POTENTIAL VORTICITY STRUCTURE OF SUMMER CYCLONES OVER THE CHANGJIANG-HUAIHE VALLEY

Based on the theory of Ertel potential vorticity,the isentropic potential vorticity maps and vertical pro- files of potential vorticity for two summer cyclones over the Changjiang-Huaihe Valley are analysed.After discussing a possible mechanism for the genesis and development of such systems and their differences from typical extratropical cyclones,a conceptual model for their activities is proposed:A weak disturbance in the mid- level of troposphere originated from around the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau may cause heavy precipitation under favourable conditions and latent heat release in the mid-troposphere leads to downward extension of cyclonic circulation and a wave on the quasi-stationary front.This weak cyclone can develop substantially and become a typical extratropical cyclone only when air from the lower stratosphere flows downslope along isentropic sur- faces into the region of interest.

江淮流域夏季严重旱涝与大气季节内振荡(英)

The intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) is studied during the severe flood and drought years of the Changjiang-Huaihe River Basin with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and the precipitation data in China. The results show that the upper-level (200 hPa) ISO pattern for severe flood (drought) is characterized by an anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation over the southern Tibetan Plateau and a cyclonic (anti-cyclonic) circulation over the northern Tibetan Plateau. The lower-level (850 hPa) ISO pattern is characterized by an anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation over the area south of the Changjiang River, the South China Sea, and the Western Pacific, and a cyclonic (anticyclonic) circulation from the area north of the Changjiang River to Japan. These low-level ISO circulation patterns are the first modes of the ISO wind field according to the vector EOF expansion with stronger amplitude of the EOF1 time coefficient in severe flood years than in severe drought years. The analyses also reveal that at 500 hPa and 200 hPa, the atmospheric ISO activity over the Changjiang-Huaihe River basin, North China, and the middle-high latitudes north of China is stronger for severe flood than for severe drought. The ISO meridional wind over the middle-high latitude regions can propagate southwards and meet with the northward propagating ISO meridional wind from lower latitude regions over the Changjiang-Huaihe River Basin during severe flood years, but not during severe drought years.

1998年夏季HUBEX/GAME期间热量和水汽收支(英)

By using the high-resolution GAME reanalysis data, the heat and moisture budgets during the period of HUBEX/GAME in the summer of 1998 are calculated for exploring the thermodynamic features of Meiyu over the Changjiang-Huaihe (CH) valley. During the CH Meiyu period, an intensive vertically-integrated heat source and moisture sink are predominant over the heavy rainfall area of the CH valley, accompanied by strong upward motion at 500 hPa. The heat and moisture budgets show that the main diabatic heating component is condensation latent heat released by rainfall. As residual terms, the evaporation and sensible heating are relatively small. Based on the vertical distribution of the heat source and moisture sink, the nature of the rainfall is mixed, in which the convective rainfall is dominant with a considerable percentage of continuous stratiform rainfall. There are similar time evolutions of the main physical parameters (〈Q 1〉, 〈Q 2〉, and vertical motion ω at 500 hPa). The time variations of 〈Q 1〉 and 〈Q 2〉 are in phase with those of −ω 500, and have their main peaks within the CH Meiyu period. This shows the influence of the heat source on the dynamic structure of the atmosphere. The wavelet analyses of those time series display similar multiple timescale characteristics. During the CH Meiyu period, both the synoptic scale(∼6 days) and mesoscale (∼2 days and ∼12 hours) increase obviously and cause heavy rainfall as well as the appearances of the maxima of the main physical parameters. Among them, the mesoscale systems are the main factors.