Long term variations in the mesospheric mean flow observed at Grahamstown (South Africa) and Adelaide (Australia)

The seasonal and interannual behaviour of monthly mean winds at a height of 90 km recorded at Grahamstown (33.3°S, 26.5°E) and Adelaide (34.5°S, 138.5°E) between 1987 and 1994 are compared. The zonal wind is found to be consistently stronger at Grahamstown and is always eastward, whereas at Adelaide it sometimes reverses. Maxima tend to occur near the solstices, the primary maximum during summer at Grahamstown, in agreement with satellite results, and during winter at Adelaide. The meridional wind also tends to be stronger at Grahamstown, but at both stations is predominantly northward with a maximum in summer and generally not as strong as the zonal component. This seasonal behaviour is reasonably well understood in terms of the interaction of the mean flow with gravity waves propagating up from below, with coriolis forces also playing an important role in the case of the meridional wind. Satellite observations do not generally support the idea that longitudinal differences between the stations could be attributed to the presence of a tropospheric/stratospheric stationary wave. It is suggested that these differences are more probably associated with local effects. Interannual zonal wind patterns at the two sites are similar over the summer months but are less well correlated during the rest of the year. The underlying causes of this variability are not well understood but are most probably global in nature, at least during the summer.     

Evidence for freeze–thaw events and their implications for rock weathering in northern Canada

Discussions regarding weathering in cold environments generally centre on mechanical processes and on the freeze–thaw mechanism in particular. Despite the almost ubiquitous assumption of freeze–thaw weathering, unequivocal proof of interstitial rock water actually freezing and thawing is singularly lacking. Equally, many studies have used the crossing of 0 °C, or values close to that, as the basis for determining the number of ‘freeze–thaw events’. In order to assess the weathering regime at a site in northern Canada, temperatures were collected at the surface, 1 cm and 3 cm depth for sets of paving bricks, with exposures both vertical and at 45°, orientated to the four cardinal directions. Temperature data were collected at 1 min intervals for 1 year. These data provide unequivocal proof for the occurrence of the freezing and thawing of water on and within the rock (freeze–thaw events). The freeze event is evidenced by the exotherm associated with the release of latent heat as the water actually freezes. This is thought to be the ?rst record of such events from a ?eld situation. More signi?cantly, it was found that the temperature at which freezing occurred varied signi?cantly through the year and that on occasion the 1 cm depth froze prior to the rock surface. The change in freeze temperature is thought to be due to the chemical weathering of the material (coupled with on‐going salt inputs via the melting of snowfall), which, it is shown, could occur throughout the winter despite air temperatures down to ?30 °C. This ?nding regarding chemical weathering is also considered to be highly signi?cant. A number of thermal stress events were also recorded, suggesting that rock weathering in cold regions is a synergistic combination of various chemical and mechanical weathering mechanisms. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一次强风暴的垂直环境特征数值模拟分析

应用MM 5模式对东北冷涡诱发的 2 0 0 2年 7月 1 2日强风暴进行了数值模拟 ,较成功地模拟出中尺度强对流风暴。发现冷涡后部中层干冷空气绝热下沉是东北冷涡 70 0hPa附近干暖盖形成和维持的重要机制 ,而低层暖湿气流爬升及干暖盖的抑制作用是东北冷涡强对流不稳定能量积累的重要机制。风暴发生前持续的低层西南风到中层西北风的风垂直切变产生的差动平流 ,加剧了层结不稳定 ,而风暴临近风垂直切变方向的快速逆转使热成风不平衡 ,必须通过激发垂直环流以适应其变化 ,对风暴发展有重要作用。     

长江中下游旱涝中期预报方法及其业务应用

介绍了双层多因子综合相似的长江中下游旱涝中期预报模型。该模型引入了具有明确动力学和热力学意义的地转西风动量经向输送和经向温度梯度诊断量，同时强调了西太平洋副热带高压对长江中下游夏季降水的关键作用，并考虑了对流层中、低层500hPa高度和850hPa温度的大尺度环流背景场。与过去业务应用的单层相似预报模型相比较，不仅物理意义和天气学含义明确，而且更符合对具有复杂动力和热力机制的降水预报的考虑。5年的预报试验和业务应用结果表明，该方法对长江中下游地区旱涝的中期趋势预报有较好的预报能力。     

2003 - 08 - 24 咸阳市大暴雨过程分析

利用高空、地面天气图、红外云图、多普勒雷达图等资料对临汾市2004年6月16日局地降雹的天气背景、形势演变、层结稳定度、云图和雷达回波等变化特征进行了综合分析，结合以往冰雹预报经验对新一代雷达的探测能力进行了初步检验。分析发现，这次降雹过程属典型的西北冷涡影响型，此类型降雹相对于西北气流型和西风槽型降雹具有其自身特征；从多普勒速度图上，可分析出降雹过程中飑线前后较明显的中尺度天气系统。     

