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Precipitation in southern China during April–June 2022 was the highest since 1961. Anthropogenic forcing has reduced the probability of 2022-like Rx30day precipitation by about 45% based on CMIP6 simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FengYun-3A (FY-3A), the first satellite in the second generation of the Chinese polar-orbiting meteorological satellites, was launched at Taiyuan, China, launching center on 27 May 2008. Equipped with both sounding and imaging payloads, enabling more powerful observations than the first generation of the FY-1 series, FV-3A carries 11 instruments. Two of them are the same as those on FY-IC/D, while the others, whose spectral bands cover violet, visible, near-infrared, infrared, and microwave spectral regions, are all newly developed. FY-3A instruments can be used to detect and study weather, clouds, radiation, climate, atmosphere, land, ocean, and other environmental features. FY-3A check out took about 5 months following its launch; FY-3A has been operational since January 2009. The plan for the future FY-3 series is to operate two polar-orbiting spacecraft-one in the morning and the other in the afternoon orbit-with different payloads for each spacecraft. This orbit configuration will be further coordinated with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). One low-inclination orbit spacecraft is under consideration for radar and passive microwave precipitation measurement missions. Details are under discussion and yet to be determined. An overview of the first launch, FY-3A (the second generation of the Chinese meteorological satellites), and its imaging and sounding capabilities and potential applications are given in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the summer of 2022, a long-lasting La Niña entered its third year. In Asia, southern China was in the grip of a historic drought while heavy rainfall ravaged Pakistan. Using a climate model forced by observed sea surface temperatures (SST) over the equatorial Pacific, we show that the back-to-back La Niña events from 2020 to 2022 are a key contributor to the global SST pattern in 2022, including the negative-phase Pacific decadal oscillation and exceptionally strong negative Indian Ocean dipole. The model reproduces the observed precipitation pattern over South and East Asia, including enhanced rainfall over Pakistan-northwest India and reduced rainfall over southern China. Additional model simulations indicate that the negative Indian Ocean dipole combined with La Niña reduces southern China rainfall by causing anomalous subsidence and anticyclonic flows. These results highlight the dominant role of long-lasting La Niña in modulating rainfall over heavily populated monsoon Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As impacted by climate change and further global warming, drought turns out to be the most frequent meteorological extreme event worldwide, which severely affects agriculture, ecosystem, water management, and even human survival. In this study, the global pattern and development trends and directions on drought monitoring were presented based on Web of Science database by conducting a bibliometric analysis from 1983 to 2020. The following conclusions were drawn. 1) The United States and China were found as the most productive and influential nations, accounting for 24.63% and 14.30% in publication outputs and taking up 5,023 and 2,040 in local citations, respectively. 2) Chinese Academy of Science was reported as the core institution with 5.73% publication outputs and 829 local citations. 3) Remote Sensing of Environment and Remote Sensing were found as the most influential journals and the most productive journals with 1,045 local citations and 210 publication outputs, respectively. 4) Agricultural drought profoundly affecting food security was found as the most concerning drought type in the world. The drought monitoring research mainly focus on the research and development of drought index, the response of terrestrial ecosystems to drought, and the trends and dynamics of drought in context of climate change. This study explored key findings, contradictions, and limitations of drought monitoring studies were summarized and explored. In addition, the development trend and research direction of drought monitoring research in the future were also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the trends in topical and geophysical focus on oceanographic research in China. It outlines the increase in the enrollment of full-time students in universities and colleges in the country, as well as the growth in research funds for ocean sciences. It also notes the publication of oceanographic journals in the Chinese language by various institutes and universities in the republic.

