Simulation of a Severe Sand and Dust Storm Event in March 2021 in Northern China: Dust Emission Schemes Comparison and the Role of Gusty Wind

Northern China experienced a severe sand and dust storm (SDS) on 14/15 March 2021. It was difficult to simulate this severe SDS event accurately. This study compared the performances of three dust-emission schemes on simulating PM10 concentration during this SDS event by implementing three vertical dust flux parameterizations in the Comprehensive Air-Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) model. Additionally, a statistical gusty-wind model was implemented in the dust-emission scheme, and it was used to quantify the gusty-wind contribution to dust emissions and peak PM10 concentration. As a result, the LS scheme (Lu and Shao 1999) produced the minimum errors for peak PM10 concentrations, the MB scheme (Marticorena and Bergametti 1995) underestimated the PM10 concentrations by 70–90%, and the KOK scheme (Kok et al. 2014) overestimated PM10 concentrations by 10–50% in most areas. The gusty-wind model could reasonably reproduce the probability density function of 2-min wind speeds. There were 5–40% more dust-emission flux and 5–40% more peak PM10 concentrations generated by the gusty wind than the hourly wind in the dust-source regions. The increase of peak PM10 concentration caused by gusty wind in the non-dust-source regions was higher than in the dust-source regions, with 10–50%. Implementing the gusty-wind model could help improve the LS scheme’s performance in simulating PM10 concentrations of this severe SDS event. More work is still needed to investigate the reliability of the gusty-wind model and LS scheme on various SDS events.

Spatio-temporal modeling of the wind field over an urban lake subject to wind sheltering

The wind field over an urban lake may exhibit considerable variability due to wind shielding effects from surrounding structures. Field measurements at an urban reservoir in Singapore were augmented by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model results to develop a wind model over the reservoir surface via a data assimilation approach. The field measurements identified, depending on structure alignment with the prevailing wind direction, wind shielding that impacted wind direction and velocity over the reservoir surface. The wind model integrated the temporal response of the measurements and spatial distribution produced by the CFD modelling. The wind model was used to predict the spatio-temporal pattern of the wind field over the reservoir surface for a full year. The modeling results showed good agreement with measured wind data at three measurement locations on the reservoir surface. The wind model has been incorporated with a hydrodynamics and water quality model to provide the spatio-temporal wind forcing over the reservoir surface.

26Aluminum from Massive Binary Stars. II. Rotating Single Stars Up to Core Collapse and Their Impact on the Early Solar System

Radioactive nuclei were present in the early solar system (ESS), as inferred from analysis of meteorites. Many are produced in massive stars, either during their lives or their final explosions. In the first paper of this series (Brinkman et al. 2019), we focused on the production of 26Al in massive binaries. Here, we focus on the production of another two short-lived radioactive nuclei, 36Cl and 41Ca, and the comparison to the ESS data. We used the MESA stellar evolution code with an extended nuclear network and computed massive (10–80 M ⊙), rotating (with initial velocities of 150 and 300 km s−1) and nonrotating single stars at solar metallicity (Z = 0.014) up to the onset of core collapse. We present the wind yields for the radioactive isotopes 26Al, 36Cl, and 41Ca, and the stable isotopes 19F and 22Ne. In relation to the stable isotopes, we find that only the most massive models, ≥60 and ≥40 M ⊙ give positive 19F and 22Ne yields, respectively, depending on the initial rotation rate. In relation to the radioactive isotopes, we find that the ESS abundances of 26Al and 41Ca can be matched with by models with initial masses ≥40 M ⊙, while 36Cl is matched only by our most massive models, ≥60 M ⊙. 60Fe is not significantly produced by any wind model, as required by the observations. Therefore, massive star winds are a favored candidate for the origin of the very short-lived 26Al, 36Cl, and 41Ca in the ESS.

Parker’s Solar Wind Model for a Polytropic Gas

Parker’s hydrodynamic isothermal solar wind model is extended to apply for a more realistic polytropic gas flow that can be caused by a variable extended heating of the corona. A compatible theoretical formulation is given and detailed numerical and systematic asymptotic theoretical considerations are presented. The polytropic conditions favor an enhanced conversion of thermal energy in the solar wind into kinetic energy of the outward flow and are hence shown to enhance the acceleration of the solar wind, thus indicating a quicker loss of the solar angular momentum.

