An equilibrium cloud-resolving modeling study of diurnal variation of tropical rainfall

The diurnal variation of tropical rainfall is examined through the analysis of an equilibrium cloud-resolving model experiment. Model domain mean rain rate is defined as a product of rain intensity and fractional rainfall coverage. The diurnal variation of the mean rain rate is associated with that of fractional rainfall coverage because the diurnal variation of rain intensity is significantly weakened through the decrease in rainfall in early morning hours. The decrease in rainfall corresponds to the reduction in secondary circulations through the barotropic conversion from the perturbation kinetic energy to the mean kinetic energy under the imposed negative vertical gradient of westerly winds. The fractional rainfall coverage shows the diurnal signal with the maximum in the early morning hours primarily due to nocturnal infrared radiative cooling.     

登陆台风边界层风廓线特征的地基雷达观测

为了分析登陆台风边界层风廓线特征,利用2004—2013年中国东南沿海新一代多普勒天气雷达收集的17个登陆台风资料,采用飓风速度体积分析方法,反演登陆台风的边界层风场结构特征。与探空观测对比表明,利用雷达径向风场可以准确地反演登陆台风的边界层风场结构,其风速误差小于2 m/s,风向误差小于5°。所有登陆台风合成的边界层风廓线显示,在近地层(100 m)以上,边界层风廓线存在类似急流的最大切向风,其高度均在1 km以上,显著高于大西洋观测到的飓风边界层急流高度(低于1 km)。陆地边界层内低层入流强度也明显大于过去海上观测,这主要是由陆地上摩擦增大引起。越靠近台风中心,边界层风廓线离散度越大,其中,径向风廓线比全风速以及切向风廓线离散度更大。将风廓线相对台风移动方向分为4个象限,分析边界层风廓线非对称特征显示,台风移动前侧入流层明显高于移动后侧。最大切向风位于台风移动左后侧,而台风右后侧没有显著的急流特征,与过去理想模拟的海陆差异导致的台风非对称分布特征一致。     

基于WRF/CALMET的近地面精细化风场的动力模拟试验研究

本文利用中尺度动力模式 WRF和诊断模式CALMET对琼州海峡的两次冷空气过程的近地层风场进行模拟和诊断,所用的资料是美国NCEP再分析FNL资料。WRF模式第一至第四层网格的水平距离分别是27、9、3和1 km,并用WRF-1 km场以单向嵌套模拟方式降至200 m,同时以 WRF-1 km 预报场作为 CALMET 初猜场降尺度诊断至200 m。分别用CALMET-200 m风场、WRF-1 km风场和 WRF-200 m风场,3个风场的风速、风向与沿琼海海峡分布的21个测站（其中6个测风塔）观测资料进行检验比较分析。主要结论是：（1）CALMET-200 m的风速RMSE明显小于另外两组试验,风向RMSE总体上差异不大;在60～80 m高度上也没有明显差异。（2）在0～8 m·s－1风速,10 m高度上CALMET-200 m风场诊断结果最好,风速平均偏差值从4～0 m·s－1,WRF的两组试验平均偏差值比CALMET-200 m结果大约2 m·s－1,风向上表现为偏差的分布更加集中;60～80 m高度上,CALMET-200 m 诊断效果与 WRF-1 km 模拟效果相当,但是冷空气时段内 WRF-200 m的风速要远远差于另外两组试验;而3组试验的风向并无大的差异。（3）WRF／CALMET模式系统在非冷空气活动时段内的风速风向模拟诊断偏差更小,说明其在层结相对较稳定时模拟诊断的准确度更高。     

近30年中国地面风速分区及气候特征

通过中国近地面风速区划可以深入了解风速分布规律,有助于研究风速的变化机制。利用1980-2009年中国608个测站的日平均风速资料,经过旋转经验正交函数分解法(REOF)得到10个分区,各分区范围和地形有一定的关系。风速频率曲线变化表明,中国北部地区(第3、4区)风速偏大,中部地区(第2、10区)风速普遍较小;对比分析了区域有效风速日数频率和风能分布。根据谐波方法得到各分区风速的年变化特征,大部分区域呈单峰单谷型或双峰双谷型,高值区主要出现在春季,并分析了形成上述特点的可能天气学成因。风速线性倾向估计结果表明,中国大部分地区风速呈减小趋势,第1、4、5区平均风速递减率在-0.028~-0.023 m·s-1·a-1之间,但是,中部地区(第2区、第6区西部、第10区)年平均风速出现递增。通过Mann-Kendan法和小波分析方法检测表明,第2、3、5区突变点出现在2000年附近,第1、4、6区突变点出现在20世纪90年代初。环流特征量指数和风速同期相关性分析,揭示了北极涡和副热带高压对风速的影响。     

孟加拉湾超级风暴费林对西藏强降水的影响分析

利用NCEP/NCAR(2.5°×2.5°)再分析资料和常规、非常规观测资料,通过环境场和中尺度特征较全面细致地分析了孟加拉湾风暴费林（Phailin）对西藏特大暴雪的影响。研究表明：“费林”对强降水的影响主要是登陆减弱为低压后,低压云系分两个阶段形成三个中尺度对流云团,对流云团在南支槽的作用下上高原。而强降水的发生和南风风速的大小有直接的对应关系,西南低空急流建立后西藏南部才出现强降水,而低空急流的建立是靠南支槽的贡献。南风风速和强降水的这一重要关系为此类天气提供了预报着眼点。     

THE LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE VERTICAL VELOCITY OMEGA ON THE SCALE OF SYSTEM SENSITIVITY

In this study, the relationship between scale and vertical velocity in a low-pressure system is explored using the wave characteristics of atmospheric disturbances and the structural characteristics of low-pressure systems. The ω differential equation, as determined by the transient geopotential height field Φ, is solved to obtain an analytical solution composed only of wavelength, horizontal speed, and atmospheric stability, i.e., the ω diagnostic equation of a low-pressure system. This equation also shows that vertical velocity in the low-pressure system is very sensitive to the horizontal scale, i.e., a smaller horizontal scale means a larger vertical velocity.     

