Lower Eocene carbonate-cemented “chimney” structures (Varna, Bulgaria) — Control of seepage rates on their formation and stable isotopic signature

The genesis of Lower Eocene calcite-cemented columns, “pisoid”-covered structures and horizontal interbeds, clustered in dispersed outcrops in the Pobiti Kamani area (Varna, Bulgaria) is related to fossil processes of hydrocarbon migration. Field observations, petrography and stable isotope geochemistry of the cemented structures and associated early-diagenetic veins, revealed that varying seepage rates of a single, warm hydrocarbon-bearing fluid, probably ascending along active faults, controlled the type of structure formed and its geochemical signature. Slow seepage allowed methane to oxidize within the sediment under ambient seafloor conditions (δ¹⁸O = − 1 ± 0.5‰ V-PDB), explaining columns' depleted δ¹³C ratios of − 43‰. Increasing seepage rates caused methane to emanate into the water column (δ¹³C = − 8‰) and raised precipitation temperatures (δ¹⁸O = − 8‰). Calcite-cemented conduits formed and upward migrating fluids also affected interbed cementation. Even higher-energy fluid flow and temperatures likely controlled the formation of “pisoids”, whereby sediment was whirled up and cemented.     

Timing of the late-glacial climate reversal in the Southern Hemisphere using high-resolution radiocarbon chronology for Kaipo bog, New Zealand

The pattern of climate change in the Southern Hemisphere during the Younger Dryas (YD) chronozone provides essential constraint on mechanisms of abrupt climate change only if accurate, high-precision chronologies are obtained. A climate reversal reported previously at Kaipo bog, New Zealand, had been dated between 13,600 and 12,600 cal yr B.P. and appeared to asynchronously overlap the YD chron, but the chronology, based on conventionally radiocarbon-dated bulk sediment samples, left the precise timing questionable. We report a new high-resolution AMS ¹⁴C chronology for the Kaipo record that confirms the original chronology and provides further evidence for a mid-latitude Southern Ocean cooling event dated between 13,800 and 12,400 cal yr B.P. (2σ range), roughly equivalent to the Antarctic Cold Reversal.     

东亚冬季风的演变特征

文章主要讨论了东亚冬季风和冷涌的演变特征，并与南亚作了对比，发现在东亚地区，冬季风演变主要表现为10月中旬经向环流的突变及9月初、11月中旬和1月末对流层低层温度的3次突变；而在南亚地区，经向环流的变化不如东亚地区明显，而且高层要先于低层变化，对流层低层温度存在2次突变。在整个冬季，东亚地区冷涌的演变过程，主要表现为南海地区冷涌在12月份出现最高频率，而西太平洋冷涌在1月份出现最高频率；南亚地区冷涌在12月份出现最高频率，但远小于东亚地区且衰减速度很快。另一个不同点是东亚地区的冷涌强度是往上衰减的，而南亚地区的冷涌强度则是往上增强的。这说明东亚冬季风和南亚冬季风的性质有较大的区别。     

Roll Vortices and Boundary-Layer Development during a Cold Air Outbreak

The development of the boundary layer during a cold air outbreak in the FramStrait is documented by aircraft measurements. The convection was organisedinto roll vortices with aspect ratios increasing from 2.9 near the ice edgeto more than 6 at 100 km further downstream. This increase coincides with anincrease of the latent heat release in the cloud layer. The stability parameter-zi/L varies from about zero at the ice edge to 30 at a distance of 200 kmdownstream over open water where the satellite picture still shows cloudstreets. The increase is mainly due to the deepening of the boundary layer.The turbulent vertical sensible and latent heat fluxes near the surface amountto 400 W m^-2 within a 300 km off-ice zone. 25% of the upward heat fluxin the subcloud layer is carried out by organised roll motions. Experimentswith a 2-dimensional non-hydrostatic model show a similar roll aspect ratio inthe first 50 km, but further downstream where condensational heating is moreimportant the modelled roll wavelengths are distinctly smaller than the observedones.     

Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation and climatic history of the Cass Basin, central South Island, New Zealand

Lithology, pollen, macrofossils, and stable carbon isotopes from an intermontane basin bog site in southern New Zealand provide a detailed late-glacial and early Holocene vegetation and climate record. Glacial retreat occurred before 17,000 cal yr B.P., and tundra-like grassland–shrubland occupied the basin shortly after. Between 16,500 and 14,600 cal yr B.P., a minor regional expansion of forest patches occurred in response to warming, but the basin remained in shrubland. Forest retreated between 14,600 and 13,600 cal yr B.P., at about the time of the Antarctic Cold Reversal. At 13,600 cal yr B.P., a steady progression from shrubland to tall podocarp forest began as the climate ameliorated. Tall, temperate podocarp trees replaced stress-tolerant shrubs and trees between 12,800 and 11,300 cal yr B.P., indicating sustained warming during the Younger Dryas Chronozone (YDC). Stable isotopes suggest increasing atmospheric humidity from 11,800 to 9300 cal yr B.P. Mild (annual temperatures at least 1°C higher than present), and moist conditions prevailed from 11,000 to 10,350 cal yr B.P. Cooler, more variable conditions followed, and podocarp forest was completely replaced by montane Nothofagus forest at around 7500 cal yr B.P. with the onset of the modern climate regime. The Cass Basin late-glacial climate record closely matches the Antarctic ice core records and is in approximate antiphase with the North Atlantic.     

