Variations in equilibrium line altitude of the Qiyi Glacier,Qilian Mountains,over the past 50 years

Based on observations of the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of the Qiyi Glacier in the Qilian Mountain, we established a statistical model between ELA and its major influencing factors, warm season air temperature (air temperature averages for September, July and August) and cold season precipitation (total precipitation in the period January through March). Warm season air temperature was the leading climatic factor influencing ELA variations. The glacier ELA ascends (descends) 172 m when warm season air temperature increases (decreases) by 1°C, and ascends (descends) 62 m when cold season precipitation decreases (increases) by 10%. In the period 1958–2008, the glacier ELA showed a general increasing trend, ascending 230 m and reaching its highest altitude in 2006 at 5131 m a.s.l., close to the glacier summit. If future climate is similar to that in the period 2001–2008, the Qiyi Glacier will not stabilize until it retreats by 2.08 km.     

Response of Zhadang Glacier runoff in Nam Co Basin,Tibet, to changes in air temperature and precipitation form

This paper describes 2007/2008 inter-annual changes in runoff from the Zhadang Glacier located on the northern slope of Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibet, and analyzes their causes. Precipitation increased by 17.9% in summer months of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007, drainage basin runoff decreased by 33.3%, and glacial meltwater decreased by 53.8%. Change in positive accumulated air temperature explained approximately half of the inter-annual difference in glacial meltwater using a de-gree-day model. This suggests that the glacier is extremely sensitive to changes in air temperature. Energy balance analysis showed that change in glacier surface albedo, considered to be caused by difference in precipitation form, resulted in the large inter-annual difference in glacial meltwater. It was shown statistically that precipitation form in the summer months of 2007 was mainly rainfall which comprised 71.5% of total precipitation, while during the same period in 2008 rainfall accounted for 30.7%, with the majority of precipitation falling as snow. Precipitation form should be considered an independent factor when analyzing glacier sensitivity to climate change or forecasting the runoff from certain glaciers.     

A distributed surface energy and mass balance model and its application to a mountain glacier in China

Based on the field observations on Qiyi Glacier during the warm season of 2007, using a digital elevation model (DEM, 15 m resolution), we developed a distributed surface energy- and mass-balance model with an hourly resolution. The model described the effect of topography on shortwave solar radiation, and used a new parameterization for glacier albedo. The model was applied to Qiyi Glacier in the Qilian Mountain, China, for the period 20 : 00 30 June to 12 : 00 10 October 2007, to simulate the firn-line changes, the temporal and spatial variations of mass balance, and the glacial meltwater runoff. The results indicated that the patterns of altitudinal profile of glacier mass-balance were affected mainly by the altitudinal profile of albedo, and the status of the glacier mass balance was influenced directly by the values of albedo. The parameter sensitivity test showed that the model was sensitive to the air temperature lapse rate and precipitation gradient, and also sensitive to the threshold temperature for solid/liquid precipitation. Furthermore, the climate sensitivity test showed that the mass balance was more sensitive to air temperature than precipitation, and the response of mass balance to air temperature change was nonlinear while the response to precipitation change linearly. The negative mass balance trend of the glacier can not be reversed when precipitation increases by 20% and meanwhile air temperature rises by 1°C.     

Variations in the equilibrium line altitude of Urumqi Glacier No.1, Tianshan Mountains, over the past 50 years

The glacier ELA is one of the important parameters reflecting climate change.Based on observations of the equilibrium line altitude(ELA) of Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the Tianshan Mountains,we established a statistical model between ELA and its major influencing factors,warm season air temperature(air temperature averages for May,June,July and August) and annual precipitation.Result showed that,warm season air temperature was the leading climatic factor influencing ELA variations.The glacier ELA ascends(descends) 61.7 m when warm season air temperature increases(decreases) by 1°C,and ascends(descends) 13.1 m when cold season precipitation decreases(increases) by 10%.In the period 1959-2008,the glacier ELA showed a general increasing trend,ascending108 m and reaching its highest altitude in 2008 at 4168 m a.s.l.,close to the glacier summit.If future climate is similar to that in the past 50 years,the ELA of Urumqi Glacier No.1 will still ascend with a speed of 2.16 m/a.However,If future climate is similar to that in the period 2000-2008,the ELA will still ascend with a speed of 6.5 m/a before it is stable.As a result of ELA variation,the accumulation area ratio(AAR) of the glacier showed a decreasing trend during the past 50 years.     

