scholarly journals Simulation of tropical cyclogenesis in association with large-scale cyclonic circulation over the western North Pacific

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 897-914
Author(s):  
Xi Cao ◽  
Guanghua Chen ◽  
Xiao Xiao
2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1413-1429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haikun Zhao ◽  
Ryuji Yoshida ◽  
G. B. Raga

AbstractThe intraseasonal variability of tropical cyclogenesis in the western North Pacific (WNP) basin is explored in this study. The relation of cyclogenesis in each of the five large-scale patterns identified in recent work by Yoshida and Ishikawa is associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). Confirming previous results, more events of cyclogenesis are found during the active MJO phase in the WNP. Furthermore, results indicate that most of the tropical cyclogenesis is associated with the monsoon shear line large-scale pattern during the active phase. The genesis potential index (GPI) and its individual components are used to evaluate the environmental factors that most contribute toward cyclogenesis under the different phases of the MJO. GPI exhibits a large positive anomaly during the active phase of the MJO, and such an anomaly is spatially correlated with the events of cyclogenesis. The analysis of each factor indicates that low-level relative vorticity and midlevel relative humidity are the two dominant contributors to the MJO-composited GPI anomalies. The positive GPI anomalies during the active phase are partially offset by the negative contributions from vertical wind shear and potential intensity. This is valid for all five large-scale patterns. It is noteworthy that the easterly wave (EW) large-scale pattern, while exhibiting the same influence of relative vorticity and midlevel humidity contributing toward positive GPI anomalies, presents slightly more cyclogenesis events under the inactive phase of the MJO. This unexpected result suggests that other factors not included in the definition of the GPI and/or changes in environmental flows on other time scales contribute to the tropical cyclogenesis associated with the EW large-scale pattern.


2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 4639-4660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Cao ◽  
Tim Li ◽  
Melinda Peng ◽  
Wen Chen ◽  
Guanghua Chen

Abstract The effects of intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) of the western North Pacific (WNP) monsoon trough on tropical cyclone (TC) formation were investigated using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (ARW) Model. A weak vortex was specified initially and inserted into the background fields containing climatological-mean anomalies associated with active and inactive phases of monsoon trough ISOs. The diagnosis of simulations showed that monsoon trough ISO can modulate TC development through both dynamic and thermodynamic processes. The dynamic impact is attributed to the lower–midtropospheric large-scale vorticity associated with monsoon trough ISO. Interactions between cyclonic vorticity in the lower middle troposphere during the active ISO phase and a vortex lead to the generation of vortex-scale outflow at the midlevel, which promotes the upward penetration of friction-induced ascending motion and thus upward moisture transport. In addition, the low-level convergence associated with active ISO also helps the upward moisture transport. Both processes contribute to stronger diabatic heating and thus promote a positive convection–circulation–moisture feedback. On the other hand, the large-scale flow associated with inactive ISO suppresses upward motion near the core by inducing the midlevel inflow and the divergence forcing within the boundary layer, both inhibiting TC development. The thermodynamic impact comes from greater background specific humidity associated with active ISO that allows a stronger diabatic heating. Experiments that separated the dynamic and thermodynamic impacts of the ISO showed that the thermodynamic anomaly from active ISO contributes more to TC development, while the dynamic anomalies from inactive ISO can inhibit vortex development completely.


2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 763-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Fu ◽  
Tim Li ◽  
Melinda S. Peng ◽  
Fuzhong Weng

Abstract High-resolution satellite data and NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data are used to analyze 34 tropical cyclone (TC) genesis events in the western North Pacific during the 2000 and 2001 typhoon seasons. Three types of synoptic-scale disturbances are identified in the pregenesis stages. They are tropical cyclone energy dispersions (TCEDs), synoptic wave trains (SWTs) unrelated to preexisting TCs, and easterly waves (EWs). Among the total 34 TC genesis cases, 6 are associated with TCEDs, 11 cases are associated with SWTs, and 7 cases are associated with EWs. The analyses presented herein indicate that the occurrence of a TCED depends on the TC intensity and the background flow, with stronger cyclones and weaker background easterlies being more likely to induce a Rossby wave train. Not all Rossby wave trains would lead to the formation of a new TC. Among the 11 SWT cases, 4 cases are triggered by equatorial mixed Rossby–gravity waves. Cyclogenesis events associated with EWs are identified by the westward propagation of the perturbation kinetic energy and precipitation fields. For all three types of prestorm disturbances, it seems that scale contraction of the disturbances and convergence forcing from the large-scale environmental flow are possible mechanisms leading to the genesis. Further examination of the remaining 10 genesis cases with no significant prior synoptic-scale surface signals suggests three additional possible genesis scenarios: 1) a disturbance with upper-tropospheric forcing, 2) interaction of a preexisting TC with southwesterly monsoon flows, and 3) preexisting convective activity with no significant initial low-level vorticity. Tropical intraseasonal oscillations have a significant modulation on TC formation, especially in 2000.


