Decadence and Mass Culture： The Novel as a Panorama. The Case of Bruges-La-Morte

Today＇s idea of the so-called fin-de-sibcle is still somewhat inexact and incomplete. This lack of precision originates from a deeply rooted methodological approach which consists of considering the respective developments of literature, art, and science in isolation, without paying attention to any interference or reciprocal contamination. This defective method also affects the overlaps and contacts between high culture and popular culture. Despite the progress made over recent years, there are few researchers who approach their objective with a real awareness of the complexity of a time period which saw the appearance of mass culture in the current sense and an unprecedented boom in scientific and technological development.1 To this end, the example of the great German philosopher Walter Benjamin and his studies on Paris during the 19th century----collected in the essays on the great French poet Charles Baudelaire and especially in the monumental and unfinished work The Arcades Project--is, without doubt, a model to follow. Taking the path suggested by Benjamin, this article sets out a revision of the novel Bruges-la-Morte （1892） by the Belgian writer Georges Rodenbach, considered one of the major exponents of thefin-de-sikcle decadence, which goes beyond the usual approach of a symbolist reading, by paying special attention to the frictions between literature and technology on one hand, and between literature and popular entertainment on the other.

Vomunt ut Edant,Edunt ut Vomant:Petronius’Satyricon and Features of Decadence and Victimhood in Sigalit Landau’s Installation“The Dining Hall”

Sigalit Landau is an international sculpture,video,installation,and performance artist,born in Jerusalem,and raised also in the USA and the UK.The infernal main space in her installation“The Dining Hall”(2007,KW Institute for Contemporary Art,Berlin)is filled with images resembling human remains engaged in riotous consumption from huge iron pots,in physical circus-like tricks,and copulation,surrounded by huge fleshy-like constructions.While the immediate association may be that of an apocalyptic catastrophe in relation to the Holocaust,the reference is multifaceted,as this study seeks to show.There is a strong connotation of corporeality,gluttony,digestion,decay,and abjection combined with licentiousness,and a proximity between death and pleasure.This multiplicity of contexts is embedded in the term décadence,in its connection with Antiquity and mostly with ancient Rome,and calls to mind the Roman Menippean 1st century CE text Satyricon by Petronius.A comparative analysis of Landau’s installation in relation to Satyricon opens up the way to a broad interpretation,revealing much topical and conceptual parallelism that reveals Landau’s engagement with a kind of decadence typical to the contemporary condition and that of Israel in particular.A prominent feature of her installation is that of victimhood and its influence on the Israeli occupation policy and conduct.Consequently,Landau’s installation is interpreted here as an allegory of a particular state of mind,reflecting both decadence and victimhood.

Anthropogenic Influence on Decadal Changes in Concurrent Hot and Dry Events over China around the Mid-1990s

The frequency and duration of observed concurrent hot and dry events(HDEs) over China during the growing season(April–September) exhibit significant decadal changes across the mid-1990s. These changes are characterized by increases in HDE frequency and duration over most of China, with relatively large increases over southeastern China(SEC), northern China(NC), and northeastern China(NEC). The frequency of HDEs averaged over China in the present day(PD,1994–2011) is double that in the early period(EP, 1964–81);the duration of HDEs increases by 60%. Climate experiments with the Met Office Unified Model(MetUM-GOML2) are used to estimate the contributions of anthropogenic forcing to HDE decadal changes over China. Anthropogenic forcing changes can explain 60%–70% of the observed decadal changes,suggesting an important anthropogenic influence on HDE changes over China across the mid-1990s. Single-forcing experiments indicate that the increase in greenhouse gas(GHG) concentrations dominates the simulated decadal changes,increasing the frequency and duration of HDEs throughout China. The change in anthropogenic aerosol(AA) emissions significantly decreases the frequency and duration of HDEs over SEC and NC, but the magnitude of the decrease is much smaller than the increase induced by GHGs. The changes in HDEs in response to anthropogenic forcing are mainly due to the response of climatological mean surface air temperatures. The contributions from changes in variability and changes in climatological mean soil moisture and evapotranspiration are relatively small. The physical processes associated with the response of HDEs to GHG and AA changes are also revealed.

