Modelling bivariate rainfall distribution and generating bivariate correlated rainfall data in neighbouring meteorological subdivisions using copula

The rainfall patterns of neighbouring meteorological subdivisions of India are similar because of similar climatological and geographical characteristics. Analysing the rainfall pattern separately for these meteorological subdivisions may not always capture the correlation and tail dependence. Furthermore, generating the multivariate rainfall data separately may not preserve the correlation. In this study, copula method is used to derive the bivariate distribution of monsoon rainfall in neighbouring meteorological subdivisions. Different Archimedean copulas are used for this purpose and the best copula is selected based on nonparametric test and tail dependence coefficient. The fitted copula is then applied to derive the bivariate distribution, joint return period and conditional distribution. Bivariate rainfall data is generated with the fitted copula and it is observed with the increase of sample size, the generated data is able to capture the correlation as well as tail dependence. The methodology is demonstrated with the case study of two neighbouring meteorological subdivisions of North‐East India: Assam and Meghalaya meteorological subdivision and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura meteorological subdivision. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Advanced use into rainfall prediction of three-dimensionally scanning radar

A computational method for the determination of rainfall distribution for applications in short term rainfall prediction is presented here. The method is strongly influenced by the experience gained from the observation and analysis of data gathered on a heavy rainfall event in 1986 that occurred during the Baiu Season in Japan. The method is based on the concept that rainfall occurs as an interaction between an instability field, appropriately modeled, and a field of water vapor under the influence of topography. The results from this computational method showed good agreement with the temporal variation in the rainband that moved across the observation field in 1986. Towards determination of the parameters in the computational model, another method for the determination of the rainfield is also developed. This second method determines the rainfall distribution from estimation of the conversion rate of water vapor to liquid water through use of data from a three dimensional scanning radar. The results are consistent with those obtained from the first method.     

EFFECTS OF ANOMALOUS HEATING ON SUMMER MONSOON OVER ASIA

Based on a zonally non-uniform mean circulation in summer simulated by numerical modelling,perturba-tion heatings ever South Asia and a perturbation cooling over Northwest Australia were incorporated in a nu-merical model to discuss their effects on summer monsoon over Asia and the structure of flow disturbance.     

1991年北半球夏季风及江淮流域降雨量的低频振荡

根据１９９１年５－８月江淮特大暴雨资料，使用功率谱和带通滤波结合的方法，研究了１９９１年夏季风和江淮梅雨的准周期振荡，探索季风对异常梅雨的影响。分析指出，１９９１年北半球夏季风活动，江淮流域湿度场和降雨量变化均存在显著的准２４天周期振荡，夏季风的周期振荡，主要表现在西南季风（东南季风不明显），它的位相比降雨量提前２－４左右，其振幅大小较好地反映了降雨量的大小。     

东亚梅雨锋暴雨研究进展

对梅雨锋的大尺度环流、梅雨锋的次天气尺度和中尺度特征、梅雨锋低空急流和暴雨发展等问题的研究进展作了概述，对低空急流和暴雨发展的各种观点进行了评述，并提出了新的见解和研究结果。     

大气环流的季节突变与季风的建立II·个别年份南海夏季风的情况

将流的标准化变差度概念应用到各年南海夏季风建立研究中去,并用其作为大气环流调整的客观定量指标。用该指标定义的南海夏季风建立的预兆日期与用传统天气气候学方法确定的南海夏季风的来临日期,在绝大多数具体年份两者均很接近,故可作南海夏季风建立的先兆指标。但有一些年份,南海季风的建立不伴随着低空环流的突变过程,两种方法都可能不准确,可靠的方法也许是用场相似度作指标。此外,南海夏季风建立前,对流层顶和平流层下层就出现了环流调整,该调整为南海夏季风建立打下基础,而南海夏季风爆发则表现为低空环流的大调整。南海夏季风的爆发是高、低空全球大气环流发生显著调整的结果,并非限于南海范围局部,南海夏季风建立不能看作是发生在南海的局部现象。     

遥测降雨抗差分析方法应用研究

遥测系统观测的雨量资料常会包含粗差，根据降雨量的特征，结合抗差理论，包为民等曾提出三步抗差修正方法。将此法应用到龙颈上水库等10个水库流域的实测资料当中，验证其有效性，并分析比较各步抗差修正的效果及降雨特征与抗差效果之间的关系。结果表明，抗差修正方法可行，且第一步和第三步结合的修正效果最好；降雨中心较明确，多年降雨特征相似，强度变幅稳定的洪水，不容易出现误抗。     

Regional variability in relationships between climate and dengue/DHF in Indonesia

Since 1970, the worldwide distribution, frequency and intensity of epidemics of dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) have increased dramatically. In Indonesia, as elsewhere, the geographic distribution and behaviour of the two main vectors – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus – and the consequent transmission dynamics of the disease are strongly influenced by climate. Monthly incidence data were examined in relation to monthly data for temperature, rainfall, rainfall anomalies, humidity and the Southern Oscillation Index for 1992–2001. Focusing on eight provinces, significant Pearson correlations were observed between dengue/DHF incidence and at least one climate variable ( r  = ±0.2 to ±0.43; P  < 0.05). Multiple regression analyses showed that 12.9–24.5 per cent of variance in incidence was explained by two or three climate variables in each province ( P  < 0.1–0.01). Rainfall appears to be the principal climatic agent affecting the geographic distribution and temporal pattern of incidence while temperature appears to play a critical role in outbreak intensity. Wide regional and temporal variations in the strength and nature of the observed associations led to the identification of three groups of provinces where increases in dengue/DHF incidence were variously associated with increased rainfall, decreased rainfall and/or high susceptibility to climate variability. Although climatic factors play an important role in explaining the timing and intensity of dengue/DHF outbreaks, a wide range of other factors specific to local environments also appear to be involved – information that may assist in the prediction and mitigation of regional dengue/DHF outbreaks.     

Simulation of the dissolution of weathered versus unweathered limestone in carbonic acid solutions of varying strength

A simulation was undertaken within a climatic chamber to investigate limestone dissolution under varied carbonic acid (H₂CO₃) strengths as a possible analogue for future increases in atmospheric CO₂ arising from global warming. Twenty‐eight samples cut from a block of Bath (Box Hill) limestone from Somerville College, Oxford, which had been removed during restoration after 150 years in an urban environment, were weighed and placed in closed bottles of thin plastic containing varying concentrations of H₂CO₃. Half of the stone samples were derived from exposed surfaces of the stone block (weathered) while the others were obtained from the centre of the block on unexposed surfaces (unweathered). The purpose of this was to compare dissolution of previously weathered versus unweathered surfaces in strong (pH 4·73) versus weak (pH 6·43) solutions of H₂CO₃. A temperature of c. 19 °C was maintained within the chamber representing a plausible future temperature in Oxford for the year 2200 given current warming scenarios. The simulation lasted 25 days with a few stone samples being removed midway. Stone samples show reduced weight in all cases but one. There was greater dissolution of stone samples in a strong H₂CO₃ solution as conveyed by higher concentrations of total hardness and Ca²⁺ in the water samples as well as enhanced microscopic dissolution features identified using SEM. The simulation confirms that enhanced atmospheric CO₂ under global warming, given adequate moisture, will accelerate dissolution rates particularly of newly replaced limestone building stones. However, previously weathered surfaces, such as those on historical stone exposed for a century or more, appear to be less susceptible to the effects of such increased rainfall acidity. Conservation techniques which remove weathered surfaces, such as stone cleaning, may accelerate future decay of historical limestone structures by increasing their susceptibility to dissolution. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.