Intensification of Tilted Tropical Cyclones Over Relatively Cool and Warm Oceans in Idealized Numerical Simulations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Schecter
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Cloud Resolving Model ◽  
Complete Alignment

Abstract A cloud resolving model is used to examine the intensification of tilted tropical cyclones from depression to hurricane strength over relatively cool and warm oceans under idealized conditions where environmental vertical wind shear has become minimal. Variation of the SST does not substantially change the time-averaged relationship between tilt and the radial length scale of the inner core, or between tilt and the azimuthal distribution of precipitation during the hurricane formation period (HFP). By contrast, for systems having similar structural parameters, the HFP lengthens superlinearly in association with a decline of the precipitation rate as the SST decreases from 30 to 26 °C. In many simulations, hurricane formation progresses from a phase of slow or neutral intensification to fast spinup. The transition to fast spinup occurs after the magnitudes of tilt and convective asymmetry drop below certain SST-dependent levels following an alignment process explained in an earlier paper. For reasons examined herein, the alignment coincides with enhancements of lower–middle tropospheric relative humidity and lower tropospheric CAPE inward of the radius of maximum surface wind speed rm. Such moist-thermodynamic modifications appear to facilitate initiation of the faster mode of intensification, which involves contraction of rm and the characteristic radius of deep convection. The mean transitional values of the tilt magnitude and lower–middle tropospheric relative humidity for SSTs of 28-30 °C are respectively higher and lower than their counterparts at 26 °C. Greater magnitudes of the surface enthalpy flux and core deep-layer CAPE found at the higher SSTs plausibly compensate for less complete alignment and core humidification at the transition time.

scholarly journals Estimating Tropical Cyclone Integrated Kinetic Energy with the CYGNSS Satellite Constellation

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Morris ◽  
Christopher S. Ruf
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclone ◽  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
High Temporal Resolution

AbstractThe Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) constellation is designed to provide observations of surface wind speed in and near the inner core of tropical cyclones with high temporal resolution throughout the storm’s life cycle. A method is developed for estimating tropical cyclone integrated kinetic energy (IKE) using CYGNSS observations. IKE is calculated for each geographically based quadrant out to an estimate of the 34-kt (1 kt = 0.51 m s−1) wind radius. The CYGNSS-IKE estimator is tested and its performance is characterized using simulated CYGNSS observations with realistic measurement errors. CYGNSS-IKE performance improves for stronger, more organized storms and with increasing number of observations over the extent of the 34-kt radius. Known sampling information can be used for quality control. While CYGNSS-IKE is calculated for individual geographic quadrants, using a total-IKE—a sum over all quadrants—improves performance. CYGNSS-IKE should be of interest to operational and research meteorologists, insurance companies, and others interested in the destructive potential of tropical cyclones developing in data-sparse regions, which will now be covered by CYGNSS. The CYGNSS-IKE product will be available for the 2017 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.

A Climatological Analysis of Ambient Deep-Tropospheric Vertical Wind Shear Impacts upon Tornadoes in Tropical Cyclones

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 2033-2059
Author(s):  
Benjamin A. Schenkel ◽  
Roger Edwards ◽  
Michael Coniglio
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Wind Shear ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
Vertical Wind ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Thermodynamic Instability ◽  
Left Quadrant

