Environmental effects on the recruitment variability of nursery species

The recruitment variability of the marine fish species Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus and Solea solea was evaluated in the Mondego estuary (Portugal) from 2003 to 2007. The relationships between sea surface temperature, NAO index, coastal wind speed and direction, precipitation and river runoff prior to the estuarine colonization and the abundance of 0-group fish were evaluated using gamma-based Generalized Linear Models. Dicentrarchus labrax and P. flesus 0-group decreased in abundance towards the end of the study period, while S. solea, despite low abundance in 2004, increased in abundance in 2007. For D. labrax, river runoff, precipitation and east–west wind were significant; for P. flesus, precipitation, river runoff and both north–south and east–west wind components were significant parameters, while for S. solea only river runoff was important. Results were compared with recent projections for climate change scenarios, to evaluate their effects on future recruitment levels.     

The Influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on Rainfall Triggering of Landslides near Lisbon

The majority of landsliding episodes in the area north of Lisbon are associated with rainfall events of short (less than 5 days) medium (5–20 days) or long duration (more than 20 days). The precipitation regime in Portugal is highly irregular, with large differences between wet and dry years. We have assessed the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on both the winter precipitation and the timing and magnitude of associated landslide events. Results show that the large inter-annual variability of winter precipitation is largely modulated by the NAO mode. The precipitation composite corresponding to high NAO index presents a considerable lower median value (47 mm/month) than the corresponding low NAO index class (134 mm/month). The entire precipitation distribution associated with the low NAO index composite encompasses a wider range of values than the corresponding high NAO index composite. This non-linear behavior is reflected in the probability of occurrence of a very wet month (precipitation above the 90% percentile) that is just 1% for the positive NAO class and 23% for low NAO index months. Results for the low NAO class are crucial because these months are more likely associated with long-lasting rainfall episodes responsible for large landslide events. This is confirmed by the application of a 3-month moving average to both NAO index and precipitation time series. This procedure allowed the identification of many months with landslide activity as being characterized by negative average values of the NAO index and high values of average precipitation (above 100 mm/month). Finally, using daily data we have computed the return periods associated with the entire set of landslide episodes and, based on these results, obtained a strong linear relationship between critical cumulative rainfall and the corresponding critical rainfall event duration.     

Lacustrine oxygen isotope record of 20th-century climate change in central EuropeL evaluation of climatic controls on oxygen isotopes in precipitation

We report oxygen isotope data from a 108-yr (1885–1993) sequence with annual laminae of bio-induced authigenic calcite in a frozen core from Baldeggersee, a small lake in Central Switzerland. These isotope results provide proxy data on the isotopic composition of past precipitation in the Baldeggersee catchment region and are quantitatively compared with instrumental climate data (i.e. mean annual air temperature and atmospheric circulation pattern indices) to evaluate climatic controls on oxygen isotopes in precipitation.Monitoring the isotope hydrology of Baldeggersee demonstrates that the oxygen isotopic composition of the lake water is controlled by the isotopic composition of local atmospheric precipitation (¹⁸O_p) and that the isotopic signal of precipitation is preserved, albeit damped, in the lake calcite oxygen isotope record (¹⁸O_c). Comparison of the calcite oxygen isotope proxy for ¹⁸O_p in the catchment with historical mean annual air temperature measurements from Bern, Switzerland confirms that authigenic calcite reliably records past annual air temperature in the region. This ¹⁸O_c/temperature relationship is calculated to be 0.39/°C for the period 1900–1960, based on an isotope mass-balance model for Baldeggersee. An exception is a 0.8 anomalous negative shift in calcite ¹⁸O values since the 1960s. Possible explanations for this recent ¹⁸O_c shift, as it is not related to mean annual air temperature, include changes in ¹⁸O_p due to synoptic circulation patterns. In particular, the 0.8 negative shift coincides with a trend towards a more dominant North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. This circulation pattern would tend to bring more isotopically more negative winter precipitation to the region and could account for the 0.8 offset in ¹⁸O_c data.     

The NPO/ NAO and interdecadal climate variation in China

This article discusses the interannual variation of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and North Pacific Oscillation (NPO), its relationship with the interdecadal climate variation in China which is associated with the climate jump in the Northern Hemisphere in the 1960’s, using the data analyses. It is clearly shown that both the amplitudes of the NAO and NPO increase obviously in the 1960’s and the main period of the oscillations changes from 3-4 years before the 1960’s to 8-15 years after the 1960’s. Therefore, interdecadal climate variation in China or the climate jump in the 1960’s is closely related to the anomalies of the NAO and NPO.     

