A Possible Cause for Different Diurnal Variations of Warm Season Rainfall as Shown in Station Observations and TRMM 3B42 Data over the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau

In this study, records from a 3-yr intensified observational experiment at eight stations along the hillside of Seqilashan over the southeastern Tibetan Plateau were analyzed and combined with records at 28 routine observation stations in the Chinese National Meteorological Station Network to investigate the influences of station location on the different diurnal rainfall variations between station records and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission （TRMM） data products. The results indicate that the diurnal variation of warm season rainfall is closely related to location of stations. The prevailing nocturnal rainfall peak in observations at routine stations can be largely attributed to the relatively lower location of the stations, which are mostly situated in valleys. The records at Seqilashan stations on hillsides revealed an evident diurnal afternoon peak of warm season rainfall, similar to that indicated by TRMM data. The different diurnal phases between valley and hillside stations are closely related to the orographically induced regional circulations caused by the complex topography over the Tibetan Plateau. The results of this study indicate that the prevailing nocturnal rainfall associated with the relatively lower location of routine observation stations can partially explain the diurnal rainfall variations between observation station records and TRMM data.

Inducing Unstable Grassland Equilibrium States Due to Nonlinear Optimal Patterns of Initial and Parameter Perturbations:Theoretical Models

Due to uncertainties in initial conditions and parameters, the stability and uncertainty of grassland ecosystem simulations using ecosystem models are issues of concern. Our objective is to determine the types and patterns of initial and parameter perturbations that yield the greatest instability and uncertainty in simulated grassland ecosystems using theoretical models. We used a nonlinear optimization approach, i.e., a conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation related to initial and parameter perturbations （CNOP） approach, in our work. Numerical results indicated that the CNOP showed a special and nonlinear optimal pattern when the initial state variables and multiple parameters were considered simultaneously. A visibly different complex optimal pattern characterizing the CNOPs was obtained by choosing different combinations of initial state variables and multiple parameters in different physical processes. We propose that the grassland modeled ecosystem caused by the CNOP-type perturbation is unstable and exhibits two aspects： abrupt change and the time needed for the abrupt change from a grassland equilibrium state to a desert equilibrium state when the initial state variables and multiple parameters are considered simultaneously. We compared these findings with results affected by the CNOPs obtained by considering only uncertainties in initial state variables and in a single parameter. The numerical results imply that the nonlinear optimal pattern of initial perturbations and parameter perturbations, especially for more parameters or when special parameters are involved, plays a key role in determining stabilities and uncertainties associated with a simulated or predicted grassland ecosystem.

The Definition and Classification of Extensive and Persistent Extreme Cold Events in China

Using the observed daily temperatures from 756 stations in China during the period from 1951 to 2009 extensive and persistent extreme cold events (EPECEs) were defined according to the following three steps:1) a station was defined as an extreme cold station (ECS) if the observed temperature was lower than its 10th percentile threshold;2) an extensive extreme cold event was determined to be present if the approximated area occupied by the ECSs was more than 10% of the total area of China (83rd percentile) on its starting day and the maximum area occupied by the ECSs was at least 20% of the total area of China (96th percentile);and 3) an EPECE was determined to be present if the extensive extreme cold event lasted for at least for eight days.52 EPECEs were identified in this manner,and these identification results were also verified using other reliable data.On the basis of cluster analysis,five types of EPECEs were classified according to the spatial distribution of ECSs at their most extensive time over the course of the EPECE.

Response of a Grassland Ecosystem to Climate Change in a Theoretical Model

The response of a grassland ecosystem to climate change is discussed within the context of a theoretical model.An optimization approach,a conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation related to parameter（CNOP-P） approach,was employed in this study.The CNOP-P,a perturbation of moisture index in the theoretical model,represents a nonlinear climate perturbation.Two kinds of linear climate perturbations were also used to study the response of the grassland ecosystem to different types of climate changes.The results show that the extent of grassland ecosystem variation caused by the CNOP-P-type climate change is greater than that caused by the two linear types of climate change.In addition,the grassland ecosystem affected by the CNOP-P-type climate change evolved into a desert ecosystem,and the two linear types of climate changes failed within a specific amplitude range when the moisture index recovered to its reference state.Therefore,the grassland ecosystem response to climate change was nonlinear.This study yielded similar results for a desert ecosystem seeded with both living and wilted biomass litter.The quantitative analysis performed in this study also accounted for the role of soil moisture in the root zone and the shading effect of wilted biomass on the grassland ecosystem through nonlinear interactions between soil and vegetation.The results of this study imply that the CNOP-P approach is a potentially effective tool for assessing the impact of nonlinear climate change on grassland ecosystems.

