The impact of a downslope water-transport parametrization in a global ocean general circulation model

The impact of a downslope water-transport parametrization on the circulation and water mass characteristics of a global depth-level ocean general circulation model is investigated. The spreading of dense water from the formation regions into the deep ocean is known to be poorly represented in depth-level models with no bottom boundary layer resolved or attached. The new scheme is simple and intends to parametrize the effects of various oceanographic processes (rather than the processes themselves) that help dense water to descend topographic slopes by which the formation regions are separated from the world ocean. The new scheme significantly improves the large scale properties of the North Atlantic Deep Water. Changes in the North Atlantic circulation, however, are rather small. In the Southern Ocean, the exchange between the dense water formation regions on the continental shelves and the deep ocean is strengthened at the expense of deep water mass formation by open ocean convection. In all three ocean basins, the density of the deep and bottom water is higher with the new parametrization, which brings the simulations closer to observations in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In the Pacific Ocean, however, where the density has already been well reproduced without the downslope transport, it becomes slightly too high. The results are in agreement with those from other model studies.     

Influence of Topography and Large-scale Forcing on the Occurrence of Katabatic Flow Jumps in Antarctica： Idealized Simulations

The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System （RAMS）, which is a non-hydrostatic numerical model, has been used to investigate the impact of terrain shape and large-scale forcing on the Antarctic surface-wind regime, focusing on their roles in establishing favorable flow conditions for the formation of katabatic flow jumps. A series of quasi-2D numerical simulations were conducted over idealized slopes representing the slopes of Antarctica during austral winter conditions. Results indicate that the steepness and variations of the underlying slope play a role in the evolution of near-surface flows and thus the formation of katabatic flow jumps. However, large-scale forcing has a more noticeable effect on the occurrence of this small-scale phenomenon by establishing essential upstream and downstream flow conditions, including the upstream supercritical flow, the less stably stratified or unstable layer above the cold katabatic layer, as well as the cold-air pool located near the foot of the slope through an interaction with the underlying topography. Thus, the areas with steep and abrupt change in slopes, e.g. near the coastal areas of the eastern Antarctic, are preferred locations for the occurrence of katabatic flow jumps, especially under supporting synoptic conditions.     

极地大气科学与全球变化研究进展

南极和北极是地球上的气候敏感地区, 也是多个国际科学计划研究全球气候变化的关键地区。极地大气科学考察与研究是极地科学研究的重要组成部分。中国气象科学研究院的极地大气科学考察与研究始于20世纪80年代, 25年来有较大进展。中国气象科学研究院参加了我国组织的23次南极考察、2次北冰洋考察和3次北极考察; 承担了南极长城站和中山站、北极黄河站气象业务建设和维持, 以及中-澳合作南极冰盖3个无人自动气象站工作; 进行了常规地面气象、Brewer大气臭氧、近地面物理、冰雪和大气化学等观测, 获得了较为系统的极地大气环境资料。开展了有关极地大气科学与全球变化的研究, 在极地天气气候特征及气候变化时空多样性、极地海冰变化和南极海冰涛动、极地近地面物理特征和海-冰-气相互作用、中山站臭氧变化特征及南极臭氧洞和大气化学、气候代用资料获取和古气候环境以及极地大气环境变化对东亚环流和中国天气气候影响等方面的研究取得了新进展。中国极地大气科学正积极通过多学科交叉、走国际合作道路, 努力提高对极地在全球变化中作用的认识水平, 并积极探索极地变化对我国气候、环境的影响。     

Variability peculiarities of distribution of transparency and suspended matter content in the northwestern part of the Black Sea in spring caused by large-scale processes in the ocean–atmosphere system

The display is considered of global processes in the ocean-atmosphere system in the variability of hydrophysical and hydrobiological fields of the northwestern part of the Black Sea in spring period of 1978–1995. It is demonstrated that the variability of North Atlantic and Southern oscillations in winter-spring period affects the spring hydrometeorological conditions in catchment areas of European rivers of the Black Sea basin causing the variability of runoff volumes of these rivers and the scales of spreading river waters at the northwestern shelf. Hydrological and hydrobiological characteristics of shelf waters varying in the process influence the formation of distribution of suspended matter content and transparency.     

