局地经圈环流和沙漠

应用 Xie和 Arkin降水资料和 NECP／NCAR再分析资料，研究了撒哈拉和中国西北沙漠地区的干旱气候。结果表明，尽管该两区域都有在年降水量少于50mm的十分干旱的区域，但其年度特征却非常不同。在撒哈拉沙漠中心的南部地区和中国西北沙漠地区，超过70％的降水出现在6－8月；而在撒哈拉沙漠中心以北地区，降水主要集中在12－2月。这种十分干旱的气候不能用Channey提出的生物圈－辐射效应加以解释。由于6－7月的强下沉中心远在撒哈拉强干中心的北部，其形成也不能用Rodwell和Hoskins提出的季风－沙漠机制予以解释。利用局地经圈环流的概念对两地干旱气候的分析和比较发现，局地经圈环流的下沉在12－2月支配着局地的垂直环流，导致干旱气候形成。这时撒哈拉北部的弱的、相对的多雨的气候是因受中海气候型影响所改。而在6－7月局地该为上升运动，其中尤以中国西北地区为显著。因此撒哈拉南部及中国西北的沙漠地区降水多集中在6－8月。不过与此上升运动相伴的是低空来之中、高纬的强而干的北风，它携带的水汽甚少，不利深对流发展。正是这种局地经圈环流导致了该两处干旱气候的形成。

Local Meridional Circulation and Deserts

This paper investigates the dry climatology of Sahara and Northwest China deserts from the viewpoint of local meridional circulation with Xie and Arkin rainfall dada and NCAR / NCEP reanalysis data. Re sults show that there are very dry centers with annual rainfall less than 50 mm over these two deserts while the rainy seasons are very different. In the south part of Sahara desert center and Northwest China desert, over 70% rainfall takes place in June, July and August (JJA). While in the north part of Sahara, rainfall mainly concentrates in December, January and February (DJF). The local biosphere-radiation mechanism proposed by Charney cannot explain the climatology of such very dry centers. Neither can the monsoon-de sert mechanism proposed by Rodwell and Hoskins do for the strongest descent center is much more north ward than the driest center over Sahara in JJA. From the viewpoint of local meridional circulation, the dry ness climatology of Sahara and Northwest China deserts is investigated and compared. It is shown that in DJF, descent of local meridional circulation dominates the two deserts and very dry climate is unavoidable although the relative wet season is weak over the northern part of Sahara due to Mediterranean climate. While in JJA, there is ascent over the two deserts especially over Northwest China. Such ascent can explain the rainy season in south part of Sahara and Northwest China deserts. However, it is the local meridional circulation that takes strong and dry northerly from higher latitudes. The northerly either takes little mois ture to the centers or prevents deep and strong convection over the centers. Such local meridional circulation leads to the dry climatology over the two deserts.