Quick ice mass loss and abrupt retreat of the maritime glaciers in the Kangri Karpo Mountains,southeast Tibetan Plateau

The maritime glaciers are sensitive to climate change because of high annual precipitation and high air temperature in the region. A combined comprehensive study was carried out based on glacier mass balance observation, GPS-based glacier terminus position survey, glacier Ground Penetrating Radar, topography maps and RS satellite images in the Kangri Karpo Mountains, Southeast Tibet. The study revealed a strong ice mass loss and quick glacier retreat since the 1970s. Ata Glacier, one glacier from the south slope of the Kangri Karpo Mountains, has formed a 6-km-long terminal moraine zone at the end of the glacier since the 1970s, and the accelerating retreat is largely due to the strong glacier surface melting. Mass balance study on the other four glaciers on the northern side of the Kangri Karpo Mountains shows that they are in large negative mass balance and the glaciers had retreated 15--19 m from May 2006 to May 2007. The in-situ glacier observation also shows that the glacier retreat is more obvious in small glaciers. The enhanced ice mass deficit caused by climate warming and the ongoing extinction of many small glaciers in this region could seriously affect the water resources, environ- ments, local climate and regional sustainable development in the near future.     

Estimation on the response of glaciers in China to the global warming in the 21st century

Glaciers in China can be categorized into 3 types, i.e. the maritime (temperate) type, sub-continental (sub-polar) type and extreme Continental (polar) type, which take 22%, 46% and 32% of the total existing glacier area (59 406 km2) respectively. Researches indicate that glaciers of the three types show different response patterns to the global warming. Since the Maxima of the Little Ice Age (the 17th century), air temperature has risen at a magnitude of 1.3℃on average and the glacier area decreased corresponds to 20% of the present total glacier area in western China. it is estimated that air temperature rise in the 2030s, 2070s and 2100s will be of the order of 0.4-1.2, 1.2-2.7 and 2.1-4.0 K in western China. With these scenarios, glaciers in China will suffer from further shrinkage by 12%, 28% and 45% by the 2030s, 2070s and 2100s. The uncertainties may account for 30%-67% in 2100 in China.     

Analyses on the climate change responses over China under SRES B2 scenario using PRECIS

The global climate has been altered by the anthro- pogenic forcing due to greenhouse gases (GHGs) emis- sions. It is pointed out in the Third Assessments Report (TAR)[1] of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2001 that over the 20th centur…     

The age of formation of the mirabilite and sand wedges in the Hexi Corridor and their paleoclimatic interpretation

The Hexi Corridor is located at the transition zone of the Asian summer monsoon and westerly airflow, and lies in an important position in terms of its ecological fragility and climatic sensitivity. During a recent field expedition to this region, we found a sedimentary mirabilite layer in a number of localities including Suwushan, Yanchi, Baitujing, Yanchi Gaotai, Huahai, Yumen, Halanuo扙r, and Dunhuang (Fig. 1), which have the potential to provide important information about environmenta…     

Prediction of wintertime heavy snow activity in Northeast China

In Northeast China during the winter, severe snowstorms can occur resulting in both societal and economic damage. In this paper, we explore an effective technique for the seasonal prediction of heavy snow activity, where previous synoptic studies have failed. We employ a year-to-year increment approach and ultimately identify four predictors, x1 to x4 . x1 is the area-averaged soil moisture over the northern part of Northeast China in the preceding month of September and represents the role of land processes. x2 represents the role of sea-air interactions in winter, x3 the preceding summer Mascarene High related to the winter SST over the tropical western Pacific, and x4 is the low-level the thermal condition over Northeast China from the previous year that oppose current year. Cross-validation tests for both 1963-2011 and independent hindcasts between 1983-2010 are performed to validate the prediction ability of our technique. The cross validation test results for 1963-2011 reveal a high correlation coefficient of 0.86 (0.77) between the predicted and observed year-to-year increment of the number of snow days. The model also predicts well the independent hindcast for the years 1983-2011. Therefore, this study provides an effective climate prediction model for Northeast China’s heavy snow activities and thus requires preliminary application in operational settings.     

The high-resolution climate recorded in the δ18O ofPorites lutea from the Nansha Islands of China

A Porites lutea core from Yongshu Reef of Nansha Islands covering 50 years growth history was analyzed for oxygen isotopic composition with monthly and seasonally resolution. The calibration of the δ ¹⁸O with the instrumental temperature indicated that the coral δ ¹⁸O is a good indicator for sea surface temperature (SST) and air temperature ( t ). It can be used to reconstruct the SST and air temperature of the Yongshu Reef sea area. In addition, the coral δ ¹⁸O provides signatures for the intensity of the East Asia monsoon and it is a record for the activities of El Niño events. With the calibrated SST and air temperature formulas, the most recent fifty years SST and air temperature were reconstructed based on the coral δ ¹⁸O, thus back up the understanding of the climate of Nansha Islands to 1950, far beyond the limit of the instrumental recording since September 1988. It was found that, in general, increasing 1℃ air temperature results in 0.24‰ decrease in skeletal δ ¹⁸O.     

