Seasonal Variability of the Yellow Sea/East China Sea Surface Fluxes and Thermohaline Structure

We use the U.S. Navy's Master Oceanographic Observation Data Set (MOODS) forthe Yellow Sea/ East China Sea (YES) to investigate the climatological water mass features and theseasonal and non-seasonal variabilities of the thermohaline structure, and use the ComprehensiveOcean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) from 1945 to 1989 to investigate the linkage between the fluxes(momentum, heat, and moisture) across the air-ocean interface and the formation of the water massfeatures. After examining the major current systems and considering the local bathymetry and watermass properties, we divide YES into five regions: East China Sea (ECS) shelf, Yellow Sea (YS) Basin,Cheju bifurcation (CB) zone, Taiwan Warm Current (TWC) region, Kuroshio Current (KC) region. Thelong term mean surface heat balance corresponds to a heat loss of 30 W m^(-2) in the ESC and CBregions, a heat loss of 65 W m^(-2) in the KC and TWC regions, and a heat gain of 15 W m^(-2) in theYS region. The surface freshwater balance is defined by precipitation minus evaporation. The annualwater loss from the surface for the five subareas ranges from 1.8 to 4 cm month^(-1). The freshwater loss from the surface should be compensated for from the river run-off. The entire watercolumn of the shelf region (ECS, YS, and CB) undergoes an evident seasonal thermal cycle withmaximum values of temperature during summer and maximum mixed layer depths during winter. However,only the surface waters of the TWC and KC regions exhibit a seasonal thermal cycle.. We also foundtwo different relations between surface salinity and the Yangtze River run-off, namely, out-of-phasein the East China Sea shelf and in-phase in the Yellow Sea. This may confirm an earlier study thatthe summer fresh water discharge from the Yangtze River forms a relatively shallow, low salinityplume-like structure extending offshore on average towards the northeast.

Parameterization of Heat Fluxes at Heterogeneous Surfaces by Integrating Satellite Measurements with Surface Layer and Atmospheric Boundary Layer Observations

The regional heat flux exchange between heterogeneous landscapes and the nearby surface layer （SL） is a key issue in the study of land-atmosphere interactions over arid areas such as the Heihe River basin in northwestern China and in high elevation areas such as the Tibetan Plateau. Based on analysis of the land surface heterogeneity and its effects on the overlying air flow, the use of SL observations, atmospheric boundary layer （ABL） observations, and satellite remote sensing （RS） measurements along with three parameterization methodologies （here, termed as the RS, tile, and blending approaches） have been proposed to estimate the surface heat flux densities over heterogeneous landscapes. The tile and blending approaches have also been implemented during HEIhe basin Field Experiment （HEIFE）, the Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period （CEOP） Asia-Australia Monsoon Project on the Tibetan Plateau （CAMP/Tibet）, the Arid Environment Comprehensive Monitoring Plan ＇95 （AECMP＇95）, and the DunHuang Experiment （DHEX）. The results showed that these two proposed parameterization methodologies can be accurately used over heterogeneous land surfaces.

Surface latent heat flux anomalies preceding inland earthquakes in China

Using data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction （NCEP）, the paper analyzed the surface latent heat flux （SLHF） variations for five inland earthquakes occurred in some lake area, moist area and arid area of China during recent years. We used the SLHF daily and monthly data to differentiate the global and seasonal variability from the transient local anomalies. The temporal scale of the observed variations is 1-2 months before and after the earthquakes, and spatial scale is about 10°×10°. The result suggests that the SLHFs adjacent the epicenters all are anomalous high value （〉μ＋2σ） 8-30 days before the shocks as compared with past several years of data. Different from the abnormal meteorological phenomenon, the distribution of the anomalies was isolated and local, which usually occurred in the epicenter and its adjacent area, or along the fault lines. The increase of SLHF was tightly related with the season which the earthquake occurs in; the maximal （125 W/m^2, Pu＇er earthquake） and minimal （25 W/m^2, Gaize earthquake） anomalies were in summer and winter, respectively. The abundant surface water and groundwater in the epicenter and its adjacent region can provide necessary condition for the change of SLHF. To further confirm the reliability of SLHF anomaly, it is necessary to explore its physical mechanism in depth by more earthquake cases.

