Mechanism of stratospheric decadal abrupt cooling in the Early 1990s as influenced by the Pinatubo eruption

Studies have suggested that one volcanic eruption can influence seasonal to inter-annual climate variations.This study indicates that the Pinatubo eruption in 1991 may have actually induced the stratospheric decadal cooling recorded in the early 1990s.Using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and TOMS/SBUV satellite data,a decadal abrupt cooling of stratospheric tropical air temperature was found to have occurred in the early 1990s during a long-term descending trend.We generated the spatio-temporal structures of the decadal abrupt changes(DACs) for the stratosphere,and explored the relationship between the Pinatubo volcano eruption in 1991 and stratospheric DACs in the early 1990s.Our results suggest that the eruption of Pinatubo prompted a decadal decrease of ozone by the activation of nitrate and sulfate volcanic aerosols on ClO free radicals.The stratospheric heat absorbed by ozone decreased over a decadal time scale.As a result,decadal abrupt cooling of stratospheric tropical air temperatures occurred in the early 1990s,and may be attributed to the Pinatubo eruption.The results therefore indicate that one strong volcanic eruption can induce stratospheric decadal climate variation.     

A possible mechanism of the Scandinavian ozone loss

Satellite data analysis shows an important Arctic ozone loss over the Scandinavia, with - 50 DU in winter, equivalent to 15% of the total ozone over this region. The study shows a possible mechanism causing the ozone loss. The North Atlantic current carries the heat energy northwards, and causes a relatively high surface temperature along the Scandinavia. The high temperature over the east of North Atlantic heats the atmosphere, induces an upward mass lifting, and therefore causes an ozone divergence near 330°K isoentropic surface, which leads to a decline in the total ozone.     

Surface ozone monitoring and background characteristics at Zhongshan Station over Antarctica

Seasonal variation in surface ozone and the relationship between the background ozone concentration and wind were evaluated at Zhongshan Station,Antarctica using 2008 data.The wind frequency from the station area was only 2%,while the prevailing wind frequency was much larger (79.2%).This indicates that the surface ozone observations were not affected by the human activities at the station,and therefore could be counted as background concentrations of surface ozone along Antarctic coast.The concentration of surface ozone shows a distinct annual variation with the yearly mean of 25.0 nmol mol-1 and the maximum in winter,the minimum in summer.The surface ozone concentration had a strong negative correlation with ultraviolet radiation,and the mean values during polar night were one to two times higher than those in summer.These results imply that photochemical destruction of ozone dominates over Antarctica.The ozone depletion events at Zhongshan Station were obviously related to lower temperatures and higher BrO concentrations.Backward trajectory analysis reveals that the ozone depletion events are predominately caused by the high BrO concentrations.     

10Be/7Be implies the contribution of stratosphere-troposphere transport to the winter-spring surface O3 variation observed on the Tibetan Plateau

10Be/7Be is a stratospheric sensitive tracer.In this paper,measurements of 10Be/7Be and surface O3 from October 2005 to May 2006 at Mt.Waliguan (hereafter WLG,100.898°E,39.287°N,3810 m,a.s.l.),China global atmospheric watch (GAW) observatory,are introduced and used to investigate the stratosphere-troposphere transport (STT) and its impact on surface O3 on the Tibetan Plateau.The results show that the magnitude of STT is weak in winter,followed by strengthening from the end of winter to the middle of spring (from mid February to mid April) with large increases in 10Be,7Be,10Be/7Be and surface O3.At the end of spring (from the end of April to mid May in this paper),the STT weakened,and the continuous increase of surface O3 at WLG is produced by tropospheric photochemistry reactions.     

Observational responses of stratospheric sudden warming to blocking highs and its feedbacks on the troposphere