Optimal Precursor Perturbations of El Ni?o in the Zebiak-Cane Model for Different Cost Functions

Optimal precursor perturbations of El Ni?o in the Zebiak-Cane model were explored for three different cost functions. For the different characteristics of the eastern-Pacific(EP) El Ni?o and the central-Pacific(CP) El Ni?o, three cost functions were defined as the sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA) evolutions at prediction time in the whole tropical Pacific, the Ni?o3 area, and the Ni?o4 area. For all three cost functions, there were two optimal precursors that developed into El Ni?o events, called Precursor I and Precursor Ⅱ. For Precursor Ⅰ, the SSTA component consisted of an east-west(positive-negative) dipole spanning the entire tropical Pacific basin and the thermocline depth anomaly pattern exhibited a tendency of deepening for the whole of the equatorial Pacific. Precursor I can develop into an EP-El Ni?o event, with the warmest SSTA occurring in the eastern tropical Pacific or into a mixed El Ni?o event that has features between EP-El Ni?o and CP-El Ni?o events. For Precursor Ⅱ, the thermocline deepened anomalously in the eastern equatorial Pacific and the amplitude of deepening was obviously larger than that of shoaling in the central and western equatorial Pacific. Precursor Ⅱ developed into a mixed El Ni?o event. Both the thermocline depth and wind anomaly played important roles in the development of Precursor Ⅰ and Precursor Ⅱ.

Water Vapor and Cloud Radiative Forcings over the Pacific Ocean Simulated by the LASG/IAP AGCM:Sensitivity to Convection Schemes

Characteristics of the total clear-sky greenhouse effect （GA） and cloud radiative forcings （CRFs）, along with the radiative-related water vapor and cloud properties simulated by the Spectral Atmospheric Model developed by LASGIAP （SAMIL） are evaluated. Impacts of the convection scheme on the simulation of CRFs are discussed by using two AMIP （Atmospheric Model Inter-comparison Project） type simulations employing different convection schemes： the new Zhang-McFarlane （NZH） and Tiedtke （TDK） convection schemes. It shows that both the climatological GA and its response to El Nio warming are simulated well, both in terms of spatial pattern and magnitude. The impact of the convection scheme on GA is not significant. The climatological longwave CRF （LWCRF） and its response to El Nio warming are simulated well, but with a prominently weaker magnitude. The simulation of the climatology （response） of LWCRF in the NZH （TDK） run is slightly more realistic than in the TDK （NZH） simulation, indicating significant impacts of the convection scheme. The shortwave CRF （SWCRF） shows large biases in both spatial pattern and magnitude, and the results from the TDK run are better than those from the NZH run. A spuriously excessive negative climatological SWCRF over the southeastern Pacific and an insufficient response of SWCRF to El Nio warming over the tropical Pacific are seen in the NZH run. These two biases are alleviated in the TDK run, since it produces vigorous convection, which is related to the low threshold for convection to take place. Also, impacts of the convection scheme on the cloud profile are discussed.

Precursory Signals of Extensive and Persistent Extreme Cold Events in China

The distinct precursory signals of countrywide extensive and persistent extreme cold events (CECs) were investigated and contrasted with those of countrywide cold wave events (CCWs). It is shown that most CECs were accompanied by a CCW in the initial stages. From the comparison between the CECs and the CCWs that were independent of any CEC, it is found that a south- west-northeast-oriented tilted ridge at 500 hPa was present around the Europe-Barents Sea regions approximately 10 days prior to the start of the CEC. Consistent with this feature, a high sea level pressure and strong cold air accumulation occurred over a broad extent of northern Eurasia one week prior to the start of the CEC. The tilted ridge and the strong cold air accumulation were the precursory signals that were absent for the CCW, and they provide important clues for the early prediction of whether a CCW event might evolve into a CEC.

