Droughts and famines: The underlying factors and the causal links among agro-pastoral households in semi-arid Makueni district, Kenya

Famines are often linked to drought in semi-arid areas of Sub-Saharan Africa where not only pastoralists, but also increasingly agro-pastoralists are affected. This study addresses the interplay between drought and famine in the rural semi-arid areas of Makueni district, Kenya, by examining whether, and how crop production conditions and agro-pastoral strategies predispose smallholder households to drought-triggered food insecurity. If this hypothesis holds, then approaches to deal with drought and famine have to target factors causing household food insecurity during non-drought periods. Data from a longitudinal survey of 127 households, interviews, workshops, and daily rainfall records (1961–2003) were analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. This integrated approach confirms the above hypothesis and reveals that factors other than rainfall, like asset and labour constraints, inadequate policy enforcement, as well as the poverty-driven inability to adopt risk-averse production systems play a key role. When linking these factors to the high rainfall variability, farmer-relevant definitions and forecasts of drought have to be applied.     

近46年西藏高原昼夜降水变化趋势

选取西藏地区18个气象站1961～2006年逐时降水资料,分析近46年昼夜降水的变化趋势。结果显示:近46年,西藏大部分地区各时段夜雨率均呈减少趋势,昼雨率呈增多趋势;夜雨天数冬半年各区域都呈增多趋势,年和夏半年东北部和藏西北地区呈增多趋势,其他区域呈减少趋势,而昼雨天数大部分地区年、季都呈增多趋势。昼、夜雨率和雨次的年代际变率较大,各区域年代际变化不一致,无明显的增减趋势;夜雨率冬半年出现异常最多,各区域年、季多为异常偏少。昼雨率冬、夏半年出现异常较多,年和夏半年多异常偏少,冬半年基本上为异常偏多;夜雨天数夏半年出现异常的最多,东部地区以异常偏少居多,中西部地区以异常偏多为主。昼雨天数夏半年出现异常最多,南部边缘地区均为异常偏多,藏北地区也以偏多为主,其他区域多异常偏少。西藏大部分地区年、季昼夜雨率的大小更多依赖于降水强度,而非雨次的多少。     

两种反演地表净太阳辐射的参数化模式在北京地区的比较

地表净太阳辐射(NSSR)在地表辐射平衡、地-气能量交换、天气预报、气候变化和太阳能利用等研究方面具有重要的作用.利用卫星遥感技术能在广大的空间区域内快速地获取地表净太阳辐射的分布情况,特别是在无人观测的极地和海洋区域.本文基于CERES/SSF卫星数据,分别采用两种地表净太阳辐射(NSSR)的卫星反演参数化模式--Li模式与Masuda模式计算了北京市上甸子地区2005年1、4、7和10月的NSSR,并将反演结果与上甸子大气本底站的实测结果进行了对比分析,并对两种模式进行了修正以更好地反演北京地区的地表净太阳辐射.结果显示:Li模式和Masuda模式反演结果与实测结果间的平均绝对误差在晴空条件下分别为62.2和50.8W/m2,在云天条件下分别为82.1和71.8 W/m2;Li模式相对于Masuda模式具有偏大的趋势,在晴天和云天条件下两者的平均绝对偏差分别为11.5和10.2 W/m2;对Li模式和Masuda模式进行线性拟合回归后能有效减小反演过程中的系统性偏差,修改后的Li模式和Masuda模式在所有天空状况下反演的月平均NSSR值与观测值问的平均绝对误差分别为-1.8和-3.4 W/m2,均方根误差分别为19.6和26.0 W/m2.     

GLDAS和CMIP5产品的中国土壤湿度-降水耦合分析及变化趋势

利用GLDAS同化产品和12个CMIP5模式的输出结果,从土壤湿度对降水影响的两个中间环节出发,通过分析陆面耦合指数ILH、潜热通量—抬升凝结高度耦合指数ILCL以及抬升凝结高度ZLCL间接研究中国区域土壤湿度与降水间耦合特征,并对1958~2013年及RCP4.5辐射强迫情景下50年(2006~2055年)的4个代表性区域夏季耦合强度的年代际变化特征进行分析。研究发现:1958~2013年期间,内蒙古阴山山脉附近、新疆和青海的部分地区为夏季中国土壤湿度与降水耦合的最强区域;陆面耦合指数ILH变化幅度从高到低依次出现在华北、华南、内蒙古中部和西北地区,并在20世纪70年代中到80年代中发生转折。2006~2055年的平均而言,预估内蒙古阴山山脉附近仍为耦合最强区;与历史时期(1958~2005年)比较,新疆中部和内蒙古阴山山脉附近的耦合指数ILH增大,而广西和广东地区的则减小;对于耦合指数ILH的年代际变化(2006~2055年),2026~2035年间华北最大而华南最小,西北地区变化不大,而内蒙古中部地区的耦合强度逐渐增大。     