The influences of tropospheric blocking high on the stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) and the SSW-induced feedback on the lower atmosphere are analyzed with NCEP (National Center for Environmental Prediction) 2 reanalysis data. Daily mean data from 1979 to 2010 are used to perform statistical and dynamical analyses. According to different distribution features of polar vortex, which can be ascribed to different activities of blocking highs, we have obtained two warming patterns in vortex splitting and displacement patterns. For vortex splitting events, in the Eurasian-North American (ENA) paratype, with disturbances of Atlantic and Aleutian blocking highs, polar vortex is split into two parts that locate at Eurasian and North American continents respectively, while in the Atlantic-East Asian (AEA) paratype, two low-pressure centers derived from the split vortex are situated in the Atlantic and East Asian regions, and two blocking systems occurring in the Urals and North American areas precede these splitting processes. For vortex displacement events, in the Aleutian-Intrusion (AI) paratype, the polar vortex is displaced to the west European and Atlantic areas by the intrusive Aleutian high and this pattern always corresponds to the blocking events occurring in the Pacific basin only. Similarly, the vortex is pushed to the west Eurasian continent by the intrusive North American high-pressure system in the North American-Intrusion (NAI) paratype, which is closely related to the blocking over these areas. The second subject of the research is that whether the anomalous stratospheric signals can be propagated to the lower atmosphere, which is depended on the intensity, duration and position of the disturbed vortex. According to our case studies, geopotential height anomalies can be propagated to the troposphere in strong SSW years, taking about 10-15 d for the decrease from 10 to 500 hPa, leading to apparent variations in the geopotential height and temperature fields.     

Arctic dipole anomaly and summer rainfall in Northeast China

A dipole structure anomaly in summer Arctic atmospheric variability is identified in this study, which is characterized by the second mode of empirical orthogonal function （EOF） analysis of summer monthly mean sea level pressure （SLP） north of 70°N, accounting for 12.94% of the variance. The dipole anomaly shows a quasi-barotropic structure with opposite anomalous centers over the Canadian Arctic and the Beaufort Sea and between the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea. The dipole anomaly reflects alternating variations in location of the polar vortex between the western and eastern Arctic regions. The positive phase of the dipole anomaly corresponds to the center of the polar vortex over the western Arctic, leading to an increase in summer mean rainfall in Northeast China. The dipole anomaly has a predominant 6-year periodicity, and shows interdecadal variations in recent decades.     

Role of Ferrel cell in daily variability of Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode

The Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode(NAM) represents the zonally symmetric planetary-scale atmospheric mass fluctuations between middle and high latitudes, whose variations have shown a large impact on other components of the climate system. Previous studies have indicated that the NAM is correlated with the Ferrel cell in their monthly or longer timescale variability.However, there have been few studies investigating their connections at daily timescale, though daily variability of NAM has been suggested to be an important component and has significant implication for weather forecast. The results from this study demonstrate that variability of the Ferrel cell leads that of the NAM by about 1–2 days. This statistically identified temporal phase difference between NAM and Ferrel cell variability can be elucidated by meridional mass redistribution. Intensified(weakened)Ferrel cell causes anomalously smaller(larger) poleward mass transport from the middle to the high latitudes,resulting in an increase(a decrease) in mass in the middle latitudes and a decrease(an increase) in the high latitudes.As a consequence, anomalously higher(lower) poleward pressure gradient forms and the NAM subsequently shifts to a positive(negative) phase at a time lag of 1–2 days. The findings here would augment the existing knowledge for better understanding the connection between the Ferrel Cell and the NAM, and may provide skillful information for improving NAM as well as daily scale weather prediction.     

Meteor radar observation of circulation near mesopause over Wuhan

The Wuhan meteor radar is the first all-sky meteor radar in China. The circulation near the mesopause from February to September 2002 is studied based on the data obtained by the Wuhan meteor radar. The zonal wind is usually eastward in winter from 80 to 100 km. The mean zonal wind become westward from March to early of May, when the winter circulation reverses to the summer circulation. But at the meteor heights, the zonal circulation usually becomes eastward after the middle of May. The meridional circulation is always equatorward. The peaks of the meridional wind move downward with the height, and the peak value reaches its maximum of 21 ms^-1 in July. Having made a comparison between monthly mean wind and HWM93 model wind, the value of southward wind, the maximal value of eastward wind as well as the reversal height of zonal wind are found to be quite different from each other.     

Effects of autumn-winter Arctic sea ice on winter Siberian High

The intensity of the winter Siberian High has significantly negative correlations with Arctic sea ice concentration anomalies from the previous autumn to winter seasons in the Eastern Arctic Ocean and Siberian marginal seas. Our results indicate that autumn-winter Arctic sea ice concentration and concurrent sea surface temperature anomalies are responsible for the winter Siberian High and surface air temperature anomalies over the mid-high latitudes of Eurasia and East Asia. Numerical experiments also support this conclusion, and consistently show that the low sea ice concentration causes negative surface air temperature anomalies over the mid-high latitudes of Eurasia. A mechanism is proposed to explain the association between autumn-winter sea ice concentration and winter Siberian High. Our results also show that September sea ice concentration provides a potential precursor for winter Siberian High that cannot be predicted using only tropical sea surface temperatures. In the last two decades (1990–2009), a strengthening trend of winter Siberian High along with a decline trend in surface air temperature in the mid-high latitudes of the Asian Continent have favored the recent frequent cold winters over East Asia. The reason for these short-term trends in winter Siberian High and surface air temperature are discussed.     

