Impact of the Pacific–Japan Teleconnection Pattern on July Sea Fog over the Northwestern Pacific: Interannual Variations and Global Warming Effect

The northwestern Pacific(NWP) is a fog-prone area, especially the ocean east of the Kuril Islands. The present study analyzes how the Pacific–Japan(PJ) teleconnection pattern influences July sea fog in the fog-prone area using independent datasets. The covariation between the PJ index and sea fog frequency(SFF) index in July indicates a close correlation, with a coefficient of 0.62 exceeding the 99% confidence level. Composite analysis based on the PJ index, a case study, and model analysis based on GFDL-ESM2 M, show that in high PJ index years the convection over the east of the Philippines strengthens and then triggers a Rossby wave, which propagates northward to maintain an anticyclonic anomaly in the midlatitudes,indicating a northeastward shift of the NWP subtropical high. The anticyclonic anomaly facilitates the formation of relatively stable atmospheric stratification or even an inversion layer in the lower level of the troposphere, and strengthens the horizontal southerly moisture transportation from the tropical–subtropical oceans to the fog-prone area. On the other hand, a greater meridional SST gradient over the cold flank of the Kuroshio Extension, due to ocean downwelling, is produced by the anticyclonic wind stress anomaly. Both of these two aspects are favorable for the warm and humid air to cool, condense, and form fog droplets, when air masses cross the SST front. The opposite circumstances occur in low PJ index years, which are not conducive to the formation of sea fog. Finally, a multi-model ensemble mean projection reveals a prominent downward trend of the PJ index after the 2030 s, implying a possible decline of the SFF in this period.     

Trends of Regional Precipitation and Their Control Mechanisms during 1979–2013

Trends in precipitation are critical to water resources. Considerable uncertainty remains concerning the trends of regional precipitation in response to global warming and their controlling mechanisms. Here, we use an interannual difference method to derive trends of regional precipitation from GPCP(Global Precipitation Climatology Project) data and MERRA(ModernEra Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications) reanalysis in the near-global domain of 60?S–60?N during a major global warming period of 1979–2013. We find that trends of regional annual precipitation are primarily driven by changes in the top 30% heavy precipitation events, which in turn are controlled by changes in precipitable water in response to global warming, i.e., by thermodynamic processes. Significant drying trends are found in most parts of the U.S. and eastern Canada,the Middle East, and eastern South America, while significant increases in precipitation occur in northern Australia, southern Africa, western India and western China. In addition, as the climate warms there are extensive enhancements and expansions of the three major tropical precipitation centers–the Maritime Continent, Central America, and tropical Africa–leading to the observed widening of Hadley cells and a significant strengthening of the global hydrological cycle.     

南京市灰霾天气的长时间变化特征及其气候原因探讨

以南京市1954—2012年的逐日气象数据分析南京市灰霾天的长时间变化规律并从气候角度探讨其变化原因。南京市的霾日数近60 a来呈现明显上升趋势,从20世纪50年代的40 d/a已增加至21世纪的230 d/a左右,气象行业标准界定的霾日与人工观测的霾日长期变化趋势一致,前者在南京市具有较好的适用性。南京市雾霾混合日呈现出先增加后下降的趋势,其对应的相对湿度在不断降低,这可能是雾霾日向霾日转换,雾霾日数降低而霾日数增多的关键因素。南京地区能见度不断降低,近30 a里约下降8.4 km,霾日数与能见度相关系数高达-0.91,随着能见度的降低,灰霾天数几乎线性增加。南京地区的年平均相对湿度在1985年以后大幅降低,已从约80%下降至68%左右,湿度与霾日的相关系数为-0.72,随着湿度的降低,霾日呈上升趋势。南京年平均温度1985年后明显上升,升高了1.8℃,其中冬季上升幅度最大,夏季上升幅度最小;年均温度与霾日数呈现出明显正相关,和相对湿度呈现明显负相关,温度的升高将造成相对湿度的降低,进而造成霾日增多。南京的年平均风速1978年后不断降低,到20世纪末约降低1.5 m/s,风速与霾日呈现出显著的负相关,随着平均风速的降低,霾日数不断增多。在全球变暖的大气候背景下,南京市霾的长时间变化受到各种气候因子的影响,能见度、相对湿度、温度和风速都是重要的影响因素。     

