厄尔尼诺对长江中下游地区夏季持续性降水结构的影响及其可能机理

根据中国国家气象信息中心提供的1961-2016年2400多站的逐日降水观测数据,分析了厄尔尼诺对长江中下游地区夏季持续性降水结构的影响。发现长江中下游地区的降水主要以5 d及以内的降水事件为主,其强度主要分布在4-24 mm/d;5 d以上降水所占比例相对较小,而其强度主要分布在12-24 mm/d。其中,长江中下游地区夏季大于5 d的降水事件（长持续性降水事件）所占比例和强度在长江以南地区要大于长江以北地区。同时,在厄尔尼诺的影响下,长江以南地区的降水结构从2-5 d持续性降水事件（短持续性降水事件）和1 d的降水事件（非持续性降水事件）向长持续性降水事件转变,且其强度增加。而长江以北地区,以湖北为主,降水结构存在从非持续性向短持续性降水事件转变的现象,短持续性降水事件的强度也略有增强。因此,厄尔尼诺使得长江中下游地区的降水事件更多地以持续性降水为主,不同持续性降水事件的强度加强。进一步分析发现厄尔尼诺次年西太平洋副热带高压西伸加强,与其相关的东南季风所输送的水汽也有所加强。同时,中高纬度阻塞高压环流形势稳定维持。受这些因子的共同作用,最终导致长江中下游地区夏季降水持续性延长和降水强度加强。而这将给长江中下游地区的农作物种植和经济发展等带来较严重的影响,使防洪、防涝工作面临严峻的挑战。      

Varying Rossby Wave Trains from the Developing to Decaying Period of the Upper Atmospheric Heat Source over the Tibetan Plateau in Boreal Summer

This study demonstrates the two different Rossby wave train(RWT) patterns related to the developing/decaying upper atmospheric heat source over the Tibetan Plateau(TPUHS) in boreal summer. The results show that the summer TPUHS is dominated by quasi-biweekly variability, particularly from late July to mid-August when the subtropical jet steadily stays to the north of the TP. During the developing period of TPUHS events, the intensifying TPUHS corresponds to an anomalous upper-tropospheric high over the TP, which acts as the main source of a RWT that extends northeastward, via North China, the central Pacific and Alaska, to the northeastern Pacific region. This RWT breaks up while the anomalous high is temporarily replaced by an anomalous low due to the further deepened convective heating around the TPUHS peak. However, this anomalous low, though existing for only three to four days due to the counteracting dynamical effects of the persisting upper/lower divergence/convergence over the TP, acts as a new wave source to connect to an anomalous dynamical high over the Baikal region. Whilst the anomalous low is diminishing rapidly, this Baikal high becomes the main source of a new RWT, which develops eastward over the North Pacific region till around eight days after the TPUHS peak. Nevertheless, the anomaly centers along this decaying-TPUHS-related RWT mostly appear much weaker than those along the previous RWT.Therefore, their impacts on circulation and weather differ considerably from the developing to the decaying period of TPUHS events.     

Modulation of the Intensity of Nascent Tibetan Plateau Vortices by Atmospheric Quasi-Biweekly Oscillation

The modulation of the intensity of nascent Tibetan Plateau vortices(ITPV) by atmospheric quasi-biweekly oscillation(QBWO) is investigated based on final operational global analysis data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The spatial and temporal distributions of the ITPV show distinct features of 10–20-day QBWO. The average ITPV is much higher in the positive phases than in the negative phases, and the number of strong TPVs is much larger in the former,with a peak that appears in phase 3. In addition, the maximum centers of the ITPV stretch eastward in the positive phases,indicating periodic variations in the locations where strong TPVs are generated. The large-scale circulations and related thermodynamic fields are discussed to investigate the mechanism by which the 10–20-day QBWO modulates the ITPV. The atmospheric circulations and heating fields of the 10–20-day QBWO have a major impact on the ITPV. In the positive QBWO phases, the anomalous convergence at 500 hPa and divergence at 200 hPa are conducive to ascending motion. In addition, the convergence centers of the water vapor and the atmospheric unstable stratification are found in the positive QBWO phases and move eastward. Correspondingly, condensational latent heat is released and shifts eastward with the heating centers located at 400 hPa, which favors a higher ITPV by depressing the isobaric surface at 500 hPa. All of the dynamic and thermodynamic conditions in the positive QBWO phases are conducive to the generation of stronger TPVs and their eastward expansion.     

