一次夜间弓形回波特征分析

针对2012年7月13—14日一次发生在高空槽前暖湿环境中产生短时强降水和7—9级雷雨大风的夜间弓形回波系统,进行了天气过程分析和数值模拟,发现弓形回波系统由两个多单体雷暴合并发展,强降水特征明显,在弓形回波的弓形顶点经过的浙江北部的嘉兴到上海青浦、宝山等一线出现了长距离的直线大风。分析表明,在整层湿度较大的环境中,来自对流系统南侧的中高层干暖气流卷人,加强了雷暴中降水的蒸发冷却作用,导致雷暴中的下沉运动明显增强,是产生长距离直线大风的关键环境因素;弓形回波系统后侧维持向前、向下倾斜的后侧人流急流,与雷暴内的下沉运动共同作用增强了风暴前侧的气压梯度,是产生此次弓形回波大风的主要原因;强低空环境风垂直切变阻止了冷池快速离开风暴主体,弓形回波前侧的阵风锋与低层环境风垂直切变形成的匹配涡对使得前侧新生对流垂直发展,是该弓形回波系统发展、维持的关键机制。     

黄海冷水团海域浮游植物磷胁迫的季节变动

The Yellow Sea is located between the China Mainland and the Korean Peninsula, representing a typical shallow epicontinental sea. The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass（YSCWM） is one of the most important physical features in the Yellow Sea. The characteristics of vertical profiles and seasonal variations of biogenic elements in the YSCWM may lead the variations of nutrient availability（e.g., phosphorus） and phosphorus stress of phytoplankton. In this study, the authors surveyed the seasonal variations of phytoplankton phosphorus stress with emphasis on the effect of the YSCWM during the four cruises in April and October 2006, March and August 2007. Using both bulk and single-cell alkaline phosphatase activity（APA） assays, this study evaluated phosphorus status of phytoplankton community, succession of phytoplankton community and ecophysiological responses of phytoplankton to phosphorus in the typical region of the YSCWM. With the occurrence of the YSCWM, especially the variations of concentration of dissolved inorganic phosphorus（DIP）, the results of bulk APA appeared corresponding seasonal variations. Along Transects A and B, the mean APA in August was the highest, and that in March was the lowest. According to the ELF-labeled assay＇s results, seasonal variations of the ELF-labeled percentages within dominant species indicated that diatoms were dominant in March, April and October, while dinoflagellates were dominant in August. During the four cruises, the ELF-labeled percentages of diatoms except Paralia sulcata showed that diatoms were not phosphorus deficient in April 2006 at all, but suffered from severe phosphorus stress in August 2007. In comparison, the ELF-labeled percentages of dinoflagellates were all above 50% during the four time series, which meant dinoflagellates such as Alexandrium and Scrippsiella, sustained perennial phosphorus stress.     

Rare earth elements in cold seep carbonates from the southwestern Dongsha area,northern South China Sea

The circulation of methane-rich fluids at cold seeps often leads to the precipitation of seep carbonates close to the seafloor along continental margins, which can be used as records of past fluid seepage. Rare earth element (REE) concentrations in seep carbonates have been used to trace fluid sources and provide information on associated biogeochemical processes at cold seeps. The REE concentrations of a series of carbonates collected from cold seeps in the southwestern Dongsha area of the northern South China Sea are analyzed in this study. The total REE contents (ΣREE) of the seep carbonates analyzed show a wide variation from 17 ppm to 523 ppm with an average ΣREE value of 54 ppm, which are higher than the typical marine carbonate values of ∼28 ppm commonly reported and also higher than those of the carbonates from other cold seep areas. A positive correlation between Fe–Mn content and ΣREE was observed. These results suggest that the seep carbonates of this study were primarily controlled by the methane-derived fluid from which they precipitated. The Fe-rich dolomite and siderite, which are the main components of the carbonates, are responsible for the enrichment of the REE. A slight positive Ce anomaly observed in the shale-normalized REE patterns of the studied seep carbonates suggests that they formed in anoxic conditions, and the correlations between Ce/Ce* and La_N/Sm_N, Ce/Ce* and Dy_N/Sm_N, Ce/Ce* and ΣREE further reveal that the REE characteristics of most seep carbonate samples preserve the original redox conditions in which they precipitated and late diagenesis has had little effect on the REE. However, the REE characteristics of sub-samples DS2-2B, DS1-6A and DS1-7A are very different from those of the other sub-samples, indicating a greater impact of late diagenesis and post-oxidation favored REE enrichment.     

