Progress in application of MODIS for remote sensing in Polar Regions

The remote sensing technique is widely used in Polar Regions, and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiomete (MODIS) is one of the most important satellite sensors in the domain of remote sensing. In this article, MODIS sensor, including the information of its satellites, its system constitutes, its hardware characteristic, its large spectra and usual applications are briefly introduced first. Then, there is a particular introduction of MODIS's use in Polar Regions, which refers to the polar physiognomy, polar atmosphere and polar ocean, with citing many examples. At last, views about the development of MODIS and its series sensors in the future, including the improved applications in Polar Regions are given.     

Recent marginal changes of the Mittivakkat Glacier,Southeast Greenland and the discovery of remains of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and peaty material

Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 108(1):137–142, 2008

During field observations in August 2005 antler remains of a reindeer were found at a recently deglaciated site at about 500 m asl., and bones from a polar bear were found at about 300 m asl. along the margin of Mittivakkat Glacier, Southeast Greenland. Radio carbon dating determined the age of the samples to 720 ¹⁴C years and 350 ¹⁴C years, respectively. In August 2006 old surface vegetation covering peaty material became exposed due to ice recession close to the site where the antler was found. The radio carbon age of small roots from the material was determined to 1530 ¹⁴C years, and is in agreement with dating of woody remains of Salix glauca found close by, at the top of a nearby nunatak in 1999. The antler indicates that reindeer lived in the area when the glacier began to advance from a position where it was close to or smaller than today. The vegetation surface and peaty material indicate that the climate was warmer before the onset of the Little Ice Age in Southeast Greenland than today.     

Record Arctic Ozone Loss in Spring 2020 is Likely Caused by North Pacific Warm Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies

Record ozone loss was observed in the Arctic stratosphere in spring 2020. This study aims to determine what caused the extreme Arctic ozone loss. Observations and simulation results are examined in order to show that the extreme Arctic ozone loss was likely caused by record-high sea surface temperatures(SSTs) in the North Pacific. It is found that the record Arctic ozone loss was associated with the extremely cold and persistent stratospheric polar vortex over February–April, and the extremely cold vortex was a result of anomalously weak planetary wave activity. Further analysis reveals that the weak wave activity can be traced to anomalously warm SSTs in the North Pacific. Both observations and simulations show that warm SST anomalies in the North Pacific could have caused the weakening of wavenumber-1 wave activity, colder Arctic vortex, and lower Arctic ozone. These results suggest that for the present-day level of ozone-depleting substances, severe Arctic ozone loss could form again, as long as certain dynamic conditions are satisfied.     

The Role of Stationary and Transient Planetary Waves in the Maintenance of Stratospheric Polar Vortex Regimes in Northern Hemisphere Winter

Using 1958-2002 NCEPNCAR reanalysis data, we investigate stationary and transient planetary wave propagation and its role in wave-mean flow interaction which influences the state of the polar vortex (PV) in the stratosphere in Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter. This is done by analyzing the Eliassen-Palm (E-P) flux and its divergence. We find that the stationary and transient waves propagate upward and equatorward in NH winter, with stronger upward propagation of stationary waves from the troposphere to the stratosphere, and stronger equatorward propagation of transient waves from mid-latitudes to the subtropics in the troposphere. Stationary waves exhibit more upward propagation in the polar stratosphere during the weak polar vortex regime (WVR) than during the strong polar vortex regime (SVR). On the other hand, transient waves have more upward propagation during SVR than during WVR in the subpolar stratosphere, with a domain of low frequency waves. With different paths of upward propagation, both stationary and transient waves contribute to the maintenance of the observed stratospheric PV regimes in NH winter.     

近30a北极平流层臭氧的季节和年际变化特征

综合利用1978-2011年TOMS（Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer）和OMI（Ozone Monitoring Instrument）臭氧总量资料,MLS（Microwave Limb Sounder）臭氧廓线资料以及NCEP/NCAR再分析气象场资料,对比研究了近30a南北极臭氧总量的年际变化和季节变化差异,重点分析了2010/2011年冬末春初北极臭氧出现的异常损耗现象,探讨北极春季臭氧低值产生的原因。结果表明：与南极地区一年四季都保持一个臭氧低值中心明显不同,北极臭氧总量的减少则是伴随着整个春夏季（4-8月）,在秋季（10月）达到最低值,冬季（11月-次年2月）北极臭氧快速恢复,这主要是由于南北半球极地地区环流差异和温度差异造成的。南北两极年均O3总量呈下降趋势,两极地区O3总量年际变化最大的季节是春季。近30a,北极在1997和2011年春季（3-4月）分别达到极低值355DU和361DU,但近年来两极臭氧年际变化趋势不明显。2011年春季,北极地区出现的较严重臭氧低值现象从3月中旬至4月中旬持续了近1个月,2010/2011年冬春季平流层低温和臭氧低值对应关系很好。     

太阳活动低年南北极电离层F2层观测与国际参考电离层对比研究

利用2006-2007年EISCAT Svalbard雷达(ESR)和南极中山站DPS-4测高仪的观测数据,对太阳活动低年不同季节的极区电离层F2层临界频率(f0F2)和峰值高度(hmF2)进行统计分析,研究其日变化特征,并与国际参考电离层IRI-2007模式比较.结果表明,在太阳活动低年,夏季两站的观测结果与IRI预...     

