Semiregular variables in the solar neighbourhood

Period–luminosity sequences have been shown to exist among the semiregular variables (SRVs) in the Magellanic Clouds, the bulge of the Milky Way galaxy and elsewhere. Using modern-period and revised Hipparcos parallax data, this paper demonstrates that they also appear among the M giant SRVs of the solar neighbourhood. Their distribution in the   K , log  P   diagram resembles that of Bulge stars more closely than those in the Magellanic Clouds. The prevalence of mass-loss among local M-type SRVs and its dependence on period and spectral subtype are also discussed.   K −[12]  , a measure of circumstellar dust emission, increases clearly with V amplitude, M giant subtype and  log  P   .     

Unravelling evapotranspiration controls and components in tropical Andean tussock grasslands

The study of the environmental factors that control evapotranspiration and the components of evapotranspiration leads to a better understanding of the actual evapotranspiration (ET) process that links the functioning of the soil, water and atmosphere. It also improves local, regional and global ET modelling. Globally, few studies so far focussed on the controls and components of ET in alpine grasslands, especially in mountainous sites such as the tussock grasslands located in the páramo biome (above 3300 m a.s.l.). The páramo occupies 35 000 km² and provides water resources for many cities in the Andes. In this article, we unveiled the controls on ET and provided the first insights on the contribution of transpiration to ET. We found that the wet páramo is an energy-limited region and net radiation (Rn) is primarily controlling ET. ET was on average 1.7 mm/day. The monthly average evaporative fraction (ET/Rn) was 0.47 and it remained similar for wet and dry periods. The secondary controls on ET were wind speed, aerodynamic resistance and surface resistance that appeared more important for dry periods, where significantly higher ET rates were found (20% increase). During dry events, transpiration was on average 1.5 mm/day (range 0.7–2.7 mm/day), similar to other tussock grasslands in New Zealand (range 0.6–3.3 mm/day). Evidence showed interception contributes more to ET than transpiration. This study sets a precedent towards a better understanding of the evapotranspiration process and will ultimately lead to a better land-atmosphere fluxes modelling in the tropics.     

西太平洋暖池冰期旋回中的类ENSO式演化及其驱动机制

作为全球接受太阳辐射最多、表层海水温度最高的区域,西太平洋暖池区通过厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Niño-Southern Oscillation,ENSO)和季风等过程影响着全球气候的变化。越来越多的沉积记录证明,在地质历史时期西太平洋暖池也存在类似于现代ENSO过程的“类ENSO式”变化。而目前类ENSO式变化与冰期—间冰期旋回之间的响应关系和驱动机制及其与东亚季风的关联仍存在争议。本文利用位于暖池核心区的B10岩心浮游有孔虫氧同位素、Mg/Ca(质量分数比)和黏土矿物参数重建了暖池区氧同位素8期以来的古气候记录,并结合已有的热带海表温度记录、中国石笋氧同位素和南大洋地区海表温度记录,研究了西太平洋暖池冰期旋回中类ENSO状态的演化规律及其与东亚季风的关系,并探讨了暖池区类ENSO演化的驱动机制。结果发现:冰期时,西太平洋暖池区温跃层变浅,赤道东、西太平洋温差减小,同时,东亚夏季风减弱,暖池区降水量相对减少,与现代El Niño时期气候态类似;间冰期时,西太平洋暖池区温跃层加深,赤道东、西太平洋温差增大,东亚冬夏季风增强,暖池区降水量相对增加,与现代La Niña时期气候态类似。频谱分析结果表明,西太平洋暖池区海表温度的变化具有偏心率周期(96 ka)。冰消期时,低纬度太阳辐射量的增加,增大了纬向上的SST梯度,并使得次表层海水储存了更多的热量,积累的热量会通过调节次表层环流向暖池区的热传输,最终调控赤道太平洋地区Walker环流强度和ENSO活动的长期变化。而冰期时,南大洋地区降温所引起的东南信风和大洋环流异常可能对类ENSO式起到调控的作用。     

锆石辐射损伤测年方法研究进展与应用

锆石辐射损伤测年是一种新兴的低温热年代学方法(封闭温度为～230±25℃),其原理是依据拉曼半高宽(ν₃)计算出锆石所累积的α通量,结合U、Th含量,得出锆石辐射损伤的累积时间,即锆石辐射损伤年龄。相较于其他低温年代学方法,锆石辐射损伤测年具有测试简便、高效、低成本、双(多)定年等优势,在地学研究中展现出广泛的应用前景,现已成功应用于示踪物源区和揭示岩体热事件等领域。然而,该方法尚存几个关键问题有待解决,例如,微区测试的空间不匹配性、封闭温度存有争议、较大的年龄偏差等,这无疑阻碍其在地球科学领域中更进一步的推广和应用。本文系统地介绍了锆石辐射损伤测年方法的起源、原理和测试方法,总结了相关应用的重要进展,阐述了锆石辐射损伤测年方法的尚存问题,并对该方法的发展趋势作以展望,以期为年代学的发展提供新的技术手段。     

Characteristics of Surface Solar Radiation under Different Air Pollution Conditions over Nanjing,China: Observation and Simulation