Connections between Surface Sensible Heat Net Flux and Regional Summer Precipitation over China

Using the observed monthly precipitation and NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) reanalysis surface ?ux data from 1951–2000, the connections between the seasonal SSHNF (Surface Sensible Heat Net Flux) over the Asian continent and the regional summer precipitation of China were examined. The patterns of collective and individual correlations were identi?ed. The results indicate that the response of the regional summer precipitation of China to the seasonal SSHNF over the study area varies according to region and season. The interannual variability of summer precipitation anomalies over Xinjiang, the northernmost Northeast China, and the North China Plain are most sensitive to the anomaly of the seasonal SSHNF. There are signi?cant collective correlations between the interannual anomalies of the seasonal SSHNF and summer precipitation over these regions. In contrast, the Southeast Tibetan Plateau, Huaihe River Valley, and surrounding areas exhibit the least signi?cant correlation. Signi?cant individual correlations exist between the summer precipitation over the southernmost Northeast China, East Inner Mongolia, South of the Yangtze River and South China and the seasonal SSHNF in certain seasons over the following areas: near Lake Baikal and Lake Balkhash, near Da Hinggan Mountains and Xiao Hinggan Mountains, as well as the Tibetan Plateau.

Natural convection of nanofluid over vertical plate embedded in porous medium: prescribed surface heat flux

The aim of the present paper is to analyze the natural convection heat and mass transfer of nanofluids over a vertical plate embedded in a saturated Darcy porous medium subjected to surface heat and nanoparticle fluxes. To carry out the numerical solution, two steps are performed. The governing partial differential equations are firstly simplified into a set of highly coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations by appropriate similarity variables, and then numerically solved by the finite difference method. The obtained similarity solution depends on four non-dimensional parameters, i.e., the Brownian motion parameter （Nb）, the buoyancy ratio （Nr）, the thermophoresis parameter （Nt）, and the Lewis number （Le）. The variations of the reduced Nusselt number and the reduced Sherwood number with Nb and Nt for various values of Le and Nr are discussed in detail. Simulation results depict that the increase in Nb, Nt, or Nr decreases the reduced Nusselt number. An increase in the Lewis number increases both of the reduced Nusselt number and the Sherwood number. The results also reveal that the nanoparticle concentration boundary layer thickness is much thinner than those of the thermal and hydrodynamic boundary layers.

Effects of Drag Coefficients on Surface Heat Flux during Typhoon Kalmaegi (2014)

The lack of in situ observations and the uncertainties of the drag coefficient at high wind speeds result in limited understanding of heat flux through the air-sea interface and thus inaccurate estimation of typhoon intensity in numerical models.In this study,buoy observations and numerical simulations from an air-sea coupled model are used to assess the surface heat flux changes and impacts of the drag coefficient parameterization schemes on its simulations during the passage of Typhoon Kalmaegi(2014).Three drag coefficient schemes,which make the drag coefficient increase,level off,and decrease,respectively,are considered.The air-sea coupled model captured both trajectory and intensity changes better than the atmosphere-only model,though with relatively weaker sea surface cooling(SSC)compared to that captured by buoy observations,which led to relatively higher heat flux and thus a stronger typhoon.Different from previous studies,for a moderate typhoon,the coupled simulation with the increasing drag coefficient scheme outputted an intensity most consistent with the observation because of the strongest SSC,reasonable ratio of latent and sensible heat exchange coefficients,and an obvious reduction in the overestimated surface heat flux among all experiments.Results from sensitivity experiments showed that surface heat flux was significantly determined by the drag coefficient-induced SSC rather than the resulting wind speed changes.Only when SSC differs indistinctively(<0.4°C)between the coupled simulations,heat flux showed a weak positive correlation with the drag coefficient-impacted 10-m wind speed.The drag coefficient also played an important role in decreasing heat flux even a long time after the passage of Kalmaegi because of the continuous upwelling from deeper ocean layers driven by the impacted momentum flux through the air-sea interface.