Optimized running conditions and sensitivity for direction sensitive detectors of WIMP dark matter

Optimum fill pressures for direction-sensitive dark matter detectors based on tracking in gases are considered. Given the minimum resolvable track length and the gas fill, the Lindhard–Scharf stopping model leads to the existence of an optimum pressure which maximizes the specific event rate R (event rate per unit detector volume). In addition, maximizing the detectibility of the recoil nucleus diurnal asymmetry is considered. Optimum fill pressures are calculated for Ar, CF₄, CS₂ and Xe gas fills, as a function of the WIMP mass and the minimum resolvable track length. The associated minimum target volumes required to achieve currently competitive WIMP-nucleon cross-section sensitivity are also calculated. The standard isothermal sphere model of the galactic WIMP halo is used throughout, but the method could be extended to use any desired WIMP distribution function.     

Observation of saturnian stream particles in the interplanetary space

In January 2004 the dust instrument on the Cassini spacecraft detected the first high-velocity grain expelled from Saturn - a so-called stream particle. Prior to Cassini’s arrival at Saturn in July 2004 the instrument registered 801 faint impacts, whose impact signals showed the characteristic features of a high-velocity impact by a tiny grain. The impact rates as well as the directionality of the stream particles clearly correlate with the sector structure of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) registered stream particles dominantly during periods when the IMF direction was tangential to the solar wind flow and in the prograde direction. This finding provides clear evidence for a continuous outflow of tiny dust grains with similar properties from the saturnian system. Within the compressed part of co-rotating interaction regions (CIRs) of the IMF, characterized by enhanced magnetic field strength and compressed solar wind plasma, CDA observed impact bursts of faster stream particles. We find that the bursts result from the stream particles being sped up inside the compressed CIR regions. Our analysis of the stream-particle dynamics inside rarefaction regions of the IMF implies that saturnian stream particles have sizes between 2 and 9 nm and exit the saturnian systems closely aligned with the planet’s ring plane with speeds in excess of 70 km s⁻¹.     

Search for Phobos and Deimos gas/dust tori using in situ observations from Mars Global Surveyor MAG/ER

More than 490 elliptical aerobraking and science phasing orbits made by Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) in 1997 and 1998 provide unprecedented coverage of the solar wind in the vicinity of the orbits of the martian moons Phobos and Deimos. We have performed a comprehensive survey of magnetic field perturbations in the solar wind to search for possible signatures of solar wind interaction with dust or gas escaping from the moons. A total of 1246 solar wind disturbance events were identified and their distribution was examined relative to Phobos, the Phobos orbit, and the Deimos orbit. We find that the spatial distribution of solar wind perturbations does not increase near or downstream of Phobos, Phobos’ orbit, or Deimos’ orbit, which would have been expected if there is significant outgassing or dust escape from the martian moons. Of the 1246 magnetic field perturbation events found in the MGS data set, 11 events were found within 2000 km of the Phobos orbit, while three events were found within 2000 km of the Deimos orbit. These events were analyzed in detail and found to likely have other causes than outgassing/dust escape from the martian moons. Thus we conclude that the amount of gas/dust escaping the martian moons is not significant enough to induce detectable magnetic field perturbations in the solar wind. In essence we have not found any clear evidence in the MGS magnetic field data for outgassing or dust escape from the martian moons.     

Preservation potential of implanted solar wind volatiles in lunar paleoregolith deposits buried by lava flows

The lunar surface is bathed in a variety of impacting particles originating from the solar wind, solar flares, and galactic cosmic rays. These particles can become embedded in the regolith and/or produce a range of other molecules as they pass through the target material. The Moon therefore contains a record of the variability of the solar and galactic particle fluxes through time. To obtain useful temporal snapshots of these processes, discrete regolith units must be shielded from continued bombardment that would rewrite the record over time. One mechanism for achieving this preservation is the burial of a regolith deposit by a later lava flow. The archival value of such deposits sandwiched between lava layers is enhanced by the fact that both the under- and over-lying lava can be dated by radiometric techniques, thereby precisely defining the age of the regolith layer and the geologic record contained therein. The implanted volatile species would be vulnerable to outgassing by the heat of the over-lying flow, at temperatures exceeding 300-700 °C. However, the insulating properties of the finely particulate regolith would restrict significant heating to shallow depths. We have therefore modeled the heat transfer between lunar mare basalt lavas and the regolith in order to establish the range of depths below which implanted volatiles would be preserved. We find that the full suite of solar wind volatiles, consisting predominantly of H and He, would survive at depths of ∼13-290 cm (for 1-10 m thick lava flows, respectively). A substantial amount of CO, CO₂, N₂ and Xe would be preserved at depths as shallow as 3.7 cm beneath meter-thick flows. Given typical regolith accumulation rates during mare volcanism, the optimal localities for collecting viable solar wind samples would involve stacks of thin mare lava flows emplaced a few tens to a few hundred Ma apart, in order for sufficient regolith to develop between burial events. Obtaining useful archives of Solar System processes would therefore require extraction of regolith deposits buried at quite shallow depths beneath radiometrically-dated mare lava flows. These results provide a basis for possible lunar exploration activities.