Effect of Stochastic MJO Forcing on ENSO Predictability

Within the frame of the Zebiak-Cane model,the impact of the uncertainties of the Madden-Julian Oscillation（MJO） on ENSO predictability was studied using a parameterized stochastic representation of intraseasonal forcing.The results show that the uncertainties of MJO have little effect on the maximum prediction error for ENSO events caused by conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation（CNOP）;compared to CNOP-type initial error,the model error caused by the uncertainties of MJO led to a smaller prediction uncertainty of ENSO,and its influence over the ENSO predictability was not significant.This result suggests that the initial error might be the main error source that produces uncertainty in ENSO prediction,which could provide a theoretical foundation for the data assimilation of the ENSO forecast.

A preliminary evaluation of high-performance advanced regional eta-coordinate model(H-AREM)

为验证高性能AREM模式(H-AREM)的并行性能,本文利用相同分辨率的AREM3.4P和H-AREM并行模式,比较了不同并行方法的影响;利用不同分辨率的H-AREM模式比较了不同剖分策略的影响。结果表明,基于并行框架的并行方法和二维剖分策略有利于并行性能的提升,HAREM在加速比和可扩展性方面都要优于原并行模式,特别是分辨率8 km的H-AREM模式能够扩展到8099核,在不显著增加计算时间的前提下具有更好的预报效果。

Effect of Boundary Layer Latent Heating on MJO Simulations

A latent heating peak in the PBL was detected in a simulation by a global GCM that failed to reproduce Madden Julian Oscillation （MJO）. The latent heating peak in the PBL was generated by very shallow convection, which prevented moisture from being transported to the free troposphere. Large amount of moisture was therefore confined to the PBL, leading to a dry bias in the free atmosphere. Suffering from this dry bias, deep convection became lethargic, and MJO signals failed to occur. When the latent heating peak in the PBL was removed in another simulation, reasonable MJO signals, including the eastward propagation and the structure of its large-scale circulation, appeared. We therefore propose that the excessive latent heating peak in the PBL due to hyperactive shallow convection may be a reason for a lack of MJO signals in some simulations by other GCMs as well.

Errors in Current Velocity in the Low-latitude North Pacific:Results from the Regional Ocean Modeling System

Using the Regional Ocean Modeling System, this study investigates the simulation uncertainties in the current velocity in the low-latitude North Pacific where the Kuroshio originates [i.e., the beginning of the Kuroshio(BK)]. The results show that the simulation uncertainties largely reflect the contributions of wind stress forcing errors, especially zonal wind stress errors,rather than initial or boundary errors. Using the idea of a nonlinear forcing singular vector, two types of zonal wind stress errors(but sharing one EOF mode) are identified from error samples derived from reanalysis data as having the potential to yield large simulation uncertainties. The type-1 error possesses a pattern with positive anomalies covering the two zonal bands of 0?–15?N and 25?–40?N in the Pacific Ocean, with negative anomalies appearing between these two bands; while the type-2 error is almost opposite to the type-1 error. The simulation uncertainties induced by the type-1 and-2 errors consist of both large-scale circulation errors controlled by a mechanism similar to the Sverdrup relation and mesoscale eddy-like errors generated by baroclinic instability. The type-1 and-2 errors suggest two areas: one is located between the western boundary and the meridional 130?E along 15?–20?N, and the other is located between 140?–150?E and along 15?–20?N. The reduction of errors over these two areas can greatly improve the simulation accuracy of the current velocity at BK. These two areas represent sensitive areas for targeted observations associated with the simulation of the current velocity at BK.

Impact of Convective Momentum Transport by Deep Convection on Simulation of Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation

This paper focuses on the impacts of convective momentum transport(CMT) on simulations of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation(TIO) in SAMIL. Two sets of experiments are performed, which give different reality of the Madden-Julian Oscillation(MJO). The Tiedtke cumulus parameterization scheme is used for all experiments. It is found that simulations of the TIO can be influenced by CMT, and the impacts on the simulated TIO depend on the model capability in simulating the MJO. CMT tends to have large influences to the model that can simulate the eastward propagation of the MJO. CMT can further influence the long-term mean of zonal wind and its vertical shear. Zonal wind suffers from easterlies biases at low level and westerlies biases at upper level when CMT is introduced. Such easterlies biases at low level reduce the reality of the simulated tropical intraseasonal oscillation. When CMT is introduced in the model, MJO signals disappear but the model's mean state improves. Therefore, a more appropriate way is needed to introduce CMT to the model to balance the simulated mean state and TIO signals.