The Role of Underlying Boundary Forcing in Shaping the Recent Decadal Change of Persistent Anomalous Activity over the Ural Mountains

Observational analyses demonstrate that the Ural persistent positive height anomaly event(PAE) experienced a decadal increase around the year 2000, exhibiting a southward displacement afterward. These decadal variations are related to a large-scale circulation shift over the Eurasian Continent. The effects of underlying sea ice and sea surface temperature(SST) anomalies on the Ural PAE and the related atmospheric circulation were explored by Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project(AMIP) experiments from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 and by sensitivity experiments using the Atmospheric General Circulation Model(AGCM). The AMIP experiment results suggest that the underlying sea ice and SST anomalies play important roles. The individual contributions of sea ice loss in the Barents-Kara Seas and the SST anomalies linked to the phase transition of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO) and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation(AMO) are further investigated by AGCM sensitivity experiments isolating the respective forcings.The sea ice decline in Barents-Kara Seas triggers an atmospheric wave train over the Eurasian mid-to-high latitudes with positive anomalies over the Urals, favoring the occurrence of Ural PAEs. The shift in the PDO to its negative phase triggers a wave train propagating downstream from the North Pacific. One positive anomaly lobe of the wave train is located over the Ural Mountains and increases the PAE there. The negative-to-positive transition of the AMO phase since the late-1990s causes positive 500-h Pa height anomalies south of the Ural Mountains, which promote a southward shift of Ural PAE.

Decadal Changes in Dry and Wet Heatwaves in Eastern China:Spatial Patterns and Risk Assessment

Under global warming,understanding the long-term variation in different types of heatwaves is vital for China’s preparedness against escalating heat stress.This study investigates dry and wet heatwave shifts in eastern China over recent decades.Spatial trend analysis displays pronounced warming in inland midlatitudes and the Yangtze River Valley,with increased humidity in coastal regions.EOF results indicate intensifying dry heatwaves in northern China,while the Yangtze River Valley sees more frequent dry heatwaves.On the other hand,Indochina and regions north of 25°N also experience intensified wet heatwaves,corresponding to regional humidity increases.Composite analysis is conducted based on different situations:strong,frequent dry or wet heatwaves.Strong dry heatwaves are influenced by anticyclonic circulations over northern China,accompanied by warming SST anomalies around the coastal midlatitudes of the western North Pacific(WNP).Frequent dry heatwaves are related to strong subsidence along with a strengthened subtropical high over the WNP.Strong and frequent wet heatwaves show an intensified Okhotsk high at higher latitudes in the lower troposphere,and a negative circumglobal teleconnection wave train pattern in the upper troposphere.Decaying El Niño SST patterns are observed in two kinds of wet heatwave and frequent dry heatwave years.Risk analysis indicates that El Niño events heighten the likelihood of these heatwaves in regions most at risk.As global warming continues,adapting and implementing mitigation strategies toward extreme heatwaves becomes crucial,especially for the aforementioned regions under significant heat stress.

CMIP 6 models simulation of the connection between North/South Pacific Meridional Mode and ENSO

The subtropical North and South Pacific Meridional Modes(NPMM and SPMM)are well known precursors of El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO).However,relationship between them is not constant.In the early 1980,the relationship experienced an interdecadal transition.Changes in this connection can be attributed mainly to the phase change of the Pacific decadal oscillation(PDO).During the positive phase of PDO,a shallower thermocline in the central Pacific is responsible for the stronger trade wind charging(TWC)mechanism,which leads to a stronger equatorial subsurface temperature evolution.This dynamic process strengthens the connection between NPMM and ENSO.Associated with the negative phase of PDO,a shallower thermocline over southeastern Pacific allows an enhanced wind-evaporation-SST(WES)feedback,strengthening the connection between SPMM and ENSO.Using 35 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6(CMIP6)models,we examined the NPMM/SPMM performance and its connection with ENSO in the historical runs.The great majority of CMIP6 models can reproduce the pattern of NPMM and SPMM well,but they reveal discrepant ENSO and NPMM/SPMM relationship.The intermodal uncertainty for the connection of NPMM-ENSO is due to different TWC mechanism.A stronger TWC mechanism will enhance NPMM forcing.For SPMM,few models can simulate a good relationship with ENSO.The intermodel spread in the relationship of SPMM and ENSO owing to SST bias in the southeastern Pacific,as WES feedback is stronger when the southeastern Pacific is warmer.

Influence of Continental Atmospheric Forcing on the Decadal Variability of the West African Monsoon

The West African Monsoon (WAM) is characterized by strong decadal and multi-decadal variability and the impacts can be catastrophic for the local populations. One of the factors put forward to explain this variability involves the role of atmospheric dynamics, linked in particular to the Saharan Heat Low (SHL). This article addresses this question by comparing the sets of preindustrial control and historical simulation data from climate models carried out in the framework of the CMIP5 project and observations data over the 20th century. Through multivariate statistical analyses, it was established that decadal modes of ocean variability and decadal variability of Saharan atmospheric dynamics significantly influence decadal variability of monsoon precipitation. These results also suggest the existence of external anthropogenic forcing, which is superimposed on the decadal natural variability inducing an intensification of the signal in the historical simulations compared to preindustrial control simulations. We have also shown that decadal rainfall variability in the Sahel, once the influence of oceanic modes has been eliminated, appears to be driven mainly by the activity of the Arabian Heat Low (AHL) in the central Sahel, and by the structure of the meridional temperature gradient over the inter-tropical Atlantic in the western Sahel.

