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2015 Vol. 32, No. 7

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Inter-comparison of the Infrared Channels of the Meteorological Imager Onboard COMS and Hyperspectral IASI Data
Dohyeong KIM, Myoung-Hwan AHN, Minjin CHOI
2015, 32(7) doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4124-1
Abstract:
The successful launch and commissioning of the first geostationary meteorological satellite of Korea has the potential to enhance earth observation capability over the Asia Pacific region. Although the specifications of the payload, the meteorological imager (MI), have been verified during both ground and in-orbit tests, there is the possibility of variation and/or degradation of data quality due to many different reasons, such as the accumulation of contaminants, the aging of instrument components, and unexpected external disturbance. Thus, for better utilization of MI data, it is imperative to continuously monitor and maintain the data quality. As a part of such activity, this study presents an inter-calibration, based on the Global Space-based Inter-Calibration System (GSICS), between the MI data and the high quality hyperspectral data from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) of the Metop-A satellite. Both sets of data, acquired for three years from April 2011 to March 2014, are processed to prepare the matchup dataset, which is spatially collocated, temporally concurrent, angularly coincident, and spectrally comparable. The results show that the MI data are stable within the specifications and show no significant degradation during the study period. However, the water vapor channel shows a rather large bias value of -0.77 K, with a root-mean-square difference (RMSD) of around 1.1 K, which is thought to be due to the shift in the spectral response function. The shortwave channel shows a maximum RMSD of around 1.39 K, mainly due to the coarse digitization at the lower temperature. The inter-comparison results are re-checked through a sensitivity analysis with different sets of threshold values used for the matchup dataset. Based on this, we confirm that the overall quality of the MI data meets the user requirements and maintains the expected performance, although the water vapor channel requires further investigation.
Potential Impact of Future Climate Change on Crop Yield in Northeastern China
ZHOU Mengzi, WANG Huijun
2015, 32(7): 889-897. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4161-9
Abstract:
We evaluated the potential impact of future climate change on spring maize and single-crop rice in northeastern China (NEC) by employing climate and crop models. Based on historical data, diurnal temperature change exhibited a distinct negative relationship with maize yield, whereas minimum temperature correlated positively to rice yield. Corresponding to the evaluated climate change derived from coupled climate models included in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) under the Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 scenario (RCP4.5), the projected maize yield changes for three future periods [2010-39 (period 1), 2040-69 (period 2), and 2070-99 (period 3)] relative to the mean yield in the baseline period (1976-2005) were 2.92%, 3.11% and 2.63%, respectively. By contrast, the evaluated rice yields showed slightly larger increases of 7.19%, 12.39%, and 14.83%, respectively. The uncertainties in the crop response are discussed by considering the uncertainties obtained from both the climate and the crop models. The range of impact of the uncertainty became markedly wider when integrating these two sources of uncertainty. The probabilistic assessments of the evaluated change showed maize yield to be relatively stable from period 1 to period 3, while the rice yield showed an increasing trend over time. The results presented in this paper suggest a tendency of the yields of maize and rice in NEC to increase (but with great uncertainty) against the background of global warming, which may offer some valuable guidance to government policymakers.
Low-Level Temperature Inversions and Their Effect on Aerosol Condensation Nuclei Concentrations under Different Large-Scale Synoptic Circulations
LI Jun, CHEN Hongbin, Zhanqing LI, WANG Pucai, Maureen CRIBB, FAN Xuehua
2015, 32(7): 898-908. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4150-z
Abstract:
Knowledge of the statistical characteristics of inversions and their effects on aerosols under different large-scale synoptic circulations is important for studying and modeling the diffusion of pollutants in the boundary layer. Based on results generated using the self-organizing map (SOM) weather classification method, this study compares the statistical characteristics of surface-based inversions (SBIs) and elevated inversions (EIs), and quantitatively evaluates the effect of SBIs on aerosol condensation nuclei (CN) concentrations and the relationship between temperature gradients and aerosols for six prevailing synoptic patterns over the the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site during 2001-10. Large-scale synoptic patterns strongly influence the statistical characteristics of inversions and the accumulation of aerosols in the low-level atmosphere. The activity, frequency, intensity, and vertical distribution of inversions are significantly different among these synoptic patterns. The vertical distribution of inversions varies diurnally and is significantly different among the different synoptic patterns. Anticyclonic patterns affect the accumulation of aerosols near the ground more strongly than cyclonic patterns. Mean aerosol CN concentrations increase during SBIs compared to no inversion cases by 16.1%, 22.6%, 24.5%, 58.7%, 29.8% and 23.7% for the six synoptic patterns. This study confirms that there is a positive correlation between temperature gradients and aerosol CN concentrations near the ground at night under similar large-scale synoptic patterns. The relationship is different for different synoptic patterns and can be described by linear functions. These findings suggest that large-scale synoptic patterns change the static stability of the atmosphere and inversions in the lower atmosphere, thereby influencing the diffusion of aerosols near the ground.
