Showing papers by "Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology published in 2006"

Heat wave impacts on mortality in Shanghai, 1998 and 2003

Abstract: A variety of research has linked extreme heat to heightened levels of daily mortality and, not surprisingly, heat waves both in 1998 and in 2003 all led to elevated mortality in Shanghai, China. While the heat waves in the two years were similar in meteorological character, elevated mortality was much more pronounced during the 1998 event, but it remains unclear why the human response was so varied. In order to explain the differences in human mortality between the two years’ heat waves, and to better understand how heat impacts human health, we examine a wide range of meteorological, pollution, and social variables in Shanghai during the summers (15 June to 15 September) of 1998 and 2003. Thus, the goal of this study is to determine what was responsible for the varying human health response during the two heat events. A multivariate analysis is used to investigate the relationships between mortality and heat wave intensity, duration, and timing within the summer season, along with levels of air pollution. It was found that for heat waves in both summers, mortality was strongly associated with the duration of the heat wave. In addition, while slightly higher than average, the air pollution levels for the two heat waves were similar and cannot fully explain the observed differences in human mortality. Finally, since the meteorological conditions and pollution levels for the two heat waves were alike, we conclude that improvements in living conditions in Shanghai, such as increased use of air conditioning, larger living areas, and increased urban green space, along with higher levels of heat awareness and the implementation of a heat warning system, were responsible for the lower levels of human mortality in 2003 compared to 1998.

Facial expression recognition using kernel canonical correlation analysis (KCCA)

Abstract: In this correspondence, we address the facial expression recognition problem using kernel canonical correlation analysis (KCCA). Following the method proposed by Lyons et al. and Zhang et al. , we manually locate 34 landmark points from each facial image and then convert these geometric points into a labeled graph (LG) vector using the Gabor wavelet transformation method to represent the facial features. On the other hand, for each training facial image, the semantic ratings describing the basic expressions are combined into a six-dimensional semantic expression vector. Learning the correlation between the LG vector and the semantic expression vector is performed by KCCA. According to this correlation, we estimate the associated semantic expression vector of a given test image and then perform the expression classification according to this estimated semantic expression vector. Moreover, we also propose an improved KCCA algorithm to tackle the singularity problem of the Gram matrix. The experimental results on the Japanese female facial expression database and the Ekman's "Pictures of Facial Affect" database illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

High-temperature air/steam-blown gasification of coal in a pressurized spout-fluid bed

Abstract: The concept of high-temperature air/steam-blown gasification technology for converting coal into low-caloric-value gas for power generation is proposed and evaluated experimentally. Preliminary experiments are performed in a 0.1 MW thermal input pressurized spout-fluid bed gasifier. The influences of the gasifying agent preheat temperature, the gasification temperature and pressure, the equivalence ratio, the ratio of steam-to-coal on gas composition, gas higher heating value, carbon conversion, and cold gas efficiency are examined. The experimental results prove the feasibility of high-temperature air/steam-blown gasification process. The gas heating value is increased by 23%, when the gasifying agent temperature is increased from 300 to 700 °C. For the operation conditions studied, the results show that gasification temperature is the most important factor influencing coal gasification in the spout-fluid bed. The gasifier performance is improved at elevated pressure mainly due to the better fluidization...

Occurrence of droughts and floods during the normal summer monsoons in the mid‐ and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

Abstract: [1] The daily precipitation data at 720 stations over China for the 1957–2000 period during summer (May–August) are used to investigate the droughts-floods coexistence (DFC) phenomenon during the normal summer monsoons. A droughts-floods coexistence index on seasonal timescale over the mid- and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLYRV) is defined to quantify this phenomenon and the associated ocean-atmospheric features in the strong DFC years are examined statistically. Results demonstrate that the occurrence of the strong summer DFC in the MLYRV is of an increasing trend for the period of 1957–2000. The strong summer DFC in the MLYRV is often accompanied by the anomalously subseasonal oscillation of the western Pacific subtropical high, the low-level westerly winds anomalies over the equatorial oceanic areas from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific and the northward cross-equatorial winds anomalies near Sumatra and Somalia during summer, the strong Southern Hemisphere annual mode during the preceding November through January, high sea surface temperature in the oceanic areas from the Arabian Sea to the

