Modelling and Mapping Damage to Forests from an Ice Storm Using Remote Sensing and Environmental Data

An extreme ice storm in January 1998 deposited up to 100 mm of ice and resulted in significant forest damage across eastern North America. Average crown loss of over 75% was recorded in large areas of eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. A primary question that arose following the storm was: can forest damage be effectively assessed using remote sensing and other available environmental data? This paper presents two contrasting studies to address this question. The first involves damage modelling at a local scale in an unmanaged forest using spectral and spatial information in high-resolution airborne imagery. Results of field data analyses are also given that show relations between damage and forest structure and composition as well as changes in forest structure that occurred in the years following the storm. The second study involves regional scale damage mapping in managed and unmanaged forests of eastern Ontario using medium resolution satellite imagery and other environmental data. In comparison of several image classification and data interpolation methods, the best damage map was produced using a neural network classifier and a mix of Landsat and environmental data. The methods and results presented in this paper form the basis for ongoing long-term temporal study of damage impacts on forest condition.     

Analysis on the decadal scale variation of the dust storm in North China

Dust storm is a disastrous weather that can cause serious environmental consequences and hazards. It causes excessive soil mass and nutrient loss in source areas, and air pollution in deposition area, which result in bad influence on agriculture, industry, traffic, and peoples’ daily life[1-4]. Dust storm can also affect the thermal balance of planetary radiation and then lead to meso- to macroscale climatic modification[5-7]. North- west China and North China are two high-frequency centers …     

A high resolution forecast model of storm surge inundation

In order to forecast storm surge inundation, a two-dimensional model is established. In the model, an alternating computation sequence method is used to solve the governing equations, and the dry and wet method is introduced to treat the moving boundary. This model is easy to use. It has a friendly input interface and Arcview GIS is used as the output interface. The model is applied to the Shantou area to simulate the storm surge elevations and inundations caused by Typhoons 6903 ane 0104 using the same relevant parameters. The calculated results agree well with the observations.     

我国北方春季沙尘暴的异常及其对冬季青藏高原地面感热的响应

选用中国178个常规气象观测站建站～2000年历年春季沙尘暴日数资料,分析了近50a来中国北方春季沙尘暴的气候特征。在此基础上进一步揭示了我国北方沙尘暴的形成、发展以及造成的危害。结果表明：我国北方春季沙尘暴存在东西反位相差异,近50a来,春季沙尘暴日数总体趋势在减少,但20世纪末又有明显的回升趋势。这不仅与影响我国北方的冷空气路径有关,还与青藏高原冬季地面感热的异常密切相关。     

Effects of the number of stations and time resolution on derivation

For at least 30 years now it has been well known that the Dst index can be modelled using the solar wind as input. Since then, many attempts have been made to improve the predictability of Dst using different approaches. These attempts are useful, for instance, to understand which features of the solar wind–magnetosphere interactions are most important in producing magnetospheric activity and how the Dst index would improve the space weather forecast. The Dst index is by far the most reliable and simple indication that a magnetic storm is in progress. In this work, the effect of using more than four magnetic stations and shorter time intervals than the hourly averages used in Sugiura's procedures is evaluated. The discussion is based on the results presented by Burton in 1975 and Feldstein in 1984 considering 4 or 12 magnetic stations and time averages of 2.5 min for a magnetic disturbed period that occurred from February 7–28, 1967, including two geomagnetic storms. The analysis has shown that the global representation of a magnetic storm by the standard Dst (Sugiura) is well preserved either using 4, 6, 12 magnetic stations or using 1 h, 2.5 min 1 min averages. A brief review of the current understanding of Dst has been included to support the discussions. The analysis performed has shown that a more refined Dst index (time and number of stations>4) would be useful to investigate the intrinsic processes and the different current systems involved in the ring current development during magnetic storms; the standard Dst, as it is conceived, is quite adequate to monitor geomagnetic storms and identify their overall features; concerning the magnetic stations normally considered, the inclusion of higher magnetic latitude stations (>35) may underestimate the observed Dst.     