Discrepancies in Simulated Ocean Net Surface Heat Fluxes over the North Atlantic

The change in ocean net surface heat flux plays an important role in the climate system.It is closely related to the ocean heat content change and ocean heat transport,particularly over the North Atlantic,where the ocean loses heat to the atmosphere,affecting the AMOC(Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation)variability and hence the global climate.However,the difference between simulated surface heat fluxes is still large due to poorly represented dynamical processes involving multiscale interactions in model simulations.In order to explain the discrepancy of the surface heat flux over the North Atlantic,datasets from nineteen AMIP6 and eight highresSST-present climate model simulations are analyzed and compared with the DEEPC(Diagnosing Earth's Energy Pathways in the Climate system)product.As an indirect check of the ocean surface heat flux,the oceanic heat transport inferred from the combination of the ocean surface heat flux,sea ice,and ocean heat content tendency is compared with the RAPID(Rapid Climate Change-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heat flux array)observations at 26°N in the Atlantic.The AMIP6 simulations show lower inferred heat transport due to less heat loss to the atmosphere.The heat loss from the AMIP6 ensemble mean north of 26°N in the Atlantic is about10 W m–2 less than DEEPC,and the heat transport is about 0.30 PW(1 PW=1015 W)lower than RAPID and DEEPC.The model horizontal resolution effect on the discrepancy is also investigated.Results show that by increasing the resolution,both surface heat flux north of 26°N and heat transport at 26°N in the Atlantic can be improved.

The influence of the surface heat fluxes of the Kuroshio key-area on meiyu rainfall in the Changjiang River region

On the basis, of the surface heat fluxes of the Kuroshio key-area (26°-30°N, 125°-30°E)in March andApril, the climatologicai influence of the Kuroshio heat fluxes on meiyu rainfall in the Changjiang River (Yangtse River) region are studied. The results are concluded as follows;the surface heat fluxes of the Kuroshio key-area have certain influence on meiyu rainfall in the Changjiang River region during June and July. The correctness rates for the five stations in the Changjing River region (i. e. Wuhan, Jiujiang, Anqing,Nanjing and Shanghai)are in the range of 9/20-13/20. The surface heat fluxes influence mainly on the homogeneous rainfall pattern,the correctness rates come to 7/10-8/10 for the lower valley of the Changjiang River. The estimation expression of the meiyu rainfall for Shanghai consisting of the surface heat flux and the sea surface temperature anomaly of the Kuroshio key area agrees well with the actual meiyu rainfall condition.

A Modeling Study of Land Surface Process Impacts on Inland Behavior of Typhoon Rananim(2004)

On 12 August 2004, Typhoon Rananim （0414） moved inland over China and stagnated over the Poyang Lake area, resulting in torrential rainfall and severe geologic hazards. The Advanced Weather Research and Forecasting （ARW-WRF） model and its different land surface models （LSMs） were employed to study the impacts of land surface process on the inland behavior of Typhoon Rananim. Results show that simulations, coupled with LSMs or not, have no significant differences in predicting typhoon track, intensity, and largescale circulation. However, the simulations of mesoscale structure, rainfall rate, and rainfall distribution of typhoon are more reasonable with LSMs than without LSMs. Although differences are slight among LSMs, NOAH is better than the others. Based on outputs using the NOAH scheme, the interaction between land surtace and typhoon was explored in this study. Notably, typhoon rainfall and cloud cover can cool land surface, but rainfall expands the underlying saturated wetland area, which exacerbates the asymmetric distribution of surface heat fluxes. Accordingly, an energy frontal zone may form in the lower troposphere that enhances ascending motion and local convection, resulting in heavier rainfall. Moreover, the expanded underlying saturated wetlands provide plentiful moisture and unstable energy for the maintenance of Typhoon Rananim and increased rainfall in return.

