固氮酶活性中心研究五十年

固氮酶是固氮微生物在常温常压下固氮成氨的催化剂,其活性中心的结构从Fe2S2·Mo2O2演变到MoFe7S9C(RHhomocit)(cys)(his)(H4homocit=高柠檬酸,Hcys=半胱氨酸,Hhis=组氨酸)。本文将回顾这一重要的历史过程,探讨化学模拟、光谱学、理论计算和生物化学,特别是结构生物学等领域在固氮酶活性中心研究中的重要成就,从化学结构的角度看固氮酶活性中心研究五十年。

The increasing predominance of extreme precipitation in Southwest China since the late 1970s

本文分析了中国西南20世纪70年代末以来极端降水事件的频率,强度及其对总降水的贡献.结果表明,该地区约60%的降水站点极端降水的频率和强度正在增加,而大多数站点总降水频率明显减少.同时极端降水总量对总降水量的贡献有显著增加的趋势,极端降水在日益干旱的中国西南地区变得更具主导性.研究结果提醒应更加重视极端降水及其可能引发的次生灾害,如洪水,山体滑坡等.

Main Detrainment Height of Deep Convection Systems over the Tibetan Plateau and Its Southern Slope

Deep convection systems (DCSs) can rapidly lift water vapor and other pollutants from the lower troposphere to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The main detrainment height determines the level to which the air parcel is lifted. We analyzed the main detrainment height over the Tibetan Plateau and its southern slope based on the CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar 2B_GEOPROF dataset and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Level 2 cloud ice product onboard the Atrain constellation of Earth-observing satellites. It was found that the DCSs over the Tibetan Plateau and its southern slope have a higher main detrainment height (about 10-16 km) than other regions in the same latitude. The mean main detrainment heights are 12.9 and 13.3 km over the Tibetan Plateau and its southern slope, respectively. The cloud ice water path decreases by 16.8% after excluding the influences of DCSs, and the height with the maximum increase in cloud ice water content is located at 178 hPa (about 13 km). The main detrainment height and outflow horizontal range are higher and larger over the central and eastern Tibetan Plateau, the west of the southern slope, and the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau than that over the northwestern Tibetan Plateau. The main detrainment height and outflow horizontal range are lower and broader at nighttime than during daytime.

The first two leading modes of the tropical Pacific and their linkage without global warming

A discrepancy remains in the first two leading empirical orthogonal function(EOF) modes of the tropical Pacific sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA) based on observations since the 1980s. The EOF1 mode, representing the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO), is a robust result. However, the EOF2 features either El Ni?o Modoki(EM) or ENSO evolution during different periods, which is probably associated with the impacts of global warming. The underlying question is what the EOF2 mode of the tropical Pacific would be without global warming. Using the CMIP5 preindustrial scenario to exclude the influence of global warming, we find that the EOF1 mode of the tropical Pacific SSTA represents ENSO and that the EOF2 mode is not EM. According to the lead–lag correlation between the ENSO and EOF2 modes, the linkage between these two modes is as follows: …El Ni?o → EOF2 → La Ni?a →–EOF2 → El Ni?o…. By analyzing the evolution of sea surface temperature, surface wind, and subsurface ocean temperature anomalies, we find the mechanism linking the ENSO and EOF2 modes is the air–sea interaction associated with the ENSO cycle. This result suggests that the EOF2 mode represents an aspect of ENSO evolution under preindustrial conditions. Therefore, this study further indicates that the EM is probably due to the influence of global warming.

The tropical Pacific cold tongue mode and its associated main ocean dynamical process in CMIP5 models

The cold tongue mode(CTM),which represents the out-of-phase relationship in sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA)variability between the Pacific cold tongue region and elsewhere in the tropical Pacific,shows a long-term cooling trend in the eastern equatorial Pacific.In this study,we investigate how well the CTM is reproduced in historical simulations generated by the 20 models considered in Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project(CMIP5).Qualitatively,all 20 models roughly capture the cooling SSTA associated with the CTM.However,a quantitative assessment(i.e.,Taylor diagrams and the ratio of the trend between the simulations and observations)shows that only five of these 20 models(i.e.,CESM1-CAM5,CMCC-CM,FGOALS-g2,IPSL-CM5B-LR,and NorESM1-M)can reproduce with useful accuracy the spatial pattern and long-term trend of the CTM.We find that these five models generally simulate the main ocean dynamical process associated with the CTM.That is,these models adequately capture the long-term cooling trend in the vertical advection of the anomalous temperature by the mean upwelling.We conclude that the performance of these CMIP5 models,with respect to simulations of the long-term cooling trend associated with the vertical advection,and the related long-term decreasing trend of the vertical gradient of the oceanic temperature anomaly,can play an important role in successful reproduction of the CTM.