Inversion method for multi-point source pollution identification:Sensitivity analysis and application to European Tracer Experiment data

快速并且准确地识别未知污染源,在大气污染应急响应和源头控制过程中起着至关重要的作用.本文利用敏感性试验及欧洲示踪物测场试验(ETEX-1)数据研究了新提出的两步反演算法的实用性,并将其反演结果与现有的两种算法进行了对比分析.敏感试验表明,在观测数据较为丰富的情况下,三种算法对观测误差和风场误差的敏感性均较低;而当观测数据较为稀疏时,所有算法的估计精度都将随着误差的增加而下降,但与其他两种算法相比,两步反演算法具有更高的估计精度以及更稳定的估计性能.此外,欧洲示踪物测场试验的源项估计结果也表明,在三个算法中,两步反演算法具有最小的位置估计误差.

A comparison of the Medieval Warm Period, Little Ice Age and 20th century warming simulated by the FGOALS climate system model

To compare differences among the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), Little Ice Age (LIA), and 20th century global warming (20CW), six sets of transient and equilibrium simulations were generated using the climate system model FGOALS_gl. This model was developed by the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results indicate that MWP warming is evident on a global scale, except for at mid-latitudes of the North Pacific. However, the magnitude of the warming is weaker than that in the 20th century. The warming in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere is stronger than that in the Southern Hemisphere. The LIA cooling is also evident on a global scale, with a strong cooling over the high Eurasian continent, while the cooling center is over the Arctic domain. Both the MWP and the 20CW experiments exhibit the strongest warming anomalies in the middle troposphere around 200-300 hPa, but the cooling center of the LIA experiment is seen in the polar surface of the Northern Hemisphere. A comparison of model simulation against the reconstruction indicates that model's performance in simulating the surface air temperature changes during the warm periods is better than that during the cold periods. The consistencies between model and reconstruction in lower latitudes are better than those in high latitudes. Comparison of the inter-annual variability mode of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) rainfall during the MWP, LIA and 20CW reveals a similar rainfall anomalies pattern. However, the time spectra of the principal component during the three typical periods of the last millennium are different, and the quasi-biannual oscillation is more evident during the two warm periods. At a centennial time scale, the external mode of the EASM variability driven by the changes of effective solar radiation is determined by the changes of large scale land-sea thermal contrast. The rainfall anomalies over the east of 110°E exhibit a meridional homogeneous change pattern, which is different from the meridional out-of-phase change of rainfall anomalies associated with the internal mode.

Characteristics of decadal-centennial-scale changes in East Asian summer monsoon circulation and precipitation during the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age and in the present day

Using meteorological observations, proxies of precipitation and temperature, and climate simulation outputs, we synthetically analyzed the regularities of decadal-centennial-scale changes in the summer thermal contrast between land and ocean and summer precipitation over the East Asian monsoon region during the past millennium; compared the basic characteristics of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) circulation and precipitation in the present day, the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the Medieval Warm Period (MWP); and explored their links with solar irradiance and global climate change. The results indicate that over the last 150 years, the EASM circulation and precipitation, indicated by the temperature contrast between the East Asian mainland and adjacent oceans, had a significant decadal perturbation and have been weaker during the period of rapid global warming over the past 50 years. On the centennial time scale, the EASM in the MWP was strongest over the past 1000 years. Over the past 1000 years, the EASM was weakest in 1450-1570. When the EASM circulation was weaker, the monsoon rain belt over eastern China was generally located more southward, with there being less precipitation in North China and more precipitation in the Yangtze River valley; therefore, there was an anomalous pattern of southern flood/northern drought. From the 1900s to 1920s, precipitation had a pat- tern opposite to that of the southern flood/northern drought, with there being less precipitation in the Yangtze River valley and more precipitation in North China. Compared with the case for the MWP, there was a longer-time-scale southern flood/northern drought phenomenon in 1400-1600. Moreover, the EASM circulation and precipitation did not synchronously vary with the trend of global temperature. During the last 150 years, although the annual mean surface temperature around the world and in China has increased, the EASM circulation and precipitation did not have strengthening or weakening trends. Over the past 1000 years, the weakest EASM occurred ahead of the lowest Northern Hemispheric temperature and corresponded to the weakest solar irradiance.

