平流层风场的火箭观测及其与模式风场的比较

美国西北研究机构(NWRA:NorthWest Research Associates)发布了1963-1992年期间在Kwajalein岛礁(8°N,167°E)上共计1862次火箭探测的平流层风场和温度剖面.本文选取测量较为连续的1969-1972年期间共计345个风场剖面来研究平流层月平均风场及其两年变化、年变化和半年变化的特征.同时与目前应用较为广泛的风场模式HWM07(Horizontal Wind Model:2007)和CIRA86(COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere:1986)进行了比较.火箭测量的4年逐月平均纬向风在夏季为西向风,并在8月41km处达到最大值45ms-1;在冬季变为东向风,并在3月57km处达到最大值47ms-1.全年的经向风在60km以下基本上是北向风且风速低于10ms-1.纬向风在20~35km之间以两年变化为主,振幅在10~17ms-1之间;在45~55km之间以半年变化为主,振幅是16~25 ms-1之间;在5km以上以年变化为主,振幅在16~25 ms-1之间.测量风场与HMW07相比,HWM07的西向风在7月46km处达到最大值38ms-1,东向风在2月60km处达到最大值37ms-1,均小于测量风场的峰值.测量风场与CIRA86相比,CIRA86的西向风在7月49km处达到最大值36ms-1,东向风在3月60km处达到最大值43ms-1,仍小于测量风场的峰值.测量风速稍大于模式风速的可能原因之一是测量风场包含了背景风场和各种波动成分,而模式风场是气候学平均的结果;此外,HWM07和CIRA86虽然包含了不少探空火箭数据,但并没有包含在Kwajalein岛礁的测量资料.     

First observation of mesospheric and thermospheric winds by a Fabry-Perot interferometer in China

A Fabry-Perot interferometer, funded by the Meridian Project in China, was deployed at the Xinglong station (40.2°N,117.4°E) of the National Astronomical Observatories in Hebei Province, China. The instrument has been operating since April 2010, measuring mesospheric and thermospheric winds. The first observational data of winds at three heights in the mesosphere and thermosphere were analyzed, demonstrating the capacity of this instrument to aid basic scientific research. The wavelengths of three airglow emissions were OH892.0, OI 557.7, and OI 630.0 nm, which corresponded to heights of 87, 98, and 250 km, respectively. Three 38-day data sets of horizontal winds, from April 5, 2010 to May 12, 2010, show clear day-to-day variations at the same height. The minimum and maximum meridional winds at heights of 87, 98, and 250 km were –16.5 to 8.7 m/s, –24.4 to 15.9 m/s, and –43.6 to 1.5 m/s. Measurements of zonal winds were –5.4 to 7.6 m/s, 2.3 to 23.0 m/s, and –22.6 to 49.3 m/s. The average data from the observations was consistent with the data from HWM93. The wind data at heights of 87 and 98 km suggest a semi-diurnal oscillation, clearly consistent with HWM93 results. Conversely there was a clear discrepancy between the observations and the model at 250 km. In general, this Fabry-Perot interferometer is a useful ground-based instrument for measuring mesospheric and thermospheric winds at middle latitudes.     

An overview of the descent and landing of the Huygens probe on Titan

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is the only Solar System planetary body other than Earth with a thick nitrogen atmosphere. The Voyager spacecraft confirmed that methane was the second-most abundant atmospheric constituent in Titan's atmosphere, and revealed a rich organic chemistry, but its cameras could not see through the thick organic haze. After a seven-year interplanetary journey on board the Cassini orbiter, the Huygens probe was released on 25 December 2004. It reached the upper layer of Titan's atmosphere on 14 January and landed softly after a parachute descent of almost 2.5 hours. Here we report an overview of the Huygens mission, which enabled studies of the atmosphere and surface, including in situ sampling of the organic chemistry, and revealed an Earth-like landscape. The probe descended over the boundary between a bright icy terrain eroded by fluvial activity--probably due to methane-and a darker area that looked like a river- or lake-bed. Post-landing images showed centimetre-sized surface details.     

