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Using the multi-source observation data from wind-profiling radar, microwave radiometer, Doppler weather radar, etc. during the blizzard event in 19-20 March 2012 in Urumqi, this paper analyzed the detailed characteristics of the atmospheric dynamics, thermodynamics, intensity and water vapor during the process of this blizzard weather. The findings suggest: (1) in the course of the blizzard weather, the near-surface atmosphere is mainly dominated by northwest airflows, the wind speed and relative humidity increase rapidly, temperature drops and air pressure ascends; (2) the blizzard weather this time is accompanied by cold front system whose entering time is about 16:00 BT 19 March; the shear line that develops from low to high is the position height of the frontal zone, and the variation of the high-level frontal zone directly reflects the altitude and layers where cold and warm air masses interact; (3) the radar equivalent reflectivity factor of the snowstorm process changes within the range 8-25 dBZ and its large-value zone is correlated well with the blizzard duration, the height for the formation of rain (snow) particles and the snow intensity; (4) before the occurrence of the blizzard, atmosphere is in the state of high temperature and high humidity, the maximum vapor density is around 6 g m, water vapor mainly stays under the height of 5,000 m; affected by cold front system, cold airs gradually lift warm and moist airs so that the vapor condenses and deposits into water drops and snow particles, forming the snowstorm in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three robust tree-ring density chronologies were developed for the western Tianshan Mountains of northwestern China. The chronologies were significantly correlated and form a regional chronology (GLD). The GLD had significant and positive correlations with temperature of warm seasons. Based on this relationship, the mean minimum temperatures of May to August were reconstructed using the GLD chronology for the period AD 1657 to 2008. The temperature reconstruction exhibited temperature patterns on interannual to centennial timescales, and showed that the end of the 20th century is the warmest period in the past 352years. The reconstructed temperature variation has a teleconnection with large-scale atmospheric–oceanic variability and captures long- and broad-scale regional climatic variations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, ring-width chronologies of pine trees ( Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) from one sampling site in the northern Greater Higgnan Mountains, China, were constructed. The results of growth-climate responses show that mean temperature is the limiting factor affecting radial growth of pine trees in the study area. Consequently, mean temperature from May to October from 1717 to 2008 has been reconstructed using the standard chronology. For the calibrated period (1957-2008), the explained variance of the reconstruction is 57%. The characteristics of the reconstruction expose that mean temperature has increased since the 1970s, and the decade 2000s and 1990s are also ranked as the warm decades on record. However, this period from 1970s to now is not exceptional within the past 300 years. By applying an 11-year moving average to the reconstruction, three warm periods and three cold periods are evident. The warm and cold periods of the reconstructed mean temperature correspond well with other reconstructions. Power spectral and wavelet analysis demonstrated the existence of significant ∼70- and ∼100-year cycles of variability. Furthermore, the reconstruction and North Atlantic Oscillation Index showed a significant positive correlation ( r = 0.34, n = 136, p < 0.0001). Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the temporal and spatial variation of atmospheric water vapor has the important significance to show the response to climate change in the Taklimakan Desert. The series of monthly atmospheric water vapor from 1961 to 1998 are reconstructed using the observation data including the precipitation, ground water vapor pressure data over the period of 1961 to 2006 from 27 observation stations in its surrounding areas and meteorological data from the Tazhong station during 1999-2006. Then the relationship between atmospheric water vapor and ground vapor pressure is calculated and validated using the observation data for the period of 1976 to 2006 from 5 sounding stations (Hotan, Kuqa, Ruoqiang, Kashgar, and Minfeng). The temporal and spatial variation of atmospheric water vapor in the Taklimakan Desert and its surrounding areas is studied and then its distribution is generated. Results show that high value zone of atmospheric water vapor is mainly distributed in the northern Taklimakan Desert and the oasis-marginal belt of western desert and the value ranges from 14 to 15 mm. The low value center of atmospheric water vapor is in the hinterland of the desert and the value is only 7?8 mm. The annual variations of atmospheric water vapor show generally the increasing trend. However, the variation of atmospheric water vapor in the surrounding areas and the hinterland of the desert is insignificant during 1961?1986. The atmospheric water vapor changes abruptly after 1986 and increases clearly in the two regions. The variation trend accords with that of the precipitation's increasing significantly in southern Xinjiang for the recent 50 years. There is great error between the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data of atmospheric water vapor and real data in the Taklimakan Desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The daily variation regularities of micro-meteorological features, such as the surface layer temperature and humidity profiles of the inner desert in summer, the temperature of sand bed, the radiation of the earth's surface and the heat balance, were analyzed by combination method and