An Asymmetric Spatiotemporal Connection between the Euro-Atlantic Blocking within the NAO Life Cycle and European Climates

This paper examines an asymmetric spatiotemporal connection and climatic impact between the winter atmospheric blocking activity in the Euro-Atlantic sector and the life cycle of the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) during the period 1950–2012. Results show that, for positive NAO(NAO+) events, the instantaneous blocking(IB) frequency exhibits an enhancement along the southwest–northeast(SW–NE) direction from the eastern Atlantic to northeastern Europe(SW–NE pattern, hereafter), which is particularly evident during the NAO+decaying stage. By contrast, for negative NAO(NAO-)events, the IB frequency exhibits a spatially asymmetric southeast–northwest(SE–NW) distribution from central Europe to the North Atlantic and Greenland(SE–NW pattern, hereafter). Moreover, for NAO-(NAO+) events, the most marked decrease(increase) in the surface air temperature(SAT) in winter over northern Europe is in the decaying stage. For NAO+events, the dominant positive temperature and precipitation anomalies exhibit the SW–NE-oriented distribution from western to northeastern Europe, which is parallel to the NAO+-related blocking frequency distribution. For NAO-events, the dominant negative temperature anomaly is in northern and central Europe, whereas the dominant positive precipitation anomaly is distributed over southern Europe along the SW–NE direction. In addition, the downward infrared radiation controlled by the NAO's circulation plays a crucial role in the SAT anomaly distribution. It is further shown that the NAO's phase can act as an asymmetric impact on the European climate through producing this asymmetric spatiotemporal connection with the Euro-Atlantic IB frequency.     

ENSO Frequency Asymmetry and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in Observations and 19 CMIP5 Models

Using observational data and the pre-industrial simulations of 19 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5(CMIP5), the El Ni o(EN) and La Ni a(LN) events in positive and negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO) phases are examined. In the observational data, with EN(LN) events the positive(negative) SST anomaly in the equatorial eastern Pacific is much stronger in positive(negative) PDO phases than in negative(positive) phases. Meanwhile,the models cannot reasonably reproduce this difference. Besides, the modulation of ENSO frequency asymmetry by the PDO is explored. Results show that, in the observational data, EN is 300% more(58% less) frequent than LN in positive(negative)PDO phases, which is significant at the 99% confidence level using the Monte Carlo test. Most of the CMIP5 models exhibit results that are consistent with the observational data.     

Asymmetric distribution of convection in tropical cyclones over the western North Pacific Ocean

Forecasts of the intensity and quantitative precipitation of tropical cyclones(TCs) are generally inaccurate, because the strength and structure of a TC show a complicated spatiotemporal pattern and are affected by various factors. Among these, asymmetric convection plays an important role. This study investigates the asymmetric distribution of convection in TCs over the western North Pacific during the period 2005–2012, based on data obtained from the Feng Yun 2(FY2)geostationary satellite. The asymmetric distributions of the incidence, intensity and morphology of convections are analyzed.Results show that the PDFs of the convection occurrence curve to the azimuth are sinusoidal. The rear-left quadrant relative to TC motion shows the highest occurrence rate of convection, while the front-right quadrant has the lowest. In terms of intensity, weak convections are favored in the front-left of a TC at large distances, whereas strong convections are more likely to appear to the rear-right of a TC within a 300 km range. More than 70% of all MCSs examined here are elongated systems, and meso-β enlongated convective systems(MβECSs) are the most dominant type observed in the outer region of a TC. Smaller MCSs tend to be more concentrated near the center of a TC. While semi-circular MCSs [MβCCSs, MCCs(mesoscale convective complexes)] show a high incidence rate to the rear of a TC, elongated MCSs [MβECSs, PECSs(persistent elongated convective systems)] are more likely to appear in the rear-right quadrant of a TC within a range of 400 km.     

洮河水系流域地貌特征及其构造指示意义

通过数字高程模型(DEM)的空间分析技术,系统提取研究区洮河水系流域盆地典型的河流地貌参数,并利用活动造山带地区发育的基岩河道纵向剖面形态等典型参数,分析洮河水系流域盆地地貌发育不对称性特征及洮河在岷县流向的急剧转变成因。研究表明洮河上游南岸水系较北岸水系形状指数高、流域面积大、水系发育更成熟,下游东岸河流河长较短、流域面积小、形状指数低于西岸,西岸水系更发育,且上游流域要比下游河道平缓,水系的相对落差更低,发育更成熟,表明上游河道形成时间早于下游河道。临潭—宕昌断裂带的逆冲隆升作用是造成洮河上、下游水系形态差异的主要原因。岷县东侧山脉的快速隆起致使古洮河被截断,之后被东北侧河流溯源侵蚀,切穿西秦岭北缘构造带,进行河流袭夺,从而形成了现今的洮河。最后探讨了对青藏高原东北端晚新生代以来的构造响应。     

North-south distribution of solar flares during cycle 23

In this paper, we investigate the spatial distribution of solar flares in the northern and southern hemispheres of the Sun that occurred during the period 1996 to 2003. This period of investigation includes the ascending phase, the maximum and part of the descending phase of solar cycle 23. It is revealed that the flare activity during this cycle is low compared to the previous solar cycle, indicating the violation of Gnevyshev-Ohl rule. The distribution of flares with respect to heliographic latitudes shows a significant asymmetry between northern and southern hemisphere which is maximum during the minimum phase of the solar cycle. The present study indicates that the activity dominates the northern hemisphere in general during the rising phase of the cycle (1997–2000). The dominance of northern hemisphere shifted towards the southern hemisphere after the solar maximum in 2000 and remained there in the successive years. Although the annual variations in the asymmetry time series during cycle 23 are quite different from cycle 22, they are comparable to cycle 21.     