2008 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
pp. 2006-2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Shang Lee ◽  
Kevin K. W. Cheung ◽  
Jenny S. N. Hui ◽  
Russell L. Elsberry

Abstract The mesoscale features of 124 tropical cyclone formations in the western North Pacific Ocean during 1999–2004 are investigated through large-scale analyses, satellite infrared brightness temperature (TB), and Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) oceanic wind data. Based on low-level wind flow and surge direction, the formation cases are classified into six synoptic patterns: easterly wave (EW), northeasterly flow (NE), coexistence of northeasterly and southwesterly flow (NE–SW), southwesterly flow (SW), monsoon confluence (MC), and monsoon shear (MS). Then the general convection characteristics and mesoscale convective system (MCS) activities associated with these formation cases are studied under this classification scheme. Convection processes in the EW cases are distinguished from the monsoon-related formations in that the convection is less deep and closer to the formation center. Five characteristic temporal evolutions of the deep convection are identified: (i) single convection event, (ii) two convection events, (iii) three convection events, (iv) gradual decrease in TB, and (v) fluctuating TB, or a slight increase in TB before formation. Although no dominant temporal evolution differentiates cases in the six synoptic patterns, evolutions ii and iii seem to be the common routes taken by the monsoon-related formations. The overall percentage of cases with MCS activity at multiple times is 63%, and in 35% of cases more than one MCS coexisted. Most of the MC and MS cases develop multiple MCSs that lead to several episodes of deep convection. These two patterns have the highest percentage of coexisting MCSs such that potential interaction between these systems may play a role in the formation process. The MCSs in the monsoon-related formations are distributed around the center, except in the NE–SW cases in which clustering of MCSs is found about 100–200 km east of the center during the 12 h before formation. On average only one MCS occurs during an EW formation, whereas the mean value is around two for the other monsoon-related patterns. Both the mean lifetime and time of first appearance of MCS in EW are much shorter than those developed in other synoptic patterns, which indicates that the overall formation evolution in the EW case is faster. Moreover, this MCS is most likely to be found within 100 km east of the center 12 h before formation. The implications of these results to internal mechanisms of tropical cyclone formation are discussed in light of other recent mesoscale studies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 2457-2469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke Xu ◽  
Riyu Lu

Abstract The modulation of tropical cyclone (TC) activity by the western North Pacific (WNP) monsoon break is investigated by analyzing the subseasonal evolution of TCs and corresponding circulations, based on 65 years of data from 1950 to 2014. The monsoon break has been identified as occurring over the WNP in early August. The present results show that TC occurrence decreases (increases) remarkably to the east of the Mariana Islands (southeast of Japan) during the monsoon break, which is closely related to local anomalous midtropospheric downward (upward) motion and lower-tropospheric anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation, in comparison with the previous and subsequent convective periods in late July and mid-August. These changes of TC activity and the corresponding circulation during the monsoon break are more significant in typical monsoon break years when the monsoon break phenomenon is predominant. The reverse changes of TC activity to the east of the Mariana Islands and to the southeast of Japan during the monsoon break are closely associated with the out-of-phase subseasonal evolutions over these two regions from late July to mid-August, which are both contributed to greatly by 10–25-day oscillations. Finally, the roles of midlatitude and tropical disturbances on 10–25-day oscillations are also discussed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1038-1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamei Xu ◽  
Tim Li ◽  
Melinda Peng

Abstract The Year of Tropical Convection (YOTC) high-resolution global reanalysis dataset was analyzed to reveal precursor synoptic-scale disturbances related to tropical cyclone (TC) genesis in the western North Pacific (WNP) during the 2008–09 typhoon seasons. A time filtering is applied to the data to isolate synoptic (3–10 day), quasi-biweekly (10–20 day), and intraseasonal (20–90 day) time-scale components. The results show that four types of precursor synoptic disturbances associated with TC genesis can be identified in the YOTC data. They are 1) Rossby wave trains associated with preexisting TC energy dispersion (TCED) (24%), 2) synoptic wave trains (SWTs) unrelated to TCED (32%), 3) easterly waves (EWs) (16%), and 4) a combination of either TCED-EW or SWT-EW (24%). The percentage of identifiable genesis events is higher than has been found in previous analyses. Most of the genesis events occurred when atmospheric quasi-biweekly and intraseasonal oscillations are in an active phase, suggesting a large-scale control of low-frequency oscillations on TC formation in the WNP. For genesis events associated with SWT and EW, maximum vorticity was confined in the lower troposphere. During the formation of Jangmi (2008), maximum Rossby wave energy dispersion appeared in the middle troposphere. This differs from other TCED cases in which energy dispersion is strongest at low level. As a result, the midlevel vortex from Rossby wave energy dispersion grew faster during the initial development stage of Jangmi.


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