中国北方典型沙尘天气特征研究

 根据API、风速、风向及相关气象数据初步研究了中国北方两次典型沙尘天气的天气特征。两次沙尘天气过程中极大风速大于7.2 m·s-1的气象站占88%。2005年4月27日极大风速超过17.2 m·s-1的气象站有31个,出现频率最高的风向为西西北,28日达到81个,风向为北风,极大风速高值区由内蒙古中东部向东北方向迅速扩大。2007年3月30日极大风速超过17.2 m·s-1的气象站有57个,31日达到68个,风向均为西西北,极大风速高值区分布较为稳定。受沙尘暴影响的地区API显著升高。2005年4月28日呼和浩特、大同、北京3个城市的API分别为418、500、500。2007年3月31日呼和浩特、赤峰、大同3个城市的API分别为500、500、423。对PM10与气象因子的相关性进行分析得出,沙尘暴期间,大气中可吸入颗粒物的浓度与风速存在显著的正相关关系,风速越高的地区,可吸入颗粒物的浓度越大。     

沙尘暴过程中沙尘对流层-平流层输送的数值模拟初步分析

在初步明确东亚沙尘气溶胶对流层-平流层输送监测事实的基础上,利用观测资料、NCEP再分析资料以及基于中尺度天气模式MM5的数值模拟方法,对一次蒙古气旋沙尘暴过程中沙尘对流层-平流层输送问题进行了初步分析.结果表明:斜压不稳定是本次蒙古气旋发展的主要强迫要素,伴随气旋发展成熟,高空切断低涡的形成引导高空急流下落并诱发对流层顶折叠和高空位涡下传.对流层顶折叠区呈漏斗状,底部达500 hPa左右.高空急流产生近似垂直的下落,并在高空切断低涡的南侧和东侧达到最强.在对流层顶折叠区周边的300-500 hPa,上升气流与低涡区偏西、偏南、偏东气流叠加,或水平横穿折叠的对流层顶,或斜升并准垂直地穿过下落的对流层顶到达平流层,且随时间的推移,空气质点能够进一步抵达平流层中部(100 hPa).轨迹分析表明,沙尘天气区对流层低层的空气质点在气旋涡旋上升气流的驱动下呈气旋式盘旋上升,并在对流层高层形成分支,一支穿过对流层顶到达平流层,并在平流层向下游进行反气旋式螺旋运动,另一支则留在对流层高层并向下游进行准水平的气旋式螺旋运动.在高空位涡下传过程中,主要产生平流层到对流层的净输送;高空位涡停止下传之后则出现对流层到平流层的净输送,且强度随时间呈指数型增长.这一特征有利于形成更强的沙尘对流层平流层输送.     

2011年全球重大天气气候事件及其成因

2011年,全球气温偏高,为有观测记录以来的第十个暖年,是近60年来出现拉尼娜事件的年份中全球气温最高的一年。2011年,全球热带气旋活动较常年偏少。4月,一次拉尼娜事件结束,9月又一次拉尼娜事件生成。年初,低温、寒流席卷亚洲大部,暴风雪频繁袭击北美地区。西欧和中国东部出现严重春旱。夏季,非洲东部经历了20世纪80年代以来最严重的干旱,而东南亚、巴基斯坦和中南美洲洪涝灾害严重。全球极端偏暖事件主要出现在欧洲西部和西北部、南亚南部、东亚中西部、北美东南部等地;极端偏冷事件主要出现在东亚、澳大利亚、非洲南部和美国东北部和西部等地。而南美中东部、东南亚及中国东南部、日本、澳大利亚北部、非洲西部等地出现了极端强降水事件。研究发现,2010／2011年拉尼娜事件和台风活动是导致东南亚洪涝出现的重要原因,而巴基斯坦洪涝主要与印度洋正位相偶极型海温分布有关。     

CINRAD/SA雷达两种识别跟踪产品的评估分析

以中国气象局气象探测中心提供的2007--2008年灾害性天气个例档案为基础,对CINRAD／SA雷达风暴识别跟踪和中气旋产品做了定量评估,同时就评估结果与美国同类产品做了对比。结果表明,风暴识别与跟踪产品基本能满足临近预报的需要,但存在漏识别和错误跟踪现象,且30min以后单体位置预报误差较大。中气旋产品评估结果与美国产品差异不大,基本能自动识别风暴涡旋,但存在漏报,且虚警率较高。     

盛夏渤海湾大气边界层辐合线触发对流风暴对比分析

本文对渤海湾2008—2009年,由大气边界层辐合线引起的对流风暴进行了分析。结果表明,在高温、高湿不稳定大气层结环境条件下：（1）单一的海风锋在其端点可产生对流性降水。（2）海风锋与弱冷锋相遇,或者两条海风锋相交,或者雷暴单体的出流边界与海风锋相遇均会产生强对流风暴。（3）渤海湾边界层辐合线触发对流风暴大多发生在每年7 8月,且在副热带高压控制渤海湾后东退的过程中,此时大气层结处在高温、高湿不稳定状态。辐合线触发的对流风暴是沿辐合线移动,移动方向取决于辐合线两侧的主导风向。（4）边界层辐合线触发对流风暴,具有突发性强,持续时间短等特点,分析渤海湾边界层辐合线的移动与演变能提高强对流风暴的临近预报、预警,减少突发性天气引起的灾害。