An efficient inverse approach for reconstructing time-and space-dependent heat flux of participating medium

The decentralized fuzzy inference method(DFIM)is employed as an optimization technique to reconstruct time-and space-dependent heat flux of two-dimensional(2D)participating medium.The forward coupled radiative and conductive heat transfer problem is solved by a combination of finite volume method and discrete ordinate method.The reconstruction task is formulated as an inverse problem,and the DFIM is used to reconstruct the unknown heat flux.No prior information on the heat flux distribution is required for the inverse analysis.All retrieval results illustrate that the time-and spacedependent heat flux of participating medium can be exactly recovered by the DFIM.The present method is proved to be more efficient and accurate than other optimization techniques.The effects of heat flux form,initial guess,medium property,and measurement error on reconstruction results are investigated.Simulated results indicate that the DFIM is robust to reconstruct different kinds of heat fluxes even with noisy data.

Global Land Surface Climate Analysis Based on the Calculation of a Modified Bowen Ratio

A modified Bowen ratio(BRm),the sign of which is determined by the direction of the surface sensible heat flux,was used to represent the major divisions in climate across the globe,and the usefulness of this approach was evaluated. Five reanalysis datasets and the results of an offline land surface model were investigated. We divided the global continents into five major BRm zones using the climatological means of the sensible and latent heat fluxes during the period 1980–2010:extremely cold,extremely wet,semi-wet,semi-arid and extremely arid. These zones had BRm ranges of(-∞,0),(0,0.5),(0.5,2),(2,10) and(10,+∞),respectively. The climatological mean distribution of the Bowen ratio zones corresponded well with the K ¨oppen-like climate classification,and it reflected well the seasonal variation for each subdivision of climate classification. The features of climate change over the mean climatological BRm zones were also investigated. In addition to giving a map-like classification of climate,the BRm also reflects temporal variations in different climatic zones based on land surface processes. An investigation of the coverage of the BRm zones showed that the extremely wet and extremely arid regions expanded,whereas a reduction in area was seen for the semi-wet and semi-arid regions in boreal spring during the period 1980–2010. This indicates that the arid regions may have become drier and the wet regions wetter over this period of time.

Anomalies in the Tropics Associated with the Heavy Rainfall in East Asia during the Summer of 1998

The summer of 1998 was characterised by a severe flood in East Asia. The possible linkages were examined among the anomalies in the tropics that may be associated with the severe flood. The anomalies of 1998 are obtained by removing the climatology, which is the average of the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts) Re—Analysis (ERA) data over 15 years from 1979 to 1993, from the corresponding fields of 1998, which are obtained from the ECMWF operational analyses. In comparison to the results of Nitta (1990), it was found that there are considerable similarities in the atmospheric circulation anomalies between the summers of 1998 and 1988, in the tropics as well as in middle—high latitudes. It was shown that the atmospheric convection is slightly suppressed over the tropical western Pacific. In general, the suppressed convection corresponds to a negative anomaly of SST in the warm pool region. In the summers of 1998 and 1988, however, there are positive anomalies of SSTs in the tropical western Pacific, corresponding to the suppressed convection over there. This slightly suppressed convection may not provide a viable forcing mechanism for the severe flood in East Asia. It was postulated that the zonal wind anomalies in the tropics, in addition to the atmospheric convection over the tropical western Pacific, influence the position and intensity of the North Pacific subtropical high. In both summers of 1998 and 1988, while the stronger convection occurs over the warmer tropical Indian Ocean, the suppressed convection corresponds to the positive anomalies of SSTs in the tropical western Pacific. A possible explanation was given for the broken relationship between SSTs and OLR, (Outgoing Longwave Radiation) by analyzing the large—scale atmospheric circulation anomalies in the tropics. The heat fluxes at the surface in the warm pool of the tropical western Pacific and tropical Indian Ocean were also examined by using the ERA–15 data. To avoid the inconsistency between the ERA–15 and the operational analyses, the anomalies of the heat fluxes at the surface in the warm pool region in the summer of 1988, instead of the summer of 1998, were examined. The anomalous latent heat flux and the net solar radiation flux are the main reason for the positive anomalies of SSTs in the tropical Indian Ocean and in the tropical western Pacific, respectively. The suppressed convection over the tropical western Pacific allows more solar radiation fluxes downward at the surface, which would increase the SSTs. Key words Anomalies in the tropics - Comparison between 1998 and 1988 - Surface heat flux This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 49605065) and “National Key Programme for Developing Basic Sciences” G1998040900 part 1.Part of this study was carried out during the visit of the author to the Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, which was supported by the Royal Society. The author would like to thank Drs. Buwen Dong and Paul Berrisford in the Department, and Dr. Xu Li, who was seconded to ECMWF from Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for their help. All the figures in this paper were drawn by using the Visualization and Computation System (VCS) designed by PCMDI (Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison).

