Monte-Carlo simulation of Mercury's exosphere

Because of its proximity to the Sun and its small size, Mercury has not been able to retain its atmosphere and only a thin exosphere surrounds the planet. The exospheric pressure at the planetary surface is approximately 10⁻¹⁰ mbar, set by the Mariner 10 occultation experiment. The existence of gaseous species H, He, and O has been established by Mariner 10. In addition Na, K, and Ca have been observed by ground based instrumentation. Other elements are expected to be found in Mercury's exosphere since the total pressure of the known species is almost two orders of magnitude less than the exospheric pressure.It is intended to measure these exospheric particle densities in situ with an instrument on board of ESA's BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) spacecraft. Since the expected exospheric densities are very small we developed a Monte-Carlo computer model to investigate if such a measurement is feasible along the MPO spacecraft orbit. We model energy and ejection angle distributions of the particles at the surface, with the emission process determining the actual distribution functions. Our model follows the trajectory of each particle by numerical integration until the particle hits Mercury's surface again or escapes from the calculation domain. Using a large set of these trajectories bulk parameters of the exospheric gas are derived, e.g., particle densities for various atomic and molecular species. Our study suggests that a mass spectrometric measurement is feasible and, at least at MPO's periherm, all species that are released from the surface will be observed.     

新兴边缘学科——GPS气象学

阐述了GPS气象学的基本原理和GPS气象学的广阔应用领域，并介绍了GPS气象学的分类。     

沙尘气溶胶对西北地区植被遥感的影响分析

选取扬沙—浮尘天气发生中、后的对地观测卫星EOS-MODIS数据,利用6S辐射传输模式对该卫星资料进行大气订正,分析了沙尘气溶胶对沙尘多发区的西北地区植被指数(VI)遥感的影响。结果表明,与晴空天气得到的反射率相比,沙尘使红光通道反射率ρ1、近红外通道反射率ρ2和蓝光通道反射率ρ3均增加,归一化植被指数NDVI有不同程度的降低,降低最大值为0.246。抗大气植被指数ARVI也有所降低,降低最大值为0.231。应用晴空天气条件下的资料,建立了西北干旱区ARVI与NDVI之间的线性关系,并证明了在沙尘天气条件下,利用ARVI计算NDVI的方法,所得的结果较好。     

低纬高原城市区域冬季晴天不同波长辐射的特征

利用低纬高原城市昆明城区内外不同波长辐射的实测资料,分析了研究得较少的城区内外不同波长辐射的分布特征、变化规律及其差异,主要结果如下：（１）城内因受周围大气环境质量的影响,各波长辐射量的变化离散性大于城外;不同波长辐射的绝对量和相对量（城内外比值）大多是城内小于城外,且以大气污染严重的午前差异显著。（２）低纬高原城市区域,冬季晴好天气时午前、午后不同波长射占总辐射的百分率存在差异;城内外各辐射的百     

基于WACCM+DART的临近空间SABER和MLS臭氧观测同化试验研究

本研究在WACCM+DART（Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model,Data Assimilation Research Test-Bed）临近空间资料同化预报系统中加入SABER（Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry）和MLS（Microwave Limb Sounder）臭氧观测同化接口,并以2016年2月一次平流层爆发性增温（SSW）过程为模拟个例进行了SABER和MLS臭氧观测同化试验,得出以下结论:同化SABER和MLS臭氧体积浓度观测得出的WACCM+DART臭氧分析场能够较真实反映SSW期间北极上空平流层臭氧廓线随时间的演变特征,且与ERA5（Fifth Generation of ECMWF Reanalyses）再分析资料描述的臭氧变化特征具有很好的一致性;基于SABER和MLS臭氧观测的WACCM臭氧6 h预报检验表明同化臭氧观测对臭氧分析和预报误差的改善效果主要体现在南半球高纬平流层和北半球中高纬平流层中上层-中间层底部;基于ERA5再分析资料的WACCM+DART分析场检验表明同化SABER和MLS臭氧体积浓度资料可在提高北半球高纬地区上平流层-中间层底部臭氧场分析质量的同时减小该地区上平流层-中间层底部温度场和中间层底部纬向风场的分析误差;基于MLS臭氧资料的臭氧中期预报检验表明相对控制试验同化SABER和MLS臭氧体积浓度资料能更好改善0~5 d下平流层和中间层底部臭氧的预报效果。     

徐州市大气环境质量演化规律分析

通过几年来对徐州市大气中二氧化硫,氮氧化物,总悬浮微粒,降尘,硫酸盐化速率等几种主要污染物演化规律的分析,阐述本区大气污染物的来源,并对大气环境质量作出初步评价,论证本区大气环境污染特征及演化趋势,为今后大气环境质量管理提供科学依据。     