基于MTSAT卫星遥感的中国海及西北太平洋海域海表温度日增温研究

Hourly sea surface temperature(SST) observations from the geostationary satellite are increasingly used in studies of the diurnal warming of the surface oceans. The aim of this study is to derive the spatial and temporal distribution of diurnal warming in the China seas and northwestern Pacific Ocean from Multi-functional Transport Satellite(MTSAT) SST. The MTSAT SST is validated against drifting buoy measurements firstly. It shows mean biases is about –0.2°C and standard deviation is about 0.6°C comparable to other satellite SST accuracy. The results show that the tropics, mid-latitudes controlled by subtropical high and marginal seas are frequently affected by large diurnal warming. The Kuroshio and its extension regions are smaller compared with the surrounding regions. A clear seasonal signal, peaking at spring and summer can be seen from the long time series of diurnal warming in the domain in average. It may due to large insolation and low wind speed in spring and summer, while the winter being the opposite. Surface wind speed modulates the amplitude of the diurnal cycle by influencing the surface heat flux and by determining the momentum flux. For the shallow marginal seas, such as the East China Sea, turbidity would be another important factor promoting diurnal warming. It suggests the need for the diurnal variation to be considered in SST measurement, air-sea flux estimation and multiple sensors SST blending.     

Missing the boat: Critical threats to coral reefs are neglected at global scale

Coral reefs have experienced a global decline due to overfishing, pollution, and warming oceans that are becoming increasingly acidic. To help halt and reverse this decline, interventions should be aimed at those threats reef experts and managers identify as most severe. The survey included responses from 170 managers, representing organizations from 50 countries and territories, and found that respondents generally agreed on the two major threats: overfishing and coastal development. However, resource allocation did not match this consensus on major threats. In particular, while overfishing receives much attention, coastal development and its attendant pollution are largely neglected and underfunded. These results call for a re-examination of how resources are allocated in coral reef conservation, with more attention given to aligning how money is spent with what are perceived to be the primary threats.     

北极斯瓦尔巴特群岛及邻区天然气水合物分解对气候、海洋环境和生物的影响

天然气水合物是一种潜在的巨量能源,但其分解释放的甲烷可能对全球气候与海洋环境产生巨大影响。然而,人们目前对天然气水合物分解产生的环境和生物效应的了解还不够全面。北极地区的斯瓦尔巴特群岛及邻区的海底和冻土层中蕴含大量甲烷,对气候变化十分敏感,是人们研究天然气水合物对气候变化的响应机制和其分解对生态环境影响的绝佳场所。系统总结了斯瓦尔巴特群岛及邻区水合物分解的气候与环境效应,发现目前研究区水合物分解产生的甲烷进入大气的年际通量不大,对全球气候的影响可能有限;水合物分解对海底滑坡起到催化剂的作用,但不是首要因素;海底水合物分解释放的甲烷能打破原有的化学平衡、生产力分布规律与输送机制、生物耦合关系甚至不同栖息地间的连通性,进而影响底栖生物群落。这些认识对研究天然气水合物开采对生态环境可能造成的影响和采取相应防治措施具有一定的借鉴意义。     