近百年及未来百年PDO位相年代际转变检测及其早期预警信号研究

本文基于临界慢化的理论,采用太平洋年代际振荡(Pacific Decadal Oscillation, PDO)指数的近百年(1900~2019年)历史数据及未来百年(2006~2100年)模式模拟数据,首先通过滑动t检验确定PDO位相转变的时间,进而借助于表征临界慢化现象的方差和自相关系数,研究了PDO年代际位相转折的早期预警信号。结果表明:(1)近百年来PDO发生了4次显著的位相转变,每次位相转变前的5~10年可以提取到早期预警信号;(2)通过对CMIP5气候模式资料计算得到的PDO进行统计合成得到未来百年的PDO序列,检测结果表明在2040年和2080年前后发生年代际转折,转折前的5~10年能够检测到早期预警信号;(3)近百年和未来百年PDO序列的位相转变及早期预警信号研究证实在PDO发生位相转变之前方差和自相关系数总能提前数年给出预警信号,也揭示了未来PDO的转折时间。

Temporal and Spatial Variation and Distribution Characteristics of Maximum and Minimum Temperature from 1971 to 2008 in Tibet

Based on temperature data of meteorological stations from 1971 to 2008 in Tibet,the temporal and spatial variation of maximum andminimum temperature in Tibet was analyzed.The results showed that both maximum temperature andminimum temperature increased distinctly,the warming amplitude of winter was the highest among the four seasons,and next came spring.The increment ofminimum temperature was visibly over that of maximum temperature,particularlyminimum temperature in winter with significant increment.For spatial variation,maximum temperature in most stations increased except particular stations,while theminimum temperature in all stations rose.In addition,the space variation law ofminimum temperature,being more obvious thanminimum temperature,increased from southeast to northwest with different spatial changes in various seasons.From decadal variation,both maximum andminimum temperature appeared increase from 1970s to the first eight years in the 21st century,and the rise ofminimum temperature was significant greater than maximum temperature.The increase of maximum andminimum temperature was the highest from 2001 to 2008,whereas the lowest in 1970s.

GFDL模式对太平洋海表面温度的年际和年代际变率的模拟评估

为评估美国地球物理流体动力学实验室(Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory,GFDL)模式CM3、ESM2M和ESM2G对太平洋海表面温度的年际和年代际变率的模拟能力,本文利用GFDL历史试验模拟结果和美国海洋大气局(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,NOAA)提供的扩展重建的海表温度(Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature,ERSST)资料,比较模式模拟和观测的厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation,ENSO)和太平洋年代际振荡(Pacific Decadal Oscillation,PDO)的时空分布、周期及可预报性等。结果表明:三个模式均可以较好地模拟太平洋主要年际信号ENSO和年代际信号PDO,ESM2G对ENSO的模拟最好,CM3对PDO的模拟与观测更为接近。研究结果为进一步利用模式探讨ENSO和PDO的物理机制提供可能的参考。

Interannual and Decadal Changes in Tropospheric Ozone in China and the Associated Chemistry–Climate Interactions: A Review

China has been experiencing widespread air pollution due to rapid industrialization and urbanization in recent decades.The two major concerns of ambient air quality in China are particulate matter(PM)and tropospheric ozone(O3).With the implementation of air pollution prevention and control actions in the last five years,the PM pollution in China has been substantially reduced.In contrast,under the conditions of the urban air pollution complex,the elevated O3 levels in city clusters of eastern China,especially in warm seasons,have drawn increasing attention.Emissions of air pollutants and their precursors not only contribute to regional air quality,but also alter climate.Climate change in turn can change chemical processes,long-range transport,and local meteorology that influence air pollution.Compared to PM,less is known about O3 pollution and its climate effects over China.Here,we present a review of the main findings from the literature over the period 2011-18 with regard to the characteristics of O3 concentrations in China and the mechanisms that drive its interannual to decadal variations,aiming to identify robust conclusions that may guide decision-making for emissions control and to highlight critical knowledge gaps.We also review regional and global modeling studies that have investigated the impacts of tropospheric O3 on climate,as well as the projections of future tropospheric O3 owing to climate and/or emission changes.

