Soluble organic compounds in fog and cloud droplets: what have we learned over the past few years?

We have recently set up a new procedure for characterising the water soluble organic compounds (WSOC) in fog water, for which information is still rather limited. Fog samples collected during the 1998–1999 fall–winter season in the Po Valley (Italy) were analysed following this procedure, which allows a quantitative determination of three main classes of organic compounds (neutral species, mono- and di-carboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids), together accounting for ca. 85% of the total WSOC. This procedure also provides information on the main chemical characteristics of these three classes of compounds (functional groups, aliphatic vs. aromatic character, etc.). The enhanced chemical knowledge on fog/cloud chemical composition opens new scenarios as far as chemical and microphysical processes in clouds and fogs are concerned.     

Velocity profile of a sand cloud blowing over a gravel surface

Particle dynamic analyzer (PDA) measurement technology was used to study the turbulent characteristics and the variation with height of the mean horizontal (in the downwind direction) and vertical (in the upward direction) particle velocity of a sand cloud blowing over a gravel surface. The results show that the mean horizontal particle velocity of the cloud increases with height, while the mean vertical velocity decreases with height. The variation of the mean horizontal velocity with height is, to some extent, similar to the wind profile that increases logarithmically with height in the turbulent boundary layer. The variation of the mean vertical velocity with height is much more complex than that of the mean horizontal velocity. The increase of the resultant mean velocity with height can be expressed by a modified power function. Particle turbulence in the downwind direction decreases with height, while that in the vertical direction is complex. For fine sands (0.2–0.3 mm and 0.3–0.4 mm), there is a tendency for the particle turbulence to increase with height. In the very near-surface layer (<4 mm), the movement of blown sand particles is very complex due to the rebound of particles on the bed and the interparticle collisions in the air. Wind starts to accelerate particle movement about 4 mm from the surface. The initial rebound on the bed and the interparticle collisions in the air have a profound effect on particle movement below that height, where particle concentration is very high and wind velocity is very low.     

添加剂对聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚浊点的影响

浊点是非离子表面活性剂的一个特性参数，它是非离子表面活性荆溶液由透明变浑浊，和由浑浊变透明的平均温度。聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚是一种非离子表面活性剂，通过实验测定了有机酸、醇、无机盐、聚合物等添加剂对聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚浊点的影响。结果表明，不加任何添加剂时，聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚的浊点为89℃；添加有机酸时，浊点随浓度升高先下降后上升；添加醇时，碳链短的随浓度升高浊点升高，碳链长的随浓度升高而下降；添加无机钠盐时，浊点随浓度升高而下降；添加聚合物时。浊点超过100℃。     

Temporal variations of shear-wave splitting in field and laboratory studies in China

Observations of shear-wave splitting at seismic stations above a swarm of small earthquakes on Hainan Island, China, and other examples world-wide, suggest that the time-delays of split shear-waves monitor the build up of stress before earthquakes and the stress release as earthquakes occur. Rock physics experiments on marble specimens also show variations of shear-wave time-delays with uniaxial pressure analogous to the field observations. The rock experiments show an abrupt decrease in time-delays immediately before fracturing occurs. Similar precursory behaviour has been observed before earthquakes elsewhere, and is believed to be important for two reasons. Precursory changes in shear-wave splitting could be used for short-term forecasting, but of greater importance may be the information such behaviour provides about the source processes in earthquake preparation zones.     

降水云中液水含量的空基遥感

在建立不同降水云垂直结构模式的基础上，利用矢量微波辐射传扬模式进行空基云雨遥感的数值试验。结果表明：星载微波辐射计6．9GHz通道对降水云的冰层很不敏感，而对降水云校总液水含量(LWC)非常敏感；辐射亮温(Tb)随LWC呈单调变化关系；进一步考查这个频率下b的两个极化分量差△Tb(＝Tbv—Tbh)和LWC的关系发现，不同云结构(对流云和层状云)对△Tb-LWC关系影响较小。研究分析表明，6．9GHz的v,h两个通道有可能用于遥感降水云的液水总量。     

“2002.6.30”滇中低涡暴雨的中尺度分析

利用MICAPS常规资料和GMS卫星云图，3830—C多普勒雷达观测资料，对2002年6月30日发生于滇中地区的暴雨天气过程进行诊断和分析，发现暴雨过程由中低层低涡切变造成，暴雨区与垂直速度及涡度所表现的强烈上升区对应，并伴有高能高湿条件；同时卫星云图上有中尺度低涡云团发展。多普勒雷达回波资料分析表明，暴雨过程中出现了明显的中尺度系统，如中尺度辐合线、中尺度气旋、逆风区等，具有典型的对流型特征。     

用相关分析法从红外云图上提取云团平均尺度特征量

用相关分析法从红外云图上提取云团平均尺度这一特征量，考察了云团平均尺度与合地面观测资料所估算的云厚以及实测局地降雨之关系。初步分析表明，所得的云团平均尺度具有明显的天气学意义。     

湖南省2001年夏秋季对流云降水潜力数值模拟结果

应用对流云数值模式模拟了2001年7～9月湖南省三个探空站0000和1200(世界时)462个对流云降水算例.模拟结果表明(1)其中53天的198个算例属于有利人工增雨的天气形势,133个算例的可播度大于零,54个算例的增雨率大于零;(2)7～9月天气形势有利于人工增雨日的算例,对流云平均含水量为575万吨,平均降水效率11.4%;(3)8月降水潜力大于7月,9月降水潜力最小.这表明即使大旱的2001年湖南省夏秋季对流云仍然有一定的增雨潜力.     

2001年7月27日临汾区域性暴雨天气过程分析

本文应用数值预报产品，常规天气图，卫星云图及大气探测等资料，对2001年7月27日临汾区域性暴雨天气过程产生的环流形势，水汽和热力条件及动力机制进行了分析和研究，进一步揭示临汾市暴雨发生的环境流场和物理量场的特征。     

In-situ Formation of Light-Absorbing Organic Matter in Cloud Water

Current climate models seem to underestimate the flux of solar energy absorbed by the global troposphere. All of these models are constrained with the assumption that cloud droplets consist of pure water. Here we demonstrate in a simple laboratory experiment that aromatic hydroxy-acids which are found in continental fine aerosol can react with hydroxyl radicals under typical conditions prevalent in cloud water influenced by biomass burning. The reactions yield colored organic species which do absorb solar radiation. We also suggest that the products of such reactions may be humic-like substances whose presence in continental aerosol has been confirmed but their source mechanisms are still much sought after. We also attempt to give a first order estimate of the enhancement of water absorption at a visible wavelength under atmospheric conditions.