Formation and pathways of North Atlantic Deep Water in a coupled ice–ocean model of the Arctic–North Atlantic Oceans

We investigate the formation process and pathways of deep water masses in a coupled ice–ocean model of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. The intent is to determine the relative roles of these water masses from the different source regions (Arctic Ocean, Nordic Seas, and Subpolar Atlantic) in the meridional overturning circulation. The model exhibits significant decadal variability in the deep western boundary current and the overturning circulation. We use detailed diagnostics to understand the process of water mass formation in the model and the resulting effects on the North Atlantic overturning circulation. Particular emphasis is given to the multiple sources of North Atlantic Deep Water, the dominant deep water masses of the world ocean. The correct balance of Labrador Sea, Greenland Sea and Norwegian Sea sources is difficult to achieve in climate models, owing to small-scale sinking and convection processes. The global overturning circulation is described as a function of potential temperature and salinity, which more clearly signifies dynamical processes and clarifies resolution problems inherent to the high latitude oceans. We find that fluxes of deep water masses through various passages in the model are higher than observed estimates. Despite the excessive volume flux, the Nordic Seas overflow waters are diluted by strong mixing and enter the Labrador Sea at a lighter density. Through strong subpolar convection, these waters along with other North Atlantic water masses are converted into the densest waters [similar density to Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW)] in the North Atlantic. We describe the diminished role of salinity in the Labrador Sea, where a shortage of buoyant surface water (or excess of high salinity water) leads to overly strong convection. The result is that the Atlantic overturning circulation in the model is very sensitive to the surface heat flux in the Labrador Sea and hence is correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation. As strong subpolar convection is found in other models, we discuss broader implications.     

FGOALS_gg1.1极地气候模拟

对中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学和地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室发展的气候系统模式FGOALS_g1.1的极地气候模拟现状进行了较为全面的评估.结果表明,FGOALS_g1.1对南北极海冰的主要分布特征、季节变化和年代际变化趋势具有一定的模拟能力.但也注意到,与观测相比,模式存在以下几方面的问题:(1)模拟的海冰总面积北极偏多,而南极偏少.北极,北大西洋海冰全年明显偏多;夏季,西伯利亚沿海海冰偏多,而波弗特海海冰偏少.南极,威德尔海和罗斯海冬季海冰偏少.南北极海冰边缘都存在异常的较大范围密集度很小的碎冰区,夏季尤为显著.(2)海冰流速在南北极海冰边缘和南极大陆沿岸附近较大.北极,模式没能模拟出波弗特涡流,并且由于模式网格中北极点的处理问题,造成其附近错误的海冰流场及厚度分布.这些海冰偏差与模式模拟的大气和海洋状况有着密切的联系.进一步分析表明,FGOALS_g1.1模拟的冰岛低压和南极绕极西风带明显偏弱,其通过大气环流和海表面风应力影响向极地的热量输送,在很大程度上导致上述的海冰偏差.此外,耦合模式中大气-海冰-海洋的相互作用可以放大子模式中的偏差.     

极区大气臭氧变化对中国气候影响的数值模拟

首先利用TOMS资料分析了南北极区大气臭氧总量的季节变化特征。结果表明 ,南北极区的臭氧减少都是春季下降最快 ,然后通过数值试验得到 ,极区大气臭氧减少将造成高低层温度差值分布大致相反 ,由于臭氧减少也将使我国的大气环流形势和降水分布特征发生改变。在我国的不同区域 ,各气象要素的变化也具有不同特征。     

The autonomous sampler probe for the Arctic and Antarctic water areas

Proposed is the Zelenchuk’s hermetic bathometer, where the water sample is taken using a membrane operating as the sucking-in piston and a static pressure equalizer outside and inside the bathometer at any depth. Stated is a new principle of constructing the mobile and safe autonomous sampler measuring probes based on membrane bathometers for the extreme conditions of hard-to-reach water areas in the Arctic and Antarctic. Proposed is a project of the sampler probe without external energy sources and complex supporting equipment and the scheme is presented of water sampling at different levels in subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica using this probe.     

Ventilation of the Sea of Okhotsk water in summer

Data of field observations are indicative of the periodic appearance of intrusions of cold water at depths of 250–400 m near the northeastern Sakhalin continental slope in summer. Monitoring of the oceanographic conditions in the area shows that the density contrast between shelf and offshore waters persists throughout the year. The static instability of the water column in the vicinity of shelf break and the continental slope is a permanent feature of the area during the year and is the main cause of ventilation of the Sea of Okhotsk water in summer. The energy of tides can be an additional drive for the penetration of shelf waters into the sea interior and modulate the ventilation process.     