A Boussinesq-type wave driver for a morphodynamical model to predict short-term morphology

The prediction of near-shore morphology on the time scale of a storm event and the length scale of a few surf zone widths is an active area of research. Intense wave breaking drives offshore-directed currents (undertow) carrying sediment seawards, resulting in offshore bar migration. In contrast, higher order nonlinear properties, such as wave asymmetry (velocity skewness) and velocity asymmetry, are drivers for shoreward transport. These wave processes are included in phase-resolving models such as Boussinesq-type wave models (e.g., TRITON). Short-wave averaging in the wave model yields wave-induced forces (e.g., radiation stress gradients) and a wave asymmetry term. The wave-induced forces are used in a hydrostatic model (e.g., Delft3D flow module) to drive the current and undertow, resulting in a 3D velocity profile. The wave model and hydrostatic model are coupled online with a morphodynamic model (e.g., Delft3D morphology module). The latter computes, based on the 3D flow profile and the wave asymmetry term, the sediment transport and performs the bathymetry updates. The updates are transferred directly back to the hydrodynamic models. The coupling of the wave model TRITON and the Delft3D modules is validated by comparing against extensive laboratory data sets (LIP and Boers) and a field case (Duck94), and show a good performance for the hydrodynamics and a reasonable/fair performance for the bar movements.     

ENSO循环的非对称性及其机制初步探讨

利用SODA(Simple Ocean Data Assimilation)资料,以Nino3.4区SSTA(sea surface temperature anomaly)指数为标准,选取典型El Nio和La Nia事件进行合成分析,观察ENSO的非对称性。通过分析ENSO事件发生过程中温跃层深度异常和斜压能量转化率的变化,研究其对ENSO循环非对称性的影响。由于与ENSO相关的海洋异常信号在南、北太平洋的传播主要是以Rossby波的形式,Rossby波可以通过不稳定机制获得能量成长和传播,斜压能量转化率越强,携带ENSO相关海洋异常信号的Rossby波就可能获得更多的能量成长,这种信号传播至赤道区域可以更快地导致ENSO事件的爆发。研究表明,在El Nio事件达到顶峰时,北太平洋ENSO相关的Rossby波传播区斜压不稳定能量很强(可使Rossby波增幅)、温跃层加深(可使Rossby波加速),有利于El Nio相关的暖信号传出,这很好地解释了El Nio事件总是比La Nia事件振幅大以及El Nio事件向La Nia事件转化比La Nia事件向El Nio事件转化快很多的现象。因...     

长江河口涨落潮不对称性动力成因分析

长江河口存在着涨落潮流速和历时的不对称现象.本应用长江河口三维数值模式,数值试验定量给出了不同径流量、潮汐和水深下南北支、南北港和南北槽涨潮落潮平均流速和历时,通过横断面涨潮落潮通量必须满足质量守恒观点从动力机制上给出了涨潮落潮流速和历时不对称的成因.     

Evolution of wave shape over a low-crested structure

This paper investigates the evolution of wave shape over a low-crested structure (LCS) using a 2-D RANS-VOF model. The model predictions of surface elevation and wave skewness and asymmetry are in good agreement with the recent measurements collected in a small scale wave channel at the University of Cantabria (UCA). The empirical formulae relating wave skewness and asymmetry to local Ursell number by Peng et al. (2009) have been extended to include the effect of wave reflection and the ramp in front of LCS and a wider range of Ursell number in the present study. In the presence of LCS, wave skewness decreases slightly above the seaward slope, then increases rapidly up to a maximum value above the structure crest, and decreases drastically above the leeward slope. Wave asymmetry decreases sharply above the seaward slope to a negative minimum value at the structure crest, and then increases rapidly to a positive value above the leeward slope. Our bispectral analysis indicates that sum interactions increase skewness and decrease asymmetry while difference interactions have opposite effects and that the former dominate above the seaward slope and on the structure crest but the latter dominate above the leeward slope of LCS. The observed wave shape evolution over a LCS can be attributed to the changes in the interplay of sum and difference interactions. We found that incident wave height and wave period, relative structure freeboard, structure crest width and structure porosity are the controlling factors for wave shape evolution over LCS. This study provides new insights on the role of wave skewness and asymmetry in the breakwaters stability and sediment transport around the structure and on the beaches behind it.     

On the predictive skill of morphodynamic models for onshore sandbar migration

A simplified process-based approach for evaluating onshore sandbar migration is presented in this study. This approach takes wave-averaged parameters as input and computes sediment transport processes using a reconstructed intra-wave orbital velocity signal. The proposed method guarantees good predictive skills for multiple onshore sandbar migration cases without an ad hoc calibration for each scenario. The study differs from previous onshore sandbar migration models, where calibration and testing are performed on just one or few events, and model assessment for uncalibrated realizations is rarely carried out. The present version of the model only addresses onshore sandbar migrations. For the onshore migration cases analyzed, the model has better predictive skills than state-of-the-art morphodynamic models (XBeach and Unibest-TC).