logarithm regression according to the data obtained from the Atmospheric Environmental Observation Station of Taklimakan Desert in July?August of 2006 and 2007. It has been shown that temperature inversion occurred near the surface layer at night in summer, the temperature increased with the height within a certain altitude range, and the reverse was true during the daytime. The ground surface radiation balance of the Taklimakan Desert was mainly positive; other radiation components (the global radiation, the reflective radiation, the ground upward long wave radiation and the net radiation) exhibited daily variation characteristics evidently and showed normal diurnal cycle, except for the downward atmospheric long-wave radiation. The heat exchange of the surface layer of the desert was dominated by turbulence sensible heat, and only a small portion of heat was transferred to the atmospheric surface layer in the form of latent heat. The surface sensible heat and latent heat changed with the increase and decrease of sun elevation angle, with maximum of the latent heat appearing in wee hours and the peak value of the sensible heat appearing at noon. Observation and analysis showed that heating effect of the underlying surface of the desert was great on the aerosphere; the surface was a high heat source during the day and became a weak cold source at night. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical surveys of snow were carried out in the upper reaches of the Kunnes River, a tributary of the Yili River in East Tienshan Mountains, China. Some surprisingly high values of sodium and potassium (K[sup +] + Na[sup +] ) ranging from 4.44 to 8.99 mg/1 compared with other data from neighboring areas are detected. Moreover, some relative high values of SO[sup 2-, sub 4] with mean concentration 15.8mg/1 for new snow and 14.40mg/l for deposited snow, ranging from 10.43 to 23.71 mg/1 are also found. Therefore, it is inferred that the sodium and potassium (K[sup +] + Na[sup +]) are in the forms of sulfate and that the sources of the sulfate are deserts and some dried lakes in Central Asia. It is also found that there is obviously spatial variation of ions such as K[sup +] + Na[sup +], Ca[sup 2+] +, SO[sup 2-, sub 4] and HCO[sup -, sub 3]. The concentrations of K [sup +] + Na[sup +] and SO[sup 2, sub 4], and that of Ca[sup 2+] and HCO[sup -, sub 3] have similar spatial pattern. The temporal pattern of ion concentration of new snow is considered to be mainly controlled by the depth and area of snow cover in the study area and in the areas to the west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Urumqi Institute of Desert Meteorology of the China Meteorological Administration carried out an atmospheric scientific experiment to detect dust weather using a wind-profiling radar in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert in April 2010. Based on the wind-profiling data obtained from this experiment, this paper seeks to (a) analyze the characteristics of the horizontal wind field and vertical velocity of a breaking dust weather in a desert hinterland; (b) calculate and give the radar echo intensity and vertical distribution of a dust storm, blowing sand, and floating dust weather; and (c) discuss the atmosphere dust counts/concentration derived from the wind-profiling radar data. Studies show that: (a) A wind-profiling radar is an upper-air atmospheric remote sensing system that effectively detects and monitors dust. It captures the beginning and ending of a dust weather process as well as monitors the sand and dust being transported in the air in terms of height, thickness, and vertical intensity. (b) The echo intensity of a blowing sand and dust storm weather episode in Taklimakan is about -1~10 dBZ while that of floating dust -1~-15 dBZ, indicating that the dust echo intensity is significantly weaker than that of precipitation but stronger than that of clear air. (c) The vertical shear of horizontal wind and the maintenance of low-level east wind are usually dynamic factors causing a dust weather process in Taklimakan. The moment that the low-level horizontal wind field finds a shear over time, it often coincides with the onset of a sand blowing and dust storm weather process. (d) When a blowing sand or dust storm weather event occurs, the atmospheric vertical velocity tends to be of upward motion. This vertical upward movement of the atmosphere supported with a fast horizontal wind and a dry underlying surface carries dust particles from the ground up to the air to form blown sand or a dust storm.

Seven different tree-ring parameters were obtained from Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) in the Changling Mountains, China. The chronologies were analyzed individually and then compared with each other. The climate response analysis shows that total precipitation (September-July) is the main factor limiting the radial growth of Chinese pine in the Changling Mountains. Thus, the residual earlywood width chronology was used to estimate precipitation (September-July) for the period AD 1691-2006, and explained 46.9% of the precipitation variance. Drought events in our reconstruction are compared to historical archives for Gansu and north-central China. The results reveal the climatic extremes over much of Gansu. Some events have had profound impacts on the Gansu people over the past several centuries. Spatial analysis shows that the precipitation reconstruction has strong common signals for North-central China. The reconstructed series is correlated significantly with Helan Mountains Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), as well as with previous results from Jiuquan, Shandan, Huashan, Luya Mountains, and even the state of Mongolia. Our results suggest that some dry periods are coincident with solar minima over the past several hundred years. Multitaper spectral analysis reveals the existence of significant 24.4-year, 12.2-year, and 2.4- to 3.4-year periods of variability.