Observation-based Estimation of Aerosol-induced Reduction of Planetary Boundary Layer Height

Radiative aerosols are known to influence the surface energy budget and hence the evolution of the planetary boundary layer. In this study, we develop a method to estimate the aerosol-induced reduction in the planetary boundary layer height （PBLH） based on two years of ground-based measurements at a site, the Station for Observing Regional Processes of the Earth System （SORPES）, at Nanjing University, China, and radiosonde data from the meteorological station of Nanjing. The observations show that increased aerosol loads lead to a mean decrease of 67.1 W m-2 for downward shortwave radiation （DSR） and a mean increase of 19.2 W m-2 for downward longwave radiation （DLR）, as well as a mean decrease of 9.6 W m-2 for the surface sensible heat flux （SHF） in the daytime. The relative variations of DSR, DLR and SHF are shown as a function of the increment of column mass concentration of particulate matter （PM2.5）. High aerosol loading can significantly increase the atmospheric stability in the planetary boundary layer during both daytime and nighttime. Based on the statistical relationship between SHF and PM2.5 column mass concentrations, the SHF under clean atmospheric conditions （same as the background days） is derived. In this case, the derived SHF, together with observed SHF, are then used to estimate changes in the PBLH related to aerosols. Our results suggest that the PBLH decreases more rapidly with increasing aerosol loading at high aerosol loading. When the daytime mean column mass concentration of PM2.5 reaches 200 mg m-2, the decrease in the PBLH at 1600 LST （local standard time） is about 450 m.

A Diagnostic Analysis on the Effect of the Residual Layer in Convective Boundary Layer Development near Mongolia Using 20th Century Reanalysis Data

Although the residual layer has already been noted in the classical diurnal cycle of the atmospheric boundary layer, its effect on the development of the convective boundary layer has not been well studied. In this study, based on 3-hourly 20th century reanalysis data, the residual layer is considered as a common layer capping the convective boundary layer. It is identified dally by investigating the development of the convective boundary layer. The region of interest is bounded by （30^-60~N, 80^-120~E）, where a residual layer deeper than 2000 m has been reported using radiosondes. The lapse rate and wind shear within the residual layer are compared with the surface sensible heat flux by investigating their climatological means, interannual variations and daily variations. The lapse rate of the residual layer and the convective boundary layer depth correspond well in their seasonal variations and climatological mean patterns. On the interannual scale, the correlation coefficient between their regional averaged （40°-50°N, 90°-110°E） variations is higher than that between the surface sensible heat flux and convective boundary layer depth. On the daily scale, the correlation between the lapse rate and the convective boundary layer depth in most months is still statistically significant during 1970-2012. Therefore, we suggest that the existence of a deep neutral residual layer is crucial to the formation of a deep convective boundary layer near the Mongolian regions.

