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2005 Vol. 22, No. 2

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Climate Change Signal Analysis for Northeast Asian Surface Temperature
Jeong-Hyeong LEE, Byungsoo KIM, Keon-Tae SOHN, Won-Tae KOWN, Seung-Ki MIN
2005, 22(2): 159-171. doi: 10.1007/BF02918506
Abstract:
Climate change detection, attribution, and prediction were studied for the surface temperature in the Northeast Asian region using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and three coupled-model simulations from ECHAM4/OPYC3, HadCM3, and CCCma GCMs (Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis general circulation model). The Bayesian fingerprint approach was used to perform the detection and attribution test for the anthropogenic climate change signal associated with changes in anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfate aerosol (SO42-) concentrations for the Northeast Asian temperature. It was shown that there was a weak anthropogenic climate change signal in the Northeast Asian temperature change. The relative contribution of CO2 and SOl- effects to total temperature change in Northeast Asia was quantified from ECHAM4/OPYC3 and CCCma GCM simulations using analysis of variance. For the observed temperature change for the period of 1959-1998, the CO2 effect contributed 10%-21% of the total variance and the direct cooling effect of SO42- played a less important role (0% 7%) than the CO2effect. The prediction of surface temperature change was estimated from the second CO2+SO24- scenario run of ECHAM4/OPYC3 which has the least error in the simulation of the present-day temperature field near the Korean Peninsula. The result shows that the area-mean surface temperature near the Korean Peninsula will increase by about 1.1° by the 2040s relative to the 1990s.
A Primary Study of the Variations of Vertical Radiation with the Beijing 325-m Meteorological Tower
WANG Yuesi, HU Bo, LIU Guangren
2005, 22(2): 172-180. doi: 10.1007/BF02918507
Abstract:
The Beijing 325-m Meteorological Tower (325MT) is used to observe the vertical variation of solar radiation. Results of the experiments indicate that the automatic radiation monitoring system, including a sun tracker and data collection system, works well and all the specifications meet WMO observation standards. The measurement data show that there is a significant radiation decrease from 320 m to the surface, where the difference is only about 30 W m-2 on light air-pollution days, while the maximum reaches about 110 W m-2 when heavy pollution appears near the ground. The global UV radiation decreases on heavy air-pollution days and under poor visibility conditions, and the difference between 300 m and 8 m is larger than on clear days.
Representations of Inverse Covariances by Differential Operators
Qin XU
2005, 22(2): 181-198. doi: 10.1007/BF02918508
Abstract:
In the cost function of three- or four-dimensional variational data assimilation, each term is weighted by the inverse of its associated error covariance matrix and the background error covariance matrix is usually much larger than the other covariance matrices. Although the background error covariances are traditionally normalized and parameterized by simple smooth homogeneous correlation functions, the covariance matrices constructed from these correlation functions are often too large to be inverted or even manipulated. It is thus desirable to find direct representations of the inverses of background errorcorrelations. This problem is studied in this paper. In particular, it is shown that the background term can be written into ∫ dx|Dv(x)|2, that is, a squared L2 norm of a vector differential operator D, called the D-operator, applied to the field of analysis increment v(x). For autoregressive correlation functions, the Doperators are of finite orders. For Gaussian correlation functions, the D-operators are of infinite order. For practical applications, the Gaussian D-operators must be truncated to finite orders. The truncation errors are found to be small even when the Gaussian D-operators are truncated to low orders. With a truncated D-operator, the background term can be easily constructed with neither inversion nor direct calculation of the covariance matrix. D-operators are also derived for non-Gaussian correlations and transformed into non-isotropic forms.
Interannual Meridional Displacement of the East Asian Upper-tropospheric Jet Stream in Summer
LIN Zhongda, LU Riyu
2005, 22(2): 199-211. doi: 10.1007/BF02918509
Abstract:
On the interannual timescale, the meridional displacement of the East Asian upper-tropospheric jet stream (EAJS) is significantly associated with the rainfall anomalies in East Asia in summer. In this study, using the data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Department of Energy (NCEP/DOE) reanalysis-2 from 1979 to 2002, the authors investigate the interannual variations of the EAJS's meridional displacement in summer and their associations with the variations of the South Asian high (SAH) and the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH), which are dominant circulation features in the upper and lower troposhere, respectively. The result from an EOF analysis shows that the meridional displacement is the most remarkable feature of the interannual variations of the EAJS in each month of summer and in summer as a whole. A composite analysis indicates that the summer (June-JulyAugust, JJA) EAJS index, which is intended to depict the interannual meridional displacement of the EAJS, is not appropriate because the anomalies of the zonal wind at 200 hPa (U200) in July and August only, rather than in June, significantly contribute to the summer EAJS index. Thus, the index for each month in summer is defined according to the location of the EAJS core in each month. Composite analyses based on the monthly indexes show that corresponding to the monthly equatorward displacement of the EAJS, the South Asian high (SAH) extends southeastward clearly in July and August, and the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) withdraws southward in June and August.