东北多年冻土退化及环境效应研究现状与展望

东北多年冻土属中高纬度多年冻土,对气候变化非常敏感。数据模型模拟表明,21世纪东北多年冻土区气温会持续上升,显著的变暖将导致多年冻土退化。东北多年冻土呈现自南向北的区域性退化趋势,多年冻土区南部表现为南界的北移、融区的扩大和多年冻土的消失,而北部表现为多年冻土下限的上移、活动层厚度增大及地温升高等。多年冻土的退化会导致寒区生态环境的恶化,如兴安落叶松占绝对优势的天然林带锐减,林带北移,沼泽湿地萎缩等。随着多年冻土的迅速退缩和变薄,原多年冻土中蕴藏的碳将释放出来,对气候变化产生积极的正反馈,加速变暖,并影响全球碳循环。多年冻土退化导致其热状态失稳而造成寒区基础设施损坏,并且影响冻土微生物、碳循环、寒区生态和水文等,而它们是区域气候变化的重要因子,也将成为未来多年冻土研究的重点。而这些研究都需要长期的基础数据作支撑,因此需要进一步完善冻土参数监测网络,用模型厘清气候变化与多年冻土退化及其环境效应之间的关系。     

北极快速增暖背景下冰冻圈变化及其影响研究综述

北极具有独特的地理位置和战略地位,是当前全球变化研究的热点区域之一。北极增暖是全球平均值的两倍以上,被称为“北极放大”现象。在北极快速增暖背景下,冰冻圈尤其是海冰显著萎缩,对北极乃至中纬度天气气候产生深远影响。对北极快速增暖背景下冰冻圈主要要素（包括海冰、冰盖、冰川、积雪和冻土）时空变化特征及未来预估进行了综述,同时总结了海冰变化对北极气候系统（大气圈、水圈、岩石圈和生物圈）以及中纬度极端天气气候事件的影响。指出当前北极冰冻圈变化研究受观测资料缺乏及模式模拟不确定等问题限制,其机理及对中纬度天气气候影响机制仍存在争议。未来还需要加强北极地区的综合监测,提高模式对北极气候系统物理过程的模拟能力,进行多模式、多数据、多方法的集成研究。     

高海拔多年冻土区路基工程行为对低温多年冻土长期影响的监测研究

青藏铁路路基创造性采用了主动冷却路基的设计理念修建而成,目前铁路已经安全运营超过10年。青藏铁路路基修筑在多年冻土之上,路基下部冻土温度变化是衡量路基是否稳定的关键因素。基于长期（2008—2019年）地温观测资料,对昆仑山垭口南坡青藏铁路K980+000低温多年冻土区块石路基坡脚至坡脚外30 m范围内的冻土上限变化、年际地温变化、季节性地温变化进行分析,研究了路基工程行为对低温多年冻土的长期影响机制。结果表明：冻土地温不断升高,冻土上限逐年下移;与天然孔比较,路基坡脚处地温增温幅度反而较小,主要可能受块石路基冷却效应的影响;冷季与暖季呈现出不对称的增温趋势。冻土路基普遍增温的趋势仍然存在,出于对多年冻土的保护与保证工程稳定性的考虑,应尽量采用冷却路基的思想修建路基。同时,应加强对路基的监测,分析长期增温过程后路基稳定性变化,并对路基下部冻土的变化做出定量研究。     

模式内部变率引起的1.5℃和2℃升温阈值出现时间模拟的不确定性研究

模式内部变率是模拟结果不确定性的重要来源,然而它对于1.5℃和2℃升温阈值出现时间不确定性的影响尚不清楚。因此,基于耦合模式比较计划第五阶段(CMIP5)的多模式数据研究了模式内部变率对1.5℃和2℃升温阈值出现时间不确定性的影响以及对未来排放情景的敏感性。结果表明,模式内部变率对升温阈值出现时间模拟的影响与外强迫的影响相当,单个模式内部不同成员达到全球平均1.5℃或2℃增温的年份相差2~12年;其影响具有明显的空间差异,影响极大值出现在欧亚大陆以北洋面、白令海峡周围区域、北美东北部及其与格陵兰岛之间的海域、南半球高纬地区等;低排放情景下模式内部变率的影响大于高排放情景。