The East Asian winter monsoon: re-amplification in the mid-2000s

Based on several reanalysis and observational datasets,this study demonstrates that the East Asian winter monsoon(EAWM)recovered from its weak epoch and reamplified in the mid-2000s.Accordingly,East Asia has experienced more cold winters and significant negative surface air temperature anomalies during the recent strong EAWM epoch spanning the period 2004–2012.The associated cooling was mainly located over inland northern East Asia with a west–east orientation.The cooling generally coincided with negative winter temperature trends in eastern Eurasia in the last two decades,possibly contributing to the observed regional cooling trend when the global mean temperature is still trending up.Enhanced wintertime blocking activity around the Ural mountain region and diminished Arctic sea ice concentration in the previous September are suggested to be the responsible internal atmospheric process and external driver for the recent re-amplification of the EAWM,respectively.     

2010-2011年冬季La Ni(n)a事件对北半球极涡的影响分析

为了探讨强极涡与La Ni(n)a事件之间的关系,利用NCEP/NCAR(日平均、月平均位势高度及温度场)再分析资料对2010-2011年冬季进行个例研究.与气候态相比,2010-2011年冬季北半球平流层极涡偏强,同时,显著的强海温负异常(La Ni(n)a事件)也持续整个冬季.结果表明,受La Ni(n)a事件影响,对流层环流场和温度场得到较大的调整,出现PNA (Pacific North American)型异常环流形势和相对应的温度异常分布.2010年12月,阿留申地区出现负值的热量经向输送,使得该地区从对流层上升至平流层的行星波动与气候态相比明显减弱,从而导致平流层极涡较气候平均态偏强.这一La Ni(n)a事件对平流层极涡影响的动力过程也从1948-2010年期间选出的13个冬季强La Ni(n)a事件的合成分析结果中得到证实.     

Unprecedented Arctic ozone loss in 2011

Chemical ozone destruction occurs over both polar regions in local winter-spring. In the Antarctic, essentially complete removal of lower-stratospheric ozone currently results in an ozone hole every year, whereas in the Arctic, ozone loss is highly variable and has until now been much more limited. Here we demonstrate that chemical ozone destruction over the Arctic in early 2011 was--for the first time in the observational record--comparable to that in the Antarctic ozone hole. Unusually long-lasting cold conditions in the Arctic lower stratosphere led to persistent enhancement in ozone-destroying forms of chlorine and to unprecedented ozone loss, which exceeded 80 per cent over 18-20 kilometres altitude. Our results show that Arctic ozone holes are possible even with temperatures much milder than those in the Antarctic. We cannot at present predict when such severe Arctic ozone depletion may be matched or exceeded.     

北半球仲春平流层行星波活动对臭氧总量分布的影响

采用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和TOMS臭氧总量资料,分析了1979～2003年4月份平流层行星波1波和2波的变化,及其对北半球中高纬臭氧总量分布的影响.结果表明,在通常情况下,4月份平流层中下层行星波1波强于2波,对应的位势高度场在欧亚大陆北部为一低压涡旋,而北美北部为一高压区.此时,从东北亚到北加拿大为臭氧总量的高值区,而北欧至格陵兰一带为臭氧的低值区.但在有些年份,2波比较强时,相应的位势高度场在极地为一明显的低压涡旋,此时在极地附近会出现臭氧低值区.个别年份如1997年,1波在25年中最强,2波也很强,强低涡中心比常年更靠近北极点,在与之位置相同的地方出现了25年中最明显的臭氧洞.还有一些年份,北极地区主要由高压控制,臭氧总量的高值区基本上出现在北极及其附近.     

Extreme climate of the global troposphere and stratosphere in 1940-42 related to El Niño

Although the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation phenomenon is the most prominent mode of climate variability and affects weather and climate in large parts of the world, its effects on Europe and the high-latitude stratosphere are controversial. Using historical observations and reconstruction techniques, we analyse the anomalous state of the troposphere and stratosphere in the Northern Hemisphere from 1940 to 1942 that occurred during a strong and long-lasting El Ni?o event. Exceptionally low surface temperatures in Europe and the north Pacific Ocean coincided with high temperatures in Alaska. In the lower stratosphere, our reconstructions show high temperatures over northern Eurasia and the north Pacific Ocean, and a weak polar vortex. In addition, there is observational evidence for frequent stratospheric warmings and high column ozone at Arctic and mid-latitude sites. We compare our historical data for the period 1940-42 with more recent data and a 650-year climate model simulation. We conclude that the observed anomalies constitute a recurring extreme state of the global troposphere-stratosphere system in northern winter that is related to strong El Ni?o events.     