Relationship between SSTA in the northwestern Pacific and winter climate anomaly in China

The relationship between sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) in the domain from the northwest of the Pacific to China seas (NWP-CS) and climate (precipitation and surface temperature) anomaly in winters over east of Chinese Mainland (ECM) are investigated with composite analysis. The results suggest that (1) SSTA in NWP-CS usually appears as 'seesaw' pattern, i.e., sign of SSTA in the northwest of the Philippines is positive (negative) while in the southeast it is negative (positive), defined as SSTA 'seesaw' positive (negative) pattern. When SSTA 'seesaw' positive (negative) pattern appears, the surface temperature in ECM is higher (lower) than the normal winters but the precipitation anomaly is not distinct ; (2) there are two anomalous anticyclones (cyclones) locating in the northwest Pacific and east of the Philippines at 850 hPa level and an anomalous anti-Hadley (Hadley) circulation, which descends (ascends) south of 18oN, ascends (descends) north of 18oN; (3) heat flux anomaly from ocean into atmosphere is weaker (stronger) in the northwest of the Philippines but stronger (weaker) in the southeast of the Philippines than the normal winters, because the weaker (stronger) northerly prevails in the northwest of the Philippines and stronger (weaker) northeaster in the southeast of the Philippines induced by anomalous anticyclones (cyclones).

CHARACTERISTICS OF 10-DAY MEAN SURFACE SENSIBLE HEAT FLUX VARIATIONS IN THE SCS MONSOON REGION AND POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS WITH THE SCS SUMMER MONSOON ONSET

The time and space variations of the ten-day mean surface sensible heat flux have been analyzed in this paper based on the data of NCEP/NCAR from January of 1979 to December of 1995 in the South China Sea(SCS)monsoon region.It is found that large variations of the surface sensible heat flux standard deviations exist in the northwestern Indochina Peninsula and the Indian Peninsula regions,and their locations and strength change significantly during the onset period of SCS monsoon.The negative deviations appear evidently earlier in the Indocbina Peninsula than in the Indian Peninsula but the deviation strength in the Indian Peninsula is stronger than that in the Indochina Peninsula.The appearance of the zonal negative mean deviations in the southern part of the Indochina Peninsula corresponds to the date of the SCS summer monsoon onset,while the occurrence of the deviation decrease corresponds to the date of the South Asian monsoon onset. The sensible heat flux increases dekad by dekad before the onset of the summer monsoon in the Indian Peninsula and the Indochina Peninsula and decreases after the monsoon onset.Therefore, the surface sensible heat flux changes in the Indochina and the Indian Peninsula regions maybe have some connections with the SCS monsoon onset and the Indian monsoon onset,and the Indochina Peninsula maybe becomes the sensitive or key region to the SCS monsoon onset and the land maybe plays an important role in triggering summer monsoon onset.

CHARACTERISTICS OF 10-DAY MEAN SURFACE LATENT HEAT FLUX VARIATIONS IN THE SCS MONSOON REGION AND POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS WITH THE SCS SUMMER MONSOON ONSET

The temporal and spatial variations of the ten-day mean surface latent heat flux (TMLH) have been analyzed in this paper based on the data of NCEP from January of 1979 to December of 1995 in the South China Sea (SCS) monsoon region. It is found that there exist maximum centers of TMLH standard deviation in the northwest Indochina and the Indian Peninsula as well as the western Pacific, SCS, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal, and their locations and strengths change significantly during the period of SCS monsoon onset. A positive zonal deviation of TMLH occurs first in the Indochina Peninsula, apparently earlier than that in the Indian Peninsula. The appearance of maximum positive zonal deviations of TMLH approximately coincides with the summer monsoon onset. Over the Indochina and Indian Peninsulas, the TMLH increases gradually with a small amplitude of variation before the onset of summer monsoon, and the rate of increase is significantly enhanced after the onset of the monsoon; whereas over the ocean, TMLH decreases before the monsoon onset, varies little during the period of monsoon and increases gradually after the ending of monsoon. Therefore, it seems that the surface latent heat flux plays an important role in the maintenance of the summer monsoon, and its variation is an phenomenon accompanying the onset of summer monsoon.

