The Impact of an Abnormal Zonal Vertical Circulation in Autumn of Super El Ni?o Years on Non-tropical-cyclone Heavy Rainfall over Hainan Island

This study reveals a significant positive connection between autumn non-tropical-cyclone heavy rainfall on Hainan Island and the intensity of Eastern Pacific(EP)El Ni?o events.That is,the amount of rainfall in super EP El Ni?o years is more than that in normal EP El Ni?o years.Comparing EP El Ni?o years of different intensities,the cooler sea surface temperature in the northwestern Pacific during super EP El Ni?o years stimulates a negative surface latent heat flux(LHF)anomaly and abnormal anticyclonic circulation at 850 hPa.Under these conditions,an abnormal zonal vertical circulation develops in the northern South China Sea once a positive LHF anomaly and abnormal cyclonic circulation(ACC)at 850hPa occur in the Beibu Gulf.The abnormal zonal vertical circulation further strengthens the ascending motion over Hainan Island,as the critical factor that leads to excessive rainfall.Further analysis shows that the positive LHF anomaly,which can be attributed to the increased latent heat transfer which resulted from the increased surface wind speed,is an important trigger for the ACC.However,the ACC is also the supplier of favorable moisture conditions because it intensifies vapor convergence over Hainan Island and meridionally transports moisture from the South China Sea to northeastern Hainan Island,thereby generating heavy rainfall.This paper emphasizes that the impact of El Ni?o events,especially super El Ni?o events,on rainfall over Hainan Island cannot be ignored,even if the traditional view is that frequent rainfall occurs mainly in La Ni?a years.

LOW-FREQUENCY OSCILLATION AND MECHANISM OF VERTICAL CIRCULATION OF EASTERN ASIAN MONSOON

Analysis is performed of low-frequency oscillation (LFO) and its relation to monsoon by means of ECMWF nu- merical prediction data in the period 1 June to 30 September 1984,indicating that remarkable local LFO exists in the vertical meridional and equatorial zonal circulations.And preliminary discussion is made of the origin of the LFO of the East-Asian summer monsoon meridional circulation in the LFO of the mid and upper troposphere vertical motion around 30°S.The LFOs in the meridional circulations of both hemispheres are linked together by the LFO of the meridional circulation.Finally the possible relation between the tropical monsoon LFO and Meiyu (plum rain).

Subtropical High Anomalies over the Western Pacific and Its Relations to the Asian Monsoon and SST Anomaly

Using the data of 500 hPa geopotential height from 1951 to 1995, SST roughly in the same period and OLR data from 1974 to 1994, the relation between the anomalies of subtropical high (STH for short) and the tropical circulations including the Asian monsoon as well as the convective activity are studied. In order to study the physical process of the air-sea interaction related to STH anomaly, the correlation of STH with SST at various sea areas, lagged and simultaneous, has been calculated. Comparing the difference of OLR, wind fields, vertical circulations and SST anomalies in the strong and weak STH, we investigate the characteristics of global circulations and the SST distributions related to the anomalous STH at the western Pacific both in winter and summer. Much attention has been paid to the study of the air-sea interaction and the relationship between the East Asian monsoon and the STH in the western Pacific. A special vertical circulation, related to the STH anomalies is found, which connects the monsoon current to the west and the vertical flow influenced by the SST anomaly in the tropical eastern Pacific.

Turbidity maximum formation and its seasonal variations in the Zhujiang(Pearl River)Estuary,southern China

Real-time observations in the field and numerical simulations（with Delft3D） were combined to study the formation, distribution and the relevant influencing factors of turbidity maximum（TM） in the Zhujiang（Pearl River） Estuary（ZE）. The spatial distribution pattern of the TM varies with the longitudinal distributions of salinity and suspended sediment concentration（SSC）. The SSC is enhanced and the TM is intensified during dry seasons,whereas the center of the TM moves upstream by a distance of 10 km during wet seasons. The formation of the TM is influenced by a complex combination of numerous factors, including tides, river discharges and topography, wherein sediment resuspension and vertical circulation dominate the formations and variability of the TM.

