Modulation of the Aleutian–Icelandic Low Seesaw and Its Surface Impacts by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation

Early studies suggested that the Aleutian–Icelandic low seesaw(AIS) features multidecadal variation. In this study, the multidecadal modulation of the AIS and associated surface climate by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation(AMO) during late winter(February–March) is explored with observational data. It is shown that, in the cold phase of the AMO(AMO|-),a clear AIS is established, while this is not the case in the warm phase of the AMO(AMO|+). The surface climate over Eurasia is significantly influenced by the AMO's modulation of the Aleutian low(AL). For example, the weak AL in AMO|-displays warmer surface temperatures over the entire Far East and along the Russian Arctic coast and into Northern Europe,but only over the Russian Far East in AMO|+. Similarly, precipitation decreases over central Europe with the weak AL in AMO|-, but decreases over northern Europe and increases over southern Europe in AMO|+.The mechanism underlying the influence of AMO|-on the AIS can be described as follows: AMO|-weakens the upward component of the Eliassen–Palm flux along the polar waveguide by reducing atmospheric blocking occurrence over the Euro–Atlantic sector, and hence drives an enhanced stratospheric polar vortex. With the intensified polar night jet, the wave trains originating over the central North Pacific can propagate horizontally through North America and extend into the North Atlantic, favoring an eastward-extended Pacific–North America–Atlantic pattern, and resulting in a significant AIS at the surface during late winter.     

平流层爆发性增温期间行星波的活动

利用逐日的NCEP再分析资料分析了1978～2004年期间发生的18次强爆发性增温时平流层中下层行星波1波和2波的异常以及极涡崩溃的形式.分析表明, 爆发性增温前期1波都异常增幅, 波振幅达到峰值之后的一段时间内发生爆发性增温, 然而在增温过程中行星波2波的变化却有明显不同, 可分为三种情况: (1) 在增温前期, 行星波2波很弱; 在增温期间, 行星波2波异常发展, 伴随着极涡崩溃的形式是由偏心型向偶极型过渡. (2) 在增温前期, 行星波2波较强; 在增温期间, 行星波2波明显减弱, 极涡的变化形式是远离极地, 在极地外围活动, 但不发生分裂.(3) 在增温前期, 行星波2波不太强; 在增温期间, 行星波2波有所发展, 但始终强不过1波, 极涡的变化是先偏离极地, 然后发生不对称的变形.作者还计算和分析了EP通量及其散度, 利用波流相互作用理论对这三种行星波的异常变化及其与爆发性增温的关系进行解释.     

The Effect of Super Volcanic Eruptions on Ozone Depletion in a Chemistry–Climate Model

With the gradual yet unequivocal phasing out of ozone depleting substances(ODSs), the environmental crisis caused by the discovery of an ozone hole over the Antarctic has lessened in severity and a promising recovery of the ozone layer is predicted in this century. However, strong volcanic activity can also cause ozone depletion that might be severe enough to threaten the existence of life on Earth. In this study, a transport model and a coupled chemistry–climate model were used to simulate the impacts of super volcanoes on ozone depletion. The volcanic eruptions in the experiments were the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption and a 100 × Pinatubo size eruption. The results show that the percentage of global mean total column ozone depletion in the 2050 RCP8.5 100 × Pinatubo scenario is approximately 6% compared to two years before the eruption and 6.4% in tropics. An identical simulation, 100 × Pinatubo eruption only with natural source ODSs, produces an ozone depletion of 2.5% compared to two years before the eruption, and with 4.4% loss in the tropics. Based on the model results,the reduced ODSs and stratospheric cooling lighten the ozone depletion after super volcanic eruption.     

Variation of Air-Sea Heat Fluxes over the Western Pacific Warm Pool Area and Its Relationship with the South China Sea Summer Monsoon Onset

Based on oceanic and atmospheric parameters retrieved by satellite remote sensing using a neural network method, air-sea heat fluxes over the western Pacific warm pool area were calculated with the advanced the advanced Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment 3.0 (COARE3.0) bulk algorithm method. Then, the average annual and interannual characteristics of these fluxes were analyzed. The rela- tionship between the fluxes and the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon onset is highlighted. The results indicate that these fluxes have clear temporal and spatial characteristics. The sensible heat flux is at its maximum in the Kuroshio area, while the latent heat flux is at its maximum in the North Equatorial Current and Kuroshio area. The distribution of average annual air-sea heat fluxes shows that both sensible and latent heat fluxes are maximized in winter and minimized in summer. The air-sea heat fluxes have obvious interannual variations. Correlation analysis indicates a close lag-correlation between air-sea heat fluxes in the western Pacific warm pool area and at the SCS summer monsoon onset. The lagcorrelation can therefore predict the SCS summer monsoon onset, providing a reference for the study of precipitation related to the monsoon.     

On the Differences and Climate Impacts of Early and Late Stratospheric Polar Vortex Breakup

The stratospheric polar vortex breakup (SPVB) is an important phenomenon closely related to the seasonal transition of stratospheric circulation. In this paper, 62-year NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data were employed to investigate the distinction between early and late SPVB. The results showed that the anomalous circulation signals extending from the stratosphere to the troposphere were reversed before and after early SPVB, while the stratospheric signals were consistent before and after the onset of late SPVB. Arctic Oscillation (AO) evolution during the life cycle of SPVB also demonstrated that the negative AO signal can propagate downward after early SPVB. Such downward AO signals could be identified in both geopotential height and temperature anomalies. After the AO signal reached the lower troposphere, it influenced the Aleutian Low and Siberian High in the troposphere, leading to a weak winter monsoon and large-scale warming at mid latitudes in Asia. Compared to early SPVB, downward propagation was not evident in late SPVB. The high-latitude tropospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere was affected by early SPVB, causing it to enter a summer circulation pattern earlier than in late SPVB years.     

