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2005 Vol. 22, No. 4

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Future Projections of Precipitation Characteristics in East Asia Simulated by the MRI CGCM2
Akio KITOH, Masahiro HOSAKA, Yukimasa ADACHI, Kenji KAMIGUCHI
2005, 22(4): 467-478. doi: 10.1007/BF02918481
Abstract:
Projected changes in precipitation characteristics around the mid-21st century and end-of-the-century are analyzed using the daily precipitation output of the 3-member ensemble Meteorological Research Institute global ocean-atmosphere coupled general circulation model (MRI-CGCM2) simulations under the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 and B2 scenarios. It is found that both the frequency and intensity increase in about 40% of the globe, while both the frequency and intensity decrease in about 20% of the globe. These numbers differ only a few percent from decade to decade of the 21st century and between the A2 and B2 scenarios. Over the rest of the globe (about one third), the precipitation frequency decreases but its intensity increases, suggesting a shift of precipitation distribution toward more intense events by global warming. South China is such a region where the summertime wet-day frequency decreases but the precipitation intensity increases. This is related to increased atmospheric moisture content due to global warming and an intensified and more westwardly extended North Pacific subtropical anticyclone,which may be related with an El Ni(n)o-like mean sea surface temperature change. On the other hand, a decrease in summer precipitation is noted in North China, thus augmenting a south-to-north precipit ation contrast more in the future.
Evaluation of East Asian Climatology as Simulated by Seven Coupled Models
JIANG Dabang, WANG Huijun, LANG Xianmei
2005, 22(4): 479-495. doi: 10.1007/BF02918482
Abstract:
Using observation and reanalysis data throughout 1961-1990, the East Asian surface air temperature,precipitation and sea level pressure climatology as simulated by seven fully coupled atmosphere-ocean models, namely CCSR/NIES, CGCM2, CSIRO-Mk2, ECHAM4/OPYC3, GFDL-R30, HadCM3, and NCARPCM, are systematically evaluated in this study. It is indicated that the above models can successfully reproduce the annual and seasonal surface air temperature and precipitation climatology in East Asia, with relatively good performance for boreal autumn and annual mean. The models' ability to simulate surface air temperature is more reliable than precipitation. In addition, the models can dependably capture the geographical distribution pattern of annual, boreal winter, spring and autumn sea level pressure in East Asia. In contrast, relatively large simulation errors are displayed when simulated boreal summer sea level pressure is compared with reanalysis data in East Asia. It is revealed that the simulation errors for surface air temperature, precipitation and sea level pressure are generally large over and around the Tibetan Plateau. No individual model is best in every aspect. As a whole, the ECHAM4/OPYC3 and HadCM3 performances are much better, whereas the CGCM2 is relatively poorer in East Asia. Additionally, the seven-model ensemble mean usually shows a relatively high reliability.
Climatology and Variability of the Indonesian Throughflow in an Eddy-permitting Oceanic GCM
LIU Hailong, LI Wei, ZHANG Xuehong
2005, 22(4): 496-508. doi: 10.1007/BF02918483
Abstract:
A quasi-global eddy permitting oceanic GCM, LICOM1.0, is run with the forcing of ERA40 daily wind stress from 1958 to 2001. The modelled Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) is reasonable in the aspects of both its water source and major pathways. Compared with the observation, the simulated annual mean and seasonal cycle of the ITF transport are fairly realistic. The interannual variation of the tropical Pacific Ocean plays a more important role in the interannual variability of the ITF transport. The relationship between the ITF and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) also reflects the influence of ENSO. However, the relationship between the ITF transport and the interannual anomalies in the Pacific and Indian Oceans vary with time. During some years, (e.g., 1994), the effect of a strong IOD on the ITF transport is more than that from ENSO.