The Use of Dual-Doppler Radar Data in the Study of 1998 Meiyu Frontal Precipitationin Huaihe River Basin

During the Meiyu period in June and July of 1998, intensified field observations have been carried out for the project “Huaihe River Basin Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (HUBEX)”. For studying Meiyu front and its precipitation in Huaihe River basin, the present paper has performed analysis on the middle and lower level wind fields in the troposphere by using the radar data obtained from the two Doppler radars located at Fengtai district and Shouxian County. From June 29 to July 3 in 1998, the continuous heavy precipitation occurred in Huaihe River basin around Meiyu front. The precipitation process on July 2 occurred within the observation range of the two Doppler radar in Fengtai district and Shouxian County. The maximum rainfall of the Meiyu front was over 100 mm in 24 h, so it can be regarded as a typical mesoscale heavy precipitation process related to Meiyu front. Based on the wind field retrieved from the dual Doppler radar, we find that there are meso-γ scale vertical circulations in the vertical cross-section perpendicular to Meiyu front, the strong upward motion of which corresponds to the position of the heavy rainfall area. Furthermore, other results obtained by this study are identical with the results by analyzing the conventional synoptic data years ago. For example: in the vicinity of 3 km level height ahead of Meiyu front there exists a southwest low-level jet; the rainstorm caused by Meiyu front mainly occurs at the left side of the southwest low-level jet; and the Meiyu front causes the intensification of the low-level convergence in front of it. Key words Dual Doppler radar - Meiyu front - Meso—γ scale vertical circulation This research was supported by Project HUBEX (Project Number: 49794030) which is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

Rupture area analysis of the Ecuador (Musine) Mw = 7.8 thrust earthquake on April 16, 2016, using GOCE derived gradients

The Ecuador Mw - 7.8 earthquake on April 16, 2016, ruptured a nearly 200 km long zone along the plate interface between Nazca and South American plates which is coincident with a seismic gap since 1942, when a Mw - 7.8 earthquake happened. This earthquake occurred at a margin characterized by moderately big to giant earthquakes such as the 1906 （Mw 8.8）. A heavily sedimented trench explains the abnormal lengths of the rupture zones in this system as inhibits the role of natural barriers on the propagation of rupture zones. High amount of sediment thickness is associated with tropical climates, high erosion rates and eastward Pacific dominant winds that provoke orographic rainfalls over the Pacific slope of the Ecuatorian Andes. Offshore sediment dispersion off the oceanic trench is controlled by a close arrangement of two aseismic ridges that hit the Costa Rico and South Ecuador margin respectively and a mid ocean ridge that separates the Cocos and Nazca plate trapping sediments. Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer （GOCE） satellite data are used in this work to test the possible relationship between gravity signal and earthquake rupture structure as well as registered aftershock seismic activity. Reduced vertical gravity gradient shows a good correlation with rupture structure for certain degrees of the harmonic expansion and related depth of the causative mass; indicating, such as in other analyzed cases along the subduction margin, that fore-arc structure derived from density heterogeneities explains at a certain extent propagation of the rupture zones. In this analysis the rupture zone of the April 2016 Ecuador earthquake developed through a relatively low density zone of the fore-arc sliver. Finally, aftershock sequence nucleated around the area of maximum slips in the rupture zone, suggesting that heterogeneous density structure of the fore-arc determined from gravity data could be used in forecasting potential damaged zones associated with big ruptures along the subduction border.

Numerical Simulation on Development Mechanism of Meso-β Scale Flow Field During a Heavy Rain Process in Henan Area

Numerical simulation of a heavy rainfall case in Henan area during 16-17 July 2004 is performed using the LASG （State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modelling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics） mesoscale model AREM （Advanced Regional Eta Model） developed by Yu （1989） and Yu et al. （1994）. The results are shown： the air in the middle part of troposphere within the horizontal range of meso-β scale convective system is heated by condensation latent heat. The isobaric surface in the middle and upper part of troposphere is rising, and thus meso-β scale high is formed; the isobaric surface in the lower part of troposphere is depressed, and thus meso-β high and low layer flow promotes the strong development scale low is formed. The interaction between the of the vertical motion. While the rising motion is developing strongly, obvious compensation sinking motion appears around it. In the south of rising motion region, the divergence current in the upper part of troposphere backflows towards south, which leads to the vertical circulation appearing in the upper part of troposphere. The sinking branch of the circulation integrates in the compensation sinking air current in the south of rising motion region and takes the horizontal momentum of upper air to the lower part of troposphere and forms a new meso-β scale jet. In the north of the rising motion region, a mesoscale vertical circulation develops in the low layer of troposphere. The divergence current of the sinking branch of the circulation, which flows southward, converges with warm and humid air current in the low layer of troposphere which flows from southwest, and forms a meso-β scale convergence line. Then it strengthens the convergence over the low level of heavy rain area. In the east of the rising motion region, a mesoscale vertical circulation also develops in low layer of troposphere. The divergence current of the sinking branch of the circulation, which flows westward, causes originally more consistent southwest air current in this region to the east deflection, and thus forms the cyclone curve in the southwest air current. The convergence is further strengthened in the meso-β scale convergence line. The strong development of ageostrophic vorticity in the lower part of troposphere is the important factor of the formation of the meso-β scale cyclone. At last the three-dimensional structure chart of development of heavy rain meso-β scale stream filed is given.