Improvement and Application of the Similarity Saltation Model: Wind-Tunnel Experimental Investigation and Numerical Simulation of the Vertical Sand Mass Flux Distribution in the Saltation Layer

Based upon comparisons between published experimental data and simulated results on the vertical sand flux distribution in the saltation layer, Shao’s similarity saltation model has been greatly improved by correcting the average vertical particle lift-off velocity and using a more suitable universal roughness length. By the improved model, the vertical sand flux profile over the bare, dry and loose uniform sandy surface, which is quite representative of real desert surfaces, can be reproduced very well. Meanwhile, the surface transport rate and the characteristic and average saltation heights have been simulated and analyzed in detail, disclosing their relationships with friction velocity, particle size and roughness length, and the possible underlying mechanisms. Besides, the average particle lift-off velocity and the average mean vertical aerodynamic action upon the ascending particle, which determine the saltation process, are explicitly expressed by parameters involved in the similarity model, and their relationships with friction velocity, particle size and roughness length are also described concisely. The corrected average particle lift-off velocity makes it possible to investigate the characteristic particle trajectory, whose initial velocity equals the average lift-off velocity, so as to estimate the average particle against surface impacting velocity and the average aerodynamic action upon the saltation process.     

The Parameterisation of Scalar Transfer over Rough Ice

We test a surface renewal model that is widely used over snow and ice surfaces to calculate the scalar roughness length (z _s ), one of the key parameters in the bulk aerodynamic method. For the first time, the model is tested against observations that cover a wide range of aerodynamic roughness lengths (z ₀). During the experiments, performed in the ablation areas of the Greenland ice sheet and the Vatnajökull ice cap in Iceland, the surface varied from smooth snow to very rough hummocky ice. Over relatively smooth snow and ice with z ₀ below a threshold value of approximately 10^?3 m, the model performs well and in accord with earlier studies. However, with growing hummock size, z ₀ increases well above the threshold and the bulk aerodynamic flux becomes significantly smaller than the eddy-correlation flux (e.g. for z ₀ = 0.01 m, the bulk aerodynamic flux is about 50% smaller). Apparently, the model severely underpredicts z _s over hummocky ice. We argue that the surface renewal model does not account for the deep inhomogeneous roughness sublayer (RSL) that is generated by the hummocks. As a consequence, the homogeneous substrate ice grain cover becomes more efficiently ‘ventilated’. Calculations with an alternative model that includes the RSL and was adapted for use over hummocky ice, qualitatively confirms our observations. We suggest that, whenever exceedance of the threshold occurs (z ₀  >  10^?3 m, i.e., an ice surface covered with at least 0.3-m high hummocks), the following relation should be used to calculate scalar roughness lengths, ln (z _s /z ₀)  =  1.5  ? 0.2 ln (Re _*)  ? 0.11(ln (Re _*))².     

Warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean associated with the El Niño event

This paper investigates possible warming effects of an E1 Nifio event on the sea surface temperature anomaly （SSTA） in the northwestern Indian Ocean. Most pure positive Indian Ocean dipole （IOD） events （without an E1 Nifio event co-occurring） have a maximum positive SSTA mainly in the central Indian Ocean south of the equator, while most co-occurrences with an E1 Nifio event exhibit a northwest-southeast typical dipole mode. It is therefore inferred that warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean is closely related to the E1 Nifio event. Based on the atmospheric bridge theory, warming in the northwestern Indian Ocean during co-occurring cases may be primarily caused by relatively less latent heat loss from the ocean due to reduced wind speed. The deepened thermocline also contributes to the warming along the east coast of Africa through the suppressed upwelling of the cold water. Therefore, the E1 Nifio event is suggested to have a modulating effect on the structure of the dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean.     

卫星遥感结合地面观测资料对中国西北干旱区地表热力输送系数的估算

本文利用黑河野外试验 (HEIFE) 地面观测资料, 采用空气动力学方法计算了干旱区内不同下垫面的地表热力输送系数CH, 结合由美国国家海洋和大气局 (NOAA) 系列卫星遥感观测的反映地表植被特征的归一化差值植被指数 (NDVI) 资料, 经拟合得到了针对我国西北干旱区不同下垫面的CH-NDVI参数化关系式, 并对此关系式进行了合理性检验。结果表明: 对于区域尺度而言, 在缺乏用其他方法获得较准确的区域CH值的情况下, 利用卫星遥感结合地面观测资料对其估算是较为可靠的方法。     

我国东、西部夏季水汽输送特征及其差异

本文利用ERA-40再分析每日资料分析了我国东部季风区与西北干旱—半干旱区夏季1971～2000年气候平均的水汽输送特征及其差异, 分析结果表明我国东部季风区与西北干旱—半干旱区夏季气候平均的水汽输送特征有明显的差异。由于亚洲夏季风从孟加拉湾、 南海和热带西太平洋输送大量水汽到我国东部季风区, 故在东部季风区夏季经向水汽输送通量比纬向水汽输送通量大。而西北干旱—半干旱区受中纬度西风带的影响, 夏季纬向水汽输送通量比经向水汽输送通量大, 且此区域夏季无论纬向或者经向水汽输送通量均比东部季风区的水汽输送通量小一量级。并且, 分析结果还表明: 我国东部季风区由于湿度大, 故夏季水汽输送通量的散度不仅依赖于湿度平流, 而且依赖于风场的辐合、 辐散, 而西北干旱—半干旱区夏季水汽输送通量的散度主要依赖于湿度平流。此外, 分析结果还表明了我国东部季风区的水分平衡与西北干旱—半干旱区的水分平衡也有明显的不同。     