An experimental study on the solubility of copper bichloride in water vapor

Using the solubility method, the solubility of CuCl2 in liquid-undersaturated HCl-bearing water vapor was investigated experimentally at temperatures of 330-370 ℃ and pressures of 4.2-10 MPa. The re-sults have shown that hydration could significantly enhance copper solubility and the concentrations of copper were positively correlated with PH2O. The solubility of copper in vapor phase increased with increasing PH2O at the constant temperature. CuCl2 was transported as hydrated species CuCl2(H2O)ngas in water vapor. The formation of complexes is proposed to be the result of the following reaction: CuCl2solid nH2Ogas = CuCl2 (H2O)ngas The hydration number n decreased slightly with increasing temperature. Statistical hydration numbers are 4.0, 3.6 and 3.3 at 330, 350 and 370 ℃ , respectively.     

A new estimate of global soil respiration from 1970 to 2008

Soil respiration(Rs)is one of the key processes that underline our understanding of carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems.Great uncertainty remains in the previous global Rs estimates with a difference of 70 Pg C a 1between the highest and lowest estimates.Thus,the present study aimed to estimate the global annual Rs and investigate the interannual and spatial variability in global annual Rs using a semi-mechanistic,empirically-based model which included climatic factors(temperature and precipitation)and topsoil(0–20 cm)organic carbon storage.About 657 published studies of annual Rs from 147 measurement sites were included in this meta-analysis.The global data sets from 1970 to 2008 on climate,surface air temperature,and soil properties were collected.The Monte Carlo method was used to propagate the simulation errors to global Rs.The results indicated that the mean annual global Rs was 94.4 Pg C a 1,increasing at roughly 0.04 Pg C a 1(~0.04%a 1)from 1970 to 2008.The Rs rate increased from colder,drier and less soil carbon-rich regions to warmer,moister and more carbon-rich regions.Highest Rs rates appeared in the tropical forest,while the lowest ones were in polar and desert regions.The annual Rs correlated directly with global temperature anomalies,suggesting that the interannual variability in temperature was responsible for the interannual variations in predicted global Rs.The global Rs increased from high-latitude zones to low-latitude zones.Further studies are recommended to explore the relationship between soil respiration and vegetation characters.     

Synthesis and characterization of monoclinic TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanosheets

A novel two-step method for the synthesis of monoclinic titanium oxide （i.e. TiO2（B）） nanosheets is presented in this report. The method is featured by two steps： 1） synthesis of hydrogen titanate nanosheets, followed by 2） calcination of the titanate nanosheets at elevated temperatures. The hydrogen titanate nanosheets were prepared first by autoclaving anatase TiO2 powders, obtained by air cal- cining an ethanol-gel of Ti（OH）4 at 500℃, in aqueous NaOH （10 mol/L） at 150-200℃, and then by washing with hydro- chloric acid under supersonic irradiation. While sizes of the nanosheets were found to increase with increasing the temperature of the hydrothermal treatment, the calcination at 400-500℃ of the hydrogen titanate nanosheets that were synthesized at higher autoclaving temperatures （180-200℃） produced monoclinic TiO2 nanosheets with a uniform morphology. By contrast, the same calcination of the titanate nanosheets synthesized at the autoclaving temperature 180℃ led to anatase TiO2 nanoparticles.     

Stability of alpine meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai- Tibetan Plateau

THE QINGHAI-TIBETAN PLATEAU PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION AND REGIONAL MONSOON CLIMATE, WHICH HAS GREAT INFLUENCE ON THE REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CLIMATE. THUS, THE CHANGE OF THE QINGHAI-TIBETAN PLATEAU ECOSYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT …     

2013年4月中旬濮阳市一次极端气候事件分析

利用常规观测资料和MICAPS平台提供的相关资料,对濮阳市2013年4月18—20日的大风、强降温、中到大雪、晚霜冻、倒春寒等多种灾害性天气过程,用天气学的方法进行了综合分析.结果得出:1造成大风和强降温的高空影响系统是中路冷空气南压形成的密集的高空锋区,地面影响系统是强势庞大的冷高压.2由于东北冷涡携带的横槽不断分裂冷空气南下,使气温连续下降,致使地面气温降至0℃左右,出现了晚霜冻害,加之冷高压持续控制,使气温持续偏低,出现了倒春寒天气.3500 hPa和700 hPa的低槽、850 hPa的切变线是产生降水的影响系统,850 hPa的强锋区和地面庞大的冷高压提供了动力抬升条件.4500 hPa和700 hPa的中低空西南风急流为强降水提供了充沛的水汽供应.物理量场显示出700 hPa上强烈的辐合上升运动对降水贡献较大.5此次过程降温剧烈,850 hPa气温48 h内下降了19℃,700 hPa和850 hPa气温均降至0℃以下,使降水相态由降雨转成降雪.     