Seasonal variations of oceanic conditions near the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island

Seasonal variations of hydrological conditions in the area adjoining the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island are described based on the analysis of monthly mean temperature and salinity obtained over standard oceanic sections Makarov-Cape Georgii and Cape Svobodny-the sea and from nine oceanic surveys. The Poronai River runoff that promotes the formation of a warm surface layer with low salinity largely influences the water area of Terpeniya Bay in the northern part of the area studied. In spring, these waters primarily spread southward along the coast; in summer, they flow southeastward, forming a weak vortex structure at 144° E. In the fall, major changes occur below 20 m, where waters of the cold intermediate layer are replaced by warmer waters (4–6°C) of low salinity connected with the Amur River runoff. The destruction of the CIL core near the shelf edge at depths of about 100 m resulting from the fall intensification of the East Sakhalin Current is pronounced in the southern, abyssal part of the region. The coastal area is covered by waters with salinity below 32‰ connected with the Amur River runoff. The volume of low-salinity waters coming through the Cape Svobodny-the sea section into the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk is estimated at 3000 km³ taking into account instrumental measurements of flow rates.     

Estimation of seasonal and long-term variability of oceanological conditions in the Bering Strait

Carried out is analysis of variations of temperature, salinity, and currents in the Bering Strait area based on the data of American and Russian-American studies of the Bering Strait during the period from 1992 to 2010. Major attention is paid to the analysis of the long-term variability of water dynamics using the data of observations at the autonomous buoy stations in the Russian and American parts of the Bering Strait. Revealed are the trends towards the increase in the velocity of the Pacific water transport to the Chukchi Sea and Arctic Ocean, as well as the absence of the significant trend towards the changes in the temperature and salinity of deep waters in the Bering Strait. Estimated is the seasonal variability of hydrophysical conditions.     

Seasonal variability of oceanological conditions in the northern part of the Tatar Strait

An average long-term distribution of temperature and salinity is analyzed for different months (May–November) computed on the basis of materials accumulated at standard oceanological sections of the northern part of the Tatar Strait. The main attention is paid to the section Korsakov Cape-Cape Syurkum crossing the water area under study practically in the middle. In early spring, the cold waters with salinity of more than 33‰ are registered at the section Korsakov Cape-Cape Syurkum. The waters with smaller salinity are revealed only in late spring, in June. In the same period, the intensification of cold intermediate layer occurs, first of all, in the western part of the section. The waters in the surface layer near the Sakhalin coast are warmed more than at the continental shelf. During the summer, this difference gradually decreases and the surface layer temperature becomes even in September. On the contrary, the spatial salinity gradients increase. In the fall, under the influence of northern and northwestern winds being typical of this period, the upwelling is formed near the Sakhalin coast and the cold dense waters emerge in the narrow coastal strip. The direction of alongshore flow changes from northern to the southern one. At the section Korsakov Cape-Cape Syurkum in November, the influence of small-salinity waters associated with the Amur River runoff is significantly revealed.     