Comparison of a Manual and an Automated Tracking Method for Tibetan Plateau Vortices

Tibetan Plateau vortices(TPVs) are mesoscale cyclones originating over the Tibetan Plateau(TP) during the extended summer season(April–September).Most TPVs stay on the TP,but a small number can move off the TP to the east.TPVs are known to be one of the main precipitation-bearing systems on the TP and moving-off TPVs have been associated with heavy precipitation and flooding downstream of the TP(e.g.,in Sichuan province or over the Yangtze River Valley).Identifying and tracking TPVs is difficult because of their comparatively small horizontal extent(400–800 km) and the limited availability of soundings over the TP,which in turn constitutes a challenge for short-term predictions of TPV-related impacts and for the climatological study of TPVs.In this study,(i) manual tracking(MT) results using radiosonde data from a network over and downstream of the TP are compared with(ii) results obtained by an automated tracking(AT) algorithm applied to ERA-Interim data.Ten MT-TPV cases are selected based on method(i) and matched to and compared with the corresponding AT-TPVs identified with method(ii).Conversely,ten AT-TPVs are selected and compared with the corresponding MT-TPVs.In general,the comparison shows good results in cases where the underlying data are in good agreement,but considerable differences are also seen in some cases and explained in terms of differences in the tracking methods,data availability/coverage and disagreement between sounding and ERA-Interim data.Recommendations are given for future efforts in TPV detection and tracking,including in an operational weather forecasting context.     

夏季厄尔尼诺-Modoki和东部型ENSO海表温度异常分布型特征及其与海洋性大陆区域气候异常的联系

2007年,Ashok等揭示了赤道太平洋区域存在一种三极型分布海表温度异常并称之为厄尔尼诺-Modoki,同时定义了相应的海表温度异常指数EMI（记为I_EM）。在此基础上,利用英国哈得来中心逐月海表温度资料、美国NCEP/NCAR月平均再分析数据集、美国国家海洋和大气管理局（NOAA）逐月降水资料（CMAP）,通过在太平洋海表温度异常中扣除厄尔尼诺-Modoki信号后,在Nino1+2区域上定义了东太平洋型海表温度异常指数EPNI（I_EPN）。据此,由I_EPN和I_EM可构成描述热带太平洋海表温度异常变化的一对指数。分析了两个指数相应的海气状态及对海洋性大陆区域气候异常的影响。结果表明,厄尔尼诺-Modoki和东太平洋型海表温度异常及其影响存在显著差异。在北半球夏季,当I_EM处于正位相时,热带太平洋海表温度异常呈现“负-正-负”的结构,海洋性大陆大部分区域海表温度异常为负,此时对流层低层太平洋地区辐合,海洋性大陆地区辐散,对流层高层太平洋地区辐散,海洋性大陆地区辐合。对应于辐合辐散中心,存在着自赤道中太平洋分别向赤道东太平洋和海洋性大陆中东部地区的异常垂直环流圈,同时也存在自海洋性大陆西部向印度洋西部的垂直环流。大气在海洋性大陆区域北部加热,南部冷却;在太平洋地区西部加热而东部冷却;在海洋性大陆区域10°N以南降水偏少,而10°N以北降水偏多。当I_EPN处于正位相时,热带太平洋海表温度异常呈现“西负东正”分布型,海洋性大陆区域海表温度异常呈现“西正东负”分布,对流层低层海洋性大陆地区辐散中心范围偏大、位置偏东、强度偏强,太平洋地区辐合中心范围偏小、位置偏东,热带环流异常在垂直方向上呈斜压结构,海洋性大陆区域北部大气加热而南部冷却,太平洋地区大气均呈加热正异常,海洋性大陆大部分区域降水均偏少,赤道太平洋降水偏多。以上这些结果有利于深刻理解热带太平洋海表温度异常的特征及其对海洋性大陆区域气候的影响。     

青藏高原那曲地区夏季一次对流云降水过程的云微物理及区域水分收支特征

第三次青藏高原科学试验针对高原夏季云和降水物理过程开展了大量观测研究,为进一步揭示高原云微物理结构、云中水分转化和区域水分收支特征,本文采用中尺度数值预报模式（WRF）并结合高原试验期间的各种观测资料,对那曲观测试验区2014年7月5~6日的一次较为典型的夏季对流云降水过程进行了数值模拟研究。结果表明WRF模式能够基本再现高原夏季对流云的发展演变过程以及降水的日变化特征。模拟结果显示高原夏季对流云中具有较高的过冷云水和霰粒子含量,冰相过程在高原云和降水的形成和发展中具有十分重要的作用,地面降水主要由霰粒子融化产生。暖雨过程对降水的直接贡献很小,但在霰胚形成中具有十分重要的作用。霰粒子胚胎的形成主要来源于冰晶与过冷雨滴的撞冻过程,雪粒子和过冷雨水的碰冻转化及过冷雨滴的均质冻结贡献相对较小。霰粒子的增长过程在12 km（-40℃）以上层主要依靠对冰晶、雪粒子的聚并收集过程,而在其下层的增长过程主要依赖对过冷云水的凇附增长,对雪粒子的聚并收集和凝华增长过程较小。高原那曲地区净水汽收支为正,日平均降水转化率可达20.75%,接近长江下游地区,高于华北、西北地区。该地区日降水再循环率为10.92%,说明局地蒸发的水汽对高原降水的水汽来源具有一定的贡献,但高原降水的90%仍然由外界输入的水汽转化形成。     

