The June 2013 Alberta Catastrophic Flooding Event: Part 1—Climatological aspects and hydrometeorological features

In June 2013, excessive rainfall associated with an intense weather system triggered severe flooding in southern Alberta, which became the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history. This article provides an overview of the climatological aspects and large‐scale hydrometeorological features associated with the flooding event based upon information from a variety of sources, including satellite data, upper air soundings, surface observations and operational model analyses. The results show that multiple factors combined to create this unusually severe event. The event was characterized by a slow‐moving upper level low pressure system west of Alberta, blocked by an upper level ridge, while an associated well‐organized surface low pressure system kept southern Alberta, especially the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, in continuous precipitation for up to two days. Results from air parcel trajectory analysis show that a significant amount of the moisture originated from the central Great Plains, transported into Alberta by a southeasterly low level jet. The event was first dominated by significant thunderstorm activity, and then evolved into continuous precipitation supported by the synoptic‐scale low pressure system. Both the thunderstorm activity and upslope winds associated with the low pressure system produced large rainfall amounts. A comparison with previous similar events occurring in the same region suggests that the synoptic‐scale features associated with the 2013 rainfall event were not particularly intense; however, its storm environment was the most convectively unstable. The system also exhibited a relatively high freezing level, which resulted in rain, rather than snow, mainly falling over the still snow‐covered mountainous areas. Melting associated with this rain‐on‐snow scenario likely contributed to downstream flooding. Furthermore, above‐normal snowfall in the preceding spring helped to maintain snow in the high‐elevation areas, which facilitated the rain‐on‐snow event. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relating hydrogeomorphic properties to stream buffering chemistry in the Neversink River watershed,New York State,USA

Monitoring the effects of acidic deposition on aquatic ecosystems in the Northeastern US has generally required regular measurements of stream buffering chemistry (i.e. acid‐neutralizing capacity (ANC) and calcium Ca²⁺), which can be expensive and time consuming. The goal of this paper was to develop a simple method for predicting baseflow buffering chemistry based on the hydrogeomorphic properties of ten nested watersheds in the Neversink River basin (2·0–176·0 km²), an acid‐sensitive basin in the Catskill Mountains, New York State. The tributaries and main reach watersheds have strongly contrasting mean baseflow ANC values and Ca²⁺ concentrations, despite rather homogeneous vegetation, bedrock geology, and soils. A stepwise regression was applied to relate 13 hydrogeomorphic properties to the mean baseflow ANC values and Ca²⁺ concentrations. The regression analysis showed that watersheds with lower ANC values had a higher mean ratio of ‘quickflow’ runoff to precipitation during 20 non‐snowmelt runoff events (referred to as mean runoff ratio). The mean runoff ratio could explain at least 80% of the variability in mean baseflow ANC values and Ca²⁺ concentrations among the ten watersheds. Greater mean runoff ratios also correlated with steeper slopes and greater drainage densities, thus allowing the prediction of baseflow ANC values (r² = 0·75) and Ca²⁺ concentrations (r² = 0·77) with widely available spatial data alone. These results indicate that hydrogeomorphic properties can predict a watershed's sensitivity to acid deposition in regions where the spatial sources of stream buffering chemistry from the bedrock mineralogy and soils are fairly uniform. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Study of the Characteristics of the Low-Frequency Circulation over the Tibetan Plateau and its Association with Precipitation in the Yangtze River Valley in 1998

The propagation characteristics of the atmospheric low frequency (LF, 30--60 days) oscillation (LFO) around the Tibetan Plateau from troposphere to stratosphere and its relationship with the floods over the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the summer of 1998 are studied, based on the GAME dataset from Meteorological Research Institute (MRI)/Japan Meteorological Agency, the TRMM satellite rainfall and the 730-station precipitation over China. The results show that the zonal propagation direction of LFOs in horizontal winds varies with seasons in the troposphere during May to August in 1998. The eastward propagation of LFOs is remarkable before the start of the rainy season in the Tibetan Plateau and the eastern Asian continent, while the westward propagation is significant after the start date. The northward LFOs from the south side of the plateau and the southward LFOs from the north are both significant before and after the start date. The plateau is a LFO sink in the meridional and zonal directions, but the west part of it is an intensifying area for the continual westward LFOs only after the start of the rainy season. Besides, the strongest LFOs occur at the tropopause (100 hPa) and rapidly decay after entering the stratosphere. The rainfall over the mid-low reaches of Yangtze River in the summer of 1998 exhibits two LFO cycles. According to the phases of the two rainfall LFO cycles, the composite analysesof precipitation distribution, LF circulations at 500 and 100 hPa,and LF vertical motion along 30°N are performed. It is the joint effect of the mid-upper tropospheric strong 30--60-day filtered cyclone (anticyclone) over the eastern plateau and the LFO anticyclone (cyclone) over the west subtropical Pacific that induces the whole layer LF descending (ascending) motion over the mid-lower reaches of Yangtze River, which provides the favorable condition for the break (maintenance) of precipitation.     

