Screening of polymers on selected Hawaii soils for erosion reduction and particle settling

In recent years, high‐molecular‐weight anionic polyacrylamides (PAMs) have been tested on a variety of soils, primarily in temperate climates. However, little information is available regarding the effectiveness of PAM for preventing soil loss through runoff in tropical settings. Screening tests were performed using three negatively charged PAMs and one positively charged PAM on five Hawaii soils (two Oxisols, one Vertisol, and two Aridisols) to determine erosion loss, sediment settling, and aggregate stability. A laboratory‐scale rainfall simulator was used to apply erosive rainfall at intensities from 5 to 8·5 cm h^?1 at various PAM doses applied in both dry and solution forms. Soil detachment due to splash and runoff, as well as the runoff and percolate water volumes, were measured for initial and successive storms. The impact of PAM on particle settling and aggregate stability was also evaluated for selected soil‐treatment combinations. Among the PAMs, Superfloc A‐836 was most effective, and significantly reduced runoff and splash sediment loss for the Wahiawa Oxisol and Pakini Andisol at rates varying between 10 and 50 kg ha^?1. Reduced runoff and splash sediment loss were also noted for PAM Aerotil‐D when applied in solution form to the Wahiawa Oxisol. Significant reductions in soil loss were not noted for either the Lualualei Vertisol or the Holomua Oxisol. It is believed that the high montmorillonite content of the Lualualei Vertisol and the low cation‐exchange capacity of the Holomua Oxisol diminished the effectiveness of the various PAMs tested. The polymers were also found to enhance sediment settling of all soils and helped improve their aggregate stability. This screening study shows the potential use of PAM for tropical soils for applications such as infiltration enhancement, runoff reduction, and enhanced sedimentation of detention ponds. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TRMM卫星微波成像仪分级产品及其反演降水算法

文章叙述了获取定量降水信息的意义，简要介绍了对热带测雨卫星TRMM(Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission)的仪器、美国国家宇航局提供的微波成像仪TMI(TRMM Microwave Imager)分级产品。对比了物理方法和经验方法反演降水的特点，并对一些经验方法以及倾斜对流系统对反演降水的影响、动态聚类分析、神经网络反演方法的研究成果进行了介绍。     

Effect of the Initial Vortex Structure on Intensity Change During Eyewall Replacement Cycle of Tropical Cyclones: A Numerical Study

This study investigates the effect of the initial tropical cyclone (TC) vortex structure on the intensity change during the eyewall replacement cycle (ERC) of TCs based on two idealized simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Results show that an initially smaller TC with weaker outer winds experienced a much more drastic intensity change during the ERC than an initially larger TC with stronger outer winds. It is found that an initially larger TC vortex with stronger outer winds favored the development of more active spiral rainbands outside the outer eyewall, which slowed down the contraction and intensification of the outer eyewall and thus prolonged the duration of the concentric eyewall and slow intensity evolution. In contrast, the initially smaller TC with weaker outer winds corresponded to higher inertial stability in the inner core and weaker inertial stability but stronger filamentation outside the outer eyewall. These led to stronger boundary layer inflow, stronger updraft and convection in the outer eyewall, and suppressed convective activity outside the outer eyewall. These resulted in the rapid weakening during the formation of the outer eyewall, followed by a rapid re-intensification of the TC during the ERC. Our study demonstrates that accurate in- itialization of the TC structure in numerical models is crucial for predicting changes in TC intensity during the ERC. Additionally, monitoring the activity of spiral rainbands outside the outer eyewall can help to improve short-term intensity forecasts for TCs experiencing ERCs.     

自动计算热带气旋位置和范围的方法研究

本文以卫星云图的热带气旋云系为研究对象,基于Canny边缘检测、contour轮廓提取等方法,研究了通过图像的形状特征和范围大小对热带气旋云系进行自动识别,得到了较好的效果。这种方法有助于提高热带气旋云系识别的自动化程度,实现热带气旋的自动跟踪,从而为热带气旋的预报提供了便利。     

Possible Sources of Forecast Errors Generated by the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System for Landfalling Tropical Cyclones. Part Ⅱ: Model Uncertainty

This paper investigates the possible sources of errors associated with tropical cyclone (TC) tracks forecasted using the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System (GRAPES). In Part I, it is shown that the model error of GRAPES may be the main cause of poor forecasts of landfalling TCs. Thus, a further examination of the model error is the focus of Part II. Considering model error as a type of forcing, the model error can be represented by the combination of good forecasts and bad forecasts. Results show that there are systematic model errors. The model error of the geopotential height component has periodic features, with a period of 24 h and a global pattern of wavenumber 2 from west to east located between 60°S and 60°N. This periodic model error presents similar features as the atmospheric semidiurnal tide, which reflect signals from tropical diabatic heating, indicating that the parameter errors related to the tropical diabatic heating may be the source of the periodic model error. The above model errors are subtracted from the forecast equation and a series of new forecasts are made. The average forecasting capability using the rectified model is improved compared to simply improving the initial conditions of the original GRAPES model. This confirms the strong impact of the periodic model error on landfalling TC track forecasts. Besides, if the model error used to rectify the model is obtained from an examination of additional TCs, the forecasting capabilities of the corresponding rectified model will be improved.     