Surface and Upper-Level Features Associated with Wintertime Cold Surge Outbreaks in South Korea
Sang-Boom RYOO, Won-Tae KWON, Jong-Ghap JHUN
2005, 22(4): 509-524. doi: 10.1007/BF02918484
Abstract:
The surface and upper-level features associated with a sharp drop of wintertime daily temperature over South Korea is investigated in this study. This sharp drop in daily temperature is called a cold surge and is one of the most hazardous weather phenomena in East Asian winters. An upper-level baroclinic wave of 60° wavelength propagating eastward at a phase speed of 12° longitude per day across the continent of northern China from the west of Lake Baikal toward the eastern coast of China causes the outbreak of cold air over South Korea. The cooling associated with the upper-level baroclinic wave is found at all altitudes under the geopotential height-fall center near the tropopause. The development in the ridge seems to derive the early evolution of the eastward-propagating sinusoidal wave, whereas the trough is connected directly with the tropospheric temperature-drop. An enhancement of the wintertime East Asian jet stream after the outbreak of a cold surge is a response to the steep temperature gradient associated with the developing baroclinic wave.
Equilibrium Mechanism Analysis on the Physical Processes of IAP3.0
ZUO Ruiting, WANG Liqiong, ZENG Qingcun, ZHANG Ming
2005, 22(4): 525-533. doi: 10.1007/BF02918485
Abstract:
Based on the detection of the dynamic and thermodynamic functions of the physical processes in IAP3.0,the equilibrium mechanisms of the temperature, moisture and wind are analyzed. The negative feedback between the longwave radiation and temperature is verified. The cooling regulation of netradiation on temperature is mostly balanced by the heating of precipitation; the leading actions on temperature of other processes such as vertical diffusion, shallow cumulus convection and friction are merely available for lower air. The moisture consumption of precipitation is compensated on the whole by the provision of shallow cumulus convection, which sustains the moisture conservation to a high degree. The wind field is directly regulated by the momentum redistribution of cumulus, the dry adiabatic convection and vertical diffusion.Yet, the prominent influences of these processes are generally confined to the lower level. The east wind at low latitudes and the west wind at high latitudes are both weakened by the regulations and furthermore,by virtue of the transportation of mean meridional circulation, such a variation exactly maintains the angular momentum conservation.
The Effect of Three-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation of QuikSCAT Data on the Numerical Simulation of Typhoon Track and Intensity
ZENG Zhihua, DUAN Yihong, LIANG Xudong, MA Leiming, Johnny Chung-leung CHAN
2005, 22(4): 534-544. doi: 10.1007/BF02918486
Abstract:
In this paper, the three-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme (3DVAR) in the mesoscale model version 5 (MM5) of the US Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research is used to study the effect of assimilating the sea-wind data from QuikSCAT on the prediction of typhoon track and intensity. The case of Typhoon Dujuan (2003) is first tested and the results show appreciable improvements. Twelve other cases in 2003 are then evaluated. The assimilation of the QuikSCAT data produces significant impacts on the structure of Dujuan in terms of the horizontal and vertical winds, sealevel pressure and temperature at the initial time. With the assimilation, the 24-h (48-h) track prediction of 11 (10) out of the 12 typhoons is improved. The 24-h (48-h) prediction of typhoon intensity is also improved in 10 (9) of the 12 cases. These experiments therefore demonstrate that assimilation of the QuikSCAT sea-wind data can increase the accuracy of typhoon track and intensity predictions through modification of the initial fields associated with the typhoon.