AbstractThe cyclone-relative location and variability in the number of tornadoes among tropical cyclones (TCs) are not completely understood. A key understudied factor that may improve our understanding is ambient (i.e., synoptic-scale) deep-tropospheric (i.e., 850–200-hPa) vertical wind shear (VWS), which impacts both the symmetry and strength of deep convection in TCs. This study conducts a climatological analysis of VWS impacts upon tornadoes in TCs from 1995 to 2018, using observed TC and tornado data together with radiosondes. TC tornadoes were classified by objectively defined VWS categories, derived from reanalyses, to quantify the sensitivity of tornado frequency, location, and their environments to VWS. The analysis shows that stronger VWS is associated with enhanced rates of tornado production—especially more damaging ones. Tornadoes also become localized to the downshear half of the TC as VWS strengthens, with tornado location in strongly sheared TCs transitioning from the downshear-left quadrant in the TC inner core to the downshear-right quadrant in the TC outer region. Analysis of radiosondes shows that the downshear-right quadrant in strongly sheared TCs is most frequently associated with sufficiently strong near-surface speed shear and veering aloft, and lower-tropospheric thermodynamic instability for tornadoes. These supportive kinematic environments may be due to the constructive superposition of the ambient and TC winds, and the VWS-induced downshear enhancement of the TC circulation among other factors. Together, this work provides a basis for improving forecasts of TC tornado frequency and location.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Size Change of Tropical Cyclones Traversing the Philippines

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (9) ◽  
pp. 2891-2911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Jeng Lin ◽  
Kun-Hsuan Chou
Keyword(s):  
Angular Momentum ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Momentum Flux ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Japan Meteorological Agency ◽  
The South ◽  
Size Change

Abstract This study investigates the size changes of tropical cyclones (TCs) traversing the Philippines based on a 37-yr statistical analysis. TC size is defined by the radius of 30-kt (≈15.4 m s−1) wind speed (R30) from the best track data of the Japan Meteorological Agency. A total of 71 TCs passed the Philippines during 1979–2015. The numbers of size increase (SI; 36) and size decrease (SD; 34) cases are very similar; however, the last 15 years have seen more SI cases (17) than SD cases (11). SI and SD cases mostly occur along northerly and southerly paths, respectively, after TCs pass the Philippines. Before landfall, SI cases have small initial sizes and weak intensities, but SD cases have larger initial sizes and stronger intensities. After landfall, most SI cases are intensifying storms, and most SD cases are nonintensifying storms. Composite analyses of vertical wind shear, absolute angular momentum flux, relative humidity, and sea surface temperature between SI and SD cases are compared. All of these values are larger in SI cases than in SD cases. Furthermore, the interdecadal difference in the ratio of the numbers of SI to SD cases reveals an unusually high number of SI cases during 2001–15. The synoptic patterns between 1979–2000 and 2001–15 are analyzed. The high SI ratio in the latter period is related to strong southwesterly wind in the south of the South China Sea that raised relative humidity, warmed the sea surface, and increased import of angular momentum flux.

scholarly journals Deuterium excess in marine water vapor: Dependency on relative humidity and surface wind speed during evaporation

2014 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 584-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Benetti ◽  
Gilles Reverdin ◽  
Catherine Pierre ◽  
Liliane Merlivat ◽  
Camille Risi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Marine Water ◽  
Deuterium Excess

scholarly journals Climatology of Passive Microwave Brightness Temperatures in Tropical Cyclones and their Relations to Storm Intensities as Seen by FY-3B/MWRI

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Bo Qian ◽  
Haiyan Jiang ◽  
Fuzhong Weng ◽  
Ying Wu
Keyword(s):  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Radial Distance ◽  
Estimation Algorithm ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Intensity Estimation ◽  
Brightness Temperatures ◽  
Dependent Samples

A new database, the tropical cyclones passive microwave brightness temperature (TCsBT) database including 6273 overpasses of 503 tropical cyclones (TC) was established from 6-year (2011–2016) Fengyun-3B (FY-3B) Microwave Radiation Imager (MWRI) Level-1 brightness temperature (TB) data and TC best-track data. An algorithm to estimate the TC intensity is developed using MWRI TB’s from the database. The relationship between microwave TB and the maximum sustained surface wind (Vmax) of TCs is derived from the TCsBT database. A high correlation coefficient between MWRI channel TB and Vmax is found at the radial distance 50–100 km near the TC inner core. Brightness temperatures at 10.65, 18.70, 23.8, and 36.5 GHz increase but 89 GHz TB’s and polarization corrected TB at 36.5 GHz (PCT36.50) and PCT89 decrease with increasing TC intensity. The TCsBT database is further separated into the 5063 dependent samples (2010–2015) for the development of the TC intensity estimation algorithm and 1210 independent samples (2016) for algorithm verification. The stepwise regression method is used to select the optimal combination of storm intensity estimation variables from 12 candidate variables and four parameters (10.65h, 23.80v, 89.00v and PCT36.50) were selected for multiple regression models development. Among the four predictors, PCT36.50 contributes the most in estimating TC intensity. In addition, the errors are lower for estimating 6-h and 12-h future Vmax than estimating the current Vmax.