Use of mixed bivariate distributions for deriving inter‐station correlation coefficients of rain rate

Even though rain rate is notorious for its spatial and temporal intermittency, its effect on the second‐order statistics of rain rate, especially the inter‐station correlation coefficients, has not been intensively evaluated before. This study has derived and compared the inter‐station correlation coefficient of rain rate for three cases of data: (1) only the positive measurements at both locations; (2) the positive measurements at either one or both locations; (3) all the measurements including zero measurement at both locations. For these three cases, the inter‐station correlation coefficients are analytically derived by applying the mixed bivariate log‐normal distribution. As an application example, the model parameters are estimated using the rain rate data collected at the Geum River basin, Korea, and the resulting inter‐station correlation coefficients are evaluated and compared with those estimated by applying the Gaussian distribution. We could find that highly biased inter‐station correlation coefficients are unavoidable when simply estimating them under the assumption of Gaussian distribution, or even when using the log‐transformed rain rate data. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial variability in precipitation within the Hilton Experimental Site,Shropshire, UK (1982–2006)

Accurate precipitation measurements are essential for many hydrological and hydrogeological management strategies. Precipitation at the Hilton Experimental Site has been regularly measured since 1982. This paper summarises 157 rain gauge years of precipitation data, recorded between 1982 and 2006, using 11 rain gauges on the 0·5 hectare site. Precipitation varied markedly within the site. Precipitation totals were notably different between two adjacent rain gauges, the mean difference being 0·3% of the total. Variations in mean annual precipitation within the site were ?8%. Spatial variations in wind turbulence appeared to be the main factor influencing intra‐site variability. Precipitation totals varied with gauge exposure, with surface level gauges receiving ?5·9% more precipitation than standard rain gauges, the difference being less lower down the slope. On a steep (～15° ) slope, basal sections had 2·5–7·9% more precipitation. Upper gauges received less, probably due to turbulence as increased exposure on the top of the slope resulted in precipitation being carried over the gauge orifice. Results confirm that due attention must be given to the inherent variability of precipitation amounts when calculating precipitation inputs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new temperature based method to separate rain and snow

This paper presents the development and testing of a new method to estimate daily snowfall from precipitation and associated temperature records. The new method requires two variables; the threshold mean daily air temperature at which 50% of precipitation is considered snow, and the temperature range within which mixed precipitation can occur. Sensitivity analyses using 15 climate stations across south‐western Alberta, Canada, and ranging from prairie to alpine regions investigates the sensitivity of those two variables on mean annual snowfall (MAS), the coefficient of determination, and the MAS‐weighted coefficient of determination. Existing methods, including the static threshold method, one linear transition method used by Quick and Pipes, and the Leavesley method employed in the PRMS hydrological modelling system are compared with the new method, using a total of 963 years of daily data from the 15 climate stations used for the sensitivity analyses. Four different approaches to using the two input variables (threshold temperature and range) were tested and statistically compared: mean annual variables based on the 15 stations, mean annual variables for each station, mean monthly variables for each station, and a sine curve representing seasonal variation of the variables. In almost all cases the proposed new method resulted in higher MAS‐weighted coefficients of determination, and, on average, they were significantly different from those of other methods. The paper concludes with a decision tree to help decide which method and approach to apply under a variety of data availabilities. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of differential throughfall drop size distributions beneath European beech and Norway spruce

