Seasonal variation of mesoscale eddy intensity in the global ocean

Mesoscale eddies are a prominent oceanic phenomenon that plays an important role in oceanic mass transport and energy conversion.Characterizing by rotational speed,the eddy intensity is one of the most fundamental properties of an eddy.However,the seasonal spatiotemporal variation in eddy intensity has not been examined from a global ocean perspective.In this study,we unveil the seasonal spatiotemporal characteristics of eddy intensity in the global ocean by using the latest satellite-altimetry-derived eddy trajectory data set.The results suggest that the eddy intensity has a distinct seasonal variation,reaching a peak in spring while attaining a minimum in autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere.The seasonal variation of eddy intensity is more intense in the tropical-subtropical transition zones within latitudinal bands between 15°and 30°in the western Pacific Ocean,the northwestern Atlantic Ocean,and the eastern Indian Ocean because baroclinic instability in these areas changes sharply.Further analysis found that the seasonal variation of baroclinic instability precedes the eddy intensity by a phase of 2–3 months due to the initial perturbations needing time to grow into mesoscale eddies.

A positive trend in the stability of global offshore wind energy

The recognition on the trend of wind energy stability is still extremely rare,although it is closely related to acquisition efficiency,grid connection,equipment lifetime,and costs of wind energy utilization.Using the 40-year(1979–2018)ERA-Interim data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts,this study presented the spatial-temporal distribution and climatic trend of the stability of global offshore wind energy as well as the abrupt phenomenon of wind energy stability in key regions over the past 40 years with the climatic analysis method and Mann-Kendall(M-K)test.The results show the following 5 points.(1)According to the coefficient of variation(C_(v))of the wind power density,there are six permanent stable zones of global offshore wind energy:the southeast and northeast trade wind zones in the Indian,Pacific and Atlantic oceans,the Southern Hemisphere westerly,and a semi-permanent stable zone(North Indian Ocean).(2)There are six lowvalue zones for both seasonal variability index(S_(v))and monthly variability index(M_(v))globally,with a similar spatial distribution as that of the six permanent stable zones.M_(v) and S_(v) in the Arabian Sea are the highest in the world.(3)After C_(v),M_(v) and S_(v) are comprehensively considered,the six permanent stable zones have an obvious advantage in the stability of wind energy over other sea areas,with C_(v) below 0.8,M_(v) within 1.0,and S_(v) within 0.7 all the year round.(4)The global stability of offshore wind energy shows a positive climatic trend for the past four decades.C_(v),M_(v) and S_(v) have not changed significantly or decreased in most of the global ocean during 1979 to2018.That is,wind energy is flat or more stable,while the monthly and seasonal variabilities tend to shrink/smooth,which is beneficial for wind energy utilization.(5)C_(v) in the low-latitude Pacific and M_(v) and S_(v) in both the North Indian Ocean and the low-latitude Pacific have an obvious abrupt phenomenon at the end of the20th century.

“Systematic Rival”From the Perspective of Philosophy of Property System

At present,the world is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century.With the United States regarding China as a strategic competitor,China-EU relations have become the core of national and global governance.For this reason,we use the basic theory and tools of Philosophy of Property System to clarify the EU’s characterization of China and accordingly propose the method of judgment and the principle of response.From this,we can get three basic cognitions of“systematic rivalry”,namely mutual exclusion of common cognition(Model A),mutual exclusion and cooperation of personality cognition(Model B),and cooperation of historical cognition(Model C).In order to steadily grasp the nature of“systematic rival”and make it operable,three basic cognitive models(AB,AC,BC,ABC,etc.)are combined,and a comprehensive judgment(ABC+model)is made to adapt to the supranational sovereignty characteristics of the EU.It is believed that the nature of“systematic rivalry”in the“trinity”refers to the main aspects of competition between China and Europe.Therefore,there are three principles for the Philosophy of Property System of“systematic rival”:first,maintain the situation of competition and cooperation;second,there is no fixed mode of competition and cooperation;and third,temporary confrontation and complementarity will lead to new competition and cooperation.

Building International Consensus and Working Together to Advance the Development of the Global Human Rights Cause—Summary of Academic Views at the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance

On June 14-15,2023,the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance,jointly hosted by the State Council Information Office,the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,and the China International Development Cooperation Agency,was held in Beijing under the theme of“Equality,Cooperation and Development:The 30th Anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and Global Human Rights Governance.”Participants conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on topics such as“International Cooperation and Global Human Rights Governance,”“Global Development Initiative and the Realization of the Right to Development”,“Global Security Initiative and Human Rights Protection,”“UN Human Rights Mechanisms and Global Human Rights Governance,”and“Human Rights Protection in the Digital Age.”The event helped build international consensus and yielded fruitful achievements.