Possible tropical lakes on Titan from observations of dark terrain

Titan has clouds, rain and lakes--like Earth--but composed of methane rather than water. Unlike Earth, most of the condensable methane (the equivalent of 5?m depth globally averaged) lies in the atmosphere. Liquid detected on the surface (about 2?m deep) has been found by radar images only poleward of 50° latitude, while dune fields pervade the tropics. General circulation models explain this dichotomy, predicting that methane efficiently migrates to the poles from these lower latitudes. Here we report an analysis of near-infrared spectral images of the region between 20°?N and 20°?S latitude. The data reveal that the lowest fluxes in seven wavelength bands that probe Titan's surface occur in an oval region of about 60?×?40?km(2), which has been observed repeatedly since 2004. Radiative transfer analyses demonstrate that the resulting spectrum is consistent with a black surface, indicative of liquid methane on the surface. Enduring low-latitude lakes are best explained as supplied by subterranean sources (within the last 10,000 years), which may be responsible for Titan's methane, the continual photochemical depletion of which furnishes Titan's organic chemistry.     

A strong decrease in Saturn's equatorial jet at cloud level

The atmospheres of the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn have a puzzling system of zonal (east-west) winds alternating in latitude, with the broad and intense equatorial jets on Saturn having been observed previously to reach a velocity of about 470 m x s(-1) at cloud level. Globally, the location and intensity of Jupiter's jets are stable in time to within about ten per cent, but little is known about the stability of Saturn's jet system. The long-term behaviour of these winds is an important discriminator between models for giant-planet circulations. Here we report that Saturn's winds show a large drop in the velocity of the equatorial jet of about 200 m x s(-1) from 1996 to 2002. By contrast, the other measured jets (primarily in the southern hemisphere) appear stable when compared to the Voyager wind profile of 1980-81.     

In situ measurements of the physical characteristics of Titan's environment

On the basis of previous ground-based and fly-by information, we knew that Titan's atmosphere was mainly nitrogen, with some methane, but its temperature and pressure profiles were poorly constrained because of uncertainties in the detailed composition. The extent of atmospheric electricity ('lightning') was also hitherto unknown. Here we report the temperature and density profiles, as determined by the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI), from an altitude of 1,400 km down to the surface. In the upper part of the atmosphere, the temperature and density were both higher than expected. There is a lower ionospheric layer between 140 km and 40 km, with electrical conductivity peaking near 60 km. We may also have seen the signature of lightning. At the surface, the temperature was 93.65 +/- 0.25 K, and the pressure was 1,467 +/- 1 hPa.     

Imaging of Titan from the Cassini spacecraft

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is the only satellite in the Solar System with a substantial atmosphere. The atmosphere is poorly understood and obscures the surface, leading to intense speculation about Titan's nature. Here we present observations of Titan from the imaging science experiment onboard the Cassini spacecraft that address some of these issues. The images reveal intricate surface albedo features that suggest aeolian, tectonic and fluvial processes; they also show a few circular features that could be impact structures. These observations imply that substantial surface modification has occurred over Titan's history. We have not directly detected liquids on the surface to date. Convective clouds are found to be common near the south pole, and the motion of mid-latitude clouds consistently indicates eastward winds, from which we infer that the troposphere is rotating faster than the surface. A detached haze at an altitude of 500 km is 150-200 km higher than that observed by Voyager, and more tenuous haze layers are also resolved.     

一个新的Ekman泵公式在大气边界层Ekman垂直速度计算中的应用

利用GCM模式资料和Tan最新得到的具有复杂边界的层结大气边界层的Ekman泵公式,计算了大气边界层顶的Ekman垂直速度.结果表明,除青藏高原外,一般地区的大气边界层顶垂直速度的量级为每秒零点几厘米.在青藏高原地区,大气边界层顶的垂直速度可达每秒几厘米的量级,其分布类型在冬季和夏季显著不同,与该地区的盛行风系紧密相关.将新的Ekman泵公式的结果与经典的Ekman泵公式的计算结果进行比较,讨论了二者间的异同.     

A wind origin for Titan's haze structure

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is the only satellite in the Solar System with a dense atmosphere. Titan's atmosphere is mainly nitrogen with a surface pressure of 1.5 atmospheres and a temperature of 95 K (ref. 1). A seasonally varying haze, which appears to be the main source of heating and cooling that drives atmospheric circulation, shrouds the moon. The haze has numerous features that have remained unexplained. There are several layers, including a 'polar hood', and a pronounced hemispheric asymmetry. The upper atmosphere rotates much faster than the surface of the moon, and there is a significant latitudinal temperature asymmetry at the equinoxes. Here we describe a numerical simulation of Titan's atmosphere, which appears to explain the observed features of the haze. The critical new factor in our model is the coupling of haze formation with atmospheric dynamics, which includes a component of strong positive feedback between the haze and the winds.     