As an important part of the Indo-Pacific warm pool, the Indian Ocean has great significance for research on the Asian monsoon system and global climate change. From the 1960s onward, several international and regional programs have led to important new insights into the Indian Ocean. The eastern Tropical Indian Ocean Observation Network (TIOON) was established in 2010. The TIOON consists of two parts: large-scope observations and moored measurements. Large-scope observations are performed by the eastern Tropical Indian Ocean Comprehensive Experiment Cruise (TIO-CEC). Moored measurements are executed by the TIOON mooring array and the hydrological meteorological buoy. By 2019, 10 successful TIO-CEC voyages had been accomplished, making this mission the most comprehensive scientific investigation in China. The TIO-CEC voyages have collected temperature/salinity profiles, GPS radiosonde profiles, and other observations in the Indian Ocean. To supplement the existing buoy array in the Indian Ocean, an enhanced TIOON mooring array consisting of eight subthermocline acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) moorings, was established since 2013. The TIOON mooring equipped with both upward-looking and downward-looking WHLS75K ADCP provide valuable current monitoring information to depth of 1,000 m in the Indian Ocean. To improve air–sea interaction monitoring, two real-time hydrological–meteorological buoys were deployed in 2019 and 2020 in the equatorial Indian Ocean. A better understanding of the Indian Ocean requires continuous and long-term observations. The TIOON program and other aspiring field investigation programs will be promoted in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study which investigates the differences and similarities of various average surface air temperature (SAT) time series in China since 1900. The study was based on the historical meteorological observations in the region that feature high-quality climate datasets wherein homogenized SAT datasets to solve discrepancies in the datasets. Result shows closed alignment between the six SAT series installed in the region.

The Beijing government has made great effort to solve the air pollution problem in recent years. In this paper, the major air pollution control measures and the air quality improvement from 2008 to 2014 in Beijing were represented. With the implementation of a series of unconventional and high-air pollutant reduction measures in Beijing and the surrounding area, good air quality during both the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference was guaranteed. Notably, a new scientific approach was applied to formulate air pollution control policy during the APEC conference. In addition to the established measures, two periods of enhanced and targeted reduction measures were implemented according to the forecast in advance. Finally, suggestions for improving air quality in Beijing were offered on the basis of the monitoring results and analyses during the APEC conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research that described the Campaign on Atmospheric Aerosol Research network of China (CARE-China). Topics covered include the physical, chemical and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols in China, the efforts of atmospheric aerosols on climate and the environment, and instrumentation, methodologies and experimental procedures used across CARE-China.

The article explores the hot 2013 summer recorded in Central Eastern China, which is the strongest heat wave experienced in the country since 1951 with an average daily mean temperature that was about 3.0 degrees above normal in July and August 2013. Topics discussed include the possible contribution of human activity on the extreme heat recorded and the reason the attributable risk of human influence was lower in China compared to the U.S.

The article reports that Beijing, China has been designated as the new Global Information System Centers (GISC) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 2013. Services that will be provided by GISC Beijing include Global Telecommunication System (GTS) data transmission and exchange, Data Discovery, Access and Retrieve (DAR) and Data Subscription. Information on the three types of WMO Information System (WIS) centers is provided, as well as the objective of each GISC.