Evaluation of the Tropical Variability from the Beijing Climate Center's Real-Time Operational Global Ocean Data Assimilation System

The second-generation Global Ocean Data Assimilation System of the Beijing Climate Center （BCC_GODAS2.0） has been run daily in a pre-operational mode. It spans the period 1990 to the present day. The goal of this paper is to introduce the main components and to evaluate BCC_GODAS2.0 for the user community. BCC_GODAS2.0 consists of an observational data preprocess, ocean data quality control system, a three-dimensional variational （3DVAR） data assimilation, and global ocean circulation model [Modular Ocean Model 4 （MOM4）]. MOM4 is driven by six-hourly fluxes from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Satellite altimetry data, SST, and in-situ temperature and salinity data are assimilated in real time. The monthly results from the BCC_GODAS2.0 reanalysis are compared and assessed with observations for 1990-201 I. The climatology of the mixed layer depth of BCC_GODAS2.0 is generally in agreement with that of World Ocean Atlas 2001. The modeled sea level variations in the tropical Pacific are consistent with observations from satellite altimetry on interannual to decadal time scales. Performances in predicting variations in the SST using BCC_GODAS2.0 are evaluated. The standard deviation of the SST in BCC_GODAS2.0 agrees well with observations in the tropical Pacific. BCC_GODAS2.0 is able to capture the main features of E1 Nifio Modoki I and Modoki II, which have different impacts on rainfall in southern China. In addition, the relationships between the Indian Ocean and the two types of E1 Nino Modoki are also reproduced.

Looking for a Chinese solution to global problems:The situation and countermeasures of marine plastic waste and microplastics pollution governance system in China

As one of the top ten environmental problems to be solved in the world,marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution seriously affect the health of marine ecosystems and the sustainable development of Marine economies.It is necessary to promote the establishment of a scientific and systematic Marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control system and take strong measures to fundamentally curb and reverse the trend of marine pollution intensification in China.This paper first explains the practical significance of marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control from three aspects:the sustainable development of the blue economy,the structural upgrading of the pan-plastic industry,and the improvement of public health awareness.Secondly,the particularity of marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control system is summarized from three aspects of formation mechanism,migration path and damage performance.Then,it identifies domestic and international governance strategies and action plans from the perspectives of mechanism,subject,object,and measures,summarizes existing problems in the existing marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control system,and gives directions for future improvement.Finally,some countermeasures and suggestions are put forward to accelerate the construction of China’s marine plastic waste and microplastic pollution control system,including the formation of a cross sectoral integrated land and sea control system,a full life cycle waste management process,a multi-participation model for marine ecological and environmental governance,and a global marine pollution prevention and control system.

Proactively Participate in and Lead the Reform of the Global Governance System:An Important Practice for Chinese Diplomacy in the New Era

In the 21st century,increasingly significant or entirely new global issues have continued to emerge and accumulate.In response to the spread of global crises such as terrorism,nuclear proliferation,the refugee crisis,climate change,and the spread of disease,the existing global governance system“has lost the momentum for progress.”*1 Its effectiveness under the leadership of certain Western countries has begun to be questioned by many parties and has fallen into a dilemma marked by stagnation.The reform of the global governance system has become an inevitable requirement for international relations.With today?s unprecedented changes,not only are global financial,developmental,and ecological issues constantly erupting,but the sudden emergence of the new COVID-19 virus poses a serious threat to human health and safety.In this context,the world is obviously facing instability and uncertainty,and the reform o f the global governance system is at a historical turning point.The existing global governance mechanisms have been unable to adapt to the new complex and diverse situation,and the old global order is further disintegrating.China is actively promoting for the reform of the global governance system to build a community with a shared future for mankind that will lead the world into a new global governance structure.It is also an important practice of China's major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Another Year of Record Heat for the Oceans

Changes in ocean heat content(OHC), salinity, and stratification provide critical indicators for changes in Earth’s energy and water cycles. These cycles have been profoundly altered due to the emission of greenhouse gasses and other anthropogenic substances by human activities, driving pervasive changes in Earth’s climate system. In 2022, the world’s oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum.According to IAP/CAS data, the 0–2000 m OHC in 2022 exceeded that of 2021 by 10.9 ± 8.3 ZJ(1 Zetta Joules = 1021Joules);and according to NCEI/NOAA data, by 9.1 ± 8.7 ZJ. Among seven regions, four basins(the North Pacific, North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and southern oceans) recorded their highest OHC since the 1950s. The salinity-contrast index, a quantification of the “salty gets saltier–fresh gets fresher” pattern, also reached its highest level on record in 2022,implying continued amplification of the global hydrological cycle. Regional OHC and salinity changes in 2022 were dominated by a strong La Ni?a event. Global upper-ocean stratification continued its increasing trend and was among the top seven in 2022.

