积雪变化对中国森林凋落物分解影响研究进展

森林凋落物的分解对于维持生态系统物质循环和养分平衡具有重要意义,并受到不同积雪厚度下冻融格局的影响。冻融期（包括冻结过程期、完全冻结期、融化过程期）是冻土区凋落物分解的重要时期,该时期分解的凋落物量约占全年分解总量的一半。积雪减少通常会导致土壤温度降低、冻融循环次数增加,进而影响凋落物分解。通过综述近10年来积雪变化对我国森林凋落物分解影响的研究成果发现,积雪厚度减少在冻融期通常会抑制凋落物质量损失、碳元素释放和纤维素降解,生长季则起到促进作用,从全年来看多数表现为抑制作用。因此,冻融作用造成凋落物的物理破坏,对其分解的促进作用主要发生在后续生长季。积雪厚度减少在冻融期通常抑制氮元素释放,生长季和全年则无明显规律;磷元素和木质素目前研究还存在很大差异。最后,进一步阐述了积雪变化对凋落物分解影响研究存在的问题及未来研究发展方向。     

多因子和多尺度合成中国夏季降水预测模型及预报试验

根据青藏高原60个站平均的月积雪深度、热带太平洋Nino 3区月海温和中国160个站月降水量等资料,用小波变换和相关分析,分析了1958～1998年秋冬季青藏高原异常雪盖与El Nino-南方涛动(ENSO)的关系、多时间尺度变化的特征及其与中国夏季降水的相关型式.并取青藏高原积雪和Nino 3区海温的年际变化、年代际变化和线性趋势三种不同时间尺度的小波分量作为预报因子,对我国夏季降水距平作线性回归,建立了相应的预测模型.最后,利用1999～2002年的独立资料进行了预报试验,并在2003年和2004年应用于实际预报.研究表明,青藏高原雪盖与ENSO这两个物理因子彼此具有一定的独立性.它们都是多时间尺度现象,并与中国夏季降水有较好的关系.在不同时间尺度上不仅有不同的相关型式,而且相对贡献也有变化.回归预测模型的拟合情况和预报试验表明,综合考虑前期秋冬季青藏高原雪盖和ENSO这两个物理因子的年际变化、年代际变化和线性趋势作为预报因子建立的预测我国夏季降水距平分布的模型,有一定的预报能力.     

HYDROCHEMISTRY AS AN INDICATOR OF SUBGLACIAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM STRUCTURE: A COMPARISON OF ALPINE AND SUB-POLAR ENVIRONMENTS

The anion compositions (SO²₄, HCO⁻₃ and Cl⁻) of runoff from the Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland and Austre Brøggerbreen, Svalbard are compared to assess whether or not variations in water chemistry with discharge are consistent with current understanding of the subglacial drainage structure of warm- and polythermal-based glaciers. These glacial catchments have very different bedrocks and the subglacial drainage structures are also believed to be different, yet the range of anion concentrations show considerable overlap for SO²⁻₄ and HCO⁻₃. Concentrations of Cl⁻ are higher at Austre Brøggerbreen because of the maritime location of the glacier. Correcting SO²⁻₄ for the snowpack component reveals that the variation in non-snowpack SO²⁻₄ with discharge and with HCO⁻₃ is similar to that observed at the Haut Glacier d'Arolla. Hence, if we assume that the provenance of the non-snowpack SO²⁻₄ is the same in both glacial drainage systems, a distributed drainage system also contributes to runoff at Austre Brøggerbreen. We have no independent means of testing the assumption at present. The lower concentrations of non-snowpack SO²⁻₄ at Austre Brøggerbreen may suggest that a smaller proportion of runoff originates from a distributed drainage system than at the Haut Glacier d'Arolla.     

CHANGES IN GLACIER AND ALPINE RUNOFF IN THE NORTH CASCADE RANGE,WASHINGTON, USA 1985–1993

From 1985 to 1993, the mean summer temperature was 1.1°C above the long-term mean and the mean winter precipitation was 11% below the long-term mean at the eight Washington State Cascade Mountain weather stations. The effect of this climate fluctuation on glacier and alpine runoff has been examined in five North Cascade basins. From 1985 to 1993 the two basins with less than 1% glacier-covered area experienced mean 1 July to 30 September (late summer) runoff 36% below the long-term mean. The three moderately glaciated basins (3, 6 and 14% glaciated, respectively) experienced a 13% decline in late summer runoff for the same period. A significant change in late summer runoff has occurred in the North Cascades and this change is less pronounced in glacier basins. The cause of the change is decreased winter precipitation and earlier onset of spring melting of the alpine snowpack, followed by above average summer temperatures and an earlier summer melt of alpine snowpack. The smaller decrease in runoff in glacial basins is due to increased ablation and consequent glacier runoff due to high summer temperatures. However, glacier retreat is also reducing glacier runoff.     