scholarly journals Satellite Microwave Surface Observations in Tropical Cyclones

2010 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Quilfen ◽  
Bertrand Chapron ◽  
Jean Tournadre
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Rain Rate ◽  
Microwave Radiometer ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Microwave Measurements ◽  
Dual Frequency

Abstract Sea surface estimates of local winds, waves, and rain-rate conditions are crucial to complement infrared/visible satellite images in estimating the strength of tropical cyclones (TCs). Satellite measurements at microwave frequencies are thus key elements of present and future observing systems. Available for more than 20 years, passive microwave measurements are very valuable but still suffer from insufficient resolution and poor wind vector retrievals in the rainy conditions encountered in and around tropical cyclones. Scatterometer and synthetic aperture radar active microwave measurements performed at the C and Ku band on board the European Remote Sensing (ERS), the Meteorological Operational (MetOp), the Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT), the Environmental Satellite (Envisat), and RadarSat satellites can also be used to map the surface wind field in storms. Their accuracy is limited in the case of heavy rain and possible saturation of the microwave signals is reported. Altimeter dual-frequency measurements have also been shown to provide along-track information related to surface wind speed, wave height, and vertically integrated rain rate at about 6-km resolution. Although limited for operational use by their dimensional sampling, the dual-frequency capability makes altimeters a unique satellite-borne sensor to perform measurements of key surface parameters in a consistent way. To illustrate this capability two Jason-1 altimeter passes over Hurricanes Isabel and Wilma are examined. The area of maximum TC intensity, as described by the National Hurricane Center and by the altimeter, is compared for these two cases. Altimeter surface wind speed and rainfall-rate observations are further compared with measurements performed by other remote sensors, namely, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission instruments and the airborne Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer.

scholarly journals Weak Tropical Cyclones Dominate the Poleward Migration of the Annual Mean Location of Lifetime Maximum Intensity of Northwest Pacific Tropical Cyclones since 1980

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (17) ◽  
pp. 6873-6882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruifen Zhan ◽  
Yuqing Wang
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Maximum Intensity ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Northwest Pacific ◽  
The Past ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Sst Warming

The poleward migration of the annual mean location of tropical cyclone (TC) lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) has been identified in the major TC basins of the globe over the past 30 years, which is particularly robust over the western North Pacific (WNP). This study has revealed that this poleward migration consists mainly of weak TCs (with maximum sustained surface wind speed less than 33 m s−1) over the WNP. Results show that the location of LMI of weak TCs has migrated about 1° latitude poleward per decade since 1980, while such a trend is considerably smaller for intense TCs. This is found to be linked to a significant decreasing trend of TC genesis in the southern WNP and a significant increasing trend in the northwestern WNP over the past 30 years. It is shown that the greater sea surface temperature (SST) warming at higher latitudes associated with global warming and its associated changes in the large-scale circulation favor more TCs to form in the northern WNP and fewer but stronger TCs to form in the southern WNP.

scholarly journals Evolution of GLM-Observed Total Lightning in Hurricane Maria (2017) during the Period of Maximum Intensity

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 1641-1666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre O. Fierro ◽  
Stephanie N. Stevenson ◽  
Robert M. Rabin
Keyword(s):  
Inner Core ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Major Hurricane ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Total Lightning ◽  
Rate Ratios ◽  
Correlation Statistics