GDI and GSI: China’s New Propositions for Global Governance

In the post-pandemic era,the global economic and security landscapes are fraught with complexities and uncertainties.Among them,four risk flashpoints merit attention:Certain countries are raising interest rates to subdue inflation,despite their already high levels of debt;the bulk commodities market is experiencing volatility,leading to global turbulence and change;trade protectionism is at the forefront of major-power rivalry in political and economic spheres;and regional security crises are compounding international tensions.Behind those flashpoints are contradictions that obstruct world peace and progress,including development imbalances,governance gaps,and structural tensions in global security.In the face of uncertainties,it is crucial for China to seize strategic opportunities and transform crises into favorable situations.China has launched the Global Development Initiative(GDI)and the Global Security Initiative(GSI)to contribute to global prosperity and security.The two initiatives demonstrate China’s commitment to addressing global deficits in peace,development,security,and governance.

China's Maritime Governance:Practical Evolution and Theoretical Construction

Increasingly engaged in maritime governance,China has developed its distinct vision and gradually established a complete theoretical system surrounding it.In terms of discourse,China has proposed a collection of concepts and ideas including a maritime community with a shared future,the 2lst Century Maritime Silk Road,Blue Partnerships,and marine ecological civilization.In terms of connotations,China champions such values as lasting peace,common prosperity,openness and inclusiveness,and cleanness and beautifulness.Exteriorly and interiorly,we can observe the unique character of China's vision concerning maritime governance,which will continue to upgrade and bear fruit in future practices,boosting the development of Chinese maritime governance theories,multilateral maritime cooperation,and ocean-related international legislation.Guided by its vision,China is expected to contribute more to global maritime security and marine ecological civilization.

Revisiting the Spirit of the UDHR and Discussing Human Rights Development——Summary of Views from the Seminar Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On December 4,2023,the China Society for Human Rights Studies hosted a seminar in Beijing commemorating the 75^(th) Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Participants discussed topics such as the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,China’s theories and practices in respecting and safeguarding human rights,the three global initiatives and global human rights governance,human rights protection in the digital age,and telling Chinese stories of human rights in the new era.The discussions led to a broad consensus and achieved positive results.

An assessment of global ocean wave energy resources over the last 45 a

Against the background of the current world facing an energy crisis,and human beings puzzled by the problems of environment and resources,developing clean energy sources becomes the inevitable choice to deal with a climate change and an energy shortage.A global ocean wave energy resource was reanalyzed by using ERA-40 wave reanalysis data 1957–2002 from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts（ECMWF）.An effective significant wave height is defined in the development of wave energy resources（short as effective SWH）,and the total potential of wave energy is exploratively calculated.Synthetically considering a wave energy density,a wave energy level probability,the frequency of the effective SWH,the stability and long-term trend of wave energy density,a swell index and a wave energy storage,global ocean wave energy resources were reanalyzed and regionalized,providing reference to the development of wave energy resources such as wave power plant location,seawater desalination,heating,pumping.

Estimation of eddy heat transport in the global ocean from Argo data

The Argo data are used to calculate eddy（turbulence） heat transport（EHT） in the global ocean and analyze its horizontal distribution and vertical structure.We calculate the EHT by averaging all the v ′,T ′ profiles within each 2 ×2 bin.The velocity and temperature anomalies are obtained by removing their climatological values from the Argo ＂instantaneous＂ values respectively.Through the Student＇s t-test and an error evaluation,we obtained a total of 87% Argo bins with significant depth-integrated EHTs（D-EHTs）.The results reveal a positive-and-negative alternating D-EHT pattern along the western boundary currents（WBC） and Antarctic Circumpolar Current（ACC）.The zonally-integrated D-EHT（ZI-EHT） of the global ocean reaches 0.12 PW in the northern WBC band and –0.38 PW in the ACC band respectively.The strong ZI-EHT across the ACC in the global ocean is mainly caused by the southern Indian Ocean.The ZI-EHT in the above two bands accounts for a large portion of the total oceanic heat transport,which may play an important role in regulating the climate.The analysis of vertical structures of the EHT along the 35 N and 45 S section reveals that the oscillating EHT pattern can reach deep in the northern WBC regions and the Agulhas Return Current（ARC） region.It also shows that the strong EHT could reach 600 m in the WBC regions and 1 000 m in the ARC region,with the maximum mainly located between 100 and 400 m depth.The results would provide useful information for improving the parameterization scheme in models.

