Improving the estimate of wind energy input into the Ekman layer within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Based on the data and method offered by Liu et al. (2009), the direct wind and Stokes drift-induced energy inputs into the Ekman layer within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) area are reestimated since the results of the former have been proved to be underestimated. And the result shows that the total rate of energy input into the Ekman-Stokes layer within the ACC area is 852.41 GW, including 649.75 GW of direct wind energy input (76%) and 202.66 GW of Stoke drift-induced energy input (24%). Total increased energy input, due to wave-induced Coriolis-Stokes forcing added to the classical Ekman model, is 52.05 GW, accounting for 6.5% of the wind energy input into the classical Ekman layer. The long-term variability of direct wind and Stokes drift-induced energy inputs into the Ekman layer within the ACC is also investigated, and the result shows that the Stokes drift hinders the decadal increasing trend of direct wind energy input. Meanwhile, there is a period of 4-5 a in the energy spectrums, as same as the Antarctic circumpolar wave.     

Fast and slow responses of the North Pacific mode water and Subtropical Countercurrent to global warming

Six coupled general circulation models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) are employed for examining the full evolution of the North Pacific mode water and Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) under global warming over 400 years following the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5. The mode water and STCC first show a sharp weakening trend when the radiative forcing increases, but then reverse to a slow strengthening trend of smaller magnitude after the radiative forcing is stablized. As the radiative forcing increases during the 21st century, the ocean warming is surface-intensified and decreases with depth, strengthening the upper ocean’s stratification and becoming unfavorable for the mode water formation. Moving southward in the subtropical gyre, the shrinking mode water decelerates the STCC to the south. After the radiative forcing is stabilized in the 2070s, the subsequent warming is greater at the subsurface than at the sea surface, destabilizing the upper ocean and becoming favorable for the mode water formation. As a result, the mode water and STCC recover gradually after the radiative forcing is stabilized.     

Nonlocal period parameters of frequency content characterization for near-fault ground motions

This paper focuses on the frequency property analysis of near-fault ground motions with and without distinct pulses, separately from the Chi-Chi and Northridge earthquakes. Ten scalar period parameters of ground motions, especially several nonlocal period parameters, are considered. Two new nonlocal parameters, namely the mean period of Hilbert marginal spectrum (T_mh) and the improved characteristic period (T_gi), are suggested. Moreover, comprehensive comparison and analysis indicate that T_mh, T_gi and T_avg (average spectral period) can distinguish the low-frequency components of near-fault ground motions; T_m (mean period of Fourier amplitude spectrum) and T_o (smoothed spectral predominant period) represent the moderate- and high-frequency components, respectively. The variance coefficient of predominant instantaneous frequency of Hilbert spectrum (H_cov) can be regarded as an alternative index to measure the non-stationary degree of near-fault ground motions. Finally, the velocity pulses and earthquake magnitude remarkably affect the frequency parameters of near-fault ground motions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Precipitation cycles in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River （1736-2000）

Based on the long-term precipitation series with annual time resolution in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and its four sub-regions during 1736-2000 reconstructed from the rainfall and snowfall archives of the Qing Dynasty, the precipitation cycles are analyzed by wavelet analysis and the possible climate forcings, which drive the precipitation changes, are explored. The results show that： the precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River has inter-annual and inter-decadal oscillations like 2-4a, quasi-22a and 70-80a. The 2-4a cycle is linked with El Nino events, and the precipitation is lower than normal year in the occurrence of the El Nino year or the next year; for the quasi-22a and the 70-80a cycles, Wolf Sun Spot Numbers and Pacific Decadal Oscillation （PDO） coincide with the two cycle signals. However, on a 70-80a time scale, the coincidence between solar activity and precipitation is identified before 1830, and strong （weak） solar activity is generally correlated to the dry （wet） periods; after 1830, the solar activity changes to 80-100a quasi-century long oscillation, and the adjusting action to the precipitation is becoming weaker and weaker; the coincidence between PDO and precipitation is shown in the whole time series. Moreover, in recent 100 years, PDO is becoming a pace-maker of the precipitation on the 70-80a time scale.     

Precipitation cycles in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River (1736?2000)

Based on the long-term precipitation series with annual time resolution in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and its four sub-regions during 1736?2000 recon-structed from the rainfall and snowfall archives of the Qing Dynasty, the precipitation cycles are analyzed by wavelet analysis and the possible climate forcings, which drive the precipita-tion changes, are explored. The results show that: the precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River has inter-annual and inter-decadal oscillations like 2?4a, quasi-22a and 70?80a. The 2?4a cycle is linked with El Ni?o events, and the precipitation is lower than normal year in the occurrence of the El Ni?o year or the next year; for the quasi-22a and the 70?80a cycles, Wolf Sun Spot Numbers and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) coincide with the two cycle signals. However, on a 70?80a time scale, the coincidence between solar activity and precipitation is identified before 1830, and strong (weak) solar activity is generally correlated to the dry (wet) periods; after 1830, the solar activity changes to 80?100a quasi-century long oscillation, and the adjusting action to the precipitation is be-coming weaker and weaker; the coincidence between PDO and precipitation is shown in the whole time series. Moreover, in recent 100 years, PDO is becoming a pace-maker of the precipitation on the 70?80a time scale.     

