U–Th–Pb monazite dating and the timing of arc–continent collision in East Timor

The Timor Orogen represents one of the youngest arc–continent collisions exposed on the Earth. It has the potential to provide some of the key parameters about how this style of orogeny evolves. However, the metamorphic age of the highest-grade rocks formed in the collision remains controversial. Using U–Th–Pb dating of monazite from amphibolite-grade sillimanite and garnet-bearing schists we show the peak metamorphism occurred at 5.5–4.7 Ma. The young age of the monazite and the presence of significant amounts of common Pb required the development of a new protocol to simultaneously account for the ²³⁰Th disequilibrium and the ²⁰⁷Pb common Pb correction. The new estimate of metamorphic age is consistent with the estimates based on plate reconstructions for the initiation of arc–continent collision in East Timor. The metamorphic event is a result of this collision.     

A modeling study of effective radiative forcing and climate response due to tropospheric ozone

This study simulates the effective radiative forcing(ERF) of tropospheric ozone from 1850 to 2013 and its effects on global climate using an aerosol–climate coupled model, BCC AGCM2.0.1 CUACE/Aero, in combination with OMI(Ozone Monitoring Instrument) satellite ozone data. According to the OMI observations, the global annual mean tropospheric column ozone(TCO) was 33.9 DU in 2013, and the largest TCO was distributed in the belts between 30°N and 45°N and at approximately 30°S; the annual mean TCO was higher in the Northern Hemisphere than that in the Southern Hemisphere;and in boreal summer and autumn, the global mean TCO was higher than in winter and spring. The simulated ERF due to the change in tropospheric ozone concentration from 1850 to 2013 was 0.46 W m~(-2), thereby causing an increase in the global annual mean surface temperature by 0.36℃, and precipitation by 0.02 mm d~(-1)(the increase of surface temperature had a significance level above 95%). The surface temperature was increased more obviously over the high latitudes in both hemispheres, with the maximum exceeding 1.4?C in Siberia. There were opposite changes in precipitation near the equator,with an increase of 0.5 mm d~(-1)near the Hawaiian Islands and a decrease of about-0.6 mm d~(-1)near the middle of the Indian Ocean.     

The Upstream “Strong Signals” of the Water Vapor Transport over the Tibetan Plateau during a Heavy Rainfall Event in the Yangtze River Basin

A heavy rainfall event that occurred over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin(YRB) during July11–13 2000 is explored in this study. The potential/stream function is used to analyze the upstream "strong signals" of the water vapor transport in the Tibetan Plateau(TP). The studied time period covers from 2000 LST 5 July to 2000 LST 15 July(temporal resolution: 6 hours). By analyzing the three-dimensional structure of the water vapor flux, vorticity and divergence prior to and during the heavy rainfall event, the upstream "strong signals" related to this heavy rainfall event are revealed. A strong correlation exists between the heavy rainfall event in the YRB and the convective clouds over the TP. The "convergence zone" of the water vapor transport is also identified, based on correlation analysis of the water vapor flux two days and one day prior to, and on the day of, the heavy rainfall. And this "convergence zone" coincides with the migration of the maximum rainfall over the YRB. This specific coupled structure actually plays a key role in generating heavy rainfall over the YRB. The eastward movement of the coupled system with a divergence/convergence center of the potential function at the upper/lower level resembles the spatiotemporal evolution of the heavy rainfall event over the YRB. These upstream "strong signals" are clearly traced in this study through analyzing the three-dimensional structure of the potential/stream function of upstream water vapor transport.     

Possible sources of forecast errors generated by the global/regional assimilation and prediction system for landfalling tropical cyclones. Part I: Initial uncertainties

This paper investigates the possible sources of errors associated with tropical cyclone (TC) tracks forecasted using the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System (GRAPES). The GRAPES forecasts were made for 16 landfalling TCs in the western North Pacific basin during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, with a forecast length of 72 hours, and using the default initial conditions (“initials”, hereafter), which are from the NCEP-FNL dataset, as well as ECMWF initials. The forecasts are compared with ECMWF forecasts. The results show that in most TCs, the GRAPES forecasts are improved when using the ECMWF initials compared with the default initials. Compared with the ECMWF initials, the default initials produce lower intensity TCs and a lower intensity subtropical high, but a higher intensity South Asia high and monsoon trough, as well as a higher temperature but lower specific humidity at the TC center. Replacement of the geopotential height and wind fields with the ECMWF initials in and around the TC center at the initial time was found to be the most efficient way to improve the forecasts. In addition, TCs that showed the greatest improvement in forecast accuracy usually had the largest initial uncertainties in TC intensity and were usually in the intensifying phase. The results demonstrate the importance of the initial intensity for TC track forecasts made using GRAPES, and indicate the model is better in describing the intensifying phase than the decaying phase of TCs. Finally, the limit of the improvement indicates that the model error associated with GRAPES forecasts may be the main cause of poor forecasts of landfalling TCs. Thus, further examinations of the model errors are required.     