The climatic response of the Arctic Ocean to Soviet river diversions

A numerical model is constructed to evaluate the effect of river diversions on the circulation of the Arctic Ocean, including the climatically important response in the extent of sea ice. The ocean model solves the primitive equations of motion in finite-difference form for the irregular geometry of the Arctic Ocean and Greenland/Norwegian Sea, using 110 km horizontal grid spacing and up to 13 unevenly spaced levels in the vertical. Annual mean atmospheric conditions and river discharges are specified from observations. The presence of sea ice is diagnosed on the basis of model ocean temperature; and the effects of sea ice on the surface fluxes of momentum, heat, and salt are included in a simplified way. Lateral exchanges at the southernmost boundary are held near observed values but respond to circulation changes in the Greenland/Norwegian Sea. Three equilibrium solutions are obtained by eighty-year integrations from simple initial conditions: the first with inflow from all rivers, the second with one-third of the inflow diverted from four major rivers (the Ob, Yenesei, Dvina, and Pechora), and the third with total diversion from those rivers. The middle case corresponds to maximal diversions which are either planned or envisioned by the Soviet Union over the next fifty years, whereas the final extreme case is run in the event that model sensitivity is low relative to that of nature.The control integration gives a good simulation of known water masses and currents. In the Central Arctic, for example, the model correctly predicts a strong shallow halocline, a relatively warm intermediate layer of Atlantic origin, and a temperature jump across the deep Lomonosov Ridge. The overall pattern of surface salinity and the margin of the pack ice are also properly simulated.When runoff into the marginal Kara and Barents Seas is diverted, either in part or in full, almost no effect on the halocline results in the Central Arctic. In particular, deep convection does not develop in the Eurasian Basin, the possibility of which was suggested by Aagaard and Coachman (1975). The vertical stability within the two marginal seas is considerably decreased by the total diversion of four rivers, but not to the point of convective overturning. The surface currents in this area change to confine the water with increased salinity to the shelf region. At deeper levels, an increased salinity tongue spreads into the deep basins of the ice-free Greenland/Norwegian Sea, where existing deep convection is slightly enhanced. As a result, there is some additional heat loss from the Atlantic layer before it enters the Central Arctic. The ice extent remains nearly the same as before within the Kara and Barents Seas. In fact, since modified bottom currents over the continental shelf bring in less heat from the Greenland Sea, an increased thickness of sea ice may result there, in spite of reduced vertical stability. These model responses are generally in agreement with those suggested by Micklin (1981) and by Soviet investigations of the effect of river diversions. These annualmean results should be regarded as tentative, pending confirmation by studies which include the seasonal cycles of runoff and atmospheric forcing.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

近20年来中国极地大气科学研究进展

南极、北极和青藏高原是地球上的 3大气候敏感地区 ,是多个国际计划研究全球变化的关键地区。中国的南极和北极实地考察研究 ,分别始于 2 0世纪 80和 90年代 ,起步较晚 ,但近 2 0余年来有较大的进展。极地大气科学考察与研究是极地科学研究的重要组成部分。讫今为止 ,中国已组织了 2 0次南极考察和 3次北极考察 ,建立了中国南极长城站、中山站和北极黄河站等 3个常年科学考察站 ;进行了常规地面气象、Brewer大气臭氧、近地面物理、高层大气物理、冰雪和大气化学等观测 ,获得了较为系统的极地大气科学第一手资料 ;开展了有关极地与全球变化的研究 ,取得了新的进展。南极地区大气温度、臭氧和海冰的气候变化在时间和空间上都是多样的。南极地区的增暖主要发生在南极半岛地区 ,在南极大陆主体并不明显 ,近 10余年来还有降温趋势。中国南极长城站和中山站的观测资料也证实了这一点。此外 ,还揭示了南极半岛西侧和罗斯海外围的海冰变化具有“翘翘板”特征 ,由此定义的南极涛动指数可用来讨论南极海冰状况和海冰关键区的活动 ;用实地考察资料研究了极地不同下垫面的近地面物理和海 -冰 -气相互作用特征 ,给出了边界层特征参数 ;讨论了极地天气气候和大气环境特征及其对东亚大气环流和中国天气气候的影响 ;利用     

Some features of sea ice formation in Antarctic coastal waters

Considered are the peculiarities of fast ice formation in the Antarctic coastal waters. It is noted that the fine-crystalline ice with the chaotic orientation of crystals is mainly developed in the surface layers of the ice cover as well as the ice formed due to the infiltration of the sea water and its subsequent freezing in the lower layers of the snow cover. It is demonstrated that under the conditions of coastal Antarctic, the lamination of the structure during the period of ice cover formation and its subsequent development is the result of heavy precipitation in the form of snow and the formation of the large amount of snow sludge and crystals of intrawater ice (frazil ice) on the open water. The main distinctive feature of the Antarctic sea ice is its seasonal stratification with the formation of the surface layer of recrystallized ice and underlying destructive layers including the water interlayer in the ice column. The provision of the safety of overice movement of machinery requires the development of methods of continuous remote control of the snow-ice stratum of the fast ice.     