A Comparison Study of Tropical Pacific Ocean State Estimation: Low-Resolution Assimilation vs. High-Resolution Simulation
FU Weiwei, ZHU Jiang, ZHOU Guangqing, WANG Huijun
2005, 22(2): 212-219. doi: 10.1007/BF02918510
Abstract:
A comparison study is performed to contrast the improvements in the tropical Pacific oceanic state of a low-resolution model respectively via data assimilation and by an increase in horizontal resolution.A low resolution model (LR) (1°lat by 2°lon) and a high-resolution model (HR) (0.5°lat by 0.5°lon) are employed for the comparison. The authors perform 20-yr numerical experiments and analyze the annual mean fields of temperature and salinity. The results indicate that the low-resolution model with data assimilation behaves better than the high-resolution model in the estimation of ocean large-scale features.From 1990 to 2000, the average of HR's RMSE (root-mean-square error) relative to independent Tropical Atmosphere Ocean project (TAO) mooring data at randomly selected points is 0.97℃ compared to a RMSE of 0.56℃ for LR with temperature assimilation. Moreover, the LR with data assimilation is more frugal in computation. Although there is room to improve the high-resolution model, the low-resolution model with data assimilation may be an advisable choice in achieving a more realistic large-scale state of the ocean at the limited level of information provided by the current observational system.
The Shallow Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Northern Indian Ocean and Its Interannual Variability
HU Ruijin, LIU Qinyu, WANG Qi, J. Stuart GODFREY, MENG Xiangfeng
2005, 22(2): 220-229. doi: 10.1007/BF02918511
Abstract:
The shallow meridional overturning circulation (upper 1000 m) in the northern Indian Ocean and its interannual variability are studied, based on a global ocean circulation model (MOM2) with an integration of 10 years (1987-1996). It is shown that the shallow meridional overturning circulation has a prominent seasonal reversal characteristic. In winter, the flow is northward in the upper layer and returns southward at great depth. In summer, the deep northward inflow upwells north of the equator and returns ...
Physical Experiments to Investigate the Effects of Street Bottom Heating and Inflow Turbulence on Urban Street-Canyon Flow
Jae-Jin KIM, Jong-Jin BAIK
2005, 22(2): 230-237. doi: 10.1007/BF02918512
Abstract:
The effects of street bottom heating and inflow turbulence on urban street-canyon flow are experimentally investigated using a circulating water channel. Three experiments are carried out for a street canyon with a street aspect ratio of 1. Results from each experiment with bottom heating or inflow turbulence are compared with those without bottom heating and appreciable inflow turbulence. It is demonstrated that street bottom heating or inflow turbulence increases the intensity of the canyon vortex. A p...
Impact of the Anomalous Thawing in the Tibetan Plateau on Summer Precipitation in China and Its Mechanism
GAO Rong, WEI Zhigang, DONG Wenjie, ZHONG Hailing
2005, 22(2): 238-245. doi: 10.1007/BF02918513
Abstract:
The impact of the anomalous thawing of frozen soil in the late spring on the summer precipitation in China and its possible mechanism are analyzed in the context of the frozen soil thawing date data of the 50meteorological stations in the Tibetan Plateau, and the NCEP/NCAR monthly average reanalysis data.Results show that the thawing dates of the Tibetan Plateau gradually become earlier from 1980 to 1999,which is consistent with the trend of global warming in the 20th century. Because differences in the thermal capacity and conductivity between frozen and unfrozen soils are larger, changes in the freezing/thawing process of soil may change the physical properties of the underlying surface, thus affecting exchanges of sensible and latent heat between the ground surface and air. The thermal state change of the plateau ground surface must lead to the thermal anomalies of the atmosphere over and around the plateau, and then further to the anomalies of the general atmospheric circulation. A possible mechanism for the impact of the thawing of the plateau on summer (July) precipitation may be as follows. When the frozen soil thaws early (late) in the plateau, the thermal capacity of the ground surface is large (small), and the thermal conductivity is small (large), therefore, the thermal exchanges between the ground surface and the air are weak (strong). The small (large) ground surface sensible and latent heat fluxes lead to a weak (strong) South Asian high, a weak (strong) West Pacific subtropical high and a little to south (north) of its normal position. Correspondingly, the ascending motion is strengthened (weakened) and precipitation increases (decreases) in South China, while in the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang River, the ascending motion and precipitation show the opposite trend.