Stable methane hydrate above 2 GPa and the source of Titan's atmospheric methane

Methane hydrate is thought to have been the dominant methane-containing phase in the nebula from which Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and their major moons formed. It accordingly plays an important role in formation models of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Current understanding assumes that methane hydrate dissociates into ice and free methane in the pressure range 1-2 GPa (10-20 kbar), consistent with some theoretical and experimental studies. But such pressure-induced dissociation would have led to the early loss of methane from Titan's interior to its atmosphere, where it would rapidly have been destroyed by photochemical processes. This is difficult to reconcile with the observed presence of significant amounts of methane in Titan's present atmosphere. Here we report neutron and synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies that determine the thermodynamic behaviour of methane hydrate at pressures up to 10 GPa. We find structural transitions at about 1 and 2 GPa to new hydrate phases which remain stable to at least 10 GPa. This implies that the methane in the primordial core of Titan remained in stable hydrate phases throughout differentiation, eventually forming a layer of methane clathrate approximately 100 km thick within the ice mantle. This layer is a plausible source for the continuing replenishment of Titan's atmospheric methane.     

A soft solid surface on Titan as revealed by the Huygens Surface Science Package

The surface of Saturn's largest satellite--Titan--is largely obscured by an optically thick atmospheric haze, and so its nature has been the subject of considerable speculation and discussion. The Huygens probe entered Titan's atmosphere on 14 January 2005 and descended to the surface using a parachute system. Here we report measurements made just above and on the surface of Titan by the Huygens Surface Science Package. Acoustic sounding over the last 90 m above the surface reveals a relatively smooth, but not completely flat, surface surrounding the landing site. Penetrometry and accelerometry measurements during the probe impact event reveal that the surface was neither hard (like solid ice) nor very compressible (like a blanket of fluffy aerosol); rather, the Huygens probe landed on a relatively soft solid surface whose properties are analogous to wet clay, lightly packed snow and wet or dry sand. The probe settled gradually by a few millimetres after landing.     

Propagation of planetary-scale zonal mean wind anomalies and polar oscillations

Global atmospheric variables can be physically decomposed into four components:(1) the zonal time averaged climate symmetric component,(2) the time averaged climate asymmetric,(3) the zonal-mean transient symmetric anomaly,and (4) the transient asymmetric anomaly.This study analyzes the relationships between the intra-seasonal and inter-annual variability of planetary scale decomposed zonal and meridional winds in the tropopause,and oscillations such as those from the El Ni o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO),the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO).The tropical inter-annual zonal mean wind anomalies in the tropopause are linked with the ENSO cycle and can propagate into the subtropics,mid-latitudes,and polar front regions via abnormal meridional vertical cells.Similarly,tropical intra-seasonal (40-60-d) zonal wind anomalies can reach the subtropics and mid-latitudes.The polar intra-seasonal zonal wind anomalies in the tropopause can propagate toward high-latitude areas.Thus,the AO and the AAO are the result of the interaction and propagation of these planetary scale zonal wind anomalies.     

Interdecadal change of summer precipitation over Eastern China around the late-1990s and associated circulation anomalies, internal dynamical causes

Observational study indicated that the summer precipitation over Eastern China experienced a notable interdecadal change around the late-1990s. Accompanying this interdecadal change, the dominant mode of anomalous precipitation switched from a meridional triple pattern to a dipole pattern, showing a "south-flood-north-drought" structure (with the exception of the Yangtze River Valley). This interdecadal change of summer precipitation over Eastern China was associated with circulation anomalies in the middle/upper troposphere over East Asia, such as changes in winds and corresponding divergence, vertical motion and moisture transportation (divergence), which all exhibit remarkable meridional dipole structures. Furthermore, on the internal dynamic and thermodynamic aspects, the present study investigated the influence of the midtroposphere zonal and meridional flow changes over East Asia on the interdecadal change around the late-1990s. Results suggested that, during 1999-2010, the East Asia subtropical westerly jet weakened and shifted poleward, forming a meridional dipole feature in anomalous zonal flow. This anomalous zonal flow, on one hand, induced changes in three teleconnection patterns over the Eurasian continent, namely the "Silk Road" pattern along the subtropical upper troposphere westerly jet, the East Asia/Pacific (EAP) pattern along the East Asian coast, and the Eurasia (EU) pattern along the polar jet; on the other hand, it brought about cold advection over Northern China, and warm advection over Southern China in the mid-troposphere. Through these two ways, the changes in the zonal flow induced descent over Northern China and ascent over Southern China, which resulted in the anomalous "south-flood-north-drought" feature of the summer precipitation over Eastern China during 1999-2010.     

