The methane hydrate formation and the resource estimate resulting from free gas migration in seeping seafloor hydrate stability zone

It is a typical multiphase flow process for hydrate formation in seeping seafloor sediments. Free gas can not only be present but also take part in formation of hydrate. The volume fraction of free gas in local pore of hydrate stable zone (HSZ) influences the formation of hydrate in seeping seafloor area, and methane flux determines the abundance and resource of hydrate-bearing reservoirs. In this paper, a multiphase flow model including water (dissolved methane and salt)-free gas hydrate has been established to describe this kind of flow-transfer-reaction process where there exists a large scale of free gas migration and transform in seafloor pore. In the order of three different scenarios, the conversions among permeability, capillary pressure, phase saturations and salinity along with the formation of hydrate have been deducted. Furthermore, the influence of four sorts of free gas saturations and three classes of methane fluxes on hydrate formation and the resource has also been analyzed and compared. Based on the rules drawn from the simulation, and combined information gotten from drills in field, the methane hydrate(MH) formation in Shenhu area of South China Sea has been forecasted. It has been speculated that there may breed a moderate methane flux below this seafloor HSZ. If the flux is about 0.5 kg m⁻² a⁻¹, then it will go on to evolve about 2700 ka until the hydrate saturation in pore will arrive its peak (about 75%). Approximately 1.47 × 10⁹ m³ MH has been reckoned in this marine basin finally, is about 13 times over preliminary estimate.     

荒漠河岸柽柳(Tamarix chinensis)灌丛的能量平衡特征

用涡度相关法对新疆塔里木河下游荒漠河岸柽柳(Tamarix chinensis)灌丛进行了1个生长季的实验观测,利用同步气象资料探讨了干旱胁迫环境下柽柳灌丛的近地面微气象和能量平衡特征,并运用普通最小二乘法线性回归及能量平衡比率法对比分析了不同天气条件下柽柳的日能量平衡变化和分配的差异。结果表明:观测期内柽柳灌丛的能量平衡闭合率为72.3%,地表能量通量和能量分配特征呈明显的单峰型二次曲线,地表净辐射通量和潜热通量是柽柳灌丛生长季的主要能量收入项和支出项;生长季内柽柳灌丛的能量平衡残差出现系统性、正负交替的日循环规律;在不同天气条件下,能量的分配转化和平衡程度均有明显差异,晴天的能量闭合状况好于阴天、降雨及扬沙天气,白天好于夜间;能量平衡比率在日出前与日落后的变化显著,且出现瞬时能量过闭合现象。受光合作用的影响,能量平衡闭合程度及碳通量的变化与不同天气下的温度及水分密切相关。     

The Long-Term Field Experiment Observatory and Preliminary Analysis of Land-Atmosphere Interaction over Hilly Zone in the Subtropical Monsoon Region of Southern China

To improve current understanding of the water cycle,energy partitioning and CO2 exchange over hilly zone vegetative land surfaces in the subtropical monsoon environment of southern China,a long-term field experiment observatory was set up at Ningxiang,eastern Hunan Province.This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the field observations at the observatory collected from August to November 2012.Results show that significant diurnal variations in soil temperature occur only in shallow soil layers(0.05,0.10,and 0.20 m),and that heavy rainfall affects soil moisture in the deep layers(≥ 0.40 m).During the experimental period,significant diurnal variations in albedo,radiation components,energy components,and CO2 flux were observed,but little seasonal variation.Strong photosynthesis in the vegetation canopy enhanced the CO2 absorption and the latent heat released in daylight hours;Latent heat of evaporation was the main consumer of available energy in late summer.Because the field experiment data are demonstrably reliable,the observatory will provide reliable long-term measurements for future investigations of the land-atmosphere interaction over hilly land surfaces in the subtropical monsoon region of southern China.     