Studying the stability of the Antarctic slope front in the Commonwealth Sea

In 2004–2007 and 2011–2013, oceanography sections with the high spatial resolution were carried out on the shelf and continental slope of the Commonwealth Sea and in the Prydz Bay in the Antarctic. In combination with a fine vertical resolution, this provides an advanced interpretation of the obtained data. It becomes possible to analyze the local thermohaline structure of the baroclinic Antarctic slope front (the ASF) and to investigate its stability. The reliable determination of the ASF characteristics enables to apply the parameterizations and criteria obtained during laboratory experiments for analysis of its stability. The ASF instability is preceded by the local vertical dramatic intensification of the front, where the ASF approaches the pure baroclinic state. Therefore, the local baroclinic instability in the ASF area prevails over the barotropic one at the significant mutual impact of layers (δ = H _ASF/H _b ≈ ≈ 0.3–0.6, H _b is the total depth) and accompanied with the hydrostatic instability. Instability conditions in the frontal zone with a width of ～(1–2)Rd _L (Rd _L is local baroclinic deformation radius) relative to the wide ASF (L _ASF ≈ (3–5)Rd _L ) coincide with those of the narrow (intensified) ASF (L _ASF ≈ Rd _L* ). In the case of the runoff of dense Antarctic shelf water, on the shelf edge the realization is possible of the self-oscillatory mechanism of the ASF instability caused by the topographic beta-effect as well as the periodic generation of baroclinic vortices.     

Seasonal Cycles,Hypoxia, and Renewal in a Coastal Fjord (Barkley Sound,British Columbia)

The west coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) is an important marine ecosystem in which concentrations of dissolved oxygen can reach hypoxic levels at certain times of the year. Although the general features of its oceanography are well understood, little is known in particular about the seasonal cycle of oxygen in shelf areas and its interannual variability. It is possible that high temporal resolution monitoring efforts could be carried out relatively easily in sheltered fjords adjacent to the shelf, but the linkages between conditions in these fjords and those on the shelf are also not known. Here a 10-year time series of monthly hydrographic stations in Barkley Sound, British Columbia, is used to identify the seasonal cycle of temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll fluorescence in a WCVI fjord. Analysis suggests that there is a standard estuarine circulation in surface and near-surface waters of the Sound, as well as a deep renewal cycle in intermediate and deep waters, and that the two are largely independent. The deep basin in the Sound undergoes annual summer renewals in response to wind-driven upwelling on the shelf, separated by stagnation and hypoxia during fall, winter, and spring downwelling periods. Other than for the stagnant deep waters in winter, residence times in different parts of the Sound are only a few weeks. Barkley Sound characteristics thus adjust rapidly to shelf conditions, and inshore measurements can be used with care as a proxy for some shelf properties. However, phytoplankton biomass does not appear to be affected by the onset of deep renewal and the associated reversal of along-shore winds and instead responds to local factors. Finally, once the seasonal cycle has been accounted for, interannual variations in temperature, density, and dissolved oxygen are uncoupled, possibly in response to longer-term changes in the characteristics of source waters offshore and/or to changes in shelf processes.     

Freezing types and winter runoff of small rivers

Investigations carried out in the Northern Dvina River basin revealed that the decrease in the ice thickness on small rivers is of significant importance in the increase in the water content of rivers in winter in recent decades. This process resulted in the improvement of the channel capacity as a result of the decrease in the ice formation intensity on the rivers and of the increase in the fraction of ground waters participating in the winter river runoff formation. It is proposed to consider the initial winter ice conditions as a separate important factor of this process as they define the types of river freezing influencing on the winter river runoff formation as well.     

Thermohaline Structure of Water in Antarctic Coastal Areas in March–April 2019 Derived from the 64th Russian Antarctic Expedition Measurements

The thermohaline structure of water in the Antarctic coastal areas adjoining Molodezhnaya, Novolazarevskaya, and Bellingshausen stations is analyzed using many-hour soundings carried out in March–April 2019 during the 64th Russian Antarctic Expedition on the Akademik Fedorov research vessel. Water masses typical of the Antarctic zone (Antarctic surface, Antarctic shelf, Antarctic winter, upper circumpolar deep water, Bransfield Strait surface water) are identified, and the features of their temporal variability are described. It is shown that intradaily and interdaily variations in water temperature and salinity were observed during the measurement period. The changes in the water structure in the area of Molodezhnaya, Novolazarevskaya, and Bellingshausen stations occurred under changes in synoptic atmospheric conditions, and their frequency was close to that of tidal processes.