Sedimentary evolution of the Late Eocene Vernet lacustrine system (South-Central Pyrenees). Tectono-climatic control in an alluvial-lacustrine piggyback basin

A complete third-order tectono-sedimentary cycle filled the Vernet lacustrine piggyback basin during the late Eocene. The depositional sequence can be subdivided into five units or systems tracts with distinct architectural frameworks, which developed a progressive unconformity. Sedimentary infilling of the piggyback basin began with retrogradational alluvial fans and fluvio-alluvial deposits being deposited, arranged in two thinning- and fining-upward cycles during the uplifting and emplacement of the southernmost Pyrenean thrusts, and with three thickening- and coarsening-upward progradational floodplain and lacustrine cycles, during the quiescence of the southernmost thrusts, at the same time as the emplacement of several northernmost thrusts of the southern Pyrenees. The facies associations identified represent different depositional environments in a sheetflow-dominated system, including playa-lake deposits, floodplain deposits, sheetflow fluvial deposits and sheet deltas in ephemeral to shallow lacustrine settings. Fourth and fifth order arid/semi-arid climatic cycles can be recognized, driven either by orbital obliquity and precessional forcing (Milankovitch cyclicity), insolation cycles or possibly subprecessional autogenic mechanisms related to the emplacement of northern thrusts and the consequent changes in the drainage basin. Arid periods are recorded by sheetflood fluvial, ephemeral lacustrine or terminal splay deposits, with abundant medium-to-coarse-grained sandstone packages in red-to-grey mudstones, a product of unconfined or low-confined sheetflows or hyperconcentrated flows, with bedload and suspended load, during flood episodes, at times of lake lowstand. Semi-arid periods are recorded as relative highstand lacustrine deposits, including grey-to-white mudstones deposited in prodelta environments and fine-grained sheet sandstone units sedimented in a delta front (with minor channels and extensive sheet lobes) and prodelta environments in shallow lakes, from sheetflood events.     

甲烷浓度变化的有效辐射强迫及其对气候的影响

利用国家气候中心大气环流模式BCC_AGCM2.0,结合IPCC 第五次评估报告给出的最新有效辐射强迫的概念,模拟了自工业革命以来由于人类活动造成的甲烷浓度增加引起的有效辐射强迫及其气候效应。得出如下结论：甲烷浓度增加造成的有效辐射强迫的全球平均值为0.49 W/m²;导致全球平均地表温度上升0.31 ℃,升温主要分布在南北半球中高纬度地区;全球平均降水量增加0.02 mm/d,赤道辐合带降水中心有向北移动的趋势;地表水汽通量的变化使高纬度地区云量增加（约4%）,而中低纬度地区云量减小（约-3%）。     

Coupling mechanisms in double sandbar systems. Part 2: impact on alongshore variability of inner‐bar rip channels

Double sandbar systems are common morphological features along sandy, wave‐dominated, micro‐ to meso‐tidal coastlines. In the companion paper, we demonstrated how various alongshore inner‐bar rip‐channel patterns can develop through morphological coupling to an alongshore‐variable outer bar. The simulated coupling patterns are, however, scarcely observed in the field. Instead, inner‐bar rip channels more often possess remarkably smaller and more variable alongshore length scales, suggesting that coupling mechanisms do not play a substantial role in the overall double‐sandbar dynamics. Here we use a numerical model to show that the relative importance of self‐organization and morphological coupling changes in favour of the latter with an increase in waterdepth variability along the outer‐bar crest. Furthermore, we find that the typical alongshore variability in inner‐bar rip‐channel scale is indicative of a mixture of self‐organization and morphological coupling rather than self‐organization alone. Morphological coupling may thus be more important to understanding and predicting the evolution of inner‐bar rip channels than previously envisaged. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.     

地震作用下大型地下洞室群位移特征的若干影响因素分析

利用三角级数叠加法,考虑到基岩场地的深度衰减效应,生成了大型地下洞室群非平稳人工地震动加速度时程。然后利用动力时程分析法,对大渡河某水电站大型地下洞室群进行了非线性地震动力响应分析,研究在不同频谱人工地震波作用下地应力特征、峰值加速度和频谱对大型地下洞室群位移特征的影响。分析结果表明,地下洞室群相对位移随着侧压力系数和峰值加速度的增加而略有增加,不同频谱的地震波有着截然不同的位移特征。研究成果对高地震烈度区地下洞室群抗震稳定性分析具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Wind-driven diversion of summer river runoff preconditions the Laptev Sea coastal polynya hydrography: Evidence from summer-to-winter hydrographic records of 2007–2009

This paper examines the role of atmospheric forcing in modifying the pathways of riverine water on the Laptev Sea shelf, using summer-to-winter hydrographic surveys from 2007 to 2009. Over the two consecutive winter seasons of 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 in the area of the winter coastal polynya, our data clearly link winter surface salinity fields to the previous summer conditions, with substantially different winter salinity patterns preconditioned by summer atmospheric forcing. In the summer of 2007, dominant along-shore westerly winds in the cyclonic regime force the Lena River runoff to flow eastward. In contrast, in the summer of 2008, dominant along-shore easterly winds over the East Siberian Sea and on-shore northerly winds over the Laptev Sea in the anticyclonic regime lock the riverine water in the vicinity of the Lena Delta. Over the coastal polynya area in the southeastern Laptev Sea these patterns precondition a surface salinity difference of 8–16 psu between the winters of 2008 and 2009. Overall, this indicates a residence time of at least half a year for riverine water on the Laptev Sea shelf. Future climate change associated with an enhanced summer cyclonicity over the eastern Arctic may turn more riverine water eastward along the eastern Siberian coast, resulting in weaker vertical density stratification over the Laptev Sea shelf, with possible impact on the efficiency of vertical mixing and polynya dense water production.