Surface solar radiation (SSR) can affect climate, the hydrological cycle, plant photosynthesis, and solar power. The values of solar radiation at the surface reflect the influence of human activity on radiative climate and environmental effects, so it is a key parameter in the evaluation of climate change and air pollution due to anthropogenic disturbances. This study presents the characteristics of the SSR variation in Nanjing, China, from March 2016 to June 2017, using a combined set of pyranometer and pyrheliometer observations. The SSR seasonal variation and statistical properties are investigated and characterized under different air pollution levels and visibilities. We discuss seasonal variations in visibility, air quality index (AQI), particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), and their correlations with SSR. The scattering of solar radiation by particulate matter varies significantly with particle size. Compared with the particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 μm and 10 μm (PM_2.5?10), we found that the PM_2.5 dominates the variation of scattered radiation due to the differences of single-scattering albedo and phase function. Because of the correlation between PM_2.5 and SSR, it is an effective and direct method to estimate PM_2.5 by the value of SSR, or vice versa to obtain the SSR by the value of PM_2.5. Under clear-sky conditions (clearness index ≥0.5), the visibility is negatively correlated with the diffuse fraction, AQI, PM₁₀, and PM_2.5, and their correlation coefficients are ?0.50, ?0.60, ?0.76, and ?0.92, respectively. The results indicate the linkage between scattered radiation and air quality through the value of visibility.     

太阳活动对地球气候和天气的影响

本文介绍近年来太阳活动对地球气候和天气影响方面的主要研究成果。包括四个关键的问题:(1)太阳活动与地球系统的能量收支;(2)太阳活动对地球气候的影响(包含气候变化、温室效应、火山);(3)太阳活动对季风和天气的影响与(4)太阳活动的变化会造成地球的长期寒冷气候吗?通过对上述问题的阐述,可以深入认识太阳活动对地球气候和天气影响的事实与机理,以及对未来地球气候可能变化的前景,从而为认识地球气候和天气变化的原因和驱动力提供更全面、更深刻的认识。     

木星和土星冰卫星上的撞击坑分布:探寻外太阳系撞击体来源的钥匙

充分认识外太阳系撞击体的来源类型和分布特征,对认识外太阳系固态天体上撞击过程,明确外太阳系天体上的撞击坑生成率和撞击坑定年等诸多方面具有重要的意义.得益于海量高质量探测数据的获取,如今我们对内太阳系主要天体表面的撞击分布和来源已经有了较为深入的了解,但对外太阳系天体的撞击分布和来源还知之甚少.不同大小频率的撞击体会在外太阳系冰卫星表面形成不同大小频率分布的撞击坑,不同飞行速度的撞击体也会在同步自转的冰卫星上留下程度不同的前导-后随半球不对称分布的撞击坑,因此,对外太阳系冰卫星上撞击坑的大小频率分布和前导-后随半球不对称性分布的观测,可以用于反推外太阳系的主要撞击来源.木星系统中大坑(D＞10～30 km)的主要撞击来源是日心小天体(环绕太阳),但目前在木卫三和木卫四上观测到的前导-后随半球不对称性程度与黄道彗星引起的不对称性程度并不相符,更接近于近各向同性彗星(NICs)引起的不对称性,这与目前的天文观测和理论计算结果不一致;木卫二上的大坑稀少,小坑(D＜1 km)则主要受一次坑的溅射物影响.对土星系统,土卫五和土卫八的大坑(D＞20～30 km)分布更符合日心小天体来源;而土卫一、土卫四、土卫三上的分布则与行心碎屑物(以行星为中心)一致,尤其是小坑更可能来自以土星为中心的撞击体影响,例如大型盆地的溅射物或卫星碎片残骸.     

Viscosity and nonlinearity effects on the forces and waves generated by a floating twin hull under heave oscillation

Nonlinear hydrodynamics of a twin rectangular hull under heave oscillation is analyzed using numerical methods. Two-dimensional nonlinear time-domain solutions to both inviscid and viscous problems are obtained and the results are compared with linear, inviscid frequency-domain results obtained in [26] to quantify nonlinear and viscous effects. Finite-difference methods based on boundary-fitted coordinates are used for solving the governing equations in the time domain [2]. A primitive-variables based projection method [6] is used for the viscous analysis and a mixed Eulerian–Lagrangian formulation [11] for inviscid analysis. The algorithms are validated and the order of accuracy determined by comparing the results obtained from the present algorithm with the experimental results of Vugt [22] for a heaving rectangle in the free surface. The present study on the twin-hull hydrodynamics shows that at large and non-resonant regular frequencies, and small amplitude of body oscillation, the fluid viscosity does not significantly affect the wave motion and the radiation forces. At low frequencies however the viscosity effect is found to be significant even for small amplitude of body oscillation. In particular, the hydrodynamic force obtained from the nonlinear viscous analysis is found to be closer to the linear inviscid force than the nonlinear inviscid force to the linear inviscid force, the reason for which is attributed to the wave dampening effect of viscosity. Since the wave lengths generated at smaller frequencies of oscillation are longer and therefore the waves could have a more significant effect on the dynamic pressure on the bottom of the hulls which contribute to the heave force, the correlation between the heave force and the wave elevation is found to be larger at smaller frequencies. Because of nonlinearity, the wave radiation and wave damping force remained nonzero even at and around the resonant frequencies – with the resonant frequencies as determined in [26] using linear potential flow theory. As to be expected, the nonlinear effect on the wave force is found to be significant at all frequencies for large amplitude of oscillation compared to the hull draft. The effect of viscosity on the force, by flow separation, is also found to be significant for large amplitude of body oscillation.