Evaluating a Model of Evaporation and Transpiration with Observations in a Partially Wet Douglas-Fir Forest

The Penman–Monteith equation is extended to describe evaporation of intercepted rain, transpiration and the interaction between these processes in a single explicit function. This single-layer model simulates the effects of heat exchange, stomatal blocking and changed humidity deficit close to the canopy as a function of canopywater storage. Evaporation depends on the distribution of water over the canopy and the energy exchange between wet and dry parts. Transpiration depends on the dry canopy surface resistance that is described with a Jarvis-type response. The explicit functions obtained for water vapour fluxes facilitate a straightforward identificationof the various processes. Canopy water storage amounts and xylem sapflow were measured simultaneously during drying episodes after rainfall in a dense, partially wet, Douglas-fir forest. Estimates of evaporation and transpiration rates are derived from these observations. The analysis shows that evaporation induced transpirationreduction is mainly caused by energy consumption. Changes in water vapour deficit have a minor effect due to a compensating stomatal reaction. The remaining difference between observed and modelled transpiration reduction can be attributed to partial blocking of stomata by the water layer.     

Start, end and dry spells of the growing season in semi-arid southern Zimbabwe

Smallholder agriculture in semi-arid Zimbabwe is dependent on the seasonal characteristics of rainfall. The determination of start, end and length of the growing season, and the pattern of dry spells during the season is useful information for planning land preparation and planting activities. This study was designed to assess whether there has been any changes in the start, end and length of growing season and the pattern of 14 and 21 day dry spells during the season. Daily rainfall data were collected from five meteorological stations located in southern Zimbabwe. Results indicated that no significant changes in the start, end and subsequent length of growing season occurred over the past 50-74 years. There was no significant change in the number of wet days per season over the period reviewed. There is a high probability of 14 and 21 day dry spells during the peak rainfall months. The relationship between start and end of growing season is stronger as aridity increases. We conclude that growing seasons have not changed significantly over the past 50-74 years in southern Zimbabwe. As smallholder agriculture continues to be affected by dry spells and droughts, there is scope in exploring rainwater management technologies in rainfed cropping systems.     

Reappraisal of the 1982 eruptions of El Chichón Volcano, Chiapas, Mexico: new data from proximal deposits

 Additional data from proximal areas enable a reconstruction of the stratigraphy and the eruptive chronology of phases III and IV of the 1982 eruption of El Chichón Volcano. Phase III began on 4 April at 0135 GMT with a powerful hydromagmatic explosion that generated radially fast-moving (∼100 ms^–1) pyroclastic clouds that produced a surge deposit (S1). Due to the sudden reduction in the confining pressure the process continued by tapping of magma from a deeper source, causing a new explosion. The ejected juvenile material mixed with large amounts of fragmented dome and wall rock, which were dispersed laterally in several pulses as lithic-rich block-and-ash flow (F1). Partial evacuation of juvenile material from the magmatic system prompted the entrance of external water to generate a series of hydromagmatic explosions that dispersed moisture-rich surge clouds and small-volume block-and-ash flows (IU) up to distances of 3 km from the crater. The eruption continued by further decompression of the magmatic system, with the ensuing emission of smaller amounts of gas-rich magma which, with the strong erosion of the volcanic conduit, formed a lithic-rich Plinian column that deposited fallout layer B. Associated with the widening of the vent, an increase in the effective density of the uprising column took place, causing its collapse. Block-and-ash flows arising from the column collapse traveled along valleys as a dense laminar flow (F2). In some places, flow regime changes due to topographic obstacles promoted transformation into a turbulent surge (S2) which attained minimum velocities of approximately 77 ms^–1 near the volcano. The process continued with the formation of a new column on 4 April at 1135 GMT (phase IV) that emplaced fall deposit C and was followed by hydromagmatic explosions which produced pyroclastic surges (S3). Received: 13 May 1996 / Accepted: 12 November 1996     

西安市环境空气质量变化特征及其与气象条件的关系

采用2002-2011年大气污染物的现状监测资料以及同期气象观测资料,分析西安市空气污染的时空分布特征及其与气象条件的关系,并探讨了空气质量为优及轻微污染以上的天气事件对应的高空典型环流形势,研究污染成因及污染物传输规律。结果表明：西安市污染较为严重的污染物为PM₁₀,较大浓度值出现在冬季采暖期,雨水能够对污染物起到有效的湿清除作用,且空气质量状况具有明显的延续性,天气系统具有延续性是造成空气质量的延续性的可能原因;逆温的存在、最大混合层高度的降低造成大气层结稳定,风速较小,阻碍空气的对流运动,使污染物在垂直方向上的扩散能力很弱,不利于污染物扩散,易造成环境空气质量下降引起空气污染的发生。     

Rock varnish microlamination dating of late Quaternary geomorphic features in the drylands of western USA

Varnish microlamination (VML) dating is a correlative age determination technique that can be used to date and correlate various geomorphic features in deserts. In this study, we establish a generalized late Quaternary (i.e., 0–300 ka) varnish layering sequence for the drylands of western USA and tentatively correlate it with the SPECMAP oxygen isotope record. We then use this climatically correlated varnish layering sequence as a correlative dating tool to determine surface exposure ages for late Quaternary geomorphic features in the study region. VML dating of alluvial fan deposits in Death Valley of eastern California indicates that, during the mid to late Pleistocene, 5–15 ky long aggradation events occurred during either wet or dry climatic periods and that major climate shifts between glacial and interglacial conditions may be the pacemaker for alteration of major episodes of fan aggradation. During the Holocene interglacial time, however, 0.5–1 ky long brief episodes of fan deposition may be linked to short periods of relatively wet climate. VML dating of alluvial desert pavements in Death Valley and the Mojave Desert reveals that pavements can be developed rapidly (< 10 ky) during the Holocene (and probably late Pleistocene) in the arid lowlands (< 800 m msl) of these regions; but once formed, they may survive for 74–85 ky or even longer without being significantly disturbed by geomorphic processes operative at the pavement surface. Data from this study also support the currently accepted, “being born at the surface” model of desert pavement formation. VML dating of colluvial boulder deposits on the west slope of Yucca Mountain, southern Nevada, yields a minimum age of 46 ka for the emplacement of these deposits on the slope, suggesting that they were probably formed during the early phase of the last glaciation or before. These results, combined with those from our previous studies, demonstrate that VML dating has great potential to yield numerical age estimates for various late Quaternary geomorphic features in the western USA drylands.     

全球变暖背景下对流性降水变化特征及影响 因子分析

根据NCEP/NCAR逐日、逐月温度资料和相对湿度资料,及长江中下游60个气象站逐日降水资料,采用趋势分析、突变检验等方法,研究了近60年来全球和北半球地表温度变化趋势,分析了温度增加前后,夏季(6～8月)对流性降水的变化特征及其部分影响因子.结果表明:近60年来,北半球年平均及夏季平均地面温度为增暖趋势,1998年为增暖突变年份;变暖后,长江中下游地区夏季对流性降水事件的发生频率呈增多趋势且强度增强;全球增暖后,对流层中、高层水汽含量呈下降趋势,对流层低层水汽含量呈上升趋势;热含量除个别月份外,在700、850、1000 hPa均有明显增长;大气中不稳定性也显著增强.这些与对流性降水事件发生频率的增加和强度的增强有很好的对应关系,说明全球变暖导致的大气中水汽含量变化、湿空气热含量增加和不稳定性增强对对流性降水事件可能有重要影响.     

A weighted surface-depth gradient method for the numerical integration of the 2D shallow water equations with topography

A finite volume MUSCL scheme for the numerical integration of 2D shallow water equations is presented. In the framework of the SLIC scheme, the proposed weighted surface-depth gradient method (WSDGM) computes intercell water depths through a weighted average of DGM and SGM reconstructions, in which the weight function depends on the local Froude number. This combination makes the scheme capable of performing a robust tracking of wet/dry fronts and, together with an unsplit centered discretization of the bed slope source term, of maintaining the static condition on non-flat topographies (C-property). A correction of the numerical fluxes in the computational cells with water depth smaller than a fixed tolerance enables a drastic reduction of the mass error in the presence of wetting and drying fronts. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed scheme are assessed by comparing numerical results with analytical and reference solutions of a set of test cases. Moreover, to show the capability of the numerical model on field-scale applications, the results of a dam-break scenario are presented.     

The Vertical Transport of Air Pollutants by Convective Clouds. Part I: A Non-Reactive Cloud Transport Model

A convective cloud transport model, without chemical processes, is developed by joining a set of concentration conservative equations into a two-dimensional, slab-symmetric and fully elastic numerical cloud model, and a numerical experiment is completed to simulate the vertical transport of ground-borne, inert gaseous pollutant by deepthunderstorm. The simulation shows that deep convective storm can very effectively transport high concentrated pollutant gas from PBL upward to the upper troposphere in 30 to 40 minutes, where the pollutant spreads laterally outward with strong anvil outflow, forming an extensive high concentration area. Meanwhile, relatively low concentration areas are formed in PBL both below and beside the cloud, mainly caused by dynamic pumping effect and sub-cloud downdraft flow. About 80% of the pollutant gas transported to the upper troposphere is from the layer below 1.5 km AGL (above ground level).     

引入对流凝结潜热作用对非均匀饱和大气中非地转湿Q矢量的改进研究

结合2009年第8号台风"莫拉克"登陆福建省引发的强降水过程,通过考虑对流凝结潜热加热,探讨了对非均匀饱和大气中非地转湿Q矢量(Qum)的改进。结果表明:(1)2009年8月9日08:00(北京时,下同)～10日08:00台风"莫拉克"给浙江大部分地区和福建中北部地区带来了一次暴雨过程,WRF模式较成功地模拟出了此次强降水过程。(2)850hPa Qum矢量散度场对同期降水落区具有一定指示意义,散度辐合强度变化与降水强度变化趋势有一定的对应关系。(3)此次暴雨过程中伴有大量的对流凝结潜热释放,最大潜热中心主要位于600hPa。(4)考虑对流凝结潜热加热作用得到改进的Qum矢量,600hPa改进后的Qum矢量散度辐合区对同期降水落区的指示作用得到进一步增强,诊断能力也得到进一步提高。     

2009年11月10—12日陕西特大暴雪诊断分析

利用常规观测资料、NCEP再分析资料、FY-2C卫星资料,对2009年11月9—12日陕西大范围特大暴雪过程进行了诊断分析,结果表明:500 hPa短波槽、700、850 hPa切变线是这次暴雪的主要影响系统,中尺度对流云团是造成此次暴雪的直接原因。尺度分离的流场能清晰地分辨中尺度天气系统,强降水中心与中尺度对流云团和云顶亮温的冷中心有较好的对应。暴雪区发生在ζMPV1为正值中心的东侧,ζMPV2的负值区。湿斜压性的增强主要是由于抬升的暖气流偏南风与低空冷气流偏北风之间形成较强的风向垂直切变,同时暴雪区附近存在较大的▽θse所致。强降雪过程中垂直螺旋度正值区长轴始终与低层切变线走向一致,且位于切变线的东侧。