Three Gorges Dam affects regional precipitation

Abstract: Issues regarding building large-scale dams as a solution to power generation and flood control problems have been widely discussed by both natural and social scientists from various disciplines, as well as the policy-makers and public. Since the Chinese government officially approved the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) projects, this largest hydroelectric project in the world has drawn a lot of debates ranging from its social and economic to climatic impacts. The TGD has been partially in use since June 2003. The impact of the TGD is examined through analysis of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) rainfall rate and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature and high-resolution simulation using the Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU-NCAR) fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5). The independent satellite data sets and numerical simulation clearly indicate that the land use change associated with the TGD construction has increased the precipitation in the region between Daba and Qinling mountains and reduced the precipitation in the vicinity of the TGD after the TGD water level abruptly rose from 66 to 135 m in June 2003. This study suggests that the climatic effect of the TGD is on the regional scale (approx.100 km) rather than on the local scale (approx.10 km) as projected in previous studies.

A numerical study of aerosol effects on the dynamics and microphysics of a deep convective cloud in a continental environment

Abstract: [1] The effects of aerosols on a deep convective cloud in a midlatitude continental environment are studied using an axisymmetric cloud model with a sectional treatment of aerosol and hydrometeor microphysical processes. Simulations are conducted using observations from the Cooperative Convective Precipitation Experiments (CCOPE). The isolated cloud occurred in an environment with low wind shear and with relatively dry air in the midtroposphere and upper troposphere. By varying the concentration of aerosol particles in the accumulation mode within realistic limits for a continental environment, the simulated cloud exhibited different properties. The overall impact as the aerosol concentration increased is that (1) the cloud development was inhibited; (2) the precipitation was suppressed; (3) the maximum values of liquid water content decreased, but the maximum values of droplet number concentration increased before the dissipating stage; (4) a clear tendency was found for ice crystals to be larger and less numerous in the anvil cloud; and (5) there was a significant reduction of the inflow in the lower 2 km of the atmosphere. In the relatively dry environment in the midtroposphere, the latent heat changes associated with the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen mechanism played an important role in the upper part of the cloud at altitudes below the homogeneous freezing level. In particular, immersion freezing and latent heat release were much more rapid in the base simulation than in the increased aerosol simulation. Less latent heat release and insufficient inflow together impeded the development of the cloud with the higher aerosol loading. Our simulations suggest that continental clouds existing below the homogeneous freezing level could show an opposite response of cloud top height and anvil crystal concentrations to changes in aerosol to what has previously been reported for clouds ascending to higher levels.

Large-scale atmospheric singularities and summer long-cycle droughts-floods abrupt alternation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

Abstract: The daily precipitation data at 720 sta- tions over China for the 1957―2003 period during summer (May―August) are used to investigate the summer subseasonal long-cycle droughts-floods abrupt alternation (LDFA) phenomenon and a long-cycle droughts-floods abrupt alternation index (LDFAI) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLYRV) is defined to quantify this phenomenon. The large-scale atmospheric circula- tion features in the anomalous LDFA years are ex- amined statistically. Results demonstrate that the summer droughts-to-floods (DTF) in the MLYRV usually accompany with the more southward western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), negative vorticity, strong divergence, descending movements develop- ing and the weak moisture transport in the low level, the more southward position of the South Asia high (SAH) and the westerly jets in the high level during May―June, but during July―August it is in the other way, northward shift of the WPSH, positive vorticity, strong convergence, ascending movements and strong moisture transport in the low level, and the northward shift of the SAH and the westerly jets in the high level. While for the summer floods-to-droughts (FTD) in the MLYRV it often goes with the active coldair mass from the high latitude, positive vorticity, strong convergence, ascending movement develop- ing and the strong moisture transport in the low level, and the SAH over the Tibetan Plateau in the high level, but during July―August it is often connected with the negative vorticity, strong divergence, de- scending movements developing and the weak moisture transport in the low level, the remarkable northward shift of the WPSH, the SAH extending northeastward to North China and the easterly jets prevailing in the high level over the MLYRV. In addi- tion, the summer LDFA in the MLYRV is of significant relationship with the Southern Hemisphere annual mode and the Northern Hemisphere annual mode in the preceding February, which offers some predictive signals for the summer LDFA forecasting in the MLYRV.