Study of Initial Vorticity Forcing for Block Onset by a 4-Dimensional Variational Approach
QIAO Fangli, ZHANG Shaoqing, YIN Xunqiang
2005, 22(2): 246-259. doi: 10.1007/BF02918514
Abstract:
With the aid of a global barotropic model, the role of the interaction of the synoptic-scale disturbance and the planetary flow in block onset is examined by a 4-dimensional variational approach. A cost function is defined to measure the squared errors of the forecasted stream functions during block onset period (day 4 and day 5 in this study) over a selected blocking domain. The sensitivity of block onset with respect to the initial synoptic-scale disturbance is studied by examining the gradient of the defined cost function with respect to the initial (during the first 24 hours) vorticity forcing, which is evaluated by the adjoint integration. Furthermore, the calculated cost function and gradient are connected with the limited-memory quasi-Newton optimization algorithm for solving the optimal initial vorticity forcing for block onset. For two studied cases of block onset (northern Atlantic and northern Pacific) introducing the optimal initial vorticity forcing, the nonlinear barotropic advection process mostly reconstructs these blocking onset processes. The results show that the formation of blocking can be correctly described by a barotropic nonlinear advection process, in which the wave- (synoptic-scale) flow (planetary-scale)interaction plays a very important role. On an appropriate planetary-scale flow, a certain synoptic-scale disturbance can cause the blocking onset by the interaction between the synoptic scale perturbations and the planetary scale basic flows. The extended forecasts show that the introduction of the optimal initial vorticity forcing can predict the blocking process up to the 7th or 8th day in this simple model case. The experimental results in this study show that the 4-dimensional variational approach has a good potential to be applied to study the dynamics of the medium-range weather processes. This simple model case study is only an initial trial. Applying the framework in this study to a complex model will further our understanding of the mechanism of the atmospheric/oceanic processes and improve their prediction.
AREM Simulations of Cloud Features over Eastern China in February 2001
LI Yunying, YU Rucong, XU Youping, ZHOU Tianjun
2005, 22(2): 260-270. doi: 10.1007/BF02918515
Abstract:
Based on the simulations of cloud features in February 2001 by the regional numerical weather prediction model-Advanced Regional Eta-coordinate Model (AREM), the dynamic and thermodynamic conditions for middle cloud formation over eastern China are studied. Diagnostic analysis partly confirms the previous suggestion that the middle stratiform clouds downstream of the Tibetan Plateau are maintained by the frictional and blocking effects of the plateau. In addition, it is found that the temperature inversion at plateau height over eastern China generated by the warm air advected from the plateau provides a favorable thermodynamic condition for middle clouds. Both diurnal variations of the mid-level divergence and the inversion over eastern China, which are determined by the atmospheric boundary activity over the Tibetan Plateau, dominate the cloud diurnal cycle. The middle cloud amount decreases and the cloud top falls in the daytime, but reverses at night. The comparison of cloud features between the simulations and the observations also proves that the AREM can well capture the distinctive continental stratiform cloud features downstream of the Tibetan Plateau.
Humidity Effect and Its Influence on the Seasonal Distribution of Precipitation δ18O in Monsoon Regions
ZHANG Xinping, LIU Jingmiao, HE Yuanqing, TIAN Lide, YAO Tandong
2005, 22(2): 271-277. doi: 10.1007/BF02918516
Abstract:
The humidity effect, namely the markedly positive correlation between the stable isotopic ratio in precipitation and the dew-point deficit △Td in the atmosphere, is put forward firstly and the relationships between the δ18O in precipitation and △Td are analyzed for the Urumqi and Kunming stations, which have completely different climatic characteristics. Although the seasonal variations in δ18O and △Td exhibit differences between the two stations, their humidity effect is notable. The correlation coefficient and its confidence level of the humidity effect are higher than those of the amount effect at Kunming, showing the marked influence of the humidity conditions in the atmosphere on stable isotopes in precipitation.Using a kinetic model for stable isotopic fractionation, and according to the seasonal distribution of meanmonthly temperature at 500 hPa at Kunming, the variations of the δ18O in condensate in cloud aresimulated. A very good agreement between the seasonal variations of the simulated mean δ18O and themean monthly temperature at 500 hPa is obtained, showing that the oxygen stable isotope in condensateof cloud experiences a temperature effect. Such a result is markedly different from the amount effect atthe ground. Based on the simulations of seasonal variations of δ18O in falling raindrops, it can be foundthat, in the dry season from November to April, the increasing trend with falling distance of δ18O in fallingraindrops corresponds remarkably to the great ATd, showing a strong evaporation enrichment function infalling raindrops; however, in the wet season from May to October, the δ18O in falling raindrops displaysan unapparent increase corresponding to the small ATd, except in May. By comparing the simulated meanδ18O at the ground with the actual monthly δ18O in precipitation, we see distinctly that the two monthlyδ18O variations agree very well. On average, the δ18O values are relatively lower because of the highlymoist air, heavy rainfall, small △Td and weak evaporation enrichment function of stable isotopes in thefalling raindrops, under the influence of vapor from the oceans; but they are relatively higher because of the dry air, light rainfall, great △Td and strong evaporation enrichment function in falling raindrops, under the control of the continental air mass. Therefore, the δ18O in precipitation at Kunming can be used to indicate the humidity situation in the atmosphere to a certain degree, and thus indicate the intensity of the precipitation and the strength of the monsoon indirectly. The humidity effect changes not only the magnitude of the stable isotopic ratio in precipitation but also its seasonal distribution due to its influence on the strength of the evaporation enrichment of stable isotopes in falling raindrops and the direction of the net mass transfer of stable isotopes between the atmosphere and the raindrops. Consequently, it is inferred that the humidity effect is probably one of the foremost causes generating the amount effect.