Mid-Pliocene Westerlies from PlioMIP Simulations
LI Xiangyu, JIANG Dabang, ZHANG Zhongshi, ZHANG Ran, TIAN Zhiping, YAN Qing
2015, 32(7): 909-923. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4171-7
Abstract:
The midlatitude westerlies are one of the major components of the global atmospheric circulation. They play an important role in midlatitude weather and climate, and are particularly significant in interpreting aeolian sediments. In this study, we analyzed the behavior and the possible mechanism involved in the change of the westerlies, mainly in terms of the jet stream position, in the mid-Pliocene warm period (3.3 to 3.0 million years ago) using simulations of 15 climate models from the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP). Compared to the reference period, the mid-Pliocene midlatitude westerlies generally shifted poleward (approximately 3.6° of latitude in the Northern Hemisphere and 1.9° of latitude in the Southern Hemisphere at 850 hPa level) with a dipole pattern. The dipole pattern of the tropospheric zonal wind anomalies was closely related to the change of the tropospheric meridional temperature gradient as a result of thermal structure adjustment. The poleward shift of the midlatitude westerly jet corresponded to the poleward shift of the mean meridional circulation. The sea surface temperatures and sea ice may have affected the simulated temperature structure and zonal winds, causing the spread of the westerly anomalies in the mid-Pliocene between the atmosphere-only and coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model simulations.
Re-examination of Tropical Cyclone Formation in Monsoon Troughs over the Western North Pacific
ZONG Huijun, WU Liguang
2015, 32(7): 924-934. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4115-2
Abstract:
The monsoon trough (MT) is one of the large-scale patterns favorable for tropical cyclone (TC) formation over the western North Pacific (WNP). This study re-examines TC formation by treating the MT as a large-scale background for TC activity during May-October. Over an 11-year (2000-10) period, 8.3 TC formation events on average per year are identified to occur within MTs, accounting for 43.1% of the total TC formation events in the WNP basin. This percentage is much lower than those reported in previous studies. Further analysis indicates that TC formation events in monsoon gyres were included at least in some previous studies. The MT includes a monsoon confluence zone where westerlies meet easterlies and a monsoon shear line where the trade easterlies lie north of the monsoon westerlies. In this study, the large-scale flow pattern associated with TC formation in the MT is composited based on the reference point in the confluence zone where both the zonal and meridional wind components are zero with positive vorticity. While previous studies have found that many TCs form in the confluence zone, the composite analysis indicates that nearly all of the TCs formed in the shear region, since the shear region is associated with stronger low-level relative vorticity than the confluence zone. The prevailing easterly vertical shear of zonal wind and barotropic instability may also be conducive to TC formation in the shear region, through the development of synoptic-scale tropical disturbances in the MT that are necessary for TC formation.
Comprehensive Study on the Influence of Evapotranspiration and Albedo on Surface Temperature Related to Changes in the Leaf Area Index
ZHU Jiawen, ZENG Xiaodong
2015, 32(7): 935-942. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4045-z
Abstract:
Many studies have investigated the influence of evapotranspiration and albedo and emphasize their separate effects but ignore their interactive influences by changing vegetation status in large amplitudes. This paper focuses on the comprehensive influence of evapotranspiration and albedo on surface temperature by changing the leaf area index (LAI) between 30°-90°N. Two LAI datasets with seasonally different amplitudes of vegetation change between 30°-90°N were used in the simulations. Seasonal differences between the results of the simulations are compared, and the major findings are as follows. (1) The interactive effects of evapotranspiration and albedo on surface temperature were different over different regions during three seasons [March-April-May (MAM), June-July-August (JJA), and September-October-November (SON)], i.e., they were always the same over the southeastern United States during these three seasons but were opposite over most regions between 30°-90°N during JJA. (2) Either evapotranspiration or albedo tended to be dominant over different areas and during different seasons. For example, evapotranspiration dominated almost all regions between 30°-90°N during JJA, whereas albedo played a dominant role over northwestern Eurasia during MAM and over central Eurasia during SON. (3) The response of evapotranspiration and albedo to an increase in LAI with different ranges showed different paces and signals. With relatively small amplitudes of increased LAI, the rate of the relative increase in evapotranspiration was quick, and positive changes happened in albedo. But both relative changes in evapotranspiration and albedo tended to be gentle, and the ratio of negative changes of albedo increased with relatively large increased amplitudes of LAI.