The Decadal Variation of Afro-Asian Summer Monsoon and Precipitation

By dint of grid information from 1948 to 2007,the summer monsoon in Afro-Asian area and the precipitation in corresponding atmosphere circulation situation during the strong and weak Afro-Asian monsoon period are studied.The results suggest that the strong or weak Afro-Asian monsoon has pretty good corresponding relation with summer precipitation in Afro-Asian area.When summer monsoon weakens year after year,precipitation also decreases every year.

Relationship between ENSO and Winter Rainfall over Southeast China and Its Decadal Variability

In this study, the relationship between El Nifio-Southern Oscillation （ENSO） and winter rainfall over Southeast China （SC） is demonstrated based on instrumental and reanalysis data. The results show that ENSO and SC winter rainfall （ENSO-SC rainfall） are highly correlated and intimately coupled through an anomalous high pressure over the northwestern Pacific. In mature phase, El Nifio （La Nina） events can cause more （less） rainfall over SC in winter. Due to the persistence and spring barrier of ENSO, SC winter rainfall has potential predictability of about half a year ahead with ENSO as a predictor.

十年来国内爱默生研究综述

本文综述国内对19世纪美国著名哲学家和散文家爱默生近十年的研究。文章指出国内爱氏研究趋势是文化批评和跨学科研究。

Joint Propagating Patterns of SST and SLP Anomalies in the North Pacific on Bidecadal and Pentadecadal Timescales

Wavelet analyses are applied to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index and North Pacific index for the period 1900-2000, which identifies two dominant interdecadal components, the bidecadal (15-25-yr) and pentadecadal (50 70-yr) modes. Joint propagating patterns of sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies in the North Pacific for the two modes are revealed by using the techniques of multi-channel singular spectrum analysis (MSSA) and linear regression analysis with the global sea surface temperature (GISST) data and the northern hemispheric SLP data for the common period 1903 1998. Significant differences in spatio-temporal structures are found between the two modes. For the bidecadal mode, SST anomalies originating from the Gulf of Alaska appear to slowly spread southwestward, inducing a reversal of early SST anomalies in the central North Pacific. Due to further westward spreading, the SST variation of the central North Pacific leads that of the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension (KOE) region by approximately 4 to 5 years. Concomitantly, SLP anomalies spread over most parts of the North Pacific during the mature phase and then change into an NPO(North Pacific Oscillation)-like pattern during the transition phase. For the pentadecadal mode, SST anomalies develop in the southeast tropical Pacific and propagate along the North American coast to the mid-latitudes; meanwhile, SST anomalies with the same polarity in the western tropical Pacific expand northward to Kuroshio and its extension region; both merge into the central North Pacific reversing the sign of early SST anomalies there. Accompanying SLP anomalies are characterized by an NPO-like pattern during the mature phase while they are dominant over the North Pacific during the transitional phase. The bidecadal and pentadecadal modes have different propagating patterns, suggesting that the two interdecadal modes may arise from different physical mechanisms.

Causes of the Extreme Hot Midsummer in Central and South China during 2017:Role of the Western Tropical Pacific Warming

This study investigates why an extreme hot midsummer occurred in Central and South China(CSC) during 2017. It is shown that the western North Pacific subtropical high(WNPSH) was abnormally intensified and westward-extending,resulting in anomalous high pressure and consequent extreme heat over CSC. The abnormal WNPSH was favored by the warming of the western tropical Pacific(WTP), which was unrelated to ENSO and manifested its own individual effect.The WTP warming enhanced the convection in-situ and led to anomalous high pressure over CSC via a local meridional circulation. The influence of the WTP was confirmed by CAM4 model experiments. A comparison between the 2017 midsummer and 2010 midsummer(with a stronger WNPSH but weaker extreme heat) indicated that the influence of the WNPSH on extreme heat can be modulated by the associated precipitation in the northwestern flank.The role of the WTP was verified by regression analyses on the interannual variation of the WTP sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA). On the other hand, the WTP has undergone prominent warming during the past few decades, resulting from decadal to long-term changes and favoring extreme warm conditions. Through a mechanism similar to the interannual variation, the decadal to long-term changes have reinforced the influence of WTP warming on the temperature over CSC,contributing to the more frequent hot midsummers recently. It is estimated that more than 50% of the temperature anomaly over CSC in the 2017 midsummer was due to the WTP warming, and 40% was related to the decadal to long-term changes of the WTP SSTA.