Maintenance of equatorial superrotation in the atmospheres of Venus and Titan

This paper extends Leovy's theory on Venus’ equatorial superrotation by analytically examining additional terms in the mean zonal momentum equation that stably balances the momentum source of pumping by thermal tides. The general analytical solution is applied to the atmospheres of both Venus and Saturn's moon Titan. The main results are: (i) Venus’ equatorial superrotation of 118 m s⁻¹ results primarily from a balance between the momentum source of pumping by thermal tides and the momentum sink of meridional advection of wind shear by horizontal branches of the Hadley circulation; (ii) no solution is found for Titan's stratospheric equatorial superrotation centered at the 1-hPa level; (iii) however, if the main solar radiation absorption layer in Titan's stratosphere is lifted from 1 hPa (∼185 km) to 0.1 hPa (∼288 km), an equatorial superrotation of ∼110 m s⁻¹ centered at 0.1-hPa could be maintained. Titan's equatorial superrotation results mainly from a balance between the momentum source of tidal pumping and the momentum sink of frictional drag.     

闽南沿海地区不同日观测次数大气稳定度的对比

本文通过地处闽南沿海地区崇武气候站不同日观测次数大气稳定度的对比分析表明 :采用 8个时次和 4个时次观测记录所统计的稳定度频数 ,误差较小(与 2 4个时次比较 ,下同 ) ,对重要结论无大影响 ,能够较准确地描述大气稳定度的状况和特征 ;而采用 3个时次观测资料分析 ,其误差大 ,甚至导致相反的结果 ,实际应用时必须慎重。     

Long term variations in the mesospheric mean flow observed at Grahamstown (South Africa) and Adelaide (Australia)

The seasonal and interannual behaviour of monthly mean winds at a height of 90 km recorded at Grahamstown (33.3°S, 26.5°E) and Adelaide (34.5°S, 138.5°E) between 1987 and 1994 are compared. The zonal wind is found to be consistently stronger at Grahamstown and is always eastward, whereas at Adelaide it sometimes reverses. Maxima tend to occur near the solstices, the primary maximum during summer at Grahamstown, in agreement with satellite results, and during winter at Adelaide. The meridional wind also tends to be stronger at Grahamstown, but at both stations is predominantly northward with a maximum in summer and generally not as strong as the zonal component. This seasonal behaviour is reasonably well understood in terms of the interaction of the mean flow with gravity waves propagating up from below, with coriolis forces also playing an important role in the case of the meridional wind. Satellite observations do not generally support the idea that longitudinal differences between the stations could be attributed to the presence of a tropospheric/stratospheric stationary wave. It is suggested that these differences are more probably associated with local effects. Interannual zonal wind patterns at the two sites are similar over the summer months but are less well correlated during the rest of the year. The underlying causes of this variability are not well understood but are most probably global in nature, at least during the summer.     

Titan's atmospheric engine: an overview

Heating occurs in Titan's stratosphere from the absorption of incident solar radiation by methane and aerosols. About 10% of the incident sunlight reaches Titan's surface and causes heating there. Thermal radiation redistributes heat within the atmosphere and cools to space. The resulting vertical temperature profile is stable against convection and a state of radiative equilibrium is established. Equating theoretical and observed temperature profiles enables an empirical determination of the vertical distribution of thermal opacity. A uniformly mixed aerosol is responsible for most of the opacity in the stratosphere, whereas collision-induced absorption of gases is the main contributor in the troposphere. Occasional clouds are observed in the troposphere in spite of the large degrees of methane supersaturation found there. Photochemistry converts CH₄ and N₂ into more complex hydrocarbons and nitriles in the stratosphere and above. Thin ice clouds of trace organics are formed in the winter and early spring polar regions of the lower stratosphere. Precipitating ice particles serve as condensation sites for supersaturated methane vapor in the troposphere below, resulting in lowered methane degrees of supersaturation in the polar regions. Latitudinal variations of stratospheric temperature are seasonal, and lag instantaneous response to solar irradiation by about one season for two reasons: (1) an actual instantaneous thermal response to a latitudinal distribution of absorbing gases, themselves out of phase with the sun by about one season, and (2) a sluggish dynamical response of the stratosphere to the latitudinal transport of angular momentum, induced by radiative heating and cooling. Mean vertical abundances of stratospheric organics and aerosols are determined primarily by atmospheric chemistry and condensation, whereas latitudinal distributions are more influenced by meridional circulations. In addition to preferential scavenging by precipitating ice particles from above, the polar depletion of supersaturated methane results from periodic scavenging by short-lived tropospheric clouds, coupled with the steady poleward march of the continuously drying atmosphere due to meridional transport.