The Eastern China flood of June 2015 and its causes

Two record-breaking rainfalls in late June of2015 led to widespread flooding in Eastern China, especially over the Yangtze River Delta, and this in turn led to huge economic losses. Analysis suggests that the El Nin? olike sea surface temperature pattern during that month facilitated an intensified and southwestward-shifted western Pacific subtropical high and enhanced water vapor convergence along the Meiyu front, which provided a favorable environment for the occurrence of heavy rainfall over Eastern China. Meanwhile, two midlatitude troughs were successively formed over East Asia in the second half of the month as a consequence of the downstream energy dispersions of two midlatitude blockings. These configurations facilitated the southward intrusion of the extratropical high potential vorticity toward the Meiyu front. In this way, the ascent was enhanced along the Meiyu front over Eastern China, and the occurrence of heavy rainfalls was triggered. Moreover, a tropical intraseasonal active convection propagated northward and also contributed constructively to the heavy rainfall.

Is the interdecadal circumglobal teleconnection pattern excited by the Atlantic multidecadal Oscillation?

年代际环球遥相关型(ID-CGT)是夏季北半球大气环流年代际变化的主导模态,其位相的时间演变与大西洋多年代际振荡(AMO)基本同步。本研究利用5个大气环流模式的敏感性试验,研究给定AMO型的海表面温度异常能否强迫出ID-CGT型响应。结果显示,5个模式中的2个模拟出了沿西风急流分布的波列状响应,表明ID-CGT至少部分是由AMO型的海温异常所激发。此外,模式模拟的结果显示,在年代际尺度上,AMO可能通过ID-CGT影响夏季北半球陆表气温。

Corresponding Relation between Warm Season Precipitation Extremes and Surface Air Temperature in South China

Hourly data of 42 rain gauges over South China during 1966–2005 were used to analyze the corresponding relation between precipitation extremes and surface air temperature in the warm season(May to October).The results show that below 25℃,both daily and hourly precipitation extremes in South China increase with rising temperature.More extreme events transit to the two-time Clausius-Clapeyron(CC)relationship at lower temperatures.Daily as well as hourly precipitation extremes have a decreasing tendency nearly above 25℃,among which the decrease of hourly extremes is much more significant.In order to investigate the efects of rainfall durations,hourly precipitation extremes are presented by short duration and long duration precipitation,respectively.Results show that the dramatic decrease of hourly rainfall intensities above 25℃ is mainly caused by short duration precipitation,and long duration precipitation extremes rarely occur in South China when surface air temperature surpasses 28℃.

Algorithm Studies on How to Obtain a Conditional Nonlinear Optimal Perturbation (CNOP)

The conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation （CNOP）, which is a nonlinear generalization of the linear singular vector （LSV）, is applied in important problems of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, including ENSO predictability, targeted observations, and ensemble forecast. In this study, we investigate the computational cost of obtaining the CNOP by several methods. Differences and similarities, in terms of the computational error and cost in obtaining the CNOP, are compared among the sequential quadratic programming （SQP） algorithm, the limited memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno （L-BFGS） algorithm, and the spectral projected gradients （SPG2） algorithm. A theoretical grassland ecosystem model and the classical Lorenz model are used as examples. Numerical results demonstrate that the computational error is acceptable with all three algorithms. The computational cost to obtain the CNOP is reduced by using the SQP algorithm. The experimental results also reveal that the L-BFGS algorithm is the most effective algorithm among the three optimization algorithms for obtaining the CNOP. The numerical results suggest a new approach and algorithm for obtaining the CNOP for a large-scale optimization problem.

Observational Zonal Mean Flow Anomalies:Vacillation or Poleward Propagation?

North-south displacements and meridional vacillations of the eddy-driven jet are widely accepted as the dominant cause of variability of the observational zonal-mean zonal wind anomalies(denoted [u]').In this study,a new idea regarding the primary variability of the observational [u]' in the middle latitude troposphere is presented.It is hypothesized that there are two different classes of primary variability of the observational [u]':the poleward propagation of the [u]'(abbreviated as PP) and meridional vacillations.To validate this hypothesis,one-point correlation maps of [u]' at 200-hPa during the boreal cold season(November-April) of every year from 1957-2002 are used as a criterion.Twelve PP years,in which the PP events are dominant in the variability of [u]',and 15 no_PP years,in which the PP events are recessive and the meridional vacillations are dominant in the variability of [u]',are examined.The results show that the variabilities of [u]' are different in the chosen PP and no_PP years.In the PP years,the PP events dominate the variability of [u]';however,the meridional vacillations are prevalent in the no_PP years.