A New North Atlantic Oscillation Index and Its Variability

A new North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, the NAOI, is defined as the differences of normalized sea level pressures regionally zonal-averaged over a broad range of longitudes 80°W-30°E. A comprehensive comparison of six NAO indices indicates that the new NAOI provides a more faithful representation of the spatial-temporal variability associated with the NAO on all timescales. A very high signal-to-noise ratio for the NAOI exists for all seasons, and the life cycle represented by the NAOI describes well the seasonal migration for action centers of the NAO. The NAOI captures a larger fraction of the variance of sea level pressure over the North Atlantic sector (20°-90°N, 80°W-30°E), on average 10% more than any other NAO index. There are quite different relationships between the NAOI and surface air temperature during winter and summer. A novel feature, however, is that the NAOI is significantly negative correlated with surface air temperature over the North Atlantic Ocean between 10°-25°N and 70°-30°W, whether in winter or summer. From 1873, the NAOI exhibits strong interannual and decadal variability. Its interannual variability of the twelve calendar months is obviously phase-locked with the seasonal cycle. Moreover, the annual NAOI exhibits a clearer decadal variability in amplitude than the winter NAOI. An upward trend is found in the annual NAOI between the 1870s and 1910s, while the other winter NAO indices fail to show this tendency. The annual NAOI exhibits a strongly positive epoch of 50 years between 1896 and 1950. After 1950, the variability of the annual NAOI is very similar to that of the winter NAO indices.

A Decadal Shift of Summer Surface Air Temperature over Northeast Asia around the Mid-1990s

This study identifies a decadal shift of summer surface air temperature （SAT） over Northeast Asia,including southeastern parts of Russia,Mongolia and northern China,around the mid-1990s.The results suggest that the SAT over the Northeast Asia experienced a significant warming after 1994 relative to that before 1993.This decadal shift also extends to northern China,and leads to a warmer summer over Northeast China and North China after the mid-1990s.The decadal warming over Northeast Asia is found to concur with the enhancement of South China rainfall around the mid-1990s.On the one hand,both the Northeast Asian SAT and South China rainfall exhibit this mid-1990s decadal shift only in summer,but not in other seasons.On the other hand,both the Northeast Asian SAT and South China rainfall exhibit this mid-1990s decadal shift not only in the summer seasonal mean,but also in each month of summer （June,July and August）.Furthermore,the decadal warming is found to result from an anticyclonic anomaly over Northeast Asia,which can be interpreted as the response to the increased precipitation over South China,according to previous numerical results.Thus,we conclude that the warming shift of summer Northeast Asian SAT around the mid-1990s was a remote response to the increased precipitation over South China.

ENSO Frequency Asymmetry and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in Observations and 19 CMIP5 Models

Using observational data and the pre-industrial simulations of 19 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5（CMIP5）, the El Ni o（EN） and La Ni a（LN） events in positive and negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation（PDO） phases are examined. In the observational data, with EN（LN） events the positive（negative） SST anomaly in the equatorial eastern Pacific is much stronger in positive（negative） PDO phases than in negative（positive） phases. Meanwhile,the models cannot reasonably reproduce this difference. Besides, the modulation of ENSO frequency asymmetry by the PDO is explored. Results show that, in the observational data, EN is 300% more（58% less） frequent than LN in positive（negative）PDO phases, which is significant at the 99% confidence level using the Monte Carlo test. Most of the CMIP5 models exhibit results that are consistent with the observational data.

Interannual and Decadal Variations of Snow Cover overQinghai-Xizang Plateau and Their Relationships to Summer Monsoon Rainfall in China

Interannual and decadal variations of winter snow cover over the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (QXP) are analyzed by using monthly mean snow depth data set of 60 stations over QXP for the period of 1958 through 1992. It is found that the winter snow cover over QXP bears a pronounced quasi-biennial oscillation, and it underwent an obvious decadal transition from a poor snow cover period to a rich snow cover period in the late 1970’s during the last 40 years. It is shown that the summer rainfall in the eastern China is closely associated with the winter snow cov-er over QXP not only in the interannual variation but also in the decadal variation. A clear relationship ex-ists in the quasi-biennial oscillation between the summer rainfall in the northern part of North China and the southern China and the winter snow cover over QXP. Furthermore, the summer rainfall in the four cli-mate divisions of Qinling-Daba Mountains, the Yangtze-Huaihe River Plain, the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River showed a remarkable transition from drought period to rainy period in the end of 1970’s, in good correspondence with the decadal transition of the winter snow cover over QXP. Key words Snow cover over Qinghai-Xizang Plateau - Summer monsoon rainfall in China - Interannual and decadal variations This study was supported by the National Key Programme for Developing Basic Sciences (G 1998040900 Part I).