Remote Sensing Observations of Ocean Surface Chlorophyll and Temperature with the Impact of Cyclones and Depressions over the Bay of Bengal Water

MODIS-Aqua derived eight-day composite chlorophyll concentration data analyzed to study the impact of cyclones and depressions on the Bay of Bengal productivity. A total of 15 cyclonic storms and depressions picked up from the India Meteorological Department datasets. MODIS-Aqua data analyzed during October 2002 to December 2009. There was observation of depressions (D), deep depressions (DD), cyclonic storms (CS), severe cyclonic storms (SCS), and very severe cyclonic storms (VSCS) with categories of intensities (“T” numbers 1.5–6) and wind speeds (25–108 knots). The chlorophyll concentration observed to be high (1.0–5.0 mg/m³) with the impact in the coastal and offshore waters. Quickscat scatterometer data showed high wind speed (about 10 meters/second). Sea surface temperature (SST) observed to be decreased (roughly 2°C) with effect of cyclones. The cyclone numbers, intensity, and chlorophyll concentration has been observed to be increasing from 2002 to 2009, with observation of VSCS “Sidr” during 2007. The study would be interesting to link carbon flux/sequestration, marine food chain, and harnessing fishery resources in a postcyclone period.     

Experimental superensemble forecasts of tropical cyclones over the Bay of Bengal

This study entails the implementation of an experimental real time forecast capability for tropical cyclones over the Bay of Bengal basin of North Indian Ocean. This work is being built on the experience gained from a number of recent studies using the concept of superensemble developed at the Florida State University (FSU). Real time hurricane forecasts are one of the major components of superensemble modeling at FSU. The superensemble approach of training followed by real time forecasts produces the best forecasts for tracks and intensity (up to 5 days) of Atlantic hurricanes and Pacific typhoons. Improvements in track forecasts of about 25–35% compared to current operational forecast models has been noted over the Atlantic Ocean basin. The intensity forecasts for hurricanes are only marginally better than the best models. In this paper, we address tropical cyclone forecasts over the Bay of Bengal for the years 1996–2000. The main result from this study is that the position and intensity errors for tropical cyclone forecasts over the Bay of Bengal from the multimodel superensemble are generally less than those of all of the participating models during 1- to 3-day forecasts. Some of the major tropical cyclones, such as the November 1996 Andhra Pradesh cyclone and October 1999 Orissa super cyclone were well handled by this superensemble approach. A conclusion from this study is that the proposed approach may be a viable way to construct improved forecasts of Bay of Bengal tropical cyclone positions and intensity.     

华南后汛期降雨量的振动和分布

对１９５９至１９８８年华南后汛期（７－９月）降雨量距平百分率的大尺度变化特征进行了分析,并与前汛期（４－６月）降雨量的情况进行了比较,同时探讨了后汛期降雨量异常的成因。结果表明,华南后汛期雨量存在明显的年际变化,且地区差异显著;后汛期降雨量的异常与热带西太平洋的海水温度、南海地区大气的对流活动及登陆我国东南沿海地区的热带气旋的频数有关。     

不同强度热带气旋对中国降水变化的影响

基于1960—2017年2 000多个气象台站逐日降水数据和中国气象局热带气旋(TC)最佳路径资料集,采用客观天气图分析法(OSAT)识别得到TC降水。研究表明,中国TC降水总体呈显著下降趋势,较12年前的研究结果下降趋势变缓;TC盛期(7~9月)降水占到TC总降水的78.5%,TC盛期降水和TC非盛期降水均呈显著下降趋势。TC降水气候趋势在空间分布上以减少为主要特征,并表现出明显的地域差异,自南向北呈"减少—增多—减少"的分布型,减少趋势中心位于广东和海南。按TC影响期最大强度分级(弱TC、中等强度TC和强TC)研究不同强度TC降水的变化,结果显示,强TC降水表现出显著减少趋势,主要决定着TC总降水的影响范围和趋势等主要特征。进一步分析发现,影响TC频数在1960—2017年呈显著减少趋势,并在1995年发生突变;对1995年前后2个时期的对比研究显示,与前一时期(1960—1994年)相比,后一时期(1995—2017年)影响TC活动频次在20°N以南的海域呈现出显著的减少趋势,减少大值中心位于南海北部,而且这一特征也主要由影响TC中的强TC所决定;强TC的这一变化趋势导致了华南地区尤其是广东和海南TC降水日数的减少,进而使得TC降水减少。     

Comparison of a Manual and an Automated Tracking Method for Tibetan Plateau Vortices

Tibetan Plateau vortices(TPVs) are mesoscale cyclones originating over the Tibetan Plateau(TP) during the extended summer season(April–September).Most TPVs stay on the TP,but a small number can move off the TP to the east.TPVs are known to be one of the main precipitation-bearing systems on the TP and moving-off TPVs have been associated with heavy precipitation and flooding downstream of the TP(e.g.,in Sichuan province or over the Yangtze River Valley).Identifying and tracking TPVs is difficult because of their comparatively small horizontal extent(400–800 km) and the limited availability of soundings over the TP,which in turn constitutes a challenge for short-term predictions of TPV-related impacts and for the climatological study of TPVs.In this study,(i) manual tracking(MT) results using radiosonde data from a network over and downstream of the TP are compared with(ii) results obtained by an automated tracking(AT) algorithm applied to ERA-Interim data.Ten MT-TPV cases are selected based on method(i) and matched to and compared with the corresponding AT-TPVs identified with method(ii).Conversely,ten AT-TPVs are selected and compared with the corresponding MT-TPVs.In general,the comparison shows good results in cases where the underlying data are in good agreement,but considerable differences are also seen in some cases and explained in terms of differences in the tracking methods,data availability/coverage and disagreement between sounding and ERA-Interim data.Recommendations are given for future efforts in TPV detection and tracking,including in an operational weather forecasting context.     

