On top of the earth? Exploring the "optimal solution" of the process of the interaction between the plateau and the atmosphere.

A few days ago, at the launching ceremony of the "Three-dimensional Comprehensive Observation and Research Platform for Water and Heat Exchange between Earth and Atmosphere on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau", Ma Yaoming, a researcher at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research Institute of China Academy of Sciences, described the road of decades of difficult scientific research and exploration, and also painted a picture of the "optimal solution" of the earth-atmosphere interaction process for us.

"roof of the world" changes the global weather and climate

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "roof of the world" and "roof of the world", has an average height up to the height of the middle troposphere. Its unique and complex terrain features make its powerful dynamic and thermal effects affect the climate pattern in East Asia, the Asian monsoon process and the atmospheric circulation in the northern hemisphere. It is a key area affecting weather and climate events in China and one of the most sensitive areas for global climate change.

why do you study the interaction between the plateau and the atmosphere? "When the atmosphere passes through the huge terrain of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau uplift, it will produce dynamic and thermal effects. The water and heat exchange between the surface and the atmosphere will heat and evaporate water, which will change the atmospheric convection situation, and clouds will form and precipitation will occur." Ma Yaoming explained that the influence of the plateau on the surrounding climate is from the surface of the cold plateau to the near-surface layer, then to the atmospheric boundary layer, and gradually to the free atmosphere, so it is very important to study the water and heat exchange process and exchange law between the plateau surface and the near-surface layer and the atmospheric boundary layer.

how to correctly understand the law of water and heat exchange on the complex surface area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau? Ma Yaoming explained that the research needs to use four methods comprehensively. Firstly, comprehensive observation stations of ground-air interaction are established on different underlying surfaces, and the data obtained from observation tests are analyzed to obtain the laws of water and heat exchange on different underlying surfaces and different terrain conditions, and then the laws of water and heat exchange on the whole plateau region can be obtained by similar tile collage methods; Secondly, combining experimental data with satellite remote sensing data, the water and heat exchange law of the whole plateau region is obtained through parameterized scheme or model; Thirdly, combining the experimental data with the numerical model system, the law of water and heat exchange in the whole plateau region is simulated; Fourthly, the data obtained above are analyzed by land surface data assimilation system, and the law of water and heat exchange in the whole plateau area is obtained.

Building stations and laying nets to explore the highlands of the world

"Scientific observation and experiment are the key." Ma Yaoming repeatedly stressed.

In view of the lack of comprehensive observation and research stations on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, since 1989, the team of Geo-atmospheric Action and Climate Effect of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research Institute of China Academy of Sciences has established observation stations covering key weather and climate sensitive areas of typical underlying surfaces of the plateau, such as alpine meadow, alpine desert Gobi and alpine desert grassland, and conducted long-term observation and research on the atmospheric boundary layer, soil hydrothermal changes and the law of energy and moisture exchange between the ground and the atmosphere on different underlying surfaces of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

On this basis, Ma Yaoming and other researchers released the first comprehensive observation data set of high-time resolution land-air interaction on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which consists of long-term meteorological gradient observation, four-component radiation observation, soil hydrothermal characteristics observation and atmospheric turbulence characteristics observation.

after more than 3 years' hard work, the team has established and improved the comprehensive three-dimensional observation and research network system of water and heat exchange on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and basically established the multi-layer earth-atmosphere interaction process database in roof of the world. "With the strong support of the second Qinghai-Tibet scientific research project, 11 observation systems of atmospheric boundary layer profile tower stations, 9 sets of microwave radiometer networking observation systems and 1 sets of wind-blown snow networking observation systems have been newly built in the main body of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau." Ma Yaoming said that, in addition to the existing network observation system of atmospheric boundary layer profile tower station, eddy covariance flux network observation system and soil temperature and humidity network monitoring system on the plateau, a three-dimensional comprehensive observation and research platform for water and heat exchange between the earth and the atmosphere on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been successfully established.

Three-dimensional, realizing integrated observation

Through wind radar, microwave radiometer and other equipment on the ground plane, low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles at 5 meters above ground, mooring boats at 1 meters above ground, radiosondes at 1 meters above ground, remote sensing aircraft at 1 meters above ground, and professional satellites at 3 kilometers above ground ... According to reports, The newly established three-dimensional comprehensive observation platform for water and heat exchange between the earth and atmosphere on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau covers all kinds of topography and landforms of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which can realize multi-factor and all-weather comprehensive observation of the surface layer and troposphere on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and provide comprehensive observation data and decision-making basis for weather monitoring and forecasting, disastrous weather warning and climate environment prediction in the region and its surrounding areas.

On July 15th, the second expedition of the Qinghai-Tibet expedition "Earth-atmosphere interaction and its climate effect" set out from Lanzhou, and the three-dimensional comprehensive observation platform of water and heat exchange between the earth and atmosphere on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was officially launched. Focusing on the law of water and heat exchange under various topography and geomorphology conditions in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the special team has completed three three-dimensional comprehensive observation experiments on the earth-atmosphere interaction and its climate effect at eight stations at home and abroad.

"This expedition will be the first comprehensive and three-dimensional observation by using the three-dimensional comprehensive observation platform for water and heat exchange between the earth and the atmosphere, multi-spectral images of unmanned aerial vehicles, airborne eddy turbulence flux observation platform and satellite remote sensing." Ma Yaoming said that the generated three-dimensional model of the real scene can help researchers accurately grasp the comprehensive information under various complex landform characteristics. (Du Ying, Zhang Wenli)