Parameterization of the Absorption of the H2O Continuum, CO2, O2, and Other Trace Gases in the Fu-Liou Solar Radiation Program
ZHANG Feng, ZENG Qingcun, Y.GU, K.N.LIOU
2005, 22(4): 545-558. doi: 10.1007/BF02918487
Abstract:
The absorption properties of the water vapor continuum and a number of weak bands for H2O, O2, CO2,CO, N2O, CH4, and O3 in the solar spectrum are incorporated into the Fu-Liou radiation parameterization program by using the correlated k-distribution method (CKD) for the sorting of absorption lines. The overlap absorption of the H2O lines and the H2O continuum (2500-14500 cm-1) are treated by taking the two gases as a single-mixture gas in transmittance calculations. Furthermore, in order to optimize the computation efforts, CO2 and CH4 in the spectral region 2850-5250 cm-1 are taken as a new singlemixture gas as well. For overlap involving other absorption lines in the Fu-Liou spectral bands, the authors adopt the multiplication rule for transmittance computations under which the absorption spectra for two gases are assumed to be uncorrelated. Compared to the line-by-line (LBL) computation, it is shown that the errors in fluxes introduced by these two approaches within the context of the CKD method are small and less than 0.48% for the H2O line and continuum in the 2500-14500 cm-1 solar spectral region, ~1% for H2O (line)+H2O (continuum)+CO2+CH4 in the spectral region 2850-5250 cm-1, and ~1.5% for H2O (line)+H2O (continuum)+O2 in the 7700-14500 cm-1 spectral region. Analysis also demonstrates that the multiplication rule over a spectral interval as wide as 6800 cm-1 can produce acceptable errors with a maximum percentage value of about 2% in reference to the LBL calculation. Addition of the preceding gases increases the absorption of solar radiation under all sky conditions. For clear sky, the increase in instantaneous solar absorption is about 9%-13% (~12 W m-2) among which the H2O continuum produces the largest increase, while the contributions from O2 and CO2 rank second and third, respectively. In cloudy sky, the addition of absorption amounts to about 6-9 W m-2. The new, improved program with the incorporation of the preceding gases produces a smaller solar absorption in clouds due to the reduced solar flux reaching the cloud top.
Impacts of an Improved Low-Level Cloud Scheme on the Eastern Pacific ITCZ-Cold Tongue Complex
DAI Fushan, YU Rucong, ZHANG Xuehong, YU Yongqiang, LI Jianglong
2005, 22(4): 559-574. doi: 10.1007/BF02918488
Abstract:
A statistically-based low-level cloud parameterization scheme is introduced, modified, and applied in the Flexible coupled General Circulation Model (FGCM-0). It is found that the low-level cloud scheme makes improved simulations of low-level cloud fractions and net surface shortwave radiation fluxes in the subtropical eastern oceans off western coasts in the model. Accompanying the improvement in the net surface shortwave radiation fluxes, the simulated distribution of SSTs is more reasonably asymmetrical about the equator in the tropical eastern Pacific, which suppresses, to some extent, the development of the double ITCZ in the model. Warm SST biases in the ITCZ north of the equator are more realistically reduced, too. But the equatorial cold tongue is strengthened and extends further westward, which reduces the precipitation rate in the western equatorial Pacific but increases it in the ITCZ north of the equator in the far eastern Pacific. It is demonstrated that the low-level cloud-radiation feedback would enhance the cooperative feedback between the equatorial cold tongue and the ITCZ. Based on surface layer heat budget analyses, it is demonstrated that the reduction of SSTs is attributed to both the thermodynamic cooling process modified by the increase of cloud fractions and the oceanic dynamical cooling processes associated with the strengthened surface wind in the eastern equatorial Pacific, but it is mainly attributed to oceanic dynamical cooling processes associated with the strengthening of surface wind in the central and western equatorial Pacific.
The Climate Variabilities of Air Temperature Around the Korean Peninsula
Yong-Hoon YOUN
2005, 22(4): 575-584. doi: 10.1007/BF02918489
Abstract:
In this study, changes in climatological conditions around the Korean Peninsula are estimated quantitatively using various types of high order statistical analyses. The temperature data collected from Incheon station have been analyzed for the assessment of the climate variation. According to our analysis,the climate changes observed over the Korean Peninsula for the last century are similar to the global observational data in many respects. First of all, the warming trend [+1.5℃ (100 yr)-1] and the overall evolving pattern throughout the century are quite similar to each other. The temperature change in the Korean Peninsula is about two to three times larger than that of the global scale which may partially be ascribed to the influence of urbanization at mid and high latitudes. In this work, a new Winter Monsoon Index (WMI) is suggested based on the European continental scale circulation index (EU1) pattern. Our WMI is defined as the normalized sea level pressure (SLP) difference in the winter period between the centers of the East Sea and west of Lake Baikal in Siberia, the two eastern centers of the EU1 action patterns. A strong similarity is found between the time series of the WMI and surface air temperature at Incheon. The WMI has decreased gradually since the 1920s but has shifted to a rapid increasing trend in the last two decades; it was in fact accompanied by a weakening of the Siberian High and a decreasing of the northerly during winter. Our findings of the close correlations between the surface air temperature at Incheon and the WMI strongly indicate that our newly suggested index is unique and can be used as an efficient tool to predict climate variability in Korea.