0302号(鲸鱼)台风降水和水粒子空间分布的三维结构特征

由于缺乏关于台风结构信息的高分辨率资料,即探测台风云系内部结构特征的技术限制,造成了进一步理解台风的动力传送特征的困难.作者用热带测雨卫星(TRMM,Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission)的测雨雷达(PR,Precipitation Radar)和TRMM微波图像仪(TMI,TRMM Microwave Imager)资料详细研究了"鲸鱼"台风(0302号)于2003年4月16日1105 UTC的降水和降水云系中各种水粒子的三维结构特征.通过分析发现该时刻:(1)台风降水中大部分区域为层性降水(占总降水面积的85.5%),对流性降水占总降水面积的13.1%,但对流性降水的贡献却达到41.8%,所以,虽然对流性降水所占面积比例很少,但是它对总降水量的贡献却很大.(2)60%降水主要集中在距离台风中心100 km以内的区域,约占总降水量的60%.(3)各种水粒子含量随着与台风中心距离的增加而减少.降水云系中水粒子最大含量出现高度与水粒子的种类和与台风中心的距离有关.最后,分析了台风降水和降水云系中三维分布的成因.     

山东省9216号强热带气旋风暴期间的海岸侵蚀灾害

本文比较详细地报导了山东省沿岸在９２１６号强热带气旋风暴潮期间的海岸侵蚀灾害情况，分析了灾害的形成原因、特点。最后讨论了与之有关的问题。     

The role of moisture cycling in the weathering of a quartz chlorite schist in a tropical environment: findings of a laboratory simulation

Long‐term weathering of a quartz chlorite schist via wetting and drying was studied under a simulated tropical climate. Cubic rock samples (15 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm) were cut from larger rocks and subjected to time‐compressed climatic conditions simulating the tropical wet season climate at the Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory, Australia. Fragmentation, moisture content and moisture uptake rate were monitored over 5000 cycles of wetting and drying. To determine the impact of climatic variables, five climatic regimes were simulated, varying water application, temperature and drying. One of the climatic regimes reproduced observed temperature and moisture variability at the Ranger Uranium Mine, but over a compressed time scale. It is shown that wetting and drying is capable of weathering quartz chlorite schist with changes expected over a real time period of decades. While wetting and drying alone does produce changes to rock morphology, the incorporation of temperature variation further enhances weathering rates. Although little fragmentation occurred in experiments, significant changes to internal pore structure were observed, which could potentially enhance other weathering mechanisms. Moisture variability is shown to lead to higher weathering rates than are observed when samples are subjected only to leaching. Finally, experiments were conducted on two rock samples from the same source having only subtle differences in mineralogy. The samples exhibited quite different weathering rates leading to the conclusion that our knowledge of the role of rock type and composition in weathering is insufficient for the accurate determination of weathering rates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of Three Tropical Cyclone Intensity Datasets

Analyzed in this paper are the 16-yr (1988-2003) tropical cyclone (TC) intensity data from three major forecast centers of the western North Pacific, i.e., China Meteorological Administration (CMA), Regional Specialized Meteorological Center Tokyo (RSMC Tokyo), and Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the United States. Results show that there are significant discrepancies (at 1% significance level) in the intensity of TCs among the three centers, with a maximum difference for the same TC over 30 m s-1. The flight reconnaissance over TC can minish the discrepancy to some extent. A climatic and persistent prediction model is set up to study the impact of initial data from different forecast centers on the prediction of TC intensity. It is obtained that the root mean square error (RMSE) of a 4-yr independent test is the largest using data from JTWC, while the smallest using data from RSMC Tokyo. Average absolute deviation in 24-h intensity prediction is 2.5 m s-1 between CMA and RSMC Tokyo data, and 4.0 m s-1 between CMA and JTWC data, with a maximum deviation reaching 21 m s-1. Such a problem in the initial value increases the difficulty in intensity prediction of TCs over the western North Pacific.