Probing Protoplanetary Disk Winds with C ii Absorption

We present an analysis of wind absorption in the C ii λ1335 doublet toward 40 classical T Tauri stars with archival far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. Absorption features produced by fast or slow winds are commonly detected (36 out of 40 targets) in our sample. The wind velocity of the fast wind decreases with disk inclination, which is consistent with expectations for a collimated jet. Slow wind absorption is mostly detected in disks with intermediate or high inclination, without a significant dependence of wind velocity on disk inclination. Both the fast and slow wind absorption are preferentially detected in FUV lines of neutral or singly ionized atoms. The Mg ii λ λ2796, 2804 lines show wind absorption consistent with the absorption in the C ii lines. We develop simplified semi-analytical disk/wind models to interpret the observational disk wind absorption. Both fast and slow winds are consistent with expectations from a thermal-magnetized disk wind model and are generally inconsistent with a purely thermal wind. Both the models and the observational analysis indicate that wind absorption occurs preferentially from the inner disk, which offers a wind diagnostic in complement to optical forbidden line emission that traces the wind in larger volumes.

Intercomparison of Empirical Formulations of Maximum Wind Radius in Parametric Tropical Storm Modeling over Zhoushan Archipelago

The Holland (2010) parametric wind model has been extensively utilized in tropical cyclone and storm surge-related coastal hazard mitigation and management studies. The only remaining input parameter, the radius of maximum wind speed (Rm), is usually generated by previously proposed empirical relations which are, however, sensitivity to study areas in producing better performed numerical results. In order to acquire optimal Rm formulations over the region of Zhoushan Archipelago, East China Sea, 16 empirical relations were compiled into the Holland (2010) model to produce time series of the pressure, wind speed, and wind direction in comparison to observational records taken at three stations during the tropical cyclone events of Ampil and Rumbai. Their respective agreements were evaluated by error metrices including the root mean square error, correlation coefficient, mean bias error, and scatter index, whilst the overall performances of the 16 formulations were ranked according to a proposed comprehensive error. In the following order, the Rm formulations of Lu (2012), Zhou (2005), Kato (2018), and Jiang (2008) ranked the best for both events in terms of their minimum comprehensive errors; however, recommendations on the application of specific empirical formulations for the region of Zhoushan Archipelago are also provided herein from the perspective of conservation and accuracy.

Evaluation and Post-Processing of Reanalysis Wind Speeds for Renewable Energy Applications

<p>The correct spatio-temporal representation of wind speed is of large interest for the wind energy sector. Therefore, this study compares wind measurements in different heights from several locations in Central Europe with two global (ERA5, MERRA-2) and one regional reanalysis (COSMO-REA6). Employing a two-parameter Weibull distribution, the shape and scale parameters as well as mean, standard deviation and RMSE are investigated at and around common wind turbine hub height. We find that COSMO-REA6 best describes wind fields closer to the surface possibly due to its high horizontal resolution. Here, it also exhibits a good alignment with the diurnal cycle. However, for common wind turbine hub heights and above, ERA5 outperforms the other two reanalyses possibly due to its higher vertical resolution. MERRA-2 overestimates wind speed in the lower boundary layer at nearly all sites.</p><p>In the next step, a diagnostic and mass-consistent wind model is applied to the COSMO-REA6 wind field. The resolution of the wind field will be increased by a factor of 8 from originally 6 km to approximately 800 m. In addition to the vertical stability of the lower atmosphere, the orography on the finer grid and the corresponding effects are taken into account. We expect that especially in complex terrain the wind field will be corrected and thus should fit better to the observations. Channeling effects, shadowing and increased wind speed in exposed locations can be better represented. The new high-resolution wind field forms the basis for a statistical wind model to obtain post-processed wind estimates in the lower boundary layer. This approach will utilize generalized linear model and/or an artificial neural network techniques.</p>