Cotidal charts and tidal power input atlases of the global ocean from TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1 altimetry

The global distributions of eight principal tidal constituents, M2, S2, K1, O1, N2, K2, P1, and Q1, are derived using TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1（T/P-J） satellite altimeter data for 16 a. The intercomparison of the derived harmonics at 7000 subsatellite track crossover points shows that the root mean square （RMS） values of the tidal height differences of the above eight constituents range from 1.19 cm to 2.67 cm, with an average of about 2 cm. The RMS values of the tidal height differences between T/P-J solutions and the harmonics from ground measurements at 152 tidal gauge stations for the above constituents range from 0.34 cm to 1.08 cm, and the relative deviations range from 0.031 to 0.211. The root sum square of the RMS differences of these eight constituents is 2.12 cm, showing the improvement of the present model over the existing global ocean tidal models. Based on the obtained tidal model the global ocean tidal energetics is studied and the global distribution of the tidal power input density by tide-generating force of each constituent is calculated, showing that the power input source regions of semidiurnal tides are mainly concentrated in the tropical belt between 30S and 30N, while the power input source regions of diurnal tides are mainly concentrated off the tropic oceans. The global energy dissipation rates of the M2, S2, K1, O1, N2, P1, K2 and Q1 tides are 2.424, 0.401, 0.334, 0.160, 0.113, 0.035, 0.030 and 0.006 TW, respectively. The total global tidal dissipation rate of these eight constituents amounts to 3.5 TW.

An extended variable-grid global ocean circulation model and its preliminary results of the equatorial Pacific circulation

To investigate the interaction between the tropical Pacific and China seas a variable-grid global ocean circulation model with fine grid covering the area from 20°S to 50°N and from 99° to 150°E is developed. Numerical computation of the annually cyclic circulation fields is performed. The results of the annual mean zonal currents and deep to abyssal western boundary currents in the equatorial Pacific Ocean are reported. The North Equatorial Current,the North Equatorial Countercurrent, the South Equatorial Current and the Equatorial Undercurrent are fairly well simulated. The model well reproduces the northward flowing abyssal western boundary current.From the model results a lower deep western boundary current east of the Bismarck-Solomon-New Hebrides Island chain at depths around 2 000 m has been found. The model results also show that the currents in the equatorial Pacific Ocean have multi-layer structures both in zonal currents and western boundary currents, indicating that the global ocean overturning thermohaline circulation appears of multi-layer pattern.

The performance of a z-level ocean model in modeling the global tide

The performance of a z-level ocean model, the Modular Ocean Model Version 4（MOM4）, is evaluated in terms of simulating the global tide with different horizontal resolutions commonly used by climate models. The performance using various sets of model topography is evaluated. The results show that the optimum filter radius can improve the simulated co-tidal phase and that better topography quality can lead to smaller rootmean square（RMS） error in simulated tides. Sensitivity experiments are conducted to test the impact of spatial resolutions. It is shown that the model results are sensitive to horizontal resolutions. The calculated absolute mean errors of the co-tidal phase show that simulations with horizontal resolutions of 0.5° and 0.25° have about 35.5% higher performance compared that with 1° model resolution. An internal tide drag parameterization is adopted to reduce large system errors in the tidal amplitude. The RMS error of the best tuned 0.25° model compared with the satellite-altimetry-constrained model TPXO7.2 is 8.5 cm for M_2. The tidal energy fluxes of M_2 and K_1 are calculated and their patterns are in good agreement with those from the TPXO7.2. The correlation coefficients of the tidal energy fluxes can be used as an important index to evaluate a model skill.

The withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and its impact on global climate change governance

The global community has prepared for the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement since Donald Trump was elected as the president of the U.S. However, Trump's formal declaration of withdrawal still caused worldwide reaction. Trump will use the withdrawal to build his political reputation and to renegotiate the Paris Agreement despite its negative effects on the political credibility, international relationships, and potential long-term economic growth of the U.S. In general, the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement will not change the development of low-carbon technologies and the transformation trend of the global climate governance regime. However, the long-term goals and international cooperation on climate change will be affected by budget cuts in American climate change research and the cancelation of donations from the multilateral environmental fund of the U.S. If the Paris Agreement is renegotiated, the common but differentiated principle of responsibility of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be challenged again. Nevertheless, climate change governance remains a main theme of future sustainable development. Instead of national governments, local governments and non-governmental organizations will develop strategies for technical innovation and emphasize pragmatic cooperation, thus expanding their roles in climate change governance. The capacity building on climate change research and public awareness should be enhanced as a long-term objective of global climate change governance.

