Development of the Automatic Seeing Monitor for the Site Testing of Dome A

The Antarctic site-testing campaigns have shown that Dome C is an excellent astronomical site on the earth, it is better than any of existing mid-latitude astronomical sites in the world, because of its cold and dry weather, low infrared background radiation, continuously observable time as long as 3–4 months, clear and highly transparent atmosphere, low wind speed, and the absence of dust and light pollution. And in the international astronomical community it is generally believed that Dome A with a higher altitude may be better than Dome C as a potential excellent astronomical site. In the past 3 years, although held by the Center for Antarctic Astronomy of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the site testing at Dome A has preliminarily con?rmed the many advantages of Dome A as an excellent astronomical site, but the data about the atmospheric seeing, which is an important parameter for assessing the site quality for optical observations, have not been obtained until now. Hence, on the basis of a commercial telescope with the diameter of 35 cm, we have made the hardware reformation and software development to have it operate as a DIMM (Differential Image Motion Monitor), which can simultaneously monitor both the seeing and isoplanatic angle at Dome A automatically. At present this instrument has been shipped to Antarctica by the “Xuelong” exploration ship, and will be installed at Dome A, and begin to work in early 2011. Before the shipment, by through the comparative measurements together with an existing seeing monitor at the Xinglong astronomical station, the software, hardware, as well as the installation and adjustment of the instrument, are further veri?ed by testing.     

南海上层海洋热含量的年际和年代际变化

分析了1959—1988年南海表面至100m垂直平均温度（TAV）资料，结果表明：南海上层海洋热含量存在明显的准两年、4—5年和年代际振动。在E1Nino年，南海上层热含量显著增加。50年代末至70年代初，南海TAV为负距平，此后转为正距平。南海TAV的变化与ENSO事件、东亚冬季风和热带大气环流的变异密切相关。     

茂名地区海雾含水量的演变特征及其与大气水平能见度的关系

2008年3月16—19日,在广东茂名博贺海洋气象科学试验基地,利用美国DMT公司生产的FM-100型雾滴谱仪,连续观测了海雾的雾滴谱、数浓度等微物理量。在此基础上分析了海雾液态含水量的演变特征,并结合同期的气象观测与分析数据,进行了海雾中低能见度成因的天气学分析。研究表明,海雾发展过程中含水量有着上下起伏变化的特点;直径10μm以上雾滴的增多是含水量增大的主要原因;随着含水量的增大,雾滴谱分布有向大雾滴方向增宽的趋势,其峰值高度也不断增大。在相同的含水量区间,不同的大气能见度样本表现出明显不同的谱分布特征;在相同高数浓度区间的情况下,导致大气能见度降低的主要原因是含水量的增大。而海雾过程中低能见度的出现,是众多天气因素共同影响的结果:地面天气图上的均压场范围更大,大气低空及地面风速小,大气低层处于弱不稳定状态,以及高湿度层主要在近地层等等。     

北太平洋副热带模态水盐度的年代际变化

副热带模态水(Subtropical Mode Water;STMW)在气候变化中起着重要作用。本文利用全球高分辨率数值模拟结果,研究了北太平洋STMW核心层盐度(Core Layer Salinity;CLS)的年代际变化及其物理机制。结果表明,CLS存在显著的年代际变化,其空间分布则与背景流场分布特征有关。侵蚀区CLS滞后生成区CLS约1~2年,这主要是海流平流输运引起的。生成区内,STMW的季节循环一般可分为生成期(12-4月)、隔离期(5-6月)和侵蚀期(7-11月),生成期混合层盐度(Mixed Layer Salinity;MLS)决定着隔离期和侵蚀期的CLS,而MLS年代际变化则主要由同太平洋年代际涛动存在负相关性的海表面淡水通量的变化引起。     

Fish trapping experiments in Northern New Zealand waters

Fish trapping experiments were carried out during 1973–75 along the north‐east coast of the North Island. The most effective trap type was the Z‐trap. Two sizes of Z‐trap were tested. Better results were obtained with the larger ones, which had an overall mean catch rate of 8.4 fish/trap day. The catch rate varied widely between areas, bottom types, and seasons. Best results were obtained in summer in depths greater than 20 m.     