Variability of Near-Ground Ozone Concentrations During Cold Front Passages – a Possible Effect of Tropopause Folding Events

The analysis of surface ozone variability requires besides chemicalstudies the consideration of meteorological conditions and dynamicprocesses. Our research focuses on the mechanisms in connection with coldfront passages. A statistical study and case studies of cold front passageswere carried out at six German ground-based sites during the year 1990.After the passage of cold fronts three typical developments of thenear-ground ozone concentrations could be identified. Usually the ozoneconcentrations decrease due to advection of clean air masses or due toenhanced cloudiness preventing the photochemical production of ozone,chemical destruction by nitrogenoxides, and heterogeneous chemistry. In somecases the concentrations increased by reason of downward mixing of ozoneenriched air intruded from the stratosphere into the troposphere bytropopause foldings. For a few cases no modification set in. The decreasewas mostly twice as strong as the increase. The latter was between 4 and 8ppb on the average. Special emphasis is given to the transport ofstratospheric ozone down to the ground. There is no direct evidence forstratospheric ozone at ground level, because it cant be distinguished fromthe tropospheric one, but from case studies circumstantial evidence is foundin favour of it. As an example of increasing ozone behind the passage ofcold fronts one case study typical of all other case studies is presented.It shows the characteristic properties of the corresponding fronts, whichare fast movement, a vertical split structure and strong convection.     

Simulation of the Effect of Water-vapor Increase on Temperature in the Stratosphere

To analyze the mechanism by which water vapor increase leads to cooling in the stratosphere, the effects of water-vapor increases on temperature in the stratosphere were simulated using the two-dimensional, interactive chemical dynamical radiative model (SOCRATES) of NCAR. The results indicate that increases in stratospheric water vapor lead to stratospheric cooling, with the extent of cooling increasing with height, and that cooling in the middle stratosphere is stronger in Arctic regions. Analysis of the radiation process showed that infrared radiative cooling by water vapor is a pivotal factor in middle-lower stratospheric cooling. However, in the upper stratosphere (above 45 km), infrared radiation is not a factor in cooling; there, cooling is caused by the decreased solar radiative heating rate resulting from ozone decrease due to increased stratospheric water vapor. Dynamical cooling is important in the middle-upper stratosphere, and dynamical feedback to temperature change is more distinct in the Northern Hemisphere middle-high latitudes than in other regions and signiffcantly affects temperature and ozone in winter over Arctic regions. Increasing stratospheric water vapor will strengthen ozone depletion through the chemical process. However, ozone will increase in the middle stratosphere. The change in ozone due to increasing water vapor has an important effect on the stratospheric temperature change.     

The Heat Airspace Cloud Map in Terminal Airspace of Airports Based on Air Passenger Flow and a Case Study in Beijing International Airport

The calculation of air passenger flow density and the recognition of heat airspace in terminal areas of large hub airports is a new challenging research in the intelligent era, that is, using big data can automatically generate air passenger flow and basic rules. Aimed for the air passenger flow density in airport and its relationship between occupation and airspace, based on the establishment of the Beijing International Airport 1 h flight, which consists of basic parameters-latitude, longitude and height, additional parameters-dogleg and speed of trajectories, time parameters, a spatio-temporal data set by clustering trajectories and calculation of aircraft trajectories points was made up. Then, heat cloud map of flight trajectories under 4D conditions was generated. Cell was used to identify the basic parameters and time parameter of heat airspace; grid graphs of flight trajectories were used to identify additional parameters and explain the influence on heat airspace; probability fitting graphs were used to verify the accuracy of 4D results. The conclusion is as follows: there are two areas of Beijing International Airport, which have the high density and at two different heights there also exist hot peaks; flight trajectories and speed of trajectories also affect the heat airspace. The variation of heat airspace caused by different flight occupancy time in 4D recognition was revealed. The method realized the 4D heat cloud map of flight trajectories, which is better for detailed and accurate information construction, expression of spatial changes, and more the parameters of density and visualization of temporal and spatial range, which can assist the automatic dynamic airspace sectorization and decision making on airspace allocation, and also have a definite reference meaning in alleviating the contradiction between the current air traffic demand and limited airspace.     

Changes in strain trajectories in three different types of plate tectonic boundary deduced from earthquake focal mechanisms

Principal strain orientations (minimum horizontal compression—ex and maximum horizontal compression—ey) were established at three different types of plate tectonic boundary: two transform faults, an oceanic ridge located on the Southeast Indian Ridge and a trench located close to the South Sandwich Archipelago. To establish the strain patterns in each zone, 104 earthquake focal mechanisms (centroid-moment tensor solutions for earthquakes with mb≥4; Harvard seismology data, CMT) were examined by fault population analysis. Despite the existence of only one tectonic process that controlled deformation in these zones (divergence, convergence or passive displacement), and only one main strain tensor, several coeval strain ellipsoids were found. These differed from the main strain tensor in the location of the principal strains. In general, permutations were observed between the principal strains, i.e., interchanges between the location of the principal strain axes maintaining the strain ellipsoids in the same 3D orientation. Only in some cases were changes in the ellipsoid orientation associated with major structures.