Impact of the North Atlantic sea surface temperature tripole on the East Asian summer monsoon

A strong (weak) East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is usually concurrent with the tripole pattern of North Atlantic SST anomalies on the interannual timescale during summer, which has positive (negative) SST anomalies in the northwestern North Atlantic and negative (positive) SST anomalies in the subpolar and tropical ocean. The mechanisms responsible for this linkage are diagnosed in the present study. It is shown that a barotropic wave-train pattern occurring over the Atlantic-Eurasia region likely acts as a link between the EASM and the SST tripole during summer. This wave-train pattern is concurrent with geopotential height anomalies over the Ural Mountains, which has a substantial effect on the EASM. Diagnosis based on observations and linear dynamical model results reveals that the mechanism for maintaining the wave-train pattern involves both the anomalous diabatic heating and synoptic eddy-vorticity forcing. Since the North Atlantic SST tripole is closely coupled with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the relationships between these two factors and the EASM are also examined. It is found that the connection of the EASM with the summer SST tripole is sensitive to the meridional location of the tripole, which is characterized by large seasonal variations due to the north-south movement of the activity centers of the NAO. The SST tripole that has a strong relationship with the EASM appears to be closely coupled with the NAO in the previous spring rather than in the simultaneous summer.     

Study of hydro-sedimentary variability of the Radicatel karst system influenced by climate signal fluctuations (Normandy,France)

ABSTRACT

This study relies on the use and analysis of hydro-meteorological variables, long turbidity time series (from 1988 to 2009, 21 years) and a sedimentary record to provide better understanding of the hydro-sedimentary variability of the karst system near the town of Radicatel, France. Wavelet analysis of rainfall, piezometric level and turbidity, as well as the sediment archive, show common modes of variability. A common spectral composition emphasizes the influence of climate controls. Comparison of the wavelet spectra with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) spectrum clearly highlights the control of the latter on hydro-meteorological variables at the regional level. Climatic fluctuations are recorded in the turbidity signal and in sedimentary fill, as revealed by the 5- to 8-year frequency band, which is characteristic of the NAO index. A climatic signal is recorded in both rainfall events and piezometric levels, and also in sediment transport and deposition at the scale of the local karst system. The overall climate control is also present beyond the local variations and heterogeneities.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis ASSOCIATE EDITOR D. Yang     

Hydrological variability of major French rivers over recent decades,assessed from gauging station and GRACE observations

Abstract

This study was carried out in the framework of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) programme of the French National Centre of Space Studies (CNES). Based on discharge measurements and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) determination of total water storage (TWS), we have investigated the hydrological variability of the main French drainage basins (Seine, Loire, Garonne and Rhône) using a wavelet approach (continuous wavelet analyses and wavelet coherence analyses). The results of this analysis have shown a coherence ranging between 82% and 90% for TWS and discharge, thus demonstrating the potential use of TWS for characterization of the hydrological variability of French rivers. Strong coherence between the four basin discharges (between 73% and 92%) and between their associated TWS data (from 82% to 98%) suggested a common external influence on hydrological variability. To determine this influence, we investigated the relationship between hydrological variability and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), considered as an index of prevailing climate in Europe. Basin discharges show strong coherence with NAO, ranging between 64% and 72% over the period 1959–2010. The coherence between NAO and TWS was 62% to 67% for 2003–2009. This is similar to the coherence between NAO and basin discharges detected for the same period. According to these results, strong influence of the NAO was clearly observed on the TWS and discharges of the major French river basins.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz     

VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GRAIN-SIZE PARAMETERS OF DRIFTING PARTICLES DURING SAND STORMS IN THE TAKLAMAKAN DESERT,CENTRAL ASIA

The vertical distributions of grain-size parameters of drifting sand flux during sand storms in the Taklamakan Desert, Central Asia, were investigated through field observation and laboratory wind-tunnel tests. The results show that grain-size parameters of the drifting sands near the ground surface are similar to those of the source deposits. Fine and very fine sands in the flux layer near the ground surface (from zero to 20 cm high) comprise more than 85% of the sample's weight, with a mean diameter of 0.09 mm. The distributions of transported particles are mainly negatively skewed, with good sorting. The creep population consists of poorly sorted coarser particles. In the saltation layer, particle size becomes finer as a power function of height from 4 to 14 cm. Sorting in the saltation layer is good and improves as a logarithmic function of height. The higher the transport layer, the more negatively skewed the particle distribution becomes as a logarithmic function of height. It becomes more leptokurtic as a power function of height in the transport layer from zero to 12 cm high. Grain-size parameters change irregularly at heights above 14 cm. Regional differences in the vertical distribution of grain-size compositions are affected by source deposits, wind speeds, and transport rates, but source has more influence on the sorting of the drifting material than wind velocity.     

Interannual Variations of the Blocking High over the Ural Mountains and Its Association with the AO/NAO in Boreal Winter

This paper analyzes interannual variations of the blocking high over the Ural Mountains in the boreal winter and their association with the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO).In Jan...