Why are there sandstorms in China?

In the past four spring years, there were 53 sandstorms in China (65438+9 in 0999, 0/4 in 2000, 0/8 in 2006 and 0/2 in 2002), among which 33 sandstorms originated in Gobi area in south-central Mongolia. This is the research result released by Li Huang, deputy director of China Meteorological Bureau, to the media on July 2nd. He said that in the spring of 2002, there were 12 sandstorms in northern China. It has three characteristics: concentrated occurrence period, strong occurrence intensity and wide influence range. The sources of dust weather affecting China can be divided into two types: overseas and domestic. The analysis shows that two-thirds of the dusty weather originated in southern Mongolia and was supplemented by dusty materials when passing through northern China. The sand source in China is only about one third. The dusty weather in Central Asia (Kazakhstan) is unlikely to affect the eastern part of Northwest China or even North China. The Taklimakan Desert in southern Xinjiang is a high incidence area of sandstorm weather in China, but it generally does not affect the eastern part of northwest China and North China. The path of sandstorm weather in China can be divided into northwest path, west path and north path: northwest path 1. Sandstorm weather generally originates in the central and western plateau of Mongolia or Alashan Plateau in western Inner Mongolia, and mainly affects northwest and north China. Northwest Route 2. Dust weather originated in southern Mongolia or central and western Inner Mongolia, mainly affecting the eastern part of northwest China, northern North China and most of northeast China; To the west, dusty weather originated in Gobi area in southwest or south Mongolia and desert area in western Inner Mongolia, mainly affecting northwest and north China. In the northerly route, dusty weather generally originates in the vast area south of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and mainly affects the eastern part of northwest China, most of north China and southeast China.

Dust weather in China in recent years

According to statistics, there were eight sandstorms in China in 1960s, three in 1970s 14 in 1980s14, and more than 20 in 1990s, and the scope of sandstorms became wider and wider with heavy losses. The situation of several major gale and sandstorm weather in China since the 1990s is introduced as follows:1993: From April to early May, gale weather appeared many times in the north. From April 19 to May 8, Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia were successively hit by strong winds and sandstorms. On May 5-6, eastern Xinjiang, Hexi in Gansu, most of Ningxia and western Inner Mongolia were hit by severe sandstorms, causing serious losses. 1994: From April 6, strong winds blew from Mongolia and western Inner Mongolia, and the dust in the northern desert Gobi was lifted by the wind and floated over the Hexi Corridor, and the loess lasted for several days. 1 995:165438+1On 7 October, more than 40 counties (cities) in Shandong were hit by heavy rain, with 35 people killed, 12 1 missing, 320 injured and direct economic losses/kloc-0. 1996: On May 29th and 30th, 1965, the worst sandstorm swept the west of Hexi Corridor. The black wind suddenly broke out, the world was closed, the dust filled, the trees collapsed, and people had difficulty breathing. The direct economic loss in Jiuquan area, which suffered the most, reached more than 200 million yuan. 1998: On April 5, the central and western Inner Mongolia, southwestern Ningxia and Hexi Corridor in Gansu were hit by strong sandstorms, which affected a wide range, including Beijing, Jinan, Nanjing and Hangzhou. On April 19, Tutanto Basin in northern and eastern Xinjiang was hit by a strong wind with an instantaneous wind force of 12, and some areas were accompanied by dust. The devastating typhoon caused a lot of property losses, with 6 people dead, 44 missing and 256 injured. 19 In the early morning of May 1, northern Xinjiang was suddenly hit by strong winds. The wind power in the tuyere areas such as Alashankou and Tacheng reaches 9 to 10, and the instantaneous wind speed reaches 32 meters per second. The winds in other areas generally reach 6 to 7. Strong winds blew down trees and cut off power lines in some areas. 1999: From April 3rd to 4th, there were continuous strong winds and sandstorms in Hohhot for two consecutive days. Sandstorms range from the west of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the south of Tongliao City in the east, with instantaneous wind speed 16 meters per second. Maximum wind force in Dalat Banner of Yikezhao League 10. 2000: On March 22-23, there was a large-scale dusty weather in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and some dust was carried over Beijing by strong winds, which aggravated the degree of sand blowing. On March 27th, the sandstorm hit Beijing again, and the instantaneous wind force in some areas reached 8-9. Seven workers who were working on the roof of a two-story building in Anxiangli Community were blown down by strong winds, and two of them died on the spot. Some billboards were blown down by strong winds, causing pedestrian injuries and vehicle damage. 2002: From March 18 to March/2 1 day, a sandstorm weather process with the largest scope, strongest intensity, the most serious impact and the longest duration since the 1990s, attacked China North1400,000 square kilometers and affected the population1300,000.