一个区域海-气耦合模式的建立:模式验证及其对热带气旋“云娜”的模拟

本文以区域热带气旋模式(GRAPES-TCM)为基础,引入海洋环流模式(Estuarine,Coastal and Ocean Model(semi-implicit),ECOM-si)和Ocean Atmosphere Sea Ice Soil 3(OASIS3)耦合器,建立了一个区域海-气耦合模式。利用该模式对0414号热带气旋"云娜"进行了数值模拟,验证了模式的性能。结果表明,耦合模式模拟的"云娜"强度相比单独的大气模式更接近观测,单独大气模式模拟的近地面风场偏强,而耦合模式模拟的近地面风场的强度和非对称结构均与观测更为接近。数值实验中,"云娜"热带气旋过境引起的海表面温度的下降与实况接近,海表面温度下降引起的海-气热通量相比控制实验的结果明显下降,分析资料表明这一下降是合理的。海洋模式的引入导致了热带气旋"云娜"结构的变化,这种变化不但反应在径向风的减弱(强度下降),还反应在对流强度和最强对流发生位置的变化,并最终引起了热带气旋降水结构的改变。     

Relationship of surface heat flux to microscale temperature variations: Application to boreas

The surface heat flux is normally parameterized in terms of the difference between the air temperature and the surface radiative temperature, or equivalently, the temperature computed from the surface energy balance. In this note, the relationship between the heat flux and the air-surface temperature difference is shown to be sensitive to the microscale variability of the surface radiation temperature caused by differences between the well-ventilated tree tops and less ventilated ground surface. This conclusion is based on surface and aircraft data collected during the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS). For this case, the heat flux cannot be predicted by adjusting the thermal roughness height. As an alternative, the aerodynamic temperature can be related to a weighted average of the surface radtation temperature analogous to application of a simple canopy model. Here, the total heat flux is the sum of the heat fluxes from each individual surface type weighted by the area-fractional coverage.Part of this work was carried out in the Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, St. Louis University and the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.Part of this work was carried out in the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.     

Parameterization of sheared entrainment in a well-developed CBL. Part I: Evaluation of the scheme through large-eddy simulations

The entrainment flux ratio A _e and the inversion layer (IL) thickness are two key parameters in a mixed layer model. A _e is defined as the ratio of the entrainment heat flux at the mixed layer top to the surface heat flux. The IL is the layer between the mixed layer and the free atmosphere. In this study, a parameterization of A _e is derived from the TKE budget in the firstorder model for a well-developed CBL under the condition of linearly sheared geostrophic velocity with a zero value at the surface. It is also appropriate for a CBL under the condition of geostrophic velocity remaining constant with height. LESs are conducted under the above two conditions to determine the coefficients in the parameterization scheme. Results suggest that about 43% of the shear-produced TKE in the IL is available for entrainment, while the shear-produced TKE in the mixed layer and surface layer have little effect on entrainment. Based on this scheme, a new scale of convective turbulence velocity is proposed and applied to parameterize the IL thickness. The LES outputs for the CBLs under the condition of linearly sheared geostrophic velocity with a non-zero surface value are used to verify the performance of the parameterization scheme. It is found that the parameterized A _e and IL thickness agree well with the LES outputs.     

Generic precursors to coastal earthquakes: Inferences from Denali fault earthquake

Recent research has shown evidence of strong coupling between the atmosphere and lithosphere in coastal regions, associating abnormal atmospheric phenomena to the occurrence of strong earthquakes. Surface latent heat flux (SLHF), total column water vapor (CWV), relative humidity (RH) and total ozone column (TOC), analyzed over the epicentral region of the Denali fault earthquake of November 3, 2002, exhibit anomalous behavior that could be related to the earthquake preparatory process and its occurrence. The complementary nature of the parameters provides strong support that the anomalous values were driven by lithospheric processes, rather than other atmospheric phenomena. Due to the wide availability of remote sensing observations of atmospheric parameters, the detection of anomalies can be used to mitigate the earthquake risks.     