Simulation of Tropospheric Ozone with MOZART-2:An Evaluation Study over East Asia
LIU Qianxia, ZHANG Meigen, WANG Bin
2005, 22(4): 585-594. doi: 10.1007/BF02918490
Abstract:
Climate changes induced by human activities have attracted a great amount of attention. With this,a coupling system of an atmospheric chemistry model and a climate model is greatly needed in China for better understanding the interaction between atmospheric chemical components and the climate. As the first step to realize this coupling goal, the three-dimensional global atmospheric chemistry transport model MOZART-2 (the global Model of Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers, version 2) coupled with CAM2 (the Community Atmosphere Model, version 2) is set up and the model results are compared against observations obtained in East Asia in order to evaluate the model performance. Comparison of simulated ozone mixing ratios with ground level observations at Minamitorishima and Ryori and with ozonesonde data at Naha and Tateno in Japan shows that the observed ozone concentrations can be reproduced reasonably well at Minamitorishima but they tend to be slightly overestimated in winter and autumn while underestimated a little in summer at Ryori. The model also captures the general features of surface CO seasonal variations quite well, while it underestimates CO levels at both Minamitorishima and Ryori.The underestimation is primarily associated with the emission inventory adopted in this study. Compared with the ozonesonde data, the simulated vertical gradient and magnitude of ozone can be reasonably well simulated with a little overestimation in winter, especially in the upper troposphere. The model also generally captures the seasonal, latitudinal and altitudinal variations in ozone concentration. Analysis indicates that the underestimation of tropopause height in February contributes to the overestimation of winter ozone in the upper and middle troposphere at Tateno.
Surface Roughness Around a 325-m Meteorological Tower and Its Effect on Urban Turbulence
Monim H.AL-JIBOORI, HU Fei
2005, 22(4): 595-605. doi: 10.1007/BF02918491
Abstract:
Based on slow-and fast-response measurements under neutral stratification conditions from a 325-m meteorological tower located in a built-up area of north-central Beijing as well as a descriptive survey of surface roughness elements (i.e., buildings and trees) around the tower site, urban roughness lengths,z0, with zero-plane displacement height are estimated using logarithmic wind profile and morphometric methods in eight 45° directional sectors. When comparing their results with each other, the slow-response method tends to give smaller z0 values. At a given location, considerable directional variations in values are observed. The effect of surface roughness on urban turbulence characteristics in terms of non-dimensional standard deviations of three-component velocity, σi/u*1 (where i = u, v, v and u*1 is local friction velocity),is investigated.
Retrieving Atmospheric Temperature Profiles from AMSU-A Data with Neural Networks
YAO Zhigang, CHEN Hongbin, LIN Longfu
2005, 22(4): 606-616. doi: 10.1007/BF02918492
Abstract:
Back propagation neural networks are used to retrieve atmospheric temperature profiles from NOAA-16 Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) measurements over East Asia. The collocated radiosonde observation and AMSU-A data over land in 2002-2003 are used to train the network, and the data over land in 2004 are used to test the network. A comparison with the multi-linear regression method shows that the neural network retrieval method can significantly improve the results in all weather conditions.When an offset of 0.5 K or a noise level of +0.2 K is added to all channels simultaneously, the increase in the overall root mean square (RMS) error is less than 0.1 K. Furthermore, an experiment is conducted to investigate the effects of the window channels on the retrieval. The results indicate that the brightness temperatures of window channels can provide significantly useful information on the temperature retrieval near the surface. Additionally, the RMS errors of the profiles retrieved with the trained neural network are compared with the errors from the International Advanced TOVS (ATOVS) Processing Package (IAPP).It is shown that the network-based algorithm can provide much better results in the experiment region and comparable results in other regions. It is also noted that the network can yield remarkably better results than IAPP at the low levels and at about the 250-hPa level in summer skies over ocean. Finally,the network-based retrieval algorithm developed herein is applied in retrieving the temperature anomalies of Typhoon Rananim from AMSU-A data.