Supplementary material to "Revisiting the Relationship between Atlantic Dust and Tropical Cyclone Activity using Aerosol Optical Depth Reanalyses: 2003–2018"

Abstract. Much research and speculation exists about the meteorological and climatological impacts of biomass burning in the Maritime Continent (MC) of Indonesia and Malaysia, particularly during El Nino events. However, the MC hosts some of the world's most complicated meteorology, and we wish to understand how tropical phenomena at a range of scales influence observed burning activity. Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived active fire hotspot patterns coupled with aerosol data assimilation products, satellite based precipitation, and meteorological indices, the meteorological context of observed fire prevalence and smoke optical depth in the MC are examined. Relationships of burning and smoke transport to such meteorological and climatic factors as the interannual El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), El Nino Modoki, Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), the seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the 30–90 day Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), tropical waves, tropical cyclone activity, and diurnal convection were investigated. A conceptual model of how all of the differing meteorological scales affect fire activity is presented. Each island and its internal geography have different sensitivities to these factors which are likely relatable to precipitation patterns and land use practices. At the broadest scales as previously reported, we corroborate ENSO is indeed the largest factor. However, burning is also enhanced by periods of El Nino Modoki. Conversely, IOD influences are unclear. While interannual phenomena correlate to total seasonal burning, the MJO largely controls when visible burning occurs. High frequency phenomena which are poorly constrained in models such as diurnal convection and tropical cyclone activity also have an impact which cannot be ignored. Finally, we emphasize that these phenomena not only influence burning, but also the observability of burning, further complicating our ability to assign reasonable emissions.

Download Full-text

Revisiting the Influence of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation on Tropical Cyclone Activity

Journal of Climate ◽

10.1175/2010jcli3575.1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 23 (21) ◽

pp. 5810-5825 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Suzana J. Camargo ◽

Adam H. Sobel

Keyword(s):

Tropical Cyclone ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Decadal Variability ◽

Tropical Cyclone Activity ◽

Solar Forcing ◽

Cyclone Activity ◽

Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽

The North ◽

The Relationship ◽

Biennial Oscillation

Abstract The statistical relationship between the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and tropical cyclone (TC) activity is explored, with a focus on the North Atlantic. Although there is a statistically significant relationship between the QBO and TCs in the Atlantic from the 1950s to the 1980s, as found by previous studies, that relationship is no longer present in later years. Several possibilities for this change are explored, including the interaction with ENSO, volcanoes, QBO decadal variability, and interactions with solar forcing. None provides a completely satisfying explanation. In the other basins, the relationship is weaker than in the Atlantic, even in the early record.

Download Full-text

Revisiting the Relationship between Atlