Low-Level Westerly Winds,Topography, and Tropical Cyclogenesis of Arlene (2005): Observations and Model Simulations

The evolution process of the low-level westerly winds over the eastern North Pacific is investigated to understand the tropical cyclogenesis (TCG) of Tropical Storm Arlene (2005) over the Intra-Americas Sea (IAS). Also considered are the influences of the topography of the Central American mountain region interacting with the low-level westerly winds on Arlene's TCG by comparing results from a modified-topography simulation of Arlene's TCG with those from a simulation with the original topography in the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. Interactions among large-scale circulations associated with subtropical highs in both hemispheres and an anticyclone over the warm eastern North Pacific produced low-level westerly winds into the IAS. WRF model experiments with a virtually elevated terrain filling in mountain passes in Central America resulted in the delayed and suppressed development of the incipient storm. The model experiments suggest that the low-level winds and moisture fluxes from the eastern North Pacific passing through the low-level mountain passes in Central America could play a critical role in the TCG process and perhaps also sustenance of storms over the western Caribbean.     

季风及季风与西风带相互关系的数值模拟研究

利用中国科学院大气物理研究所九层大气环流模式积分20年,分析其对季风的模拟能力并探寻季风与西风带的相互关系.模式计算得到的全球广义季风区的分布和大气质量的跨纬圈输送,与由实测资料算得的结果十分接近;行星热对流环流和地表特性差异对大气质量跨纬圈传输的功效比夏季约为1.8:1,冬季为2.2:2,此值也与实测十分接近;模拟结果还发现西风带和热带的降水性质有着本质差别,前者与风暴轴有关,为大尺度抬升凝结降水,后者受控于大气层结,为对流性降水;西风带和季风降水都受两半球副热带辐散源的驱动影响,冬季风加强北半球的西风带,进而加强西风带降水,夏季风则削弱北半球西风带和其降水;起自南半球的两支夏季风气流在印度洋和南亚一带同位相叠加,引发强大的亚-澳夏季风,并伴有最强的降水中心,而冬季风会在西太平洋暖池形成一对南北对称的辐合中心,并形成冬季最强的降水中心.     

我国低纬高原地区初夏强降水天气研究Ⅱ.2005与2001年5月云南旱涝成因的对比分析

2001年和2005年的5月云南分别出现了严重的洪涝和干旱天气.通过分析研究表明,这两年在大尺度环流形势、季风爆发的早晚和强弱以及ENSO背景的影响等方面都有着显著的不同.2001年5月对流层中层的东亚槽位置偏西且强度偏强,同时南支槽稳定维持且较强,致使冷暖空气易于在云南地区交汇,这可能是在该地区产生较强降水的主要环流形势,而2005年5月东亚槽位置偏东,南支槽较弱,致使云南地区几乎没有水汽来源和缺乏冷暖空气的交汇,这是产生干旱的主要环流形势;同时南海季风爆发的早晚和强弱与云南5月降水也有着较好的关系,2001年5月南海季风爆发偏早且强度偏强,而2005年5月南海季风爆发偏晚且强度偏弱,这两年5月的降水差异较大;对水汽分布的分析还表明,2001年5月云南地区为水汽辐合区,且较常年平均偏大,水汽通量为西南向,且强度较强.而2005年5月云南为水汽辐散区,孟加拉湾的水汽向东进入南海,云南地区非常干燥;从ENSO大背景对其影响的分析可知,2001年5月的洪涝和2005年5月的干旱与这两年的前期海温变化似乎也存在一定的联系.     

AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EQUATORIAL WESTERLIES

The real-time data of the high level atmosphere obtained by the R/V Xiangyanghong No.5 involved in the international TOGA-COARE project at 2°S, 155°E and at fixed real time of 05, 11, 19 and 23 h GMT each day from Nov. 5, 1992 to Feb. 18, 1993 are used to analyze diagnostically the vertical structure of wind and humidity over the central area of the warm pool. The results show that (1) the lowfrequency oscillation of the equatorial westerlies (i. e. reconstruction-development-decline) is closely related to the vigour and interruption of the Asian-Australian monsoon (including air flow across the equator caused by East Asia cold wave), (2) the variabilities of the vertical structure of wind and humidity, and the processes of precipitation and gale weather in the troposphere of the warm pool area are closely related to the intensity of the equatorial westerlies, and (3) there are strong wind belts over the high and low level atmosphere in the western equatorial Pacific at the inception of the ENSO event, and jet flow at the high and low level atmosphere during the equatorial westerly burst.     

北半球西风带准周期性转换的理论分析——初步探讨北极与中纬度及副热带能量相互输送的机制

本文运用准地转模式,通过等值投影方法,将等值线转换为向量场结构,探讨西风带高低指数周期性转换的机制,结果表明:（1）仅有位能转化所引起的水平涡动输送,可能产生大振幅的行星波,但不会产生西风带的断裂;（2）在波流相互作用下,平均纬向风速与基波波幅满足分岔条件时,会出现西风带断裂现象,即当满足这个分岔条件时,更有利于北极与中纬度及副热带能量的相互输送。如北极冷空气的跨纬度输送会导致东亚极端冷事件的发生;同时,也能维持西风带的高低指数循环。     

南极海冰边缘区密集度的年际变化与西风的Ekman输运

为了揭示南极海冰年际变化的机制,利用南极海冰边缘区密集度和海面风资料,选择南极海冰边缘区海冰密集度年际变化较大的5个海区进行统计分析.研究表明：南半球冬季在这5个海区海冰密集度年际变化与南侧西风的年际变化有较密切的关系,南半球冬季南极海冰边缘区南侧西风形成向北的Ekman输运对海冰边缘区的海冰密集度有重要的影响,这种影响在南太平洋和南大西洋比在南印度洋东部更明显.     

中国南方2008年1月罕见低温雨雪冰冻灾害发生的原因及其与气候变暖的关系

2008年1月中国南方发生的低温、雨雪、冰冻灾害不是一个局地或地区性现象,它是同期发生的亚洲大范围冰雪灾害链中的一环,在影响范围和灾害程度上是最严重的一环.它有3个主要特征:(1)降雪、冻雨和降雨3种天气并存,冻雨是导致南方致灾的主要原因;(2)低温、雨雪、冻雨天气强度大,根据中国国家气候中心和南方各省气象部门的统计及分析,有8项气象要素打破同期中国历史记录;(3)低温、雨雪、冰冻天气持续时间长,破历史记录.这次低温、雨雪冰冻灾害形成的原因不是单一的,是多种因素在同一时段,同一地区相互配合和迭加的结果,其中La Nina事件是灾害发生的气候背景,它为雨雪冰冻天气提供了冷空气侵袭中国南方的前提条件;欧亚大气环流异常持续性是造成冷空气不断侵袭中国南方的直接原因;孟加拉湾和南海地区暖湿气流的北上是大范围冻雨和降雪形成并持续在中国南方的必要条件.     

基于树轮宽度的巴丹吉林沙漠南缘山地NDVI重建与分析

利用巴丹吉林沙漠南缘山地三个采样点的青海云杉树轮样本研制出区域树轮宽度年表。相关分析发现区域树轮宽度年表与5-7月NDVI变化有较好相关性,相关系数为0.667 (P<0.001)。利用线性回归模型重建了巴丹吉林沙漠南缘山地1765–2010年5-7月NDVI变化,方差解释量为44.5%。NDVI重建序列揭示在1765–2010年期间巴丹吉林沙漠南缘山地有10个植被生长良好时段和10个植被生长较差时段。同时,NDVI重建序列的低值与河西走廊极端干旱历史事件有着良好的一致性。多窗谱周期分析发现,巴丹吉林沙漠南缘山地5-7月NDVI重建序列具有10.1年,8.1年,4.9年,3.0年,2.6年和2.2年的准周期变化。交叉小波分析发现太阳黑子活动是区域NDVI变化的重要驱动力之一。基于NDVI与区域干湿变化良好相关,分析了极端低值年份和极端高值年份的矢量风场距平变化发现区域NDVI变化与大范围气候场变化有显著关联,发现当西风增强时,研究区气候偏湿,有利于树木生长,NDVI值偏高,形成较宽的树轮。当研究区被来自北面沙漠地区气流控制时候,研究区气流偏干,不利于树木生长。     

Hydroclimatic significance of stable isotopes in precipitation from glaciers of Garhwal Himalaya,Upper Ganga Basin (UGB), India

Stable isotopic composition of precipitation as preserved in continental proxy climate archives (e.g., ice cores, lacustrine sediments, tree rings, groundwater, and organic matter) can sensitively record fluctuations in local meteorological variables. These are important natural climatic tracers to understand the atmospheric circulation patterns and hydrological cycle and to reconstruct past climate from archives. Precipitation was collected at Dokriani Glacier to understand the response of glaciers to climate change in the Garhwal Central Himalaya, Upper Ganga Basin. The local meteoric water line deviates from the global meteoric water line and is useful for the identification of moisture source in the region. The data suggest different clusters of isotopic signals, that is, summer (June–September) and winter (November–April); the mean values of δ¹⁸O, δD, and d ‰ during summer are ?13.03‰, ?84.49‰, and 19.78 ‰, respectively, whereas during winter, the mean values of δ¹⁸O, δD, and d ‰ are ?7.59‰, ?36.28‰, and 24.46 ‰, respectively. Backward wind trajectory analysis ascertains that the major source of precipitation during summer is from the Indian Summer Monsoon and during winter from the westerlies. Regression analysis has been carried out in order to establish interrelationship between the precipitation isotopic signatures and meteorological variables such as air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation. Temperature and precipitation have good correlation with the isotopic signatures of precipitation with R² values >.5, suggesting that both temperature and amount effects prevail in the study region. Multiple regression analysis found strong relationships for both the seasons. The relationship of deuterium excess with δ¹⁸O, relative humidity, and precipitation are significant for the winter season. No significant relationships of deuterium excess were found with other meteorological variables such as temperature and radiation. The correlation and regression analysis performed are significant and valuable for interpretation of processes in the hydrological cycle as well as for interpretation of palaeoclimate records from the region.     

Does the Agulhas Current amplify global temperatures during super‐interglacials?

Future projections of climate suggest our planet is moving into a ‘super‐interglacial’. Here we report a global synthesis of ice, marine and terrestrial data from a recent palaeoclimate equivalent, the Last Interglacial (ca. 130–116 ka ago). Our analysis suggests global temperatures were on average ～1.5°C higher than today (relative to the AD 1961–1990 period). Intriguingly, we identify several Indian Ocean Last Interglacial sequences that suggest persistent early warming, consistent with leakage of warm, saline waters from the Agulhas Current into the Atlantic, intensifying meridional ocean circulation and increasing global temperatures. This mechanism may have played a significant positive feedback role during super‐interglacials and could become increasingly important in the future. These results provide an important insight into a future 2°C climate stabilisation scenario. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.