Oscillation characteristics of summer precipitation in the Huaihe River valley and relevant climate background

Based on the summer precipitation data from the Huaihe River valley and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River from 1922 to 2007,we analyzed the interannual and interdecadal oscillation and probability distribution characteristics of summer precipitation in the Huaihe River valley during the same period,using the wavelet transform and generalized extreme distribution methods.Whereby,we studied the climate background of East Asia Summer Monsoon (EASM),Sea Surface Temperature (SST),East Asia telecorrelation circulation,and their relationship with the interannual and interdecadal oscillation of summer precipitation in the Huaihe River valley.We further compared the difference of interdecadal oscillation of summer precipitation and the relevant climate background between the Huaihe River valley and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.The results show that:1) The intensity change of quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of summer precipitation in the Huaihe River valley is consistent with that of interdecadal oscillation.The summer precipitation in the Huaihe River valley has been more than normal since the end of the 1990s,and the QBO is very significant.Meanwhile,the probability of occurrence of extreme heavy rainfall increased obviously.2) The interdecadal oscillation of summer precipitation in the Huaihe River valley has a close relationship with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and interdecadal oscillation of EASM.When PDO is in the cold phase and EASM weakens,the summer precipitation will be greater than normal.3) QBO of summer precipitation in the Huaihe River valley is mainly controlled by that of EASM,and it has a relationship with a circulation pattern of "positive-negative-positive" from the high to the low latitudes in East Asia.4) There is interdecadal phase difference in summer precipitation between the Huaihe River valley and the middle and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River,which is mainly related to the intensity and position of West Pacific subtropical high.

Surface ozone observations during voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic regions

Surface ozone concentration and UV-B data between 75° N and 70° S were obtained aboard the Chinese polar scientific vessel 'Xue-long' (Snow-Dragon) during the first voyage to the Arctic and the 16th to the Antarctic in 1999-2000. Analysis of these data presents that variations of the surface ozone concentration have small amplitude during voyages except the mid-latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. As a whole, average surface ozone concentration in the Northern Hemisphere is higher than that in the Southern, and high value occurred when the ship sailed close to the continents. The average diurnal variations of the surface ozone in the Northern Hemisphere are also higher compared to the southern counterparts, and high diurnal variations were found at low latitudes, and relative low level in the polar region.

Mass exchange between stratosphere and trotosphere over the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings

Using NCEP dataset we calculate the exchange of mass across the thermal tropopause by the Wei’s method from 1978 to 1997 over the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings. We also calculate the annual variation of aerosol and ozone of 100 hPa level with the monthly SAGE dataset from July 1988 to December 1993. Results indicate that (i) the mass from troposphere to stratosphere is magistral station in summer over the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings. The air transport reaches the summit in midsummer with two large value centers, which lie in the north of Bengal Bay and southeastern Tibetan Plateau, respectively. A large value center, which lies over the Tibetan Plateau, is smaller than that aforementioned. In winter, the mass transport is from stratosphere to troposphere, and reaches the minimum in January. (ii) As far as the 19-year mean cross-tropopause mass exchange from June to September is concerned, the net mass transport is 14.84×l018 kg from troposphere to stratosphere. So the area from the

An East Asian land-sea atmospheric heat source difference index and its relation to general circulation and summer rainfall over China

Using a monthly precipitation dataset of 160 stations over China and a daily and monthly National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis dataset from 1961 to 2006, we here define an East Asian land-sea atmospheric heat source difference index ILSQD and investigate its relationship to summer rainfall in China and East Asian general circulation. The results show that ILSQD more closely reflects the anomalous variations in summer monsoon phenomena; in the high-index (HI) cases, the strong low-level southerlies over East China and the strong high-level westerlies over middle latitudes indicate an active summer monsoon, and vice versa in the low-index (LI) cases. This index also reflects summer rainfall anomalies over East China; in the HI (LI) cases rainfall increases (decreases) over North China and at the same time decreases (increases) over the mid-lower Yangtze River valley and the southern Yangtze River. Hence, ILSQD can be utilized as a summer monsoon index. There is also remarkable correlation between ILSQD in March and the following summer rainfall over the mid-lower Yangtze River valley. Finally, the Community Atmospheric Model Version 3.1 (CAM3.1) of NCAR is used to run numerical experiments, which verify that the anomalous summer precipitation in simulations is similar to that of diagnosis analysis based on the anomalous summer atmospheric heating forcing. Similarly, the atmospheric heating rate in March can force summer rainfall anomalies in the simulations just as observed in the data.

Measuring visibility using digital photography

An automatic digital photography visibility system (DPVS) is presented, which can directly measure and monitor horizontal visibility during daytime through digital shooting. After shooting a scene of given black object and background via its CCD digital camera, the system can capture and transfer photographic images in the camera to a computer, as well as process the digital images and calculate the value of visibility. The formulas for calculating visibility with this method and analysing the effect of non-black object on measured results have also been derived . And then the comparison of DPVS observations with a Lidar-visibility measurements has been carried out. The results show that the average deviation and relative average deviation of visibility acquired by DPVS from lidar-visibility measurements are respectively within 0.927 km and 6.68%.

Mechanism of formation of low level jets in the South China Sea during spring and summer of 1998

The mechanism responsible for the formation of the low-level jet (LLJ) over the South China Sea during spring and summer of 1998 was analyzed through using the assimilated grid data provided by the South China Sea mon-soon experiment (SCSMEX). More analyses were empha-sized on a heavy rainfall process in the Zhujiang Delta area between 8th and 10th June 1998 in which a LLJ played a key role. Furthermore, the MM5 meso-scale model was utilized in studying the effects of the weather systems on the LLJ. The results showed that the kinetic energy associated with the LLJ transferred upward when the LLJ formed, which results in the fact that the big velocity of the LLJ expanded upward to higher level. Simulation verifies that a synop-tic-scale low pressure in the low troposphere of the west of South China moved toward the east, with a low-troposphere synoptic-scale high pressure in the western Pacific moving toward the west. In this process, the approach of both sys-tems leads to the reinforcement of pressure gradient force between them, making the kinetic energy needed by the for-mation of the LLJ increase. Through this process the LLJ formed and developed over the South China Sea between the low and high pressures. Because the formation of the LLJ indicates the enhancement of summer monsoon in the South China Sea, the mechanism responsible for formation of the LLJ could be used in explaining an enhancement of summer monsoon in the South China Sea.