Interbasin exchanges and their roles in global ocean circulation:A study based on 1 400 years' spin up of MOM4p1

A global prognostic model based on MOM4p1,which is a primitive equation nonBoussinesq numerical model,has been integrated with 1 400 years from the state of rest based on the realistic topography to study the long-term pattern of combined wind-driven and thermodynamically-driven general circulation.The model is driven by monthly climatological mean forces and includes 192×189 horizontal grids and 31 pressure-based vertical levels.The main objective is to investigate the mass and heat transports at interbasin passages and their compensations and roles in the global ocean circulation under equilibrium state of long-term spin up.The kinetic energy analysis divides the spin up process into three stages：the quasi-stable state of wind driven current,the growing phase of thermodynamical circulation and the equilibrium state of thermohaline circulation.It is essential to spin up over a thousand years in order to reach the thermohaline equilibrium state from a state of rest.The Arctic Throughflow from the Bering Strait to the Greenland Sea and the Indonesian Throughflow（ITF） are captured and examined with their compensations and existing data.Analysis reveals that the slope structures of sea surface height are the dynamical driving mechanism of the Pacific-Arctic-Atlantic throughflow and ITF.The analysis denotes,in spite of O（1.4×106m3/s） of the southward volume transport in the northern Atlantic,that there is still O（1 PW） of heat transported northward since the northward currents in the upper layer carry much higher temperature water than the southward flowing northern Atlantic deep water（NADW）.Meridional volume and heat transports are focused on the contributions to NADW renewals and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation（AMOC）.Quantitative descriptions of the interbasin exchanges are explained by meridional compensations and supported by previous observations and numerical modeling results.Analysis indicates that the volume and heat exchanges on the interbasin passages proposed in this article manifest their hub roles in the Great Ocean Conveyor System.

The gap report of global climate change mitigation, finance, and governance after the United States declared its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

On 1 June 2017, the US President Donald Trump officially announced the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, thus the study on the reasons of withdrawal, the potential impacts, and coping strategies has become a focus among policy circles and of the international community. Based on the self-developed US Policy Assessment Model, this paper systematically evaluates the three potential ＂major deficits＂ in terms of mitigation, climate finance, and global climate governance, as a result of the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and puts forward policy suggestions for coping with such transformations accordingly. The study shows that the United States ＇withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will affect the existence and implementation of successive climate policies and result in an additional 8.8-13.4% increase in the global emissions reduction deficit. The United States＇ withdrawal will also deteriorate the existing climate finance mechanism. The Green Climate Fund （GCF）＇s funding gap will increase by USS2 billion, while the gap of long-term climate finance will increase by about USS5 billion a year. Either the China-EU or the ＂BASIC plus＂ mechanism could fill the governance deficit caused by the United States and the lack of political momentum may continue for a while in the future.

The impact of ocean data assimilation on seasonal predictions based on the National Climate Center climate system model

An ensemble optimal interpolation(EnOI)data assimilation method is applied in the BCCCSM1.1 to investigate the impact of ocean data assimilations on seasonal forecasts in an idealized twin experiment framework.Pseudoobservations of sea surface temperature(SST),sea surface height(SSH),sea surface salinity(SSS),temperature and salinity(T/S)profiles were first generated in a free model run.Then,a series of sensitivity tests initialized with predefined bias were conducted for a one-year period;this involved a free run(CTR)and seven assimilation runs.These tests allowed us to check the analysis field accuracy against the"truth".As expected,data assimilation improved all investigated quantities;the joint assimilation of all variables gave more improved results than assimilating them separately.One-year predictions initialized from the seven runs and CTR were then conducted and compared.The forecasts initialized from joint assimilation of surface data produced comparable SST root mean square errors to that from assimilation of T/S profiles,but the assimilation of T/S profiles is crucial to reduce subsurface deficiencies.The ocean surface currents in the tropics were better predicted when initial conditions produced by assimilating T/S profiles,while surface data assimilation became more important at higher latitudes,particularly near the western boundary currents.The predictions of ocean heat content and mixed layer depth are significantly improved initialized from the joint assimilation of all the variables.Finally,a central Pacific El Ni?o was well predicted from the joint assimilation of surface data,indicating the importance of joint assimilation of SST,SSH,and SSS for ENSO predictions.