South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) and the East Asian Monsoon

Abstract: The SCSMEX is a joint atmospheric and oceanic experiment by international efforts, aiming at studying the onset, maintenance, and variability of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon, thus improving the monsoon prediction in Southeast and East Asian regions The field experiment carried out in May-August 1998 was fully successful, with a large amount of meteorological and oceanographic data acquired that have been used in four dimensional data assimilations by several countries, in order to improve their numerical simulations and prediction These datasets are also widely used in the follow-up SCS and East Asian monsoon study The present paper has summarized the main research results obtained by Chinese meteorologists which cover six aspects: (1) onset processes and mechanism of the SCS summer monsoon; (2) development of convection and mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) during the onset phase and their interaction with large-scale circulation; (3) low-frequency oscillation and teleconnection effect; (4) measurements of surface fluxes over the SCS and their relationship with the monsoon activity; (5) oceanic thermodynamic structures, circulation, and mesoscale eddies in the SCS during the summer monsoon and their relationship with ENSO events; and (6) numerical simulations of the SCS and East Asian monsoon

Characteristics of the onset of the Asian summer monsoon and the importance of Asian-Australian “land bridge”

Abstract: Based on summarizing previous achievements and using data as long and new as possible, the onset characteristics of Asian summer monsoon and the role of Asian-Australian “land bridge” in the onset of summer monsoon are further discussed. In particular, the earliest onset area of Asian summer monsoon is comparatively analyzed, and the sudden and progressive characteristics of the onset of summer monsoon in different regions are discussed. Furthermore, the relationships among such critical events during the onset of Asian summer monsoon as the splitting of subtropical high belt over the Bay of Bengal (BOB), the initiation of convection over Indo-China Peninsula, the westward advance, reestablishment of South Asian High, and the rapid northward progression of convection originated from Sumatra in early summer are studied. The important impact of the proper collocation of the latent heating over Indo-China Peninsula and the sensible heating over Indian Peninsula on the splitting of the subtropical high belt, the deepening of BOB trough, the activating of Sri Lanka vortex (twin vortexes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres), and the subsequent onset of South China Sea summer monsoon are emphasized.

Error Estimation of Perturbations Under CRI

Abstract: The analysis of stability and robustness of fuzzy reasoning is an important issue in areas like intelligent systems and fuzzy control. An interesting aspect is to what extent the perturbation of input in a fuzzy reasoning scheme causes the oscillation of the output. In particular, when the error limits (restrictions) of the input values are given, what the error limits of the output values are. In this correspondence, we estimate the upper and lower bounds of the output error affected by the perturbation parameters of the input, and obtain the limits of the output values when the input values range over some interval in many fuzzy reasoning schemes under compositional rule of fuzzy inference (CRI)

A preliminary study for spatial representiveness of flux observation at ChinaFLUX sites

Abstract: The results of eddy covariance observation system could represent the physical process at certain area of the surface. Thus point-to-area representativeness was of primary interest in flux observation. This research presents a preliminary study for flux observation at ChinaFLUX sites by the use of observation data and Flux Source Area Model (FSAM). Results show that the footprint expands and is further away from flux tower when atmosphere becomes more stable, the observation height increases, or the surfaces become smoother. This suggests that the area represented by the flux observation becomes larger. The distances from the reference point to the maximum point S-max and the minimum point x(1) of source weight function (D-max and D-min, respectively) can be influenced by atmosphere stability which becomes longer when atmosphere is more stable. For more rough surfaces and lower observation point D-max and D-min become shorter. This research gives the footprint at level P=90% at ChinaFLUX sites at different atmosphere stability. The preliminary results of spatial representiveness at ChinaFLUX sites were given based on the dominant wind direction and footprint response to various factors. The study also provides some theoretical basis for data quality control and evaluating data uncertainty.