应用NASA MERRA再分析资料对一次高原切变线的诊断分析

利用2016年6月29—30日地面及高空常规观测资料、CMORPH融合降水资料以及时空分辨率较高的NASA MERRA 0.625°×0.5°逐3 h再分析资料,对一次高原切变线过程进行了天气动力学诊断分析。运用广义位温、广义湿位涡和涡生参数等诊断量对切变线系统的生成及其降水分布进行分析。结果显示:广义位温等值线梯度大值区与大气水汽的聚集区相对应。切变线降水的发生、发展与广义湿位涡的分布及演变有较好的对应关系,低层大气广义湿位涡的正异常大值对降水发生有一定关联。广义湿位涡正负异常值之间的零线可较好表征高原切变线的位置。广义湿位涡中心强度对切变线生成与发展有一定指示意义。涡生参数可作为高原切变线生成和加强的一个明显前兆信号。     

青藏高原及邻近地区低涡系统结构研究进展

青藏高原及邻近地区低涡系统(西南涡、高原涡)是造成我国暴雨等灾害性天气的主要系统之一,也是高原天气学的重点研究对象。过去十多年,关于西南涡、高原涡的研究已取得了大量有意义的成果。因此,本文重点针对高原低涡天气系统,总结了西南涡、高原涡的结构特征及其演变机制研究现状,评述了其取得的主要进展,指出了一些有待于深入研究的科学问题,在此基础上,展望了高原低涡天气系统未来的主要发展方向。     

Radiation balance and the response of albedo to environmental factors above two alpine ecosystems in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Understanding the energy balance on the Tibetan Plateau is important for better prediction of global climate change. To characterize the energy balance on the Plateau, we examined the radiation balance and the response of albedo to environmental factors above an alpine meadow and an alpine wetland surfaces in the eastern Tibetan Plateau, using 2014 data. Although our two sites belong to the same climatic background, and are close geographically, the annual incident solar radiation at the alpine meadow site(6,447 MJ/(m2·a)) was about 1.1 times that at the alpine wetland site(6,012 MJ/(m2·a)),due to differences in the cloudiness between our two sites. The alpine meadow and the alpine wetland emitted about 38%and 42%, respectively, of annual incident solar radiation back into atmosphere in the form of net longwave radiation; and they reflected about 22% and 18%, respectively, of the annual incident solar radiation back into atmosphere in the form of shortwave radiation. The annual net radiation was 2,648 and 2,544 MJ/(m2·a) for the alpine meadow site and the alpine wetland site, respectively, accounting for only about 40% of the annual incident solar radiation, significantly lower than the global mean. At 30-min scales, surface albedo exponentially decreases with the increase of the solar elevation angle; and it linearly decreases with the increase of soil-water content for our two sites. But those relationships are significantly influenced by cloudiness and are site-specific.     

Evolution and changes of permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the Late Quaternary

Due to the uplift of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP), the cryosphere gradually developed on the higher mountain summits after the Neocene, becoming widespread during the Late Quaternary. During this time, permafrost on the QTP experienced repeated expansion and degradation. Based on the remains and cross-correlation with other proxy records such as those from glacial landforms, ice-core and paleogeography, the evolution and changes of permafrost and environmental changes on the QTP during the past 150,000 years were deduced and are presented in this paper. At least four obvious cycles of the extensive and intensive development, expansion and decay of permafrost occurred during the periods of 150–130, 80–50, 30–14 and after 10.8 ka B.P.. During the Holocene, fluctuating climatic environments affected the permafrost on the QTP, and the peripheral mountains experienced six periods of discernible permafrost changes:(1) Stable development of permafrost in the early Holocene(10.8 to 8.5–7.0 ka B.P.);(2) Intensive permafrost degradation during the Holocene Megathermal Period(HMP, from 8.5–7.0 to 4.0–3.0 ka B.P.);(3) Permafrost expansion during the early Neoglacial period(ca. 4,000–3,000 to 1,000 a B.P.);(4) Relative degradation during the Medieval Warm Period(MWP, from 1,000 to 500 a B.P.);(5) Expansion of permafrost during the Little Ice Age(LIA, from 500 to 100 a B.P.);(6) Observed and predicted degradation of permafrost during the 20 th and 21 st century. Each period differed greatly in paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and permafrost distribution, thickness, areal extent, and ground temperatures, as well as in the development of periglacial phenomena. Statistically, closer dating of the onset permafrost formation, more identification of permafrost remains with richer proxy information about paleoenvironment, and more dating information enable higher resolution for paleo-permafrost reconstruction. Based on the scenarios of persistent climate warming of 2.2～2.6 °C in the next 50 years, and in combination of the monitored trends of climate and permafrost changes, and model predictions suggest an accelerated regional degradation of plateau permafrost. Therefore, during the first half of the 21 st century, profound changes in the stability of alpine ecosystems and hydro(geo)logical environments in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers may occur. The foundation stability of key engineering infrastructures and sustainable economic development in cold regions on the QTP may be affected.