Concept, regulations and standards of sandstorm

First, the concept of dusty weather:

Dust weather is divided into four categories: floating dust, sand blowing, sandstorm and strong sandstorm.

Floating dust: a weather phenomenon in which dust and fine sand float evenly in the air, making the horizontal visibility less than 10 km;

Sand blowing: a weather phenomenon in which the wind blows up dust on the ground, making the air quite turbid and the horizontal visibility is within the range of 1 km to1km;

Sandstorm: a weather phenomenon in which strong winds blow up a lot of dust on the ground, making the air very turbid and the horizontal visibility is less than 1 km;

Strong sandstorm: a weather phenomenon in which strong winds blow up dust on the ground, making the air turbid and the horizontal visibility less than 500 meters.

Second, the classification of dust weather process

Sandstorm weather process can be divided into four categories: floating dust weather process, sand blowing weather process, sandstorm weather process and strong sandstorm weather process.

Floating dust weather process: in the same weather process and at the same observation time, floating dust weather occurred in five or more countries in China's weather forecast area;

Sand blowing weather process: in the same weather process and the same observation time, sand blowing weather occurs in five or more countries in China's weather forecast area;

Sandstorm weather process: in the same weather process, sandstorms occurred in three or more countries in China's weather forecast area at the same observation time;

Strong sandstorm weather process: In the same weather process, more than three countries in China's weather forecast area basically (quasi) stand at the same observation time and have strong sandstorms.

Three, sand and dust weather forecast and early warning standards:

1, decision service

When there is expected to be a sandstorm weather process in the next 24 hours, the sandstorm weather forecast will be released in internal bulletins, special reports and decision-making service materials.

2. Public forecast

National standards:

It is expected that there will be a sandstorm weather process in the next 24 hours, and when it has a great impact or affects Beijing and Tianjin, a sandstorm warning will be issued to the public. ;

It is expected that there will be a sandstorm or strong sandstorm weather process in the next 24 hours, which will cause serious impact and issue a sandstorm warning to the public.

Provincial standards:

Determined by the meteorological bureaus of provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) with reference to national standards.

Description:

1, the provincial sandstorm weather forecast and early warning release standard was reported to China Meteorological Bureau for the record.

2. The forecast and early warning of sandstorm weather shall include the area, time, intensity, possible impacts and countermeasures of sandstorm weather.

3. The Central Meteorological Observatory shall promptly and effectively notify the relevant provincial meteorological stations before releasing the forecast and warning of dust weather to the society, and the provincial meteorological stations shall promptly and effectively notify the Central Meteorological Observatory and the relevant meteorological stations before releasing the forecast and warning of dust weather to the society.

Causes and physical mechanism of sandstorm weather

Causes of sandstorm weather

The weather situation favorable to strong winds or strong winds, favorable distribution of dust sources and favorable air instability conditions are the main reasons for the formation of sandstorms or strong sandstorms. Strong wind is the driving force of sandstorm, and the source of sandstorm is the material basis of sandstorm. Unstable thermal conditions are conducive to the increase of wind power and the development of strong convection, thus carrying more dust and winding it higher.

In addition, drought and lack of rain in the early stage, warming weather and rising temperature are the special weather and climate background for the formation of sandstorms; The convective cells before the ground cold front develop into clouds or squall lines, which is a small and medium-sized system conducive to the development and strengthening of sandstorms. The topographic condition conducive to the increase of wind speed, that is, the narrow tube effect, is one of the favorable conditions for the formation of sandstorms.

Physical mechanism of sandstorm formation

Under the favorable conditions of large-scale environment, high-altitude dry and cold jet, strong vertical wind speed, wind direction shear and thermal instability stratification, the generation and development of small and medium-scale systems near the front area intensified the pressure and temperature gradient before and after the front area, forming a huge pressure and temperature gradient before and after the front area. Under the joint action of momentum downward transfer and gradient deviation wind, the wind speed in the near-surface layer rises sharply, causing dust on the surface and forming sandstorm or strong sandstorm weather.