High-order compact MacCormack scheme for two-dimensional compressible and non-hydrostatic equations of the atmosphere

This study is devoted to application of the fourth-order compact MacCormack scheme to spatial differencing of the conservative form of two-dimensional and non-hydrostatic equation of a dry atmosphere. To advance the solution in time a four-stage Runge–Kutta method is used. To perform the simulations, two test cases including evolution of a warm bubble and a cold bubble in a neutral atmosphere with open and rigid boundaries are employed. In addition, the second-order MacCormack and the standard fourth-order compact MacCormack schemes are used to perform the simulations. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of the numerical results for different test cases exhibit the superiority of the fourth-order compact MacCormack scheme on the second-order method.     

1991年5-7月江淮洪涝:水汽和冷空气的作用比较

对1991年5-7月江淮流域持续性暴雨的环流异常进行分析,比较造成此次洪涝的水汽输送和冷空气活动重要性。结果表明：（1）东亚大槽维持在中国东北上空发展明显,同时鄂霍次克海上空没有建立强大阻高,这种形势有利于冷空气持续向南侵袭,盛行经向环流。此外,低纬度地区,西太平洋副热带高压主体位置于常年同期相比,明显偏西、偏强,有利于暖湿气流沿副热带高压北上到达江淮流域,与北方冷空气辐合形成强降水。（2）通过定义I_T和I_q分别表征温度与水汽对降水的贡献,发现此次江淮流域地区强降水是由对流层低层水汽异常增多和气温异常偏低共同造成的,作用基本相当。     

青岛冷水团的消亡机理研究

本文基于多年月平均水温资料,分析了青岛冷水团的长消过程,并利用气候态月平均大气数据和数值模拟结果,探讨了青岛冷水团的消亡机理。结果表明,青岛冷水团3月出现,4月成型,5月最盛,6月减弱,7月消失;南黄海6-7月间偏南风的增强和温跃层以下反气旋涡的减弱是青岛冷水团消亡的动力机制,而海面净热通量的下传和水平热量的输入则是青岛冷水团消亡的热力机制。     

Numerical modeling study of mineralization induced by methane cold seep at the sea bottom

In order to investigate the response of authigenic minerals to gas hydrate geo-systems, the biogeochemical processes and its induced mineralization were predicted by employing the comprehensive reactive transport modeling approach. Based on the available data extracted from the northern continental slope area of the South China Sea, a 1-D vertical column model was developed. Three cases with different upward methane flux rates and three cases with different mineral compositions, i.e., a total of six cases were designed to investigate the effects of variations in the depth of sulfate methane transition zone (SMTZ) and in the mineral composition on the formation of authigenic minerals. The simulation results indicate that the SMTZ depth influenced by both the upward methane flux rate and the initial composition played an important role in the formation of authigenic minerals. The AOM reaction is intensive at the interface, and the precipitation amount of calcite is large, which is mainly controlled by AOM. When the methane leakage rate is 20 times higher than the base case, aragonite starts to precipitate. During the simulation, oligoclase, k-feldspar, smectite-Na, smectite-Ca, chlorite dissolved. Our study specific to this area as a starting point may provide a quantitative approach for investigating carbonate and pyrite formation in hydrate-bearing sediments accounting for methane oxidation and sulfate reduction. The method presented here and the model built in this study can be used for other sites with similar conditions. In addition, this study may serve as an indication for the potential natural gas hydrate reservoir in depth, and is also significant for marine carbon and sulfur cycle.     

冷空气强风在大型城市中的精细结构和形成机制

地面强风可直接造成人员伤亡和经济损失,严重影响出行安全、工农业生产等社会秩序。强风的发生与天气系统和复杂下垫面的共同作用密切相关,在城市区域尤为明显。受数值模拟技术和计算资源的限制,对实际天气条件下大范围城区的强风现象进行建筑物分辨率的大规模数值模拟研究仍是一个挑战。本研究利用中尺度气象模式嵌套流体计算动力模式的超高分辨率局地气象预报系统,对强冷空气过程造成广州市区的一次强风事件进行数值模拟,深入探讨强风的精细结构和形成机制。结果表明,伴随着强冷空气入侵,广州市区的平均风速和风场高频扰动均明显增强,且在城市冠层顶尤为明显,呈现区域不均匀的三维结构,数值模拟与地面观测相一致。较大范围的强风速和阵风主要出现在建筑物较为低矮的老城区上空,并持续影响下游河道等开阔区域。在高层建筑密集的新城区,虽然整体风速明显减弱,但能在平行风向的街道狭管和下游区域形成局地强风。特别是,超高层建筑群引起显著的垂直环流,导致强风扰动向下传播,造成最大风速达8 m s?1的地面局地强风,阵风指数接近2。上游建筑群引起的风场扰动呈现大尺度湍流结构,能沿着平均气流传播影响数公里之远的下游地区。当风场扰动经过广州塔等单体超高层建筑时,可在其两侧绕流区再次加强,形成局地强风。局地强风和阵风还出现在垂直于风向排列的沿江高层建筑群的侧边,与建筑屏风的阻挡效应和缺口溢出有关。研究结果促进认识城市强风的时空特征和物理机制,有助于提升城市气象的精细化预报水平。