Role of atmospheric heat source/sink over the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in quasi-4-year oscillation of atmosphere-land-ocean interaction

Using 1961—1995 monthly atmospheric apparent heat source/sink <Q₁> over the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (QXP) and reanalysis data of NCEP/NCAR, and 1961—1994 monthly SST of UK/GISST2, the statistical study is undertaken on the QXP heat source/sink in relation to both atmospheric circulation in Asia and El Niño/La Niña events. It is discovered that there exists noticeable interaction in a quasi-4-year period among the <Q₁> of the QXP, low-level meridional winds east of the QXP, low-level zonal winds in the equatorial Pacific, SST in the equatorial eastern Pacific, and the circulation at mid and high latitudes north of the QXP. They have difference in phase. The cold source intensity of the QXP in winter favours a low-level meridional wind anomaly to prevail in the mainland of China and its coast east of the QXP and to last until the subsequent autumn. The wind anomaly can induce a low-level zonal wind anomaly of the tropic Pacific that finally affects an El Niño/La Niña event in the autumn and subsequent winter. The event in autumn/winter has effect on the deep trough position and cold air track of East Asia in next winter that influences the intensity of the QXP winter cold source.     

Depth of a strong jovian jet from a planetary-scale disturbance driven by storms

The atmospheres of the gas giant planets (Jupiter and Saturn) contain jets that dominate the circulation at visible levels. The power source for these jets (solar radiation, internal heat, or both) and their vertical structure below the upper cloud are major open questions in the atmospheric circulation and meteorology of giant planets. Several observations and in situ measurements found intense winds at a depth of 24 bar, and have been interpreted as supporting an internal heat source. This issue remains controversial, in part because of effects from the local meteorology. Here we report observations and modelling of two plumes in Jupiter's atmosphere that erupted at the same latitude as the strongest jet (23 degrees N). The plumes reached a height of 30 km above the surrounding clouds, moved faster than any other feature (169 m s(-1)), and left in their wake a turbulent planetary-scale disturbance containing red aerosols. On the basis of dynamical modelling, we conclude that the data are consistent only with a wind that extends well below the level where solar radiation is deposited.     

Correlation between ionospheric longitudinal harmonic components and upper atmospheric tides

There is strong correlation among the ionospheric longitudinal structures of wavenumber-3 (WN3), wavenumber-4 (WN4), and eastward-propagating diurnal tides with zonal wave numbers s = 2 and 3 (DE2 and DE3) in the upper atmosphere. The total electron content derived from the Global Ionospheric Maps of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is used to deduce the latitudinally total electron content (ITEC) in the low-latitude ionosphere, and TIDE/TIMED observations are employed to obtain zonal and meridian winds of the mesopause and lower thermosphere. Through Fourier transformation, various ionospheric longitudinal harmonic components and tidal patterns are derived from the ionospheric and upper-atmospheric observations, and we compare the annual/inter-annual variations in ionospheric harmonic components WN3 and WN4 with those in atmospheric tides (DE2 and DE3). It is found that the annual and inter-annual variations in WN3 and WN4 are consistent with those in DE2 and DE3 zonal wind components respectively, while they are inconsistent with those in the meridian components. We then decompose the harmonic components into “tidal patterns”, finding that the “DE2” and “DE3” patterns are the main parts of WN3 and WN4 respectively. Their annual and inter-annual variations are similar to those of atmospheric tidal patterns (DE2 and DE3). Complex correlation results show that correlation between the ionospheric “DE2” in WN3 and the atmospheric tidal DE2 zonal wind component is quite strong in the Northern Hemisphere, while that between the ionospheric “DE3” in WN4 and the atmospheric tidal DE3 zonal wind component is much stronger at low latitudes. At the same time, the contribution of the meridian wind component is very weak. Above all, the atmospheric tidal DE2 and DE3 patterns are important factors of the ionospheric WN3 and WN4 structures.     