Total lightning data obtained from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) were analyzed to present a first glimpse of relationships with intensity variations and convective evolution in Hurricane Maria (2017). The GLM has made it possible, for the first time, to analyze total lightning within a major hurricane for a long period, far from ground-based detection networks. It is hoped that these observations could enlighten some of the complex relationships existing between intensity fluctuations and the distribution of electrified convection in these systems. Prior to rapidly intensifying from a category 1 to category 5 storm, Maria produced few inner-core flashes. Increases in total lightning in the inner core ( r ≤ 100 km) occurred during both the beginning and end of an intensification cycle, while lightning increases in the outer region (100 < r ≤ 500 km) occurred earlier in the intensification cycle and during weakening. Throughout the analysis period, the largest lightning rates in the outer region were consistently located in the southeastern quadrant, a pattern consistent with modeling studies of electrification within hurricanes. Lightning in the inner core was generally tightly clustered within a 50-km radius from the center and most often found in the southeastern portion of the eyewall, which is atypical. Bootstrapped correlation statistics revealed that the most robust and systematic relationship with storm intensity was obtained for inner-core lightning and maximum surface wind speed. A brief comparison between flash rates from GLM and a very low-frequency ground-based network revealed that not all lightning peaks are seen equally, with hourly flash-rate ratios between both systems sometimes exceeding two orders of magnitude.

Effect of a Low-frequency Vortex on the Size of Typhoon Lan (2017)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengyuan Ma ◽  
Tim Li
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Radial Profile ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Tangential Wind ◽  
Set Up

AbstractTyphoon Lan (2017) was one of the largest tropical cyclone (TC) in the western North Pacific (WNP), and it was developed in a low-frequency (10-90-day filtered) large-scale cyclonic vortex environment. The physical mechanism responsible for the TC unusual size was investigated through idealized numerical experiments with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Sensitivity experiments showed that the low-frequency cyclonic circulation played an important role in modulating the TC size through the following three processes. Firstly, it weakened the background vertical wind shear and provided a favorable condition for a more rapid growth of Lan. Secondly, it strengthened a vorticity aggregation process through enhanced background vorticity. As a result, a stronger and more organized TC core was quickly set up, which strengthened the TC intensity and expanded its size. Thirdly, it enhanced the total surface wind speed and surface latent heat flux, strengthening convective instability in the outer region through increased moisture. The development of the outer rain band expanded the radial profile of diabatic heating, leading to greater low-level inflow and tangential wind acceleration in the outer region and thus a large TC size.

scholarly journals Examination of Surface Wind Asymmetries in Tropical Cyclones. Part I: General Structure and Wind Shear Impacts

2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (10) ◽  
pp. 3989-4009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley W. Klotz ◽  
Haiyan Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclone ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Wind Shear ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
Momentum Transport ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Shear Direction ◽  
Motion Direction

Because surface wind speeds within tropical cyclones are important for operational and research interests, it is vital to understand surface wind structure in relation to various storm and environmental influences. In this study, global rain-corrected scatterometer winds are used to quantify and evaluate characteristics of tropical cyclone surface wind asymmetries using a modified version of a proven aircraft-based low-wavenumber analysis tool. The globally expanded surface wind dataset provides an avenue for a robust statistical analysis of the changes in structure due to tropical cyclone intensity, deep-layer vertical wind shear, and wind shear’s relationship with forward storm motion. A presentation of the quantified asymmetry indicates that wind shear has a significant influence on tropical storms at all radii but only for areas away from the radius of maximum wind in both nonmajor and major hurricanes. Evaluation of a shear’s directional relation to motion indicates that a cyclonic rotation of the surface wind field asymmetry from downshear left to upshear left occurs in conjunction with an anticyclonic rotation of the directional relationship (i.e., from shear direction to the left, same, right, or opposite of the motion direction). It was discovered that in tropical cyclones experiencing effects from wind shear, an increase in absolute angular momentum transport occurs downshear and often downshear right. The surface wind speed low-wavenumber maximum in turn forms downwind of this momentum transport.

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