CHARACTERISTICS OF 10-DAY MEAN SURFACE SENSIBLE HEAT FLUX VARIATIONS IN THE SCS MONSOON REGION AND POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS WITH THE SCS SUMMER MONSOON ONSET*

The time and space variations of the ten-day mean surface sensible heat flux have been analyzed in this paper based on the data of NCEP/NCAR from January of 1979 to December of 1995 in the South China Sea (SCS) monsoon region.It is found that large variations of the surface sensible heat flux standard deviations exist in the northwestern Indochina Peninsula and the Indian Peninsula regions,and their locations and strength change significantly during the onset period of SCS monsoon.The negative deviations appear evidently earlier in the Indocbina Peninsula than in the Indian Peninsula but the deviation strength in the Indian Peninsula is stronger than that in the Indochina Peninsula.The appearance of the zonal negative mean deviations in the southern part of the Indochina Peninsula corresponds to the date of the SCS summer monsoon onset,while the occurrence of the deviation decrease corresponds to the date of the South Asian monsoon onset.The sensible heat flux increases dekad by dekad before the onset of the summer monsoon in the Indian Peninsula and the Indochina Peninsula and decreases after the monsoon onset.Therefore,the surface sensible heat flux changes in the Indochina and the Indian Peninsula regions maybe have some connections with the SCS monsoon onset and the Indian monsoon onset,and the Indochina Peninsula maybe becomes the sensitive or key region to the SCS monsoon onset and the land maybe plays an important role in triggering summer monsoon onset.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF 10-DAY MEAN SURFACE LATENT HEAT FLUX VARIATIONS IN THE SCS MONSOON REGION AND POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS WITH THE SCS SUMMER MONSOON ONSET

The temporal and spatial variations of the ten-day mean surface latent heat flux (TMLH) havebeen analyzed in this paper based on the data of NCEP from January of 1979 to December of 1995in the South China Sea (SCS) monsoon region. It is found that there exist maximum centers ofTMLH standard deviation in the northwest Indochina and the Indian Peninsula as well as thewestern Pacific, SCS, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal, and their locations and strengthschange significantly during the period of SCS monsoon onset. A positive zonal deviation of TMLHoccurs first in the Indochina Peninsula, apparently earlier than that in the Indian Peninsula. Theappearance of maximum positive zonal deviations of TMLH approximately coincides with thesummer monsoon onset. Over the Indochina and Indian Peninsulas, the TMLH increases graduallywith a small amplitude of variation before the onset of summer monsoon, and the rate of increase issignificantly enhanced after the onset of the monsoon; whereas over the ocean, TMLH decreasesbefore the monsoon onset, varies little during the period of monsoon and increases gradually afterthe ending of monsoon. Therefore, it seems that the surface latent heat flux plays an importantrole in the maintenance of the summer monsoon, and its variation is an phenomenon accompanyingthe onset of summer monsoon.     

Application of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to volcano mapping in the humid tropics: a case study in East Java, Indonesia

 Volcanoes in humid tropical environments are frequently cloud covered, typically densely vegetated and rapidly eroded. These factors complicate field and laboratory studies and even the basic identification of potentially active volcanoes. Numerous previous studies have highlighted the potential value of radar remote sensing for volcanology in equatorial regions. Here, cloud- and vegetation-penetrating L_HH-band (λ≈24 cm) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from the Japanese Earth Resources Satellite (JERS-1) are used to investigate persistently active volcanoes and prehistoric calderas in East Java, Indonesia. The L_HH-band JERS-1 SAR produces high-spatial-resolution (18 m) imagery with relatively high incidence angle that highlights structures and topographic variations at or greater than the wavelength scale while minimising geometrical distortions such as layover and foreshortening. These images, along with Internet browse data derived from the Canadian RADARSAT mission, provide new evidence relating regional tectonics to volcanism throughout East Java. Volcanic events, such as caldera collapse at the Tengger caldera, appear to have been partly controlled by northwest-aligned faults related to intra-arc sedimentary basins. Similar regional controls appear important at historically active Lamongan volcano, which is encircled by numerous flank maars and cinder cones. A previously undocumented pyroclastic sheet and debris avalanche deposit from the Jambangan caldera complex is also manifested in the synoptic radar images. At the currently active Semeru volcano these data permit identification of recent pyroclastic flow and lahar deposits. Radar data therefore offer a valuable tool for mapping and hazard assessment at late Quaternary volcanoes. The criteria developed in the analysis here could be applied to other regions in the humid tropics. Received: 25 June 1998 / Accepted: 20 January 1999     

亚洲季风年代际振荡及与天文因子的相关

主要通过滑动ｔ－检验方法和相关统计,分析了近５０年来南亚季风、东亚季风以及高原季风的相互关系,并对其与太阳黑子周期长度（ＳＣＬ）和地球自转速度（Δω）的关系进行了讨论。结果表明：三种亚洲季风虽然在年际变化上相关不好,但在年代变化上具有很好一致性;亚洲季风的年代际变化与ＳＣＬ和Δω均相关很好,其中以与Δω关系最好,且Δω的变化超前亚洲季风的变化。对日地因子的短期变化如何影响亚洲季风年代际振荡提出了初     