Seasonal evolution of the effects of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation on lower stratospheric water vapor:Delayed effects in late winter and early spring

Water vapor in the stratosphere makes a significant contribution to global climate change by altering the radiative energy budget of the Earth’s climate system.Although many previous studies have shown that the El Ni?o–Southern Oscillation(ENSO)has significant effects on the water vapor content of the stratosphere in terms of the annual or seasonal mean,a comprehensive analysis of the seasonal evolution of these effects is still required.Using reanalysis data and satellite observations,we carried out a composite analysis of the seasonal evolution of stratospheric water vapor during El Ni?o/La Ni?a peaks in winter and decays in spring.The ENSO has a distinct hysteresis effect on water vapor in the tropical lower stratosphere.The El Ni?o/La Ni?a events moisten/dry out the tropical lower stratosphere in both winter and spring,whereas this wetting/dehydration effect is more significant in spring.This pattern is due to a warmer temperature in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere during the El Ni?o spring phase,which causes more water vapor to enter the stratosphere,and vice versa for La Ni?a.This delayed warming/cooling in the lower stratosphere during the El Ni?o/La Ni?a decay in spring leads to the seasonal evolution of ENSO effects on water vapor in the lower stratosphere.

A possible bias of simulating the post-2000 changing ENSO

Since the late 1990 s, a climate shift has occurred over the tropical Pacific that is characterized with a La Nin? a-like mean state. Coincident with this climate shift, climate models' skills in predicting the El Nin? o Southern Oscillation(ENSO) events in the 2000 s are significantly lower than in the 1980s–1990s. A common bias is likely to exist in contemporary ENSO models that got amplified after the climate shift. In this study, we identify this model bias to be the wind–sea surface temperature coupling processes over the tropical Pacific. Evidence is presented to show that this coupling process experienced an obvious shift around year 2000 in its coupling strength and coupling center. A simple ENSO coupled model is used to demonstrate that the changing properties of the post-2000 ENSO events can be more realistically simulated if this model bias is alleviated.

Spatial and temporal distribution of the cloud optical depth over China based on MODIS satellite data during 2003–2016

The cloud optical depth(COD) is one of the important parameters used to characterize atmospheric clouds. We analyzed the seasonal variations in the COD over East Asia in 2011 using cloud mode data from the AERONET(Aerosol Robotic Network) ground-based observational network. The applicability of the MODIS(Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) COD product was verified and compared with the AERONET cloud mode dataset. There was a good correlation between the AERONET and the MODIS. The spatial and temporal distribution and trends in the COD over China were then analyzed using MODIS satellite data from 2003 to 2016. The seasonal changes in the AERONET data and the time sequence variation of the satellite data suggest that the seasonal variations in the COD are significant. The result shows that the COD first decreases and then increases with the season in northern China, and reaches the maximum in summer and minimum in winter.However, the spatial distribution change is just the opposite in southern China. The spatial variation trend shows the COD in China decreases first with time and gradually increases after 2014. And the trend of COD in the western and central China is consistent with that in China. While the trend of COD shows a continuously increasing over time in northeast China and the Pearl River Delta.

Development of an integrating sphere calibration method for Cimel sunphotometers in China aerosol remote sensing network

Based on the integrating sphere traced from the National Institute of Standards and Technology （NIST, USA）, a sphere calibration method and protocol for the China aerosol remote sensing network （CARSNET） Cimel sun photometer was established. Four CE318 sun photometers were verified using the proposed cal- ibration method and operational protocol. The calibration results showed that the instrument coefficients differed by less than 3% for visible （-5% for infrared） wavelengths from the original ones stated by Cimel Electronique. In situ validation experiment data showed that radiances at ±6° measured by sun collimator （aureole） were consistent with those measured by sky collimator （sky）, under both almucantar （ALMUC） and principal plane （PPLAN） scenarios. Differences at all wavelengths were less than 1%, indicating that the method and protocol are suitable for CARSNET field sun photometer calibration, and would benefit improvement of data quality and accuracy of network observations.

Optical Properties of Cirrus Transition Zones over China Detected by CALIOP

A transition zone near cirrus lateral boundaries can be detected by CALIOP （cloud-aerosol lidar with orthogonal polarization）. In the present study, for such transition zones over China, a number of optical properties, such as the backscatter coefficient and depolarization ratio, showed transitional characteristics between cirrus and clear sky. The stepped horizontal profile showed sharp changes in particle number and morphology between cirrus clouds and clear sky. The color ratio, however, was unable to show cirrus transition features because of the low signal-to-noise ratio. Typical ice particles presented a color ratio of 0.55-1.25 and a depolarization ratio of greater than 0.12, which were significantly higher than those of clear sky. Therefore, optical properties in transition took the form of stepwise hori- zontal profiles. The proportion of typical-featured particles also demonstrated a stepped horizontal profile similar to the optical characteristics, but the relationship between the proportion and the optical characteristics was not uniform in the cirrus clouds, transition zone, and clear sky. Therefore, the optical changes in the transition zone were caused by not only the change in particle concentration, but also the change in the particles themselves. The probability dens- ity distribution of the transition-zone widths showed a positive skewness distribution, and transition zones with widths of 3-5 km occurred most frequently. Overall, transition-zone width decreased with increasing temperature and increased with increasing vertical and horizontal wind speeds. This trend demonstrated independence with the direc- tion of the vertical and horizontal winds. These observations implied that the transitional features were caused by ma- terial exchange, such as entrainment and turbulent transport, near the cirrus lateral boundaries, and by the phase trans- formation of particles, such as sublimation.