中国东部夏季降水年际变化与同期东海潜热通量的关系

利用1985~2008年OAflux3、NCEP＼NCAR再分析资料与中国大陆东部108个站点的降水资料,应用回归和合成方法,分析了中国东部夏季降水的年际变化与同期东海及邻近海域潜热通量变异的关系。结果表明:东海及邻近海域(以下称东海)夏季潜热通量年际变化显著的区域位于东海区域,为与同期中国东部降水密切相关的关键区域。当东海的潜热通量偏高(低)时,中国东部长江以南地区上空盛行偏东北(西南)风异常,这将不(有)利于水汽由南向北的输送,从而可能使到达长江中下游流域及以北地区的水汽偏少(多);并且,长江中、下游流域为下沉(上升)气流和低层水汽辐散(辐合)正异常,对应降水偏少(偏多);华南地区为上升(下沉)气流和低层水汽辐合(辐散)正异常,对应降水偏多(偏少)。分析结果还表明,东海的潜热通量可通过影响东亚大气环流而成为引起中国东部夏季汛期降水年际异常的重要原因之一。     

Using stable isotopes to understand seasonal and interannual dynamics in moisture sources and atmospheric circulation in precipitation

Stable isotopes in precipitation are useful tracers to strengthen understanding of climate change and hydrological processes. In this study, the moisture sources of 190 precipitation events in Beijing were analysed using the Hybrid Single‐particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model, based on which we studied the relation between variations in precipitation δ¹⁸O and dynamics in moisture sources and atmospheric circulation in seasonal and interannual timescales. Categorization of 7 groups of moisture sources was performed, among which oceanic moisture sources presented lower δ¹⁸O in precipitation than continental moisture sources. The results show that seasonal variations of precipitation δ¹⁸O were caused by changes of moisture sources. In summer, moisture from proximal oceans dominated vapour transport to Beijing due to increasing monsoon strength and resulted in a relatively small variation of precipitation δ¹⁸O. At the interannual timescale, the variations of δ¹⁸O in summer precipitation were related to dynamics in oceanic moistures, showing depleted values when the contribution of oceanic moistures, especially the proportion of long‐distance oceanic moisture, was high. Further analysis indicated that changes of oceanic moisture sources were controlled by the strength of summer monsoons. These findings address the complexity of moisture sources in midlatitude monsoon areas and suggest that isotopic signals in precipitation have the potential to deduce changes in moisture sources and atmospheric circulation and can therefore serve for palaeoclimate reconstruction.     

新元古代重大地质事件及其与生物演化的耦合关系

新元古代的地球表层系统经历了超大陆裂解与重组、大规模冰期、古海洋氧化、埃迪卡拉生物群辐射与灭绝、后生动物兴起等一系列重大变革,这些地质事件与生物演化在时空上的耦合关系长期受多学科交叉研究领域的广泛关注。Rodinia超大陆的裂解伴随有超级地幔柱活动、古地磁真极移等复杂响应,裂解过程影响了大气圈和水圈中氧气和二氧化碳的循环,并可能直接导致了新元古代极端的气候条件。构造格局的变动对生物的影响主要体现在物质来源和生存环境的改变上,强上升洋流和强地表径流区域的富营养化促使生物大量繁盛。“雪球地球”期间巨大的选择压力为生物的多样化演变提供了可能,而其后冰川的快速消融则促进了生产力的爆发式增长及多种沉积矿产的形成。与此同时,大气-海洋氧气含量的增加和海水化学结构的改变使得多项元素及同位素指标发生了地质历史上最大幅度的波动,这种特殊的地质背景可能最终对生物演化产生了极为深刻的影响。