VELOCITY–DISCHARGE RELATIONSHIPS DERIVED FROM DYE TRACER EXPERIMENTS IN GLACIAL MELTWATERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SUBGLACIAL FLOW CONDITIONS

Repeated dye tracer tests were undertaken from individual moulins at Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland, over a number of diurnal discharge cycles during the summers of 1989–1991. It was hoped to use the concepts of at-a-station hydraulic geometry to infer flow conditions in subglacial channels from the form of the velocity–discharge relationships derived from these tests. The results, however, displayed both clockwise and anticlockwise velocity–discharge hysteresis, in addition to the simple power function relationship assumed in the hydraulic geometry approach. Clockwise hysteresis seems to indicate that a moulin drains into a small tributary channel rather than directly into an arterial channel, and that discharges in the two channels vary out of phase with each other. Anticlockwise hysteresis is accompanied by strong diurnal variations in the value of dispersivity derived from the dye breakthrough curve, and is best explained by hydraulic damming of moulins or sub/englacial passageways. Despite the complex velocity–discharge relationships observed, some indication of subglacial flow conditions may be obtained if tributary channels comprise only a small fraction of the drainage path and power function velocity–discharge relationships are derived from dye injections conducted during periods when the supraglacial discharge entering the moulin and the bulk discharge vary in phase. Analyses based on this premise suggest that both open and closed channel flow occur beneath Haut Glacier d'Arolla, and that flow conditions are highly variable at and between sites.     

SOME ASPECTS OF THE INTERACTION OF BLOWING SNOW WITH THE ATMOSPHERIC BOUNDARY LAYER

Several possible effects of blowing snow on the atmospheric boundary layer are investigated, mostly within the general framework of the Prairie Blowing Snow Model (PBSM). The processes of snow saltation and suspension are first described. Variations to the drift density profile are tested and the effects of stratification and density variation calculations are evaluated. Despite high density gradients of blowing snow, stratification effects on turbulence and the velocity profiles can generally be neglected. However, with saltating or suspended snow in a constant shear stress layer, part of the shear stress is carried by the particles. A highly simplified, single-phase approach, based on the density variation of the air–snow mixture coupled to a simple turbulent stress–strain relationship, is used to illustrate this. Sublimation rates in a column of blowing snow are calculated using the PBSM and results are compared with those obtained with a modified formulation which incorporates a spectrum of sublimating particles of varying sizes at each height in a steady-state surface boundary layer and different specifications of the ventilation velocity.     

SNOW WETNESS ESTIMATES OF VEGETATED TERRAIN FROM SATELLITE PASSIVE MICROWAVE DATA

The Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) radiometer is a useful tool for monitoring snow wetness on a large scale because water content has a significant effect on the microwave emissions at the snowpack surface. To date, SSM/I snow wetness algorithms, based on statistical regression analysis, have been developed only for specific regions. Inadequate ground-based snow wetness measurements and the non-linearity between SSM/I brightness temperatures (T_Bs) and snow wetness over varied vegetation covered terrain has impeded the development of a general model. In this study, we used a previously developed linear relationship between snowpack surface wetness (% by volume) and concurrent air temperature (°C) to estimate the snow wetness at ground weather stations. The snow condition (snow free, dry, wet or refrozen snow) of each SSM/I pixel (a 37 × 29 km area at 37.0 GHz) was determined from ground-measured weather data and the T_B signature. SSM/I T_Bs of wet snow were then linked with the snow wetness estimates as an input/output relationship. A single-hidden-layer back-propagation (backprop) artificial neural network (ANN) was designed to learn the relationships. After training, the snow wetness values estimated by the ANN were compared with those derived by regression models. Results show that the ANN performed better than the existing regression models in estimating snow wetness from SSM/I data over terrain with different amounts of vegetation cover.     

The quaternary glacial history of the Lahul Himalaya,northern India

This paper presents the first glacial chronology for the Lahul Himalaya, Northern India. The oldest glaciation, the Chandra Glacial Stage, is represented by glacially eroded benches at altitudes greater than 4300 m above sea-level. This glaciation was probably of a broad valley type. The second glaciation, the Batal Glacial Stage, is represented by highly weathered and dissected lateral moraines, which are present along the Chandra valley and some of its tributaries. This was an extensive valley glaciation. The third major glaciation, the Kulti Glacial Stage, is represented by well-preserved moraines in the main tributary valleys of the Chandra valley. This represents a less extensive valley glaciation. Two minor glacial advances, the Sonapani I and II, are represented by small sharp-crested moraines, which are within a few hundred metres or few kilometres of the present-day glaciers. The change in style and extent of glaciation is attributed to an increase in aridity throughout the Quaternary, due either to global climatic change or uplift of the Pir Panjal mountains to the south of Lahul, which restricted the northward penetration of the south Asian summer monsoon. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

欧亚春季雪盖对印度洋偶极子的影响

文章研究了欧亚春季雪盖对印度洋偶极子的影响。研究发现,欧亚春季雪盖与印度洋偶极子关系密切,两者之间存在显著的反相关关系。欧亚春季雪盖异常导致夏季赤道印度洋垂直纬向环流以及印度洋和欧亚大陆之间的垂直经向环流发生异常,是欧亚春季雪盖与印度洋偶极子存在反相关关系的主要原因。欧亚春季雪盖异常可能是印度洋偶极子发生的一个重要的外在诱发因子。