Precise dating of the Dansgaard-Oeschger event 4 and its sub-cycles: Evidence from a stalagmite from Xianyun Cave in Longyan City,Fujian Province

The Dansgaard-Oeschger event 4(DO4 event) is a significant warming event that occurred in the late Marine Isotope Stage 3. At present,there are different understandings about the detailed characteristics and internal structures of the DO4 event. Based on 6 precisely-dated ²³⁰Th ages and 188 oxygen isotope data of a stalagmite(No.XYⅢ-28)from the Xianyun Cave,Fujian Province,we present δ¹⁸O time series with an average resolution of 7 yr from 29.13 to 27.94 kyr B.P. Our new stalagmites δ¹⁸O records uncover the detailed processes of the DO4 event. The onset and end time of the DO4 event recorded by the stalagmite δ¹⁸O is 28.83±0.06 and 28.46±0.06 kyr B.P.,respectively, and the duration is 0.37±0.06 kyr. Differential with abrupt change of NGRIP ice core δ¹⁸O record at the onset of DO4 based on the GICC05 layer count time scale,the Xianyun Cave δ¹⁸O shows a relatively slow change. The Xianyun stalagmite δ¹⁸O values negatively shift by 0.4‰ within 145±60 yr,which indicates that the Xianyun Cave was likely affected by the ocean-atmosphere coupling of the tropical. In addition,the Xianyun stalagmite δ¹⁸O reveals a series of sub-million-scale summer monsoon enhancement events in and around the DO4 event,corresponding to the NGRIP ice core δ¹⁸O record and the Arabian Sea basin record. Our results suggest that the East Asian summer monsoon is related to the north-high latitude temperature and the ITCZ position changes on the sub-millennium-scale event.     

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMMER MONSOON AND TRANSPORT OF MOISTURE IN A HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTH CHINA IN 1994

The trajectory of atmospheric particles and material lines on an isentropic surface are computed using the Lagrangian method. It is shown that the 1994 heavy rain in South China was closely linked to the summer monsoon, especially the tropical monsoon in East Asia. which plays a decisive role. The method is useful in tracking the source area and evolution of water moisture and analyzing the transporting part of airflow for water moisture.     

华东地区中强地震序列特征研究

通过系统分析１９７０年以来华东地区ＭＳ５．０以上中强震序列,结合华东地区域特征,根据最大地震与次大震震级差,将地震序列划发为弧立型、接近孤立型主余型,主余型和震群型４类。用０．５、１天、２天、３天、５天和７天等几个时段的余震样本来研究序列类型的早期判断,结果较为满意,尝试用一种新的方法分析余震持续时间,认为某区域有一个地震活动背影景值,当余震衰减这到个背景值时,则余震活动基本结束,用此方法总结了华     

Tree-Ring δD as an Indicator of Asian Monsoon Intensity

Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of meteoric water are known to correlate with surface air temperature, except in tropical areas. This relationship has been described using a number of terms corresponding to specific observations, such as latitude, altitude and seasonal effects. However, these temperature effects do not seem to apply to precipitation in monsoonal areas of Asia. Questions have been raised as to whether the isotopic composition of meteoric water can be used to reconstruct paleomonsoon intensity. Tree rings of two modern spruce trees (Picea meyeri) and a 10,000-yr-old timber (Picea jezoensis) were analyzed for hydrogen isotopic composition. On average, the older tree is depleted in deuterium by 45‰ compared to the modern trees. We attribute this isotopic depletion to the strength of summer monsoons, which were more intense in the early Holocene than at present. Although this study is not definitive, it suggests that paleomonsoon intensity can be reconstructed by direct or proxy methods that yield the oxygen or hydrogen isotopic composition of meteoric water.     

Stratigraphic evidence for an Early Aptian sea-level fluctuation: the Graua Limestone of south-eastern Ethiopia

The occurrence of a thin band of marine limestone (Graua Limestone) within a thick succession of fluviatile sandstones in south-eastern Ethiopia is direct evidence of flooding of part of the East African craton (Horn of Africa). According to the presence of abundant orbitolinid foraminifers (Palorbitolina lenticularis Blumenbach andPraeorbitolina cormyi Schroeder), the age of the Graua Limestone can be referred to the Early Aptian. Stratigraphy and palaeogeographic reconstructions for the Early Cretaceous in the surrounding regions (Kenya, Somalia, Yemen, Socotra, Oman, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Libya) show that the Early Aptian transgression was of regional extent. Our data seem to confirm that this transgression was of relatively short duration. This pulse cannot be related to tectono-eustatic mechanisms, which are too slow. A short-lived event should be invoked: either a regional tectonic pulse or the desiccation of the proto-South Atlantic.     

Global temperature and monsoon activity

In this paper an attempt has been made to search a new parameter for the prediction of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall. For this purpose the relationship of the global surface-air temperature of four standard seasons viz., Winter (December-January-February), Spring (March-April-May), Summer (June-July-August), Autumn (September-October-November) with the Indian summer monsoon rainfall has been carried out. The same analysis is also carried out with surface-air temperature anomalies within the tropical belt (30°S to 30°N) and Indian summer monsoon rainfall. For the present study data for 30 years period from 1958 to 1988 have been used. The analysis reveals that there is a strong inverse relationship between the monsoon activity and the tropical belt temperature.