极地冰层回转钻进切削热量测试装置的研制

极地冰盖深部“暖冰”层钻进时,由于冰层的温度较高,接近甚至达到冰的压力熔点,回转钻进时产生的切削热量极易使冰屑融化,导致机械钻速慢、取心率低、卡钻事故频发。钻压、转速、切削具结构等参数均对切削热量有一定的影响,有必要设计一套实验装置对切削热量进行测试,从而为设计切削具结构、优化钻进参数组合提供理论依据。以XY-1型岩心钻机钻进系统为平台,利用无线信号传输原理设计了冰层回转钻进切削热量测试实验台。初步测试结果表明,该实验装置能够准确测量钻压、扭矩、切削温度等参数,可用来进行相关的实验研究。     

Reversal of monthly East Asian winter air temperature in 2020/21 and its predictability

在全球变暖的背景下,近年来东亚冬季气温存在复杂的季节内变化.本文研究了2020/21年东亚冬季气温的月际转折及可预测性.结果 表明,2020/21年东亚冬季气温前冬(2020年12月-2021年1月中旬)偏冷,后冬(2021年1月中旬-2月)偏暖.西伯利亚高压强度在前冬和后冬也出现转折变化.在前冬,由于2020年9月巴...     

Free Wobble of the Triaxial Earth: Theory and Comparisons with International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) Data

Earth’s free wobble is often referred to as the Euler wobble (for the rigid case) or the Chandler wobble for the real case. In this study, we investigate the theory of the free wobble of the triaxial Earth and demonstrate that: (1) the Euler period should actually be expressed by the complete elliptic integral of first kind, and (2) the trace of the free polar motion is elliptic, with the orientations of its semi-minor and major axes being approximately parallel to the Earth’s principal axes A and B, respectively. Numerical calculations show that, due to the triaxiality of the Earth, the spin rate ω ₃ fluctuates with the semi-Euler/Chandler period, although its amplitude (about 10⁻¹⁹ rad/s) is rather small and beyond the present measurement accuracy; the tilt of the instantaneous spin axis (or the amplitude of the free wobble), θ, has a fluctuation whose amplitude is around 0.34 milli-arcsecond (mas), which could be detected by present observations. Thus, we conclude that the Earth’s triaxial nature has little impact on ω ₃, but has an influence on the polar motion which should not be ignored. On the other hand, our study shows that there is a mechanism of frequency–amplitude modulation in the Chandler wobble which might be a candidate to explain the correlation between the amplitude and period of the Chandler wobble. We compare the theoretical polar parameters (m ₁, m ₂) with the observed values for the Chandler components obtained from the data EOP (IERS) C 04, and find that they coincide with each other quite well, especially for recent years. In addition, a polar wander towards 76.7°W, which is in agreement with previous results given by other scientists, is also obtained.     

夏季亚洲极涡的长期变化对东亚环流和水汽收支的影响

主要分析了1951～2004年夏季亚洲极涡强度和面积的长期变化趋势及其对东亚夏季环流,水汽输送和降水量的影响,发现1951～2004年,夏季亚洲极涡表现出了明显的强度减弱,面积缩小的变化趋势,并以面积缩小更为显著,这正对应于北极涛动（AO）指数在该时段的显著升高.在这种北半球中高纬大尺度环流变化的影响下,东亚夏季高空西风急流在近54年显著南移,冷空气活动的南侵程度明显增强,从而造成低空偏北风显著增强而偏南风减弱.与此相应,近54年整个中国区域内低空纬向风速呈明显的减小趋势.总的来看,东亚夏季风环流发生了明显减弱.同时,流经中国的中纬度西风水汽输送在近54年也表现出一致减弱的趋势,而南风水汽输送大致以110°E为界,以东的夏季风区呈显著的减弱趋势而以西则有明显的增加趋势.这种水汽输送的变化影响了中国不同区域内水汽输送通量散度的改变,进而使得夏季降水量发生变化.分析表明,夏季亚洲极涡的面积和强度与东北、华北和西北东部的水汽输送通量散度和夏季降水呈正相关,而与长江中下游、华南、西南、青藏高原和西北西部呈显著负相关,夏季亚洲极涡在近几十年的面积缩小和强度减弱是中国夏季降水长期变化的一个可能原因.