Monitoring of the 2011 spring low ozone events in the Arctic region

Data from FY-3B SBUS and NOAA SBUV/2 were used to monitor ozone levels in the Arctic region from March 1 to April 5, 2011. Results revealed a significant ozone depletion in the area, with total ozone levels between 200–250 DU. The ozone levels recorded were 100–200 DU below normal, and in some parts the levels were as low as 200 DU, indicating a mini ozone-hole. During the sampling period, the ozone depletion area underwent identifiable expansion and detraction, a rotation around the North Pole from the west to the east, and a longitudinal movement from the Pole, spreading to the mid latitudes. The effects of these rare low ozone events were not only felt in the Arctic, but also extended to densely populated areas between Europe and the middle of Russia. In this region, rapidly increasing levels of ultraviolet radiation were detected at the Earth’s surface. Given the significant risk that this poses to both the environment and people’s health, this occurrence has significant global implications.     

平流层NAM异常对乌拉尔山阻塞高压的影响

使用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料, 对53年(1958?2010年)冬季的平流层北半球环状模(NAM)正、负异常下传期间乌拉尔山阻塞高压的活动特征分别进行合成分析。结果表明, 在平流层NAM负异常下传期间, 阻塞高压事件的发生频次更高, 生命期更长, 并且在空间上发展得更加深厚。阻塞高压崩溃之后, 冷空气主体偏北, 所造成的我国北方地区降温也更强。通过对E-P 通量分析发现, 在NAM负异常下传期间, 乌拉尔山区域的波动更容易向上传播, 更有助于对流层乌拉尔山阻塞高压的维持和发展。这些结果对利用平流层环流异常信号预测我国北方冬季短期气候变率, 尤其是寒潮天气有重要意义。     

昭通市2次低温雨雪冰冻灾害天气过程对比分析

对2008年1月12日～2008年2月20日和2011年1月1日～2011年2月2日发生在昭通市的持续性低温雨雪冰冻灾害天气进行了对比分析,结果表明:2次过程均发生在拉尼娜事件年大气纬向环流异常期,500 hPa极涡偏离极地向亚洲和北美伸出2个槽,亚洲极涡面积偏大,南支槽活跃,地面蒙古冷高压偏强,滇黔静止锋偏强且维持时间长.不同的是:500 hPa上2008年1月乌拉尔山地区为倒Ω槽,而2011年1月乌拉尔山地区阻高脊线北伸到65°N附近,脊前新疆北部及蒙古西部为一冷槽;拉尼娜强度2011年比2008年强.     

平流层NAM异常对东北冷涡活动影响的研究

为了研究平流层环流异常对东北冷涡的影响, 使用NCEP/NCAR(1958?2010年)再分析资料(日平均、月平均位势高度场及温度场), 对平流层NAM (northern hemisphere annular mode, 北半球环状模)异常期间东北冷涡的活动特征和三维空间结果进行了统计和合成分析。结果发现, 与平流层NAM正异常相比, 在平流层NAM负位相异常期间, 东北冷涡发生的频次更多和持续天数更长, 强度也更强。对平流层NAM不同位相异常期间的合成分析表明, 在平流层NAM负位相异常期间, 东北冷涡强度更强, 与平流层环流异常联系更紧密。同时平流层NAM负位相异常期间, 有强的行星波活动, 行星波的活动促进和加强了东北冷涡的发展。研究结果对使用平流层NAM异常预测冬季东北冷涡有重要意义。     

甜樱桃巨红13-38花药发育时期鉴定及愈伤诱导的初步研究

以甜樱桃巨红13-38为试材,对其花药发育时期和不同时期愈伤的诱导进行了研究.结果表明:小孢子母细胞越冬前已经形成,一直持续到次年的2~3月份,3月中旬开始减数分裂,3月末形成四分体,4月初形成单核期小孢子,4月中旬形成成熟花粉;花药单核期时诱导的愈伤状态最好为绿色,较致密,愈伤诱导率是各时期中最高的,为4.828%.