The summer monsoon onset over the tropical eastern Indian Ocean: The earliest onset process of the Asian summer monsoon

Abstract: The onset process of the tropical eastern Indian Ocean (TEIO) summer monsoon (TEIOSM) and its relationship with the cross-equatorial flows are investigated via climatological analysis. Climatologically, results indicate that the earliest onset process of the Asian summer monsoon occurs over the TEIO at pentad 22 (April 15–20). Unlike the abrupt onset of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon, the TEIOSM onset process displays a stepwise advance. Moreover, a close relationship between the TEIOSM development and the northward push of the cross-equatorial flows over 80°–90°E is revealed. A difference vorticity center, together with the counterpart over the southern Indian Ocean, constitutes a pair of difference cyclonic vortices, which strengthens the southwesterly wind over the TEIO and the northerly wind to the west of the Indian Peninsula from the end of March to late May. Therefore, the occurrence of the southwesterly wind over the TEIO is earlier than its counterpart over the tropical western Indian Ocean, and the cross-equatorial flows emerge firstly over the TEIO rather than over the Somali area. The former increases in intensity during its northward propagation, which provides a precondition for the TEIOSM onset and its northward advance.

Computability of measurable sets via effective topologies

Abstract: We investigate in the frame of TTE the computability of functions of the measurable sets from an infinite computable measure space such as the measure and the four kinds of set operations. We first present a series of undecidability and incomputability results about measurable sets. Then we construct several examples of computable topological spaces from the abstract infinite computable measure space, and analyze the computability of the considered functions via respectively each of the standard representations of the computable topological spaces constructed.

Evaluation of SHAW model in simulating energy balance, leaf temperature, and micrometeorological variables within a maize canopy

Abstract: Understanding and simulating plant canopy conditions can assist in better acknowledgment of plant microclimate characteristics, its effect on plant processes, and the influence of management and climate scenarios. The ability of the Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) model to simulate the surface energy balance and profiles of leaf temperature and micrometeorological variables within a maize canopy and the underlying soil temperatures was tested using data collected during 1999 and 2003 at Yucheng, in the North China Plain. The SHAW model simulates the near-surface heat and water movement driven by input meteorological variables and observed plant characteristic (leaf area index [LAI], height, and rooting depth). For 1999, the model accurately simulated air temperature and relative humidity in the upper one-third of the canopy, but overpredicted midday temperature in the lower canopy. For 2003, although the surface energy balance was simulated quite well, radiometric canopy surface temperature and midday leaf temperature in the upper portion of the canopy were overpredicted, by approximately 5°C. Model efficiency (the fraction of variation in observed values explained by the model) for leaf temperature in the lower two-thirds of the canopy ranged from 0.82 to 0.90, but fell to 0.38 for the uppermost canopy layer. Weaknesses in the model were identified and potentially include: the use of K-theory to simulate turbulent transfer within the canopy; and simplifying assumptions with regard to long-wave radiation transfer within the canopy. Model modifications are planned to address these weaknesses. © American Society of Agronomy.

Non-linear dynamic model retrieval of subtropical high based on empirical orthogonal function and genetic algorithm

Abstract: Aiming at the difficulty of accurately constructing the dynamic model of subtropical high, based on the potential height field time series over 500 hPa layer of T106 numerical forecast products, by using EOF (empirical orthogonal function) temporal-spatial separation technique, the disassembled EOF time coefficients series were regarded as dynamical model variables, and dynamic system retrieval idea as well as genetic algorithm were introduced to make dynamical model parameters optimization search, then, a reasonable non-linear dynamic model of EOF time-coefficients was established. By dynamic model integral and EOF temporal-spatial components assembly, a mid-/long-term forecast of subtropical high was carried out. The experimental results show that the forecast results of dynamic model are superior to that of general numerical model forecast results. A new modeling idea and forecast technique is presented for diagnosing and forecasting such complicated weathers as subtropical high.