Forest canopies present irregular surfaces that alter both the quantity and spatiotemporal variability of precipitation inputs. The drop size distribution (DSD) of rainfall varies with rainfall event characteristics and is altered substantially by the forest stand properties. Yet, the influence of two major European tree species, European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst), on throughfall DSD is largely unknown. In order to assess the impact of these two species with differing canopy structures on throughfall DSD, two optical disdrometers, one above and one below the canopy of each European beech and Norway spruce, measured DSD of both incident rainfall and throughfall over 2 months at a 10‐s resolution. Fractions of different throughfall categories were analysed for single‐precipitation events of different intensities. While penetrating the canopies, clear shifts in drop size and temporal distributions of incoming rainfall were observed. Beech and spruce, however, had different DSD, behaved differently in their effect on diameter volume percentiles as well as width of drop spectrum. The maximum drop sizes under beech were higher than under spruce. The mean ± standard deviation of the median volume drops size (D50) over all rain events was 2.7 ± 0.28 mm for beech and 0.80 ± 0.04 mm for spruce, respectively. In general, there was a high‐DSD variability within events indicating varying amounts of the different throughfall fractions. These findings help to better understand the effects of different tree species on rainfall partitioning processes and small‐scale variations in subcanopy rainfall inputs, thereby demonstrating the need for further research in high‐resolution spatial and temporal properties of rainfall and throughfall.     

海口市人工催化热带对流云增雨降温的数值模拟

利用中国科学院大气物理研究所发展的具有火箭人工增雨催化功能的三维云分档数值模式(IAP2HBM),对2004年7月8日海南岛海口市区的一次热带对流云火箭人工增雨降温作业过程的宏、微观物理演变过程和人工增雨降温作业效果进行数值模拟。结果显示,人工催化播撒AgI后地面降水增加、地面气温下降的区域扩大、维持时间延长。催化导致云水含水量降低,雨水、冰晶、霰、雪含量增加,云中雨水的大量蒸发和冰晶、霰和冰雹粒子融化造成空气温度降低。     

秸秆加筋粉土的冻胀特性研究

粉土在中国分布广泛,工程中大量涉及,常表现为冻胀敏感性,在冻土地区工程建设中需重点考虑其冻胀特性。为减少粉土冻胀对工程的影响,基于环保的理念,以防腐处理后的麦秸秆作为加筋材料,将其切断后随机掺入粉土中;并对粉土和秸秆加筋粉土试样分别进行了开敞系统下的一维冻胀试验,重点研究了秸秆掺量和长度对粉土冻胀特性的影响。结果表明：秸秆加筋对粉土的冻胀有明显的抑制作用,少量的掺加（0.2%、0.4%）可将接近强冻胀的粉土改良为弱冻胀或不冻胀;在其他条件相同的情况下,试验范围内粉土的冻胀率随秸秆掺量的增加而线性增大,但总体远小于未改良土;秸秆掺量一定时,存在最优秸秆长度,在该长度下,秸秆加筋粉土的冻胀变形量和冻胀率均最小。     

扩张式随钻扩孔器扩孔机构流场分析与优化

随钻扩孔是大洋钻探跟管钻进工艺的关键技术环节,扩张式随钻扩孔器通过压差控制刀翼的张开和闭拢,扩孔率大,可有效实现套管跟管钻进。设计了悬臂式扩孔器,采用偏置式喷射孔布置对刀翼进行冲刷,运用计算流体力学理论,采用标准k-湍流模型,对喷射孔在不同角度和直径下的流场进行模拟分析。模拟结果表明：作用于扩孔刀翼切削齿的流体速度和动压力受喷射孔角度、直径和环空钻井液综合影响;随着喷射孔角度α从40°递增至90°,作用于切削齿的流体速度呈类余弦曲线变化;随着喷射孔直径d从4 mm增大到10 mm,作用于切削齿的流体速度和动压力呈抛物线型变化;综合考虑冲刷效果、加工性能和喷射流体与环空钻井液的相互作用,优选α=70°、d=8 mm。陆地试验和浅海试验证明,扩张式随钻扩孔器结构功能可行,扩孔尺寸满足套管正常跟管钻进需求,优选的喷射孔角度和直径可对刀翼形成良好冲刷,有效防止泥包产生。研究成果可为大洋钻探不同规格的随钻扩孔器设计提供参考依据。