Cold seeps associated with a submarine debris avalanche deposit at Kick’em Jenny volcano,Grenada (Lesser Antilles)

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) exploration at the distal margins of a debris avalanche deposit from Kick’em Jenny submarine volcano in Grenada has revealed areas of cold seeps with chemosynthetic-based ecosystems. The seeps occur on steep slopes of deformed, unconsolidated hemipelagic sediments in water depths between 1952 and 2042 m. Two main areas consist of anastomosing systems of fluid flow that have incised local sediments by several tens of centimeters. No temperature anomalies were observed in the vent areas and no active flow was visually observed, suggesting that the venting may be waning. An Eh sensor deployed on a miniature autonomous plume recorder (MAPR) recorded a positive signal and the presence of live organisms indicates at least some venting is still occurring. The chemosynthetic-based ecosystem included giant mussels (Bathymodiolus sp.) with commensal polychaetes (Branchipolynoe sp.) and cocculinid epibionts, other bivalves, Siboglinida (vestimentiferan) tubeworms, other polychaetes, and shrimp, as well as associated heterotrophs, including gastropods, anemones, crabs, fish, octopods, brittle stars, and holothurians. The origin of the seeps may be related to fluid overpressure generated during the collapse of an ancestral Kick’em Jenny volcano. We suggest that deformation and burial of hemipelagic sediment at the front and base of the advancing debris avalanche led to fluid venting at the distal margin. Such deformation may be a common feature of marine avalanches in a variety of geological environments especially along continental margins, raising the possibility of creating large numbers of ephemeral seep-based ecosystems.     

Recent trends of temperature change under hot and cold desert climates: Comparing the Sahara (Libya) and Central Asia (Xinjiang, China)

According to trend computations at three stations each in Sahara desert (Libya), characterized by a “hot” desert type (“BWh”, according to the Koeppen climate classification), and in Central Asia (Xinjiang, China) identified as a “cold” desert type (“BWk”, after Koeppen), increasing annual temperatures were detected over the period 1955-2005 corresponding with global temperature warming. From 1955-1978, negative (decreasing) temperature trends were, however, observed at all three hot desert stations and at two of the three cold desert stations. From 1979-2005, strikingly positive temperature trends were seen at all six stations. In seasonal respects, winter (December to February) and summer (June to August) show different temperature trends over the period 1955-2005: the hot desert experienced an increasing temperature trend at a greater extent in summer than in winter; vice-versa, in the cold desert positive trends were computed for winter and negative for summer. It can also be observed that mostly hot desert warming occurred in summer, opposite to cold desert warming in winter.     

Tidal effects on temperature iront in the Yellow Sea

Temperature front (TF) is one of the important features in the Yellow Sea, which forms in spring, thrives in summer, and fades in autumn as thermocline declines. TF intensity |ST| is defined to describe the distribution of TF. Based on the MASNUM wave-tide-circulation coupled model, temperature distribution in the Yellow Sea was simulated with and without tidal effects. Along 36°N, distribution of TF from the simulated results are compared with the observations, and a quantitative analysis is introduced to evaluate the tidal effects on the forming and maintaining processes of the TF. Tidal mixing and the circulation structure adapting to it are the main causes of the TF.     