Debris Flow Hazard Assessment Based on Support Vector Machine

Abstract: Debris flow hazard assessment is a basic work of hazard monitoring, forecast, alleviation and control. Seven factors, including the maximum volume of once flow (LI), occurrence frequency of debris flow (L2), watershed area (SI), main channel length (S2), watershed relative height difference (S3), valley incision density (S6) and the length ratio of sediment supplement (S9) are chosen as evaluation factors of debris flow hazard degree. Using support vector machine (SVM) theory, 259 basic data of 37 debris flow channels in Yunnan Province are selected as learning samples in this study , then a kind of debris flow hazard assessment model based on SVM is produced. First instance applications gave encouraging results. After Cross Validation test, accuracy of this model came to 70.00%. Through verifying 7 groups of test data, classification accuracy came to 85.71%. The model shows that it has the advantages of best generation, convenience and high precision. SVM is regarded as a broadly applicative tool in debris flow hazard assessment.

Implementation of the semi-Lagrangian advection scheme on a quasi-uniform overset grid on a sphere

Abstract: The semi-Lagrangian advection scheme is implemented on a new quasi-uniform overset (Yin-Yang) grid on the sphere. The Yin-Yang grid is a newly developed grid system in spherical geometry with two perpendicularly-oriented latitude-longitude grid components (called Yin and Yang respectively) that overlapp each other, and this effectively avoids the coordinate singularity and the grid convergence near the poles. In this overset grid, the way of transferring data between the Yin and Yang components is the key to maintaining the accuracy and robustness in numerical solutions. A numerical interpolation for boundary data exchange, which maintains the accuracy of the original advection scheme and is computationally efficient, is given in this paper. A standard test of the solid-body advection proposed by Williamson is carried out on the Yin-Yang grid. Numerical results show that the quasi-uniform Yin-Yang grid can get around the problems near the poles, and the numerical accuracy in the original semi-Lagrangian scheme is effectively maintained in the Yin-Yang grid.

Differences between dynamics factors for interannual and decadal variations of rainfall over the Yangtze River valley during flood seasons

Abstract: The rainfall over the Yangtze River val- ley during flood seasons (June to July) shows both interannual and decadal variations The rainfall has been increasing since 1990, showing a decadal sig- nal The variations of rainfall are influenced by the multi-scale interactions in the atmosphere-ocean coupled climate system The rainfall, SST, and cir- culation are analyzed with the Chinese 160 station data, and other observational/reanalysis data, re- spectively The separation between the interannual and decadal variations is carried out The key areas affecting the Yangtze rainfall are the western Pacific warm pool on the interannual time scale and the EINO3 area on the decadal time scale, respectively The circulation anomaly associated with the interan- nual variation occurs in the upper troposphere whereas that associated with the decadal variation appears in the lower troposphere

Aerosol influence domain of Beijing and peripheral city agglomeration and its climatic effect