A comparative overview of weathering intensity and HCO3 flux in the world's major rivers with emphasis on the Changjiang,Huanghe, Zhujiang (Pearl) and Mississippi Rivers

In this paper, general relationships of riverine bicarbonate concentrations and fluxes as a function of drainage basin mineral content and runoff are examined using a database of the 25 largest rivers in the world. Specific HCO₃⁻ flux normalized to unit basin area, which peaks in the mid latitudes, was found to be strongly correlated with the carbonate mineral content of river basins, while river HCO₃⁻ concentration was related to the balance of precipitation and evaporation. Within this global context, the weathering patterns of CO₂ in a few large rivers (Changjiang, Huanghe, Pearl, and Mississippi rivers) were examined in further detail. The Zhujiang (Pearl River), especially its largest branch (Xijiang), was characterized by the highest specific weathering rate among all the world's large rivers due to an exceptionally high carbonate mineral content (over 80%) in its drainage basin and its warm and wet environment. It has a moderate level of HCO₃⁻ concentration, however, due to dilution by relatively high precipitation in the watershed. In stark contrast, the Huanghe (Yellow River) has one of the lowest specific weathering rates because of low carbonate mineral content and a dry climate. However, it has a high HCO₃⁻ concentration due largely to the concentrating effects of high evaporative water loss, as a result of arid weather and the agricultural use of water through irrigation systems, as well as carbonate-containing surficial deposits (i.e., loess). The strong correlation between specific HCO₃⁻ fluxes and discharge in all four rivers with different discharge seasonality suggests that higher precipitation in drainage basins promotes higher weathering rates.     

Seasonal variations in pCO2 and its controlling factors in surface seawater of the northern East China Sea

Surface partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂), temperature, salinity, nutrients, and chlorophyll a were measured in the East China Sea (ECS; 31°30′–34°00′N to 124°00′–127°30′E) in August 2003 (summer), May 2004 (spring), October 2004 (early fall), and November 2005 (fall). The warm and saline Tsushima Warm Current was observed in the eastern part of the survey area during four cruises, and relatively low salinity waters due to outflow from the Changjiang (Yangtze River) were observed over the western part of the survey area. Surface pCO₂ ranged from 236 to 445 μatm in spring and summer, and from 326 to 517 μatm in fall. Large pCO₂ (values >400 μatm) occurred in the western part of the study area in spring and fall, and in the eastern part in summer. A positive linear correlation existed between surface pCO₂ and temperature in the eastern part of the study area, where the Tsushima Warm Current dominates; this correlation suggests that temperature is the major factor controlling surface pCO₂ distribution in that area. In the western part of the study area, however, the main controlling factor is different and seasonally complex. There is large transport in this region of Changjiang Diluted Water in summer, causing low salinity and low pCO₂ values. The relationship between surface pCO₂ and water stability suggests that the amount of mixing and/or upwelling of CO₂-rich water might be the important process controlling surface pCO₂ levels during spring and fall in this shallow region. Sea–air CO₂ flux, based on the application of a Wanninkhof [1992. Relationship between wind speed and gas exchange over the ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research 97, 7373–7382] formula for gas transfer velocity and a set of monthly averaged satellite wind data, were −5.04±1.59, −2.52±1.81, 1.71±2.87, and 0.39±0.18 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ in spring, summer, early fall, and fall, respectively, in the northern ECS. The ocean in this study area is therefore a carbon sink in spring and summer, but a weak source or in equilibrium with the atmosphere in fall. If the winter flux value is assumed to have been the mean of autumnal and vernal values, then the northern ECS absorbs about 0.013 Pg C annually. That result suggests that the northern ECS is a net sink for atmospheric CO₂, a result consistent with previous studies.     

颗粒物质和微量金属在东海北部的沉积通量

于1990年运用沉积物捕捉器采样,实测了东海北部(32.00°N,126.00°E)海域颗粒物质和微量金属(Cu,Pb,Zn,Cr,Fe,Mn和Al)的海洋垂直通量。结果表明,颗粒物质的沉积通量随深度和季节而变化,明显地受上升流的影响。沉积的颗粒物质以0.45—63μm的小颗粒为主;Cu和Zn主要以有机物形式作垂直转移,Pb,Cr,Fe和Mn主要以弱键结合形式作垂直转移,Al则以硅酸盐的形式作垂直转移。沉积物中,颗粒Cu,Fe,Mn和Al以0.45—63μm的颗粒为主;颗粒Pb和Cr以大于63μm的颗粒为主;0.45—63μm和大于63μm的颗粒Zn在沉积物中占相近的比例。