An Analysis of a Meso-β System in a Mei-yu Front Using the Intensive Observation Data During CHeRES 2002
SUN Jianhua, ZHANG Xiaoling, QI Linlin, ZHAO Sixiong
2005, 22(2): 278-289. doi: 10.1007/BF02918517
Abstract:
The conventional and intensive observational data of the China Heavy Rain Experiment and Study (CHeRES) are used to specially analyze the heavy rainfall process in the mei-yu front that occurred during 20-21 June 2002, focusing on the meso-β system. A mesoscale convective system (MCS) formed in the warm-moist southwesterly to the south of the shear line over the Dabie Mountains and over the gorge between the Dabie and Jiuhua Mountains. The mei-yu front and shear line provide a favorable synoptic condition for the development of convection. The GPS observation indicates that the precipitable water increased obviously about 2 3 h earlier than the occurrence of rainfall and decreased after that. The abundant moisture transportation by southwesterly wind was favorable to the maintenance of convective instability and the accumulation of convective available potential energy (CAPE). Radar detection reveals that meso-β and -γ systems were very active in the Mα CS. Several convection lines developed during the evolution of the MαCS, and these are associated with surface convergence lines. The boundary outflow of the convection line may have triggered another convection line. The convection line moved with the mesoscale surface convergence line, but the convective cells embedded in the convergence line propagated along the line. On the basis of the analyses of the intensive observation data, a multi-scale conceptual model of heavy rainfall in the mei-yu front for this particular case is proposed.
Numerical Studies on Flow Fields Around Buildings in an Urban Street Canyon and Cross-Road
CHENG Xueling, HU Fei
2005, 22(2): 290-299. doi: 10.1007/BF02918518
Abstract:
The questions on how vortices are constructed and on the relationship between the flow patterns and concentration distributions in real street canyons are the most pressing questions in pollution control studies. In this paper, the very large eddy simulation (VLES) and large eddy simulation (LES) are applied to calculate the flow and pollutant concentration fields in an urban street canyon and a cross-road respectively. It is found that the flow separations are not only related to the canyon aspect ratios, but also with the flow velocities and wall temperatures. And the turbulent dispersions are so strongly affected by the flow fields that the pollutant concentration distributions can be distinguished from the different aspect ratios, flow velocities and wall temperatures.
Four-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation Experiments for a Heavy Rain Case During the 2002 IOP in China
ZHANG Lin, NI Yunqi
2005, 22(2): 300-312. doi: 10.1007/BF02918519
Abstract:
A heavy rainfall event along the mei-yu front during 22-23 June 2002 was chosen for this study. To assess the impact of the routine and additional IOP (intensive observation period) radiosonde observations on the mesoscale heavy rainfall forecast, a series of four-dimensional variational (4DVAR) data assimilation and model simulation experiments was conducted using nonhydrostatic mesoscale model MM5 and the MM5 4DVAR system. The effects of the intensive observations in the different areas on the heavy rainfall forecast were also investigated. The results showed that improvement of the forecast skill for mesoscale heavy rainfall intensity was possible from the assimilation of the IOP radiosonde observations. However,the impact of the IOP observations on the forecast of the rainfall pattern was not significant. Initial conditions obtained through the 4DVAR experiments with a 12-h assimilation window were capable of improving the 24-h forecast. The simulated results after the assimilation showed that it would be best to perform the intensive radiosonde observations in the upstream of the rainfall area and in the moisture passageway area at the same time. Initial conditions created by the 4DVAR led to the low-level moisture convergence over the rainfall area, enhanced frontogenesis and upward motion within the mei-yu front,and intensified middle- and high-level unstable stratification in front of the mei-yu front. Consequently,the heavy rainfall forecast was improved.