基于FY3A/MERSI资料分析广东省气溶胶光学厚度分布

利用国产极轨气象卫星FY3A的MERSI AOD产品分析2010—2013年广东省气溶胶光学厚度的分布规律。结果表明:MERSI AOD产品与地面太阳光度计实测数据的相关系数为0.72,其平均绝对值误差为0.12,均方根误差为0.15,数据精度可满足研究需要;从AOD的空间分布看,珠三角西翼东翼山区五市,其中佛山市、东莞市、中山市为广东省AOD均值最高的地区,梅州市、河源市为广东省AOD均值最低的地区;从AOD的时间分布看,2010—2013年间,AOD呈现先升高后降低的趋势,2011年为拐点,与此同时,AOD还表现出明显的季节变化特征,春季为AOD高值期,夏季、秋季次之,冬季最低。     

CINRAD/SA(B)发射机高压打火组件级故障诊断

新一代天气雷达技术保障中,发射机高压负载打火导致的综合故障的诊断和定位是比较复杂的,具有故障点多、故障涉及组件多、故障修复时间长等特点,是新一代天气雷达故障维修的难点。依据发射机高压控制和监控信号流程,提出了发射机高压打火组件级故障诊断流程。通过发射机组件级故障诊断流程快速修复发射机高压负载打火综合故障过程,表明发射机高压打火组件级故障诊断流程在雷达维修中具有规范化和适用性维修效果,进一步显示出故障分析诊断流程在新一代天气雷达技术保障中的重要作用。     

鲁中南一次暴雨过程的特征和成因分析

利用常规气象观测资料、NCEP 1°×1°逐6h的再分析资料、GPS可降雨资料和地闪定位资料,对2013年7月4—5日山东中南部出现的暴雨到大暴雨天气过程的不同阶段特征和成因进行了分析,结果表明:本次暴雨过程是冷暖切变线所引发,暴雨的水汽源于南海;低空急流的强弱和水汽通量的大小呈正相关;暖切变线暴雨的雨强、影响范围和持续时间明显大于冷切变线暴雨;冷、暖切变线GPS可降雨量表现不同,前者短时间内增幅大,地面强降雨在峰值出现1h后发生,对地面降雨变化反映较敏感,后者强降雨出现前8h可降雨量快速上升,可降雨量峰值对应地面降雨大值,对地面降雨变化反映不敏感;冷切变线对流性更强,地闪频次为暖切变线降雨的2倍,正地闪频次为暖切变线降雨的1/2,负地闪频次为暖切变线降雨的2倍;降雨云团正、负地闪活跃程度呈反相位关系,正、负地闪的变化能很好地反映强降雨的变化;冷、暖切变线动力结构不同,前者物理量场从低层到高层向北倾斜,后者则为垂直分布;冷切变线上升运动区较暖切变线深厚。     

BDS／GPS 组合 RTK 定位性能分析

针对单系统RTK存在可见卫星数少等问题,文中研究BDS/GPS站间单差的RTK算法模型,该模型采用二次型函数部分最小化及LAMBDA方法联合搜索模糊度。利用该模型分析BDS/GPS组合RTK的定位性能,通过短基线实测数据分析表明:站间单差RTK模型与双差模型是等价的;BDS/GPS组合系统相比于单一系统,明显提高定位的稳健性和精度,改善模糊度固定的成功率。     

Curve matching approaches to waveform classification: a case study using ICESat data

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) waveforms are being increasingly used in many forest and urban applications, especially for ground feature classification. However, most studies relied on either discretizing waveforms to multiple returns or extracting shape metrics from waveforms. The direct use of the full waveform, which contains the most comprehensive and accurate information has been scarcely explored. We proposed to utilize the complete waveform to test its ability to differentiate between objects having distinct vertical structures using curve matching approaches. Two groups of curve matching approaches were developed by extending methods originally designed for pixel-based hyperspectral image classification and object-based high spatial image classification. The first group is based on measuring the curve similarity between an unknown waveform and a reference waveform, including curve root sum squared differential area (CRSSDA), curve angle mapper (CAM), and Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence. The second group assesses the curve similarity between an unknown and reference cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of their waveforms, including cumulative curve root sum squared differential area (CCRSSDA), cumulative curve angle mapper (CCAM), and Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) distance. When employed to classify open space, trees, and buildings using ICESat waveform data, KL provided the highest average classification accuracy (87%), closely followed by CCRSSDA and CCAM, and they all significantly outperformed KS, CRSSDA, and CAM based on 15 randomized sample sets.     

Use of an inside buffer method to extract the extent of urban areas from DMSP/OLS nighttime light data in North China

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)/Operational Linescan System (OLS) nighttime imagery provides a valuable data source for mapping urban areas. However, the spatial extents of large cities are often overestimated because of the effect of over-glow from nighttime light if a fixed thresholding technique is used. In the work reported here, an inside buffer method was developed to solve this issue. The method is based on the fact that the area overestimated is proportional to the extent of the lit area if a fixed threshold is used to extract urban areas in a region/county. Using this method, the extents of urban areas in North China were extracted and validated by interpretations from Landsat Thematic Mapper images. The results showed that the lit areas had a significant linear relationship with the urban areas for 120 representative cities in North China in 2000, with an R² value of over 0.95. This demonstrates that the inside buffer method can be used to extract urban areas. The validation results showed that the inside buffer model developed in 2000 can be directly used to extract the extent of urban areas using more recent nighttime light imagery. This is of great value for the timely updating of urban area databases in large regions or countries.