Tracing the Boundary Layer Sources of Carbon Monoxide in the Asian Summer Monsoon Anticyclone Using WRF-Chem
YAN Renchang, BIAN Jianchun
2015, 32(7): 943-951. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4130-3
Abstract:
The Asian summer monsoon (ASM) anticyclone is a dominant feature of the circulation in the upper troposphere-lower stratosphere (UTLS) during boreal summer, which is found to have persistent maxima in carbon monoxide (CO). This enhancement is due to the upward transport of air with high CO from the planetary boundary layer (PBL), and confinement within the anticyclonic circulation. With rapid urbanization and industrialization, CO surface emissions are relatively high in the ASM region, especially in India and East China. To reveal the transport pathway of CO surface emissions over these two regions, and investigate the contribution of these to the CO distribution within the ASM anticyclone, a source sensitivity experiment was performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) with chemistry model (WRF-Chem). According to the experiment results, the CO within the ASM anticyclone mostly comes from India, while the contribution from East China is insignificant. The result is mainly caused by the different transportation mechanisms. In India, CO transportation is primarily affected by convection. The surface air with high CO over India is directly transported to the upper troposphere, and then confined within the ASM anticyclone, leading to a maximum value in the UTLS region. The CO transportation over East China is affected by deep convection and large-scale circulation, resulting mainly in transportation to Korea, Japan, and the North Pacific Ocean, with little upward transport to the anticyclone, leading to a high CO value at 215 hPa over these regions.
Parallel Comparison of the Northern Winter Stratospheric Circulation in Reanalysis and in CMIP5 Models
RAO Jian, REN Rongcai, YANG Yang
2015, 32(7): 952-996. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4192-2
Abstract:
A parallel comparison is made of the circulation climatology and the leading oscillation mode of the northern winter stratosphere among six reanalysis products and 24 CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5) models. The results reveal that the NCEP/NCAR, NECP/DOE, ERA40, ERA-Interim and JRA25 reanalyses are quite consistent in describing the climatology and annual cycle of the stratospheric circulation. The 20CR reanalysis, however, exhibits a remarkable "cold pole" bias accompanied by a much stronger stratospheric polar jet, similar as in some CMIP5 models. Compared to the 1-2 month seasonal drift in most coupled general circulation models (GCMs), the seasonal cycle of the stratospheric zonal wind in most earth system models (ESMs) agrees very well with reanalysis. Similar to the climatology, the amplitude of Polar Vortex Oscillation (PVO) events also varies among CMIP5 models. The PVO amplitude in most GCMs is relatively weaker than in reanalysis, while that in most of the ESMs is more realistic. In relation to the "cold pole" bias and the weaker oscillation in some CMIP5 GCMs, the frequency of PVO events is significantly underestimated by CMIP5 GCMs; while in most ESMs, it is comparable to that in reanalysis. The PVO events in reanalysis (except in 20CR) mainly occur from mid-winter to early spring (January-March); but in some of the CMIP5 models, a 1-2 month delay exists, especially in most of the CMIP5 GCMs. The long-term trend of the PVO time series does not correspond to long-term changes in the frequency of PVO events in most of the CMIP5 models.
Evaluation of Radar and Automatic Weather Station Data Assimilation for a Heavy Rainfall Event in Southern China
HOU Tuanjie, Fanyou KONG, CHEN Xunlai, LEI Hengchi, HU Zhaoxia
2015, 32(7): 967-978. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4155-7
Abstract:
To improve the accuracy of short-term (0-12 h) forecasts of severe weather in southern China, a real-time storm-scale forecasting system, the Hourly Assimilation and Prediction System (HAPS), has been implemented in Shenzhen, China. The forecasting system is characterized by combining the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model and the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) package. It is capable of assimilating radar reflectivity and radial velocity data from multiple Doppler radars as well as surface automatic weather station (AWS) data. Experiments are designed to evaluate the impacts of data assimilation on quantitative precipitation forecasting (QPF) by studying a heavy rainfall event in southern China. The forecasts from these experiments are verified against radar, surface, and precipitation observations. Comparison of echo structure and accumulated precipitation suggests that radar data assimilation is useful in improving the short-term forecast by capturing the location and orientation of the band of accumulated rainfall. The assimilation of radar data improves the short-term precipitation forecast skill by up to 9 hours by producing more convection. The slight but generally positive impact that surface AWS data has on the forecast of near-surface variables can last up to 6-9 hours. The assimilation of AWS observations alone has some benefit for improving the Fractions Skill Score (FSS) and bias scores; when radar data are assimilated, the additional AWS data may increase the degree of rainfall overprediction.