Depth–transport functions and erosion–deposition diagrams as indicators of slope inclination and time-averaged traction forces: applications in tropical reef environments

The trigonometric relationship between slope inclination, the horizontally acting time‐averaged traction force and the vertical depth of transport allows the estimation of one factor, when both others are known. Depth–transport functions can be deduced by comparing the depth distributions of living organisms and their skeletal remains, and this paper simplifies this comparison using foraminifera in which a single test represents an individual. Differences in distribution parameters between living individuals and empty tests allow depth–transport functions to be determined; these functions differ between species at a single transect according to the varying buoyancies of the tests. Within a single species, differences in depth–transport functions between locations are based on either slope inclination or traction intensities. After establishing a mean depth–transport function by averaging species‐characteristic functions, the time‐averaged traction force acting on the studied transect can be calculated. Transport intensities are also estimated using an erosion–deposition diagram that combines the relative frequency distributions of living individuals and empty tests. The proportion of ‘eroded’, ‘parautochthonous’ and ‘allochthonous’ tests mirrors the influence of both slope inclination and traction force for the deposition of empty tests. To test the model, six species of symbiont‐bearing benthic foraminifers were investigated at two transects in front of a NW Pacific coral reef. One transect is distinguished by a strong slope flattening below the steep reef slope (30 m), whereas further steepening characterizes the equivalent part in the other transect. These differences are mirrored in the depth–transport functions as well as in the erosion–deposition diagrams of all species. The time‐averaged traction forces differ in intensities between transects, because of the position of the reef front with respect to the predominant wind direction. However, the form of the functions is identical and distinguished by an increase from the surface to 35 m depth, followed by a decrease down to 105 m. This can be explained by successive onshore and offshore forces acting on the shallow slope, such as the tropical cyclones that cross the region every summer.     

Characteristics of intensity change in tropical cyclones affecting the South China Sea from 1977 to 2007

The best track data of tropical cyclones (TCs) provided by Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) Tokyo for the South China Sea (SCS) from 1977 to 2007 are employed to study the spatiotemporal variations (for a period of 12 hours) and the rapid (slow) intensification (RI/SI) of TCs with different intensity. The main results are as follows. (1) Over this period, the tropical storms (TSs) and severe tropical storms (STSs) mostly intensify or are steady while the typhoons (TYs) mostly weaken. The stronger a TC is initially, the more observation of its intensification and the less its variability will be; the more observation of its weakening is, the larger its variability will be. (2) The TC intensifies the fastest at 0000 UTC while weakening the fastest at 1200 UTC. (3) In the intensifying state, TSs, STSs, and TYs are mainly active in the northeastern, central-eastern, and central SCS respectively. The weakening cases mainly distribute over waters east off Hainan Island and Vietnam and west off the Philippines. Some cases of TSs and STSs weaken over the central SCS. (4) The RI cases form farther south in contrast to the SI cases. The RI cases are observed in regions where there are weaker vertical shear and easterly components at 200 hPa. The RI cases also have stronger mid-and lower-level warm-core structure and smaller radii of 15.4 m/s winds. The SI cases have slightly higher SST.     

Extreme floods and their relationship with tropical cyclones in Puerto Rico

An extreme value analysis (EVA) point process approach has been implemented to examine the flood characteristics of Puerto Rico when tropical cyclones (TCs) are present in the discharge series and when they are removed from it. Mean daily discharge values that exceeded the 99th percentile thresholds were used in both the TC and non-TC data series. In nine of the 12 stations the maximum discharge was associated with a TC, with hurricanes Hortense (1996), Georges (1998) and Eloise (1975) responsible for most of the maximum peaks at each site. Percentage changes in the generalized extreme value parameters, which include location (central tendency), scale (variance) and shape (skewness), between the TC and non-TC data exhibited a decrease in the majority of stations. Stations in the eastern interior and central region of the island showed the largest decrease in all parameters, in flood occurrences and in return periods when TCs were removed from the series.     

外热带大气扰动对ENSO的影响

合成分析了20世纪80年代以来5次主要的ENSO事件,发现外热带大气扰动通过经向风异常不仅对ENSO的发生起到重要的触发作用,而且影响到ENSO的发展和衰减. 因此,尽管ENSO对外热带大气扰动有影响,但同时外热带大气扰动又与ENSO有相互作用. 在ENSO发生前,南印度洋中纬度为反气旋异常,并通过Rossby波的频散作用加强了澳大利亚附近的反气旋异常;同时,澳大利亚东部沿海的南风异常与菲律宾附近的北风异常在赤道辐合,促进了赤道西太平洋西风异常的爆发和其后ENSO的发生. 在ENSO发生之后,东南太平洋上的气旋异常及相关的南风异常进一步增强了赤道中东太平洋的西风异常和ENSO的发展. 当ENSO达到成熟时,澳大利亚东部的反气旋异常东移,使东南太平洋的气旋异常减弱,南方涛动型环流异常亦随之减弱;同时,阿留申气旋异常加强,尤其是副热带北太平洋的风场异常可加强赤道中东太平洋海水的涌升,使该地区海表温度降低,加速ENSO的消亡.