The Beijing 2008 Olympics Research and Development Project (B08RDP), initiated in 2004 under the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), undertook the research and development of mesoscale ensemble prediction systems (MEPSs) and their application to weather forecast support during the Beijing Olympic Games. Six MEPSs from six countries, representing the state-of-the-art regional EPSs with near-real-time capabilities and emphasizing on the 6-36-h forecast lead times, participated in the project. The background, objectives, and implementation of B08RDP, as well as the six MEPSs, are reviewed. The accomplishments are summarized, which include 1) providing value-added service to the Olympic Games, 2) advancing MEPS-related research, 3) accelerating the transition from research to operations, and 4) training forecasters in utilizing forecast uncertainty products. The B08RDP has fulfilled its research (MEPS development) and demonstration (value-added service) purposes. The research conducted covers the areas of verification, examining the value of MEPS relative to other numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems, combining multimodel or multicenter ensembles, bias correction, ensemble perturbations [[initial condition (IC), lateral boundary condition (LBC), land surface IC, and model physics]], downscaling, forecast applications, data assimilation, and storm-scale ensemble modeling. Seven scientific issues important to MEPS have been identified. It is recognized that the daily use of forecast uncertainty information by forecasters remains a challenge. Development of forecaster-friendly products and training activities should be a long-term effort and needs to be continuously enhanced. The B08RDP dataset is also a valuable asset to the research community. The experience gained in international collaboration, organization, and implementation of a multination regional EPS for a common goal and to address common scientific issues can be shared by the ongoing projects The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) Interactive Grand Global Ensemble-Limited Area Models (TIGGE-LAM) and North American Ensemble Forecast System-Limited Area Models (NAEFS-LAM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow is the most reflective natural surface on Earth. Its albedo (the fraction of sunlight reflected) can be reduced by small amounts of dark impurities such as dust and black carbon (BC) particles. This effect is significant for climate and the hydrological cycle. BC has previously been measured in Arctic snow, but it now appears that the larger effect may be in the midlatitudes because snow at lower latitudes is exposed to more sunlight and is closer to the sources of BC. A field campaign was conducted across northern China in January and February 2010. Snow samples were collected at 46 sites in six provinces. The absorbing impurities are principally dust and BC particles in northwestern and northeastern China, respectively. The estimated concentration of BC is only 30--50 ppb in the far north of Heilongjiang Province (51°°N), which is not much more than that found along the coast of the Arctic Ocean, 2,000 km farther north, but it increases to several hundred parts per billion in heavily industrialized Liaoning Province, Jilin Province, and the southern part of Heilongjiang. The BC content of snow in northeast China is comparable to values found in Europe (20--800 ppb). The steep drop-off in BC content of snow with latitude may indicate that little BC emitted in China in the winter is exported northward to the Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme events often expose vulnerabilities of socioeconomic infrastructures and point to directions of much-needed policy change. Integrated impact assessment of such events can lead to finding of sustainability principles. Southern and central China has for decades been undergoing a breakneck pace of socioeconomic development. In early 2008, a massive ice storm struck this region, immobilizing millions of people. The storm was a consequence of sustained convergence between tropical maritime and continental polar air masses, caused by an anomalously stable atmospheric general circulation pattern in both low and high latitudes. Successive waves of freezing rain occurred during a month period, coating southern and central China with a layer of ice 50--160 mm in thickness. We conducted an integrated impact assessment of this event to determine whether and how the context of socioeconomic and human-disturbed natural systems may affect the transition of natural events into human disasters. We found that 1) without contingency plans, advanced technologies dependent on interrelated energy supplies can create worse problems during extreme events, 2) the weakest link in disaster response lies between science and decision making, 3) biodiversity is a form of long-term insurance for sustainable forestry against extreme events, 4) sustainable extraction of nontimber goods and services is essential to risk planning for extreme events in forest resources use, 5) extreme events can cause food shortage directly by destroying crops and indirectly by disrupting food distribution channels, 6) concentrated economic development increases societal vulnerability to extreme events, and 7) formalized institutional mechanisms are needed to ensure that unexpected opportunities to learn lessons from weather disasters are not lost in distracting circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the new integrated observational system over the Tibetan Plateau (NIOST) that was implemented in China since 2005. It says that the study is supported by the Chinese-Japanese joint international cooperation program, and implemented by the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (CAMS) of the China Meteorological Administration (CMD). The NIOST was realized to provide a mechanism for transferring the research results from field experiments into a forecast capability, as well as to better research activities by providing available and long-term data sets.

The article discusses the Tibetan observation and research platform (TORP) in Tibet, China. The study focuses on the land-surface processes and environment over the plateau, with an emphasis on atmosphere-land interaction. It says that the data collected in TORP could be helpful in the analysis of land and atmospheric processes, model or scheme development, model calibration, validation, and other tasks. Furthermore, the TORP can help on the study of impacts of the Tibetan Plateau on the Asian Monsoon system and climatic changes in the world.

The article presents abstracts on meteorological topics which include the scientific preparation and observation systems under the international field campaign called the Convective and Orographicaly-induced Precipitation Study (COPS), the Tibetan Observation and Research Platform (TORP) that focuses on atmosphere-land interaction in Tibetan Plateau, and the campaign of Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX).

The article reports that China's sand dunes are somehow interconnected and are influencing the area's climate and monsoon. It discusses that more precipitation, vegetation thrives and stabilizes the dunes. It informs that China experiences strong upward airflow, which suppose to be balanced out by more downward air motion. This motion suppresses rainfall in other areas.