Cold plumes trigger contamination of oceanic mantle wedges with continental crust-derived sediments: Evidence from chromitite zircon grains of eastern Cuban ophiolites

The origin of zircon grains, and other exotic minerals of typical crustal origin, in mantle-hosted ophiolitic chromitites are hotly debated. We report a population of zircon grains with ages ranging from Cretaceous (99 Ma) to Neoarchean (2750 Ma), separated from massive chromitite bodies hosted in the mantle section of the supra-subduction (SSZ)-type Mayarí-Baracoa Ophiolitic Belt in eastern Cuba. Most analyzed zircon grains (n = 20, 287 ± 3 Ma to 2750 ± 60 Ma) are older than the early Cretaceous age of the ophiolite body, show negative ε_Hf(t) (−26 to −0.6) and occasional inclusions of quartz, K-feldspar, biotite, and apatite that indicate derivation from a granitic continental crust. In contrast, 5 mainly rounded zircon grains (297 ± 5 Ma to 2126 ± 27 Ma) show positive ε_Hf(t) (+0.7 to +13.5) and occasional apatite inclusions, suggesting their possible crystallization from melts derived from juvenile (mantle) sources. Interestingly, younger zircon grains are mainly euhedral to subhedral crystals, whereas older zircon grains are predominantly rounded grains. A comparison of the ages and Hf isotopic compositions of the zircon grains with those of nearby exposed crustal terranes suggest that chromitite zircon grains are similar to those reported from terranes of Mexico and northern South America. Hence, chromitite zircon grains are interpreted as sedimentary-derived xenocrystic grains that were delivered into the mantle wedge beneath the Greater Antilles intra-oceanic volcanic arc by metasomatic fluids/melts during subduction processes. Thus, continental crust recycling by subduction could explain all populations of old xenocrystic zircon in Cretaceous mantle-hosted chromitites from eastern Cuba ophiolite. We integrate the results of this study with petrological-thermomechanical modeling and existing geodynamic models to propose that ancient zircon xenocrysts, with a wide spectrum of ages and Hf isotopic compositions, can be transferred to the mantle wedge above subducting slabs by cold plumes.     

一次降雪过程持续原因分析

利用多种观测资料和中尺度数值模拟资料,对2011年2月14日发生在江淮地区的一次预报失误的持续性降雪过程进行较为全面的分析.结果表明:前期的降水导致近地面维持较大湿度,补充南下的冷平流促使低层大气接近饱和,降雪持续期间,水汽集中在对流层低层浅薄的层次中;对流层中层发展和维持的强冷平流导致降水区上空迅速降温减湿,从而在对流层中低层,逐渐建立起弱对流不稳定层结.而叠置其上的稳定层则将对流活动和水汽的向上输送限制在对流层低层内,使得水汽和能量得以在一定范围内集中;不断补充南下的冷空气强迫近地层风场发生扰动,形成的中尺度切变线,为这种浅薄层次下的弱对流活动提供了触发条件.尽管辐合抬升较弱,但与其它季节相比,气温较低的冬季,在抬升凝结高度较低的大气中,水汽易凝结成云致降水.造成这次预报失误的原因,是忽略了近地层系统的变化.另外,对补充冷空气的影响作用考虑不充分.     

东北冷涡气候研究进展及展望

本文主要从东北冷涡气候研究角度,回顾和总结了东北冷涡在定义、主客观识别方法、气候特征、分类研究、影响因子、气候效应等方面的研究进展,并探讨了东北冷涡研究现状中存在的问题及未来可能的研究方向和发展趋势。识别与量化是东北冷涡气候研究的基础,客观识别结果的对比分析及其技术的完善是未来冷涡识别研究的重点。今后有针对性地开展不同类别东北冷涡的气候特征、异常成因及气候影响等,深入探究东北冷涡与影响因子相互作用的物理机制,科学客观的定量化预测,可为东北区域气候异常成因诊断和预测提供更精细、准确的科学依据。     

河南省寒潮特征分析与中期预报

利用1986－1999年气象资料，分析了河南省寒潮天气的基本特征和主要天气形势。利用欧洲中心数值预报产品3层格点实况资料，采用相关分析方法，分别计算出河南省安阳，洛阳，郑州，西华，信阳各代表站的寒潮消空和预报指标。再以欧洲中心72－144h数值预报产品为因子，用完全预报方法做出河南省3－7天中期寒潮天气过程预报。