deduced from HALOE data version 17 and 18 is analysed. Moreover, it is shown that HALOE measurements in the Arctic in winter and spring 1995–96 compare well with observations by other ground-based and satellite instruments.     

Air Quality,Climate, and Policy: A Case Study of Ozone Pollution in Tucson,Arizona

This article addresses the need to better understand the complex interactions between climate, human activities, vegetation responses, and surface ozone so that more informed air-quality policy recommendations can be made. The impacts of intraseasonal climate variations on ozone levels in Tucson, Arizona from April through September of 1995 to 1998 are determined by relating variations in ozone levels to variations in atmospheric conditions and emissions of ozone's precursor chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x), and by determining month-specific atmospheric conditions that are conducive to elevated ozone levels. Results show that the transport of ozone and its precursor chemicals within the Tucson area causes the highest ozone levels to be measured at a downwind monitor. The highest ozone levels occur in August, due in part to the presence of the North American monsoon. Atmospheric conditions conducive to elevated ozone concentrations differ substantially between the arid foresummer (May and June) and the core monsoon months ( July and August). Transport of pollution from Phoenix may have a substantial impact on elevated ozone concentrations during April, May, and June, while El Paso/Ciudad Juarez –derived pollution may contribute significantly to elevated ozone concentrations in August and September. Two broad policy implications derive from this work. Regional pollutant transport, both within the U.S. and between the U.S. and Mexico, is a potential issue that needs to be examined more intensively in future studies. In addition, spatiotemporal variations in sensitivities of ozone production require the adoption of both NO_x and VOC control measures to reduce ozone levels in the Tucson area.     

The interaction of two asymmetric quasi-geostrophic vortex patches

ABSTRACT

Herein we study the general interaction of two vortex patches in a single-layer quasi-geostrophic shallow-water flow. Steadily-rotating equilibrium states are found over a wide parameter space spanning the Rossby deformation length, vortex area ratio, potential vorticity ratio, and gap between their innermost edges. A linear stability analysis is then used to identify the critical gap separating stable and unstable solutions, over the entire range of area and potential vorticity ratios, and for selected values of the Rossby deformation length. A representative set of marginally unstable equilibrium states are then slightly perturbed and evolved by an accurate contour dynamics numerical algorithm to understand the long-term fate of the instabilities. Not all instabilities lead to vortex merger; many in fact are characterised by weak filamentation and a small adjustment of the vortex shapes, without merger. Stronger instabilities lead to material being torn from one vortex and either wrapped around the other or reduced to ever thinning filamentary debris. A portion of the vortex may survive, or it may be completely strained out by the other.     

南海西南次海盆岩石圈结构及其地质意义

南海地区岩石圈资料稀少,阻碍了其形成演化过程的研究.为此,本次研究结合大地热流、空间重力异常、高程、大地水准面和地震数据,在南海西南次海盆反演了两条2.5维岩石圈剖面.本次计算基于三种假设：岩石圈地幔的密度取决于岩石温度;研究区岩石圈处于热稳定状态;研究区处于重力均衡状态.在剖面A-E中,岩石圈底界面从珠江口盆地的105 km迅速抬升到西沙海槽处的50 km,在西沙海槽、西沙-中沙群岛和西南次海盆变化不大,为50~60 km.在剖面F-I中,岩石圈底界面从西沙群岛-中建地块处的88 km向海盆逐渐抬升,在西南次海盆处为46~50 km,到郑和隆起再逐渐变深至64 km.我们比较了西南次海盆岩石圈的冷却模型和热稳定模型,根据冷却模型由水深和热流数据所推断的西南次海盆年龄比实际年龄差很多,说明冷却模型不适用于西南次海盆.通过对比剖面A-E和剖面F-I,说明了剖面A-E经历了更长时间的拉伸,证明南海西南次海盆在形成演化过程中是从北东向南西逐步打开的渐进式扩张.最后,我们综合分析西南次海盆及其大陆边缘的岩石圈结构、减薄陆壳区范围、碳酸盐台地的分布、下地壳韧性流动、流变结构和沉积层特征等多方面资料,认为西南次海盆在形成演化过程中岩石圈地幔首先破裂而地壳后破裂,属于type Ⅱ型非火山型大陆边缘.

     

Statistical model on the surface elevation of waves with breaking

In the surface wind drift layer with constant momentum flux, two sets of the consistent surface eleva- tion expressions with breaking and occurrence conditions for breaking are deduced from the first in- tegrals of the energy and vortex variations and the kinetic and mathematic breaking criterions, then the expression of the surface elevation with wave breaking is established by using the Heaviside function. On the basis of the form of the sea surface elevation with wave breaking and the understanding of small slope sea waves, a triple composite function of real sea waves is presented including the func- tions for the breaking, weak-nonlinear and basic waves. The expression of the triple composite func- tion and the normal distribution of basic waves are the expected theoretical model for surface elevation statistics.     

Syntectonic Mobility of Supergene Nickel Ores of New Caledonia (Southwest Pacific). Evidence from Garnierite Veins and Faulted Regolith

Supergene nickel deposits of New Caledonia that have been formed in the Neogene by weathering of obducted ultramafic rocks are controlled by fracture development. The relationship of tropical weathering and tectonic structures, faults and tension gashes, have been investigated in order to determine whether fractures play a passive role only, as previously thought; or alternatively, if brittle tectonics was acting together with alteration. Observation of time‐relationship, textures, and mineralogy of various fracture fills and fault gouges shows that active faulting has played a prominent role not only in facilitating drainage and providing room for synkinematic crystallization of supergene nickel silicate, but also in mobilizing already formed sparse nickel ore, producing the very high grade ore nicknamed “green gold”.