基于CMIP5模拟的中国区域陆气耦合强度评估及未来情景预估

基于第五次国际耦合模式比较计划(CMIP5)11个模式历史情景的模拟结果计算得到了中国区域夏季的陆气耦合强度并进行集合平均,结果表明,位于半干旱区的华北和内蒙古地区陆气耦合强度相对较强,西部干旱区的陆气耦合强度相对较弱,位于湿润区的中国东北地区东部、长江中下游和西南地区陆气耦合强度最弱。利用上述模式集合平均结果与由NCEP再分析资料和欧洲中心的中期气象预报40年再分析资料(ERA40)计算得到的陆气耦合强度相比较,结果显示这些模式的集合平均与再分析资料NCEP和ERA40的计算结果有较好的一致性。利用历史情景模拟和不同的典型排放路径(RCP),即低排放情景RCP2.6、中排放情景RCP4.5和高排放情景RCP8.5下的模拟结果预估陆气耦合强度未来变化。结果显示:与历史情景相比较,位于湿润区的中国南方地区蒸散发的主要控制因子是温度,在3种排放情景下随着温度上升引起蒸散发增加所导致陆气耦合强度升高;位于青藏高原以及半干旱区的内蒙古大部分地区蒸散发在未来的年际变化幅度减弱导致陆气耦合指数降低;位于西北干旱区陆气耦合强度在RCP2.6和RCP4.5情景上升,然而在RCP8.5情景下陆气耦合强度下降,其原因是在高排放情景下,水汽平流输送明显增强,局地蒸散发异常对空气湿度变化的贡献减弱,导致了陆气耦合强度降低。未来预估结果在中国南方可信度相对较高,从全国来看,在RCP4.5情景下可信度相对较高。     

中尺度模式中不同对流参数化方案的比较试验

MM5模式中有多种积云参数化方案可供选择,粗细网格采用不同的积云参数化方案对降水预报有一定的影响。采用常用的四种积云参数化方案,粗细网格进行不同配置,对辽东半岛大暴雨过程进行试验发现：细网格信息可以通过嵌套边界向外层传递,影响外层预报结果。细网格选取GR方案比选取AK、BM、KF方案模拟效果好很多;细网格参数化方案不变,粗网格取不同的参数化方案,对细网格的模拟结果差别不大。但选取一个好的参数化方案对细网格的模拟结果会稍有改进。     

藏北地区近地层大气和土壤特征量分析

利用"全球协调加强观测期亚澳季风青藏高原试验研究(CAMP/Tibet)"4个台站2003年大气和土壤的观测资料,详细分析了藏北高原不同下垫面上的气温、相对湿度、土壤温度、土壤湿度等的季节变化及年变化特征。近地层大气各气象要素变化剧烈;4个站气温高低的差异显示了纬度和高度的明显影响;各站冻土冻融过程存在地域差别,尤其是春季冻结消融阶段的持续时间相差可达1个月;土壤质地的差别对土壤湿度影响也较大,黏土土壤含水量要高些,粉土和砂土要低些。     

Follow‐up observations of Comet 17P/Holmes after its extreme outburst in brightness end of October 2007

We present follow‐up observations of comet 17/P Holmes after its extreme outburst in brightness, which occurred end of October 2007. We obtained 58 V‐band images of the comet between October 2007 and February 2008, using the Cassegrain‐Teleskop‐Kamera (CTK) at the University Observatory Jena. We present precise astrometry of the comet, which yields its most recent Keplerian orbital elements. Furthermore, we show that the comet's coma expands quite linearly with a velocity of about 1650 km/s between October and December 2007. The photometric monitoring of comet 17/P Holmes shows that its photometric activity level decreased by about 5.9 mag within 105 days after its outburst (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Short-period Jupiter family comets after Stardust

The NASA Stardust mission has provided for laboratory study an extensive data set of cometary dust of known provenance (from comet 81P/Wild 2) yielding detailed insights into the composition of the comet. Combined with the results of data from other missions to short-period Jupiter family comets (JFC), this has greatly deepened the understanding of such objects. If depressions on the surface of comet 81P/Wild 2 are all taken as evidence of impact cratering, their number suggests a long occupancy in the outer region of the Solar System. The dust from comet 81P/Wild 2 has been shown to be heavily deficient in pre-Solar grains and rich in materials formed at high temperatures in the inner Solar System. Although it is too early to know if this is typical of JFC, it does argue for rapid and thorough mixing of materials in the disk on timescales related to comet formation, and may also suggest outward migration of small icy bodies after their formation. Thus, instead of providing mainly new knowledge of the pre-Solar materials expected to be rich in comets, Stardust and comet 81P/Wild 2 have instead focussed attention on large-scale transport processes during the critical period when cometary parent bodies were forming in the early Solar System.