Temperature effects on ethylene and methane production from temperate forest soils

Change in temperature affects the activity of soil microorganisms.However,there is limited knowledge about temperature effects on ethylene(C2H4) and methane(CH4) production from forest soils.Topsoil samples(0―5 cm) collected from different temperate forest stands(e.g.,Pinus sylvestris L.,Cryptomeria japonica,and Quercus serrata) were used to compare C2H4 and CH4 production from soils at temperature from 5 to 35℃ under oxic and anoxic conditions.The rates of C2H4 and CH4 production from soils under oxic cond...     

Testing the ability of RIEMS2.0 to simulate multi-year precipitation and air temperature in China

RIEMS2.0 （Regional Integrated Environment Modeling System, Version 2.0） is now being developed starting from RIEMS1.0 by the Key Laboratory of Regional Climate Environment Research for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. In order to test RIEMS2.0’s ability to simulate long-term climate and its changes, as well as provide a basis for further development and applications, we compare simulated precipitation and air temperature from 1980 to 2007 （simulation duration from Jan. 1, 1979 to Dec. 31, 2007） under different cumulus parameterization schemes with the observed data. The results show that RIEMS2.0 can reproduce the spatial distribution of precipitation and air temperature, but that the model overestimates precipitation with the rainfall center moving northwestward and underestimates air temperature for annual simulations. Annual and interannual variations in precipitation and air temperature for different climate subregions are well captured by the model. Further analysis of summer and winter simulations shows that precipitation is overestimated, except for the Jianghuai-Jiangnan subregions in the winter, and the air temperature bias in the summer is weaker than in the winter. There are larger biases for precipitation and air temperature in semiarid subregions. Anomalies in precipitation and air temperature are also well captured by the model. Although a similar distribution can be found between observed data and simulated results under different cumulus parameterization schemes, these show differences in intensity and location. In sum, RIEMS2.0 shows good stability and does well in simulating the long-term climate and its changes in China.     

Numerical simulation of Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in the eastern Tianshan, central Asia from 2005 to 2070

Due to climate changes, most of the alpine glaciers have retreated dramatically during the past decades. Thus it is significant to predict the alpine glacier variability in the future for a better understanding of the impact of climate changes on water resource. In this paper, we perform the numerical simulation on Urumqi Glacier No.1 in the eastern Tianshan, central Asia (hereafter Glacier No.1 for short) by considering both the mass balance and ice flow. Given the shape of the Glacier No.1, the velocity of the glacier is obtained by solving a two-dimensional nonlinear Stokes equation and simulated result is in agreement with the observation. In order to predict the variability of Glacier No.1 in the next decades, a climatic scenario is constructed with a temperature rise rate as 0.17°C/10 a and precipitation as constant during the period of 2005-2070. The simulation shows that, the glacier terminus will retreat slowly and the glacier will thin dramatically before 2040, while after year 2040, the glacier terminus retreat will accelerate. This study confirms the increasing retreat rate of alpine glaciers under global warming.     

Glacier changes during the last forty years in the Tarim Interior River basin, northwest China

By comparing digitized glacier outlines from the Chinese Glacier Inventory (CGI) during the 1960s–1970s and Landsat Enhance Thematic Mapper (ETM+) images from 1999 to 2001, we investigated changes for about 7665 alpine glaciers among 11665 glaciers in seven sub-basins of the Tarim Interior River basin (TIRB). The results showed that the total glacier area was reduced by 3.3% from the 1960s/ 1970s to 1999/2001 and area losses for 1–5 km2 glaciers accounted for 48.3% of the total glacier area loss in the TIRB. However, the glacier area reductions varied from 0.7% to 7.9% among the seven sub-basins of the TIRB during the study period. The glacier area changing with altitude showed that the maximum contribution of area shrinkage occurred at 4900–5400 m. Data from 25 meteorological stations in the TIRB showed increases in both the annual mean air temperature and annual precipitation during 1960–2000. This indicates that the glacier shrinkage in the TIRB over the last 40 years was largely due to regional climate warming that enhanced glacier ablation and overcame the effects of increased precipitation on the glacier mass balance.     

Variation characteristics of soil respiration fluxes in four types of grassland communities under different precipitation intensity

In the global carbon cycle studies, terrestrial ecosys- tem has become one of the greatest uncertain ecosystems in the current carbon cycle studies owing to the complex- ity of its underlying surface and intense disturbance of anthropogenic activities[1], hence depth studies of it serveas a key in seeking for the “missing carbon sinks” of at-mosphere. In the terrestrial ecosystem, soil organic carbonreservoir is an important component of carbon reservoir inthe system, its carbon …