Abstract: The aerosol distribution in Beijing and peripheral cities agglomeration (BPCA) and its regional climatic effect are investigated on the basis of the statistical analyses of satellite Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) retrieval aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the meteorological data of sunshine duration, fog days, and low cloud cover, observed at Beijing and its peripheral meteorological stations. The analysis on multi-samples variational correction of the satellite remote sensing Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) AOD under the clear sky and stable weather condition in conjunction with surface observations reveal that there was a “triangle-like” distribution pattern of the high values of aerosols in the southern “valley” of the “U-shape” megarelief of Beijing and its peripheral areas. The distribution pattern suggests that the large-scale transfer and diffusion of city agglomeration pollutants might form a relatively persistent characteristic spatial distribution of city agglomeration pollutants much larger than city-scale. Under the background of the particular megarelief effect of Beijing and peripheral areas, the high value area of TOMS AOD, as well as regional correlation distribution between clear sky sunshine duration and TOMS AOD are also similar to the composite image of MODIS AOD variational fields, that is to say, the effect of atmospheric aerosols was very distinctive in Beijing and peripheral areas. The high value area of the negative correlation between clear sky sunshine duration and TOMS AOD approximately accorded with the significant negative value area of the sunshine duration deviations of the 1980s to the 1990s, and the daily variations of the AOD also showed an anti-phase relation with those of clear sky sunshine duration. The above high correlation area of the urban aerosol impact of Beijing-Tianjin region leant towards south peripheral area, with its “center of gravity” in the south of Beijing-Tianjin agglomeration, and the main body of the high correlation area prolongating southwards, forming an aerosol influence domain of “eccentric ellipse” shape, that is to say, there was an aerosol influence domain of some “radius” in Beijing City and its peripheral areas, within and outside which sunshine duration, low cloud cover, and fog days showed a remarkable difference in interannual variation trend. At the downstream of the city agglomeration there was a significant interdecadal increment area of fog or low cloud cover, which might be associated with the local climatic feature of the regional flow convergent field in the diffusion process of city agglomeration pollutants in the aerosol influence domain, and such a local dynamical convergence feature might lead to the regional exacerbation of aerosol impact downstream of the city agglomeration. The research result reveals that the significant area of interdecadal change rate of low cloud cover within the aerosol influence domain is correlated with the regional strengthening effect of aerosol impact of the local wind structure in the “downstream plume area” of the city.

Measurement of tropospheric O3, SO2 and aerosol from a volcanic emission event using new multi-wavelength differential-absorption lidar techniques

Abstract: We present measurements of tropospheric O3, SO2 and aerosol from a volcanic emission event using new multi-wavelength differential absorption lidar (DIAL) techniques that enable us to remove the mutual effects between O3 and SO2 from the raw measurements. The aerosol extinction coefficient is retrieved directly from the lidar return signal at the “off” wavelength and is used to estimate aerosol effects on O3 and SO2measurements. Null error, statistical error, and absorption cross-section error are also analyzed. The O3 and SO2 concentrations at height between 1000 m and 2000 m for a volcanic event on September 10, 2001 were about 20 ppb and 10–35 ppb, respectively, with an error less than 10 ppb. The measured SO2 concentration was much higher than the normal SO2 background value (∼1 ppb) in the troposphere. We also measured O3 concentrations from 13 December 2000 to 06 January 2001 and investigated O3 diurnal variation during a 24-hour period on November 24, 2000. A high O3 concentration of about 250 ppb was observed in late December 2000.

Impact of Ocean-Continent Distribution over Southern Asia on the Formation of Summer Monsoon

Abstract: Using the CCM3/NCAR, a series of numerical experiments are designed to explore the effect of ocean-land interlaced distributions of Africa-Arabian Sea-India Peninsula-Bay of Bengal (BOB)-Indo-China Peninsula-South China Sea on the formation of the Asian summer monsoon circulation (ASMC). The results show that the thermal difference between African or Indian Subcontinent and nearby areas including the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and part of BOB is the primary mechanism that maintains the Indian monsoon circulation. In the experiment getting rid of these two continents, the Indian monsoon system (IMS) members, i.e., the Somali cross-equatorial jet (40°E) and the southwesterly monsoon over the Arabian Sea and BOB, almost disappear. Moreover, the Hadley circulation weakens dominantly. It also proves that Africa has greater effect than Indian Subcontinent on the IMS. However, the existence of Indo-China Peninsula and Australia strengthens the East Asian monsoon system (EAMS). The thermal contrast between Indo-China Peninsula and SCS, Australia and western Pacific Ocean plays an important role in the formation of the tropical monsoon to the south of the EAMS. When the Indo-China Peninsula is masked in the experiment, the cross-equatorial flow (105°E and 125°E) vanishes, so does the southwesterly monsoon usually found over East Asia, and EAMS is enfeebled significantly. In addition, the impacts of these thermal contrasts on the distribution of the summer precipitation and surface temperature are investigated.