Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (5): 1216-1225.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.05.03

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of the characteristics of the easterly low-level jet in Tarim

YANG Xia1(),ZHOU Hongkui2,ZHAO Keming1,XU Tingting1   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Meteorological Observatory, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
    2. Xinjiang Meteorological Information Center, Urumqi 830002, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2021-03-15 Revised:2021-04-21 Online:2021-09-15 Published:2021-09-24

Abstract:

The low-level jet has an important effect on the occurrence and development of events such as rainstorms, sandstorms, and severe convection. We analyzed conventional sounding data from 1981 to 2020 to determine the characteristics of the low-level jet in the east wind of Tarim. Our findings reveal that, from 1981 to 2020, there was a decreasing trend in the days, mean wind speed, and vertical wind shear of the easterly low-level jet, whereas there was an increasing trend in the mean height of this jet. The easterly low-level jet in Tarim occurred on 74.2 days per year, on average. The low-level jet of the East wind appears 74.2 days per year, its annual average wind speed is 16.3 m·s-1, and its average height is 1555.1 m. The vertical wind shear in the upper layer was 9.94×10-3 s-1 and that in the lower layer was 7.33×10-3 s-1. The number of days, wind speed, and vertical wind shear were highest in spring, followed by summer, and lowest in winter, whereas the height was greatest in winter, followed by autumn, and lowest in spring. There was a considerable monthly difference in the low-level easterly jet in Tarim; the days and vertical wind shear of the upper layer were at the maximum in May and the minimum in December. The average wind speed was at its maximum in May and its minimum in December. The average height was greatest in January and lowest in April. The vertical wind shear at the lower level was at its maximum in April and its minimum in December. The average duration of the easterly low-level jet in Tarim was 2.3 days, with the longest duration in summer and the shortest in winter. There was a rapid decline in the frequency of the easterly low-level jet as the duration increased. The most frequent easterly low-level jets were those that lasted for one day; these accounted for 48% of the total frequency. Those with a duration of less than three days accounted for 76.0% of the total. In conclusion, the easterly low-level jet in Tarim, which is located in the inland arid region, belongs to the large-scale low-level jet, which is different from the low-level jet in China’s monsoon region.

Key words: low-level jet stream, the east wind, Tarim Basin, vertical wind shear