一次强暴雨形成的动力机制

分析了1998年7月武汉强暴雨的天气演变特征，并从理论上探讨了强暴雨形成的动力机制。结果表明：低空急流先于暴雨生成，暴雨最强时低空急流也最强；高空急流入口区右侧及低空急流左侧非热成风梯度的存在，使得中尺度不稳定波的波振幅出现空间不稳定现象，高空急流右侧不稳定波的波振幅和低空急流左侧不稳定波的波振幅向暴雨区增加，暴雨区恰为这两支波叠加后振幅最大的区域，高低空急流耦合下的非热成风、中尺度对流-对称不稳定可能是这类强暴雨产生的动力原因之一。     

Effects of temperature and humidity upon the transport of sedimentary particles by wind

Wind tunnel simulations of aeolian transport carried out over a range in mean temperature between 32 °C and ?9 °C suggest that cold airflows support higher mass transport rates (Q) than very warm air. The magnitude of this increase is larger than expected, so that analytical and semi‐empirical models underestimate Q. Extrapolation of the results suggests that, at ?40 °C, as for example in the dry valleys of Antarctica in winter, Q may be as much as 70% higher than for the equivalent wind speed in hot deserts at air temperatures of 40 °C. Temperature‐dependent changes in air density and turbulence contribute to this result. The decreased tension of water adsorbed onto particle surfaces at low temperatures is postulated to reduce interparticle cohesion and, thus, to increase the elasticity of particle impacts on cold beds. Definition of the roles that temperature and humidity play in aeolian transport is relevant to studies of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and extraterrestrial (or planetary) geology. Investigation of present‐day, cold climate features and of climate change effects also requires knowledge of these fundamental relations.     

Meteorological Office, Pune-411 005

Natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, tropicalcyclones, heat and cold wavewreak havoc and cause tremendous loss ofproperty all over the world. Most ofthe natural disasters are either dueto weather or are triggered due toweather related processes.Extreme weather events claimed thousands oflives and caused damage on vastscale. Recent super cyclone which affectedOrissa in 1999, Bangladesh cyclone of1970 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 areexamples of some of the more damagingtropical cyclones which affected developingas well as the developed world. Heatand cold waves are also extreme events,which cause enormous losses in terms oflives lost and human discomfort and ailmentsarising out of them. The heat waveof 1995 and 1998 are still fresh in the mindof the Indian public. The estimated lossof human lives due to heat wave in 1998 was morethan 15,000. Economic losses asa result of these disasters and in particular inassociation with tropical cyclones haveincreased enormously over the last three decades.During 1961–1991, total loss oflives from drought alone was 1,333,728 overthe whole world. In terms of economiclosses, there is 8–10 fold increase from thebase figure of 1960. The socio-economicimpact of natural disaster is complex dependingupon the vulnerability of the placeand mitigation strategies that are put in place.Meteorology plays a crucial role in forewarningpeople about the severe/extremeweather systems and a constant endeavour by themeteorological services worldover has gone a long way towards minimizing thelosses caused by natural disasters.The paper summarises the natural disasterstatistics over south Asia and the possibleprediction strategies for combating theirsocio-economic impacts.     

利用遥感综合分析西风引导气流与地形对沙尘运移路径的影响

沙尘暴的发生受大气环流、地表状况、降雨的影响，还受到局部地区地形的影响。一次规模较大的沙尘暴过程，沙尘可以从蒙古国和我国西部沙源地输送到我国东部、韩国、日本乃至夏威夷、美国西海岸。中日亚洲沙尘暴ADEC项目对亚洲沙尘暴的起沙、传输和降落的运行机制已经作了深入的研究，并建立了亚洲沙尘暴的数值模拟系统。本文以影响北京地区的沙尘暴事件为例，利用遥感技术，综合DEM地形数据和地面实测数据分析西风引导气流和地形对沙尘运移路径影响，将MODIs影像数据和DEM地形数据以及地面观测站点实测数据相结合，进行综合分析，结果表明在一次沙尘暴过程中，沙尘在运移过程中的运移路径明显地受到西风引导气流、沙尘粒子自然沉降规律以及局部地形的影响，要预防(减少)北京地区的沙尘暴仅仅作好北京地区的生态环境建设是不够的，加强北京周边地区，尤其是张家口地区、官厅水库库区及库区周围地区的生态环境建设尤为重要。     

自动风向转换程序设计思路

由于OSSMO 2004版地面测报业务软件中抄录报表风向不太方便，故长治县气象局自行设计了自动风向角度和方位的转换程序。本程序用OBJECT PASCAL语言编写，在DELPHI中实现，采用Microsoft．Jet．OLEDB．4．0数据库引擎及ADO的方式操作数据库。