Autumn Snow Cover Variability over Northern Eurasia and Roles of Atmospheric Circulation

This study analyzes the variability of northern Eurasian snow cover（SC） in autumn and the impacts of atmospheric circulation changes. The region of large SC variability displays a southward shift from September to November, following the seasonal progression of the transition zones of surface air temperature（SAT）. The dominant pattern of SC variability in September and October features a zonal distribution, and that in November displays an obvious west-east contrast. Surface air cooling and snowfall increase are two factors for larger SC. The relative contribution of SAT and snowfall changes to SC, however, varies with the region and depends upon the season. The downward longwave radiation and atmospheric heat advection play important roles in SAT changes. Anomalous convergence of water vapor flux contributes to enhanced snowfall.The changes in downward longwave radiation are associated with those in atmospheric water content and column thickness.Changes in snowfall and the transport of atmospheric moisture determine the atmospheric moisture content in September and October, and the snowfall appears to be a main factor for atmospheric moisture change in November. These results indicate that atmospheric circulation changes play an important role in snow variability over northern Eurasia in autumn. Overall, the coupling between autumn Eurasian snow and atmospheric circulation may not be driven by external forcing.

IMPACTS OF SURFACE SENSIBLE HEAT FLUXES IN THE KEY AREAS OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU ON INTERANNUAL VARIATION OF THE SCS SUMMER MONSOON INTENSITY

The impacts of the variations of surface heat fluxes over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and surrounding areas on the interannual variation of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon intensity is analyzed using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis monthly sensible heat flux data from 1949 to 2000 and monthly mean wind and temperature field data from 1958 to 1997.The results show that there is a distinct interdecadal trend in sensible heat over the key areas of the TP and the SCS summer monsoon intensity as well as South Asia high intensity (SAHI),the transition occurs in late 1970s.The SCS summer monsoon intensity has a significant positive correlation with the variation of surface sensible heat fluxes over the northwestern part of the TP,while it has negative correlation with the surface sensible heat fluxes in the south of the TP.During the strong SCS summer monsoon year,the vertical ascending motion in the northwestern TP is strengthened,but in the southern TP it is weakened,and the position of the South Asian high is northward,while in the weak summer monsoon year,it is in the contrary.The SAHI is closely related to variation of surface heat fluxes over the TP and surrounding areas,and there exists a negative relationship between the SCS summer monsoon intensity and SAHI.

Modeling the Warming Impact of Urban Land Expansion on Hot Weather Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model: A Case Study of Beijing, China

The impacts of three periods of urban land expansion during 1990–2010 on near-surface air temperature in summer in Beijing were simulated in this study, and then the interrelation between heat waves and urban warming was assessed. We ran the sensitivity tests using the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with a single urban canopy model,as well as high-resolution land cover data. The warming area expanded approximately at the same scale as the urban land expansion. The average regional warming induced by urban expansion increased but the warming speed declined slightly during 2000–2010. The smallest warming occurred at noon and then increased gradually in the afternoon before peaking at around 2000 LST—the time of sunset. In the daytime, urban warming was primarily caused by the decrease in latent heat flux at the urban surface. Urbanization led to more ground heat flux during the day and then more release at night, which resulted in nocturnal warming. Urban warming at night was higher than that in the day, although the nighttime increment in sensible heat flux was smaller. This was because the shallower planetary boundary layer at night reduced the release efficiency of near-surface heat. The simulated results also suggested that heat waves or high temperature weather enhanced urban warming intensity at night. Heat waves caused more heat to be stored in the surface during the day, greater heat released at night, and thus higher nighttime warming. Our results demonstrate a positive feedback effect between urban warming and heat waves in urban areas.