使用WRF-Fitch对湖区风电场风力发电机尾流效应特征的数值模拟

为解析不同稳定度情况下多种风机排布配置对尾流效应的强度、作用范围和风能利用效率的影响, 以鄱阳湖地区风电场为例, 使用中尺度数值模式WRF(Weather Research and Forecast)和Fitch尾流模型进行模拟实验。结果表明: 在不同大气层结稳定度情况下, 单个风机尾流效应的影响范围能够达到下游4~10 km处, 对下风向风速的削弱强度可达−0.2~−1.2 m/s。在风的来向上风机数量越多, 下游风速减弱越大; 正方形紧密排布风电场的尾流效应对风速的削弱效果最明显, 而空心菱形稀疏排布风电场的尾流区风速更容易恢复。由于不稳定的大气层结内热力和动力湍流交换强度更强, 更有利于尾流区内中动量的交换和下传, 因此稳定大气层结的尾流效应影响范围比不稳定大气层结更广。风机所在位置垂直剖面上的湍流动能呈现中心最强、向外耗散的特征, QKE(湍流动能的两倍)随着高度增加而先增至最大值(> 19 m²/s²), 再减至0左右, 之后趋于稳定, 最大值出现在约离地90 m的高度, 估计尾流效应的垂直影响范围可达约离地1.1 km的高度。     

First scanning Fabry–Perot interferometer developed in China

A scanning Fabry–Perot interferometer (SFPI) was first developed and deployed at the Langfang near Space Environment Field Scientific Observation Station (39.38°N, 116.65°E) of the National Space Science Center, CAS. The instrument is designed to measure the mesospheric and thermospheric wind velocities using the atomic oxygen 557.7-nm and 630.0-nm emissions. Data from February 28 to March 3 and February 28 to March 15 in 2011 were chosen for case study and mean value study, respectively. The errors of the meridional and zonal winds are 6.5 and 7.5 m/s at 557.7-nm and at 630.0-nm, they are 7.1 and 6.6 m/s, respectively. During the whole experiment, the instrument has performed in good condition and provided high-quality data. The mean neutral wind data were consistent with that predicted by HWM07. Good agreement has been found in between the SFPI and a neighbor Meridian Project Fabry–Perot interferometer (MP FPI), with a corresponding coefficient (r ²) larger than 80 %. In general, the scanning FPI meets the design goal, and it is a useful ground-based instrument for measuring mesospheric and thermospheric winds at middle latitudes and is able to provide high-quality data for future scientific studies.     

The landing of the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft on asteroid 433 Eros

The NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft was designed to provide a comprehensive characterization of the S-type asteroid 433 Eros (refs 1,2,3), an irregularly shaped body with approximate dimensions of 34 x 13 x 13 km. Following the completion of its year-long investigation, the mission was terminated with a controlled descent to its surface, in order to provide extremely high resolution images. Here we report the results of the descent on 12 February 2001, during which 70 images were obtained. The landing area is marked by a paucity of small craters and an abundance of 'ejecta blocks'. The properties and distribution of ejecta blocks are discussed in a companion paper. The last sequence of images reveals a transition from the blocky surface to a smooth area, which we interpret as a 'pond'. Properties of the 'ponds' are discussed in a second companion paper. The closest image, from an altitude of 129 m, shows the interior of a 100-m-diameter crater at 1-cm resolution.     

Episodic outgassing as the origin of atmospheric methane on Titan

Saturn's largest satellite, Titan, has a massive nitrogen atmosphere containing up to 5 per cent methane near its surface. Photochemistry in the stratosphere would remove the present-day atmospheric methane in a few tens of millions of years. Before the Cassini-Huygens mission arrived at Saturn, widespread liquid methane or mixed hydrocarbon seas hundreds of metres in thickness were proposed as reservoirs from which methane could be resupplied to the atmosphere over geologic time. Titan fly-by observations and ground-based observations rule out the presence of extensive bodies of liquid hydrocarbons at present, which means that methane must be derived from another source over Titan's history. Here we show that episodic outgassing of methane stored as clathrate hydrates within an icy shell above an ammonia-enriched water ocean is the most likely explanation for Titan's atmospheric methane. The other possible explanations all fail because they cannot explain the absence of surface liquid reservoirs and/or the low dissipative state of the interior. On the basis of our models, we predict that future fly-bys should reveal the existence of both a subsurface water ocean and a rocky core, and should detect more cryovolcanic edifices.