Cloud-Base Distribution and Cirrus Properties Based on Micropulse Lidar Measurements at a Site in Southeastern China
Jianjun LIU, Zhanqing LI, ZHENG Youfei, Maureen CRIBB
2015, 32(7): 991-1004. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4176-2
Abstract:
The cloud fraction (CF) and cloud-base heights (CBHs), and cirrus properties, over a site in southeastern China from June 2008 to May 2009, are examined by a ground-based lidar. Results show that clouds occupied the sky 41% of the time. Significant seasonal variations in CF were found with a maximum/minimum during winter/summer and similar magnitudes of CF in spring and autumn. A distinct diurnal cycle in the overall mean CF was seen. Total, daytime, and nighttime annual mean CBHs were 3.05 2.73 km, 2.46 2.08 km, and 3.51 3.07 km, respectively. The lowest/highest CBH occurred around noon/midnight. Cirrus clouds were present ∼36.2% of the time at night with the percentage increased in summer and decreased in spring. Annual mean values for cirrus geometrical properties were 8.89 1.65 km, 9.80 1.70 km, 10.73 1.86 km and 1.830.91 km for the base, mid-cloud, top height, and the thickness, respectively. Seasonal variations in cirrus geometrical properties show a maximum/minimum in summer/winter for all cirrus geometrical parameters. The mean cirrus lidar ratio for all cirrus cases in our study was ∼2517 sr, with a smooth seasonal trend. The cirrus optical depth ranged from 0.001 to 2.475, with a mean of 0.34 0.33. Sub-visual, thin, and dense cirrus were observed in ∼12%, 43%, and 45% of the cases, respectively. More frequent, thicker cirrus clouds occurred in summer than in any other season. The properties of cirrus cloud over the site are compared with other lidar-based retrievals of midlatitude cirrus cloud properties.
Proof of the Monotonicity of Grid Size and Its Application in Grid-Size Selection for Mesoscale Models
WANG Chengxin, GAO Shouting, RAN Lingkun, LIANG Li
2015, 32(7): 1005-1015. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4091-6
Abstract:
Terrain characteristics can be accurately represented in spectrum space. Terrain spectra can quantitatively reflect the effect of topographic dynamic forcing on the atmosphere. In wavelength space, topographic spectral energy decreases with decreasing wavelength, in spite of several departures. This relationship is approximated by an exponential function. A power law relationship between the terrain height spectra and wavelength is fitted by the least-squares method, and the fitting slope is associated with grid-size selection for mesoscale models. The monotonicity of grid size is investigated, and it is strictly proved that grid size increases with increasing fitting exponent, indicating that the universal grid size is determined by the minimum fitting exponent. An example of landslide-prone areas in western Sichuan is given, and the universal grid spacing of 4.1 km is shown to be a requirement to resolve 90% of terrain height variance for mesoscale models, without resorting to the parameterization of subgrid-scale terrain variance. Comparison among results of different simulations shows that the simulations estimate the observed precipitation well when using a resolution of 4.1 km or finer. Although the main flow patterns are similar, finer grids produce more complex patterns that show divergence zones, convergence zones and vortices. Horizontal grid size significantly affects the vertical structure of the convective boundary layer. Stronger vertical wind components are simulated for finer grid resolutions. In particular, noticeable sinking airflows over mountains are captured for those model configurations.
Causes of Mid-Pliocene Strengthened Summer and Weakened Winter Monsoons over East Asia
ZHANG Ran, JIANG Dabang, ZHANG Zhongshi
2015, 32(7): 1016-1026. doi: 10.1007/s00376-014-4183-3
Abstract:
The mid-Pliocene warm period was the most recent geological period in Earth's history that featured long-term warming. Both geological evidence and model results indicate that East Asian summer winds (EASWs) strengthened in monsoonal China, and that East Asian winter winds (EAWWs) weakened in northern monsoonal China during this period, as compared to the pre-industrial period. However, the corresponding mechanisms are still unclear. In this paper, the results of a set of numerical simulations are reported to analyze the effects of changed boundary conditions on the mid-Pliocene East Asian monsoon climate, based on PRISM3 (Pliocene Research Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping) palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. The model results showed that the combined changes of sea surface temperatures, atmospheric CO2 concentration, and ice sheet extent were necessary to generate an overall warm climate on a large scale, and that these factors exerted the greatest effects on the strengthening of EASWs in monsoonal China. The orographic change produced significant local warming and had the greatest effect on the weakening of EAWWs in northern monsoonal China in the mid-Pliocene. Thus, these two factors both had important but different effects on the monsoon change. In comparison, the effects of vegetational change on the strengthened EASWs and weakened EAWWs were relatively weak. The changed monsoon winds can be explained by a reorganization of the meridional temperature gradient and zonal thermal contrast. Moreover, the effect of orbital parameters cannot be ignored. Results showed that changes in orbital parameters could have markedly affected the EASWs and EAWWs, and caused significant short-term oscillations in the mid-Pliocene monsoon climate in East Asia.