北京北郊冬季大风过程湍流通量演变特征的分析研究

利用中国科学院大气物理研究所325 m气象观测塔1993年12月～1994年1月大气边界层实验资料, 计算分析了大风过境过程中47 m和120 m高度湍流通量演变特征及其影响因子, 以及与风速、 稳定度等参数的关系。结果表明: 大风过程对近地面层的物质能量输送有着重要影响, 大风之前出现短时间动量上传和热量下传; 大风过程中的湍流通量数值明显高于过境后, 水平方向湍流通量数值和能量增加幅度大于垂直方向; 当风速大于临界值5 m/s时, 湍流通量与风速、 湍流动能的相关迅速增大; 湍流谱特征表现为湍流能量的低频部分增加、 湍流谱曲线变宽; 大风能强烈影响近地面层的能量收支。     

SEASONAL PERSISTENCE OF THE WEST PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL HIGH AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SURFACE HEAT FLUX ANOMALY

This paper investigates the interannual variation of the West Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) intensity based on the data compiled by the Chinese National Climate Center. Monthly reanalysis data from National Centers for Environmental Prediction and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) are also used to study the lead-lag relationship between WPSH intensity and surface heat flux anomalies. The three major findings are as follows: First, WPSH intensity presents good seasonal persistence, especially from winter to the ensuing summer. Persistence is more significant after 1977, especially from spring to summer, and from summer to autumn; persistence of anticyclonic anomalies are significantly better than cyclonic anomalies. Second, surface heat flux tends to present opposite anomalous patterns between the strong and weak years of the WPSH intensity, which is especially valid at the latent heat flux over the ocean. Simultaneous correlations between surface heat flux and WPSH intensity in each of the seasons are marked by similar key areas. Finally, surface heat flux from the preceding winter of a strong summer WPSH is quite similar to strong spring WPSH, but the positive anomalies over the northwest Pacific and south of Japan are notably stronger. The situations in the weak years are similar except for those over the northwest Pacific: winter surface heat flux shows negative anomalies for a weak spring WPSH, but positive anomalies for a weak summer WPSH. It is suggested that surface heat flux in the previous winter plays an important role in maintaining the WPSH intensity in the ensuing spring and summer.     

近10年全球变暖停滞了吗?

综合分析了与近10年(1999—2008年)全球变暖停滞有关的几个问题。首先,虽然1999—2008年全球平均温度增量接近零,但是这10年仍是30年来平均温度最高的10年。其次,自然变化如火山活动、太阳辐射、ENSO及大洋热盐环流变化可能影响全球平均温度的年际及年代际变化,但是不大可能改变全球变暖的长期趋势。最后,用全球及中国的观测资料证实1999—2008年中国平均温度增量为0.4～0.5℃/10a,即中国的气候变暖仍在继续。     

Model Projections of East Asian Summer Climate under the ‘Free Arctic’ Scenario

This paper addresses the ‘ice-free Arctic’ issue under the future global warming scenario. Four coupled climate models used in the third phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) were selected to project summer climate conditions over East Asia once the Arctic becomes ice-free. The models project that an ice-free Arctic summer will begin in the 2060s under the SRESA1B (according to IPCC Special Reports on Emissions Scenarios) simulations. Our results show that the East Asian summer monsoons will tend to be stronger and that the water vapor transport to central northern China will be strengthened, leading to increased summer precipitation in central northern China. The models also project an intensified Antarctic Oscillation, a condition which favors increased precipitation in South China’s Yangtze River Valley. The overall precipitation in Northwest China is projected to increase under ice-free Arctic summer conditions.     

Parameterization of Sheared Convective Entrainment in the First-Order Jump Model: Evaluation Through Large-Eddy Simulation

In this note, two different approaches are used to estimate the entrainment-flux to surface-flux ratio for a sheared convective boundary layer (CBL); both are derived under the framework of the first-order jump model (FOM). That suggested by Sun and Wang (SW approach) has the advantage that there is no empirical constant included, though the dynamics are described in an implicit manner. The second, which was proposed by Kim et al. and Pino et al. (KP approach), explicitly characterizes the dynamics of the sheared entrainment, but uncertainties are induced through the empirical constants. Their performances in parameterizing the CBL growth rate are compared and discussed, and a new value of the parameter A ₃ in the KP approach is suggested. Large-eddy simulation (LES) data are employed to test both approaches: simulations are conducted for the CBL growing under varying conditions of surface roughness, free-atmospheric stratification, and wind shear, and data used when the turbulence is in steady state. The predicted entrainment rates in each case are tested against the LES data. The results show that the SW approach describes the evolution of the sheared CBL quite well, and the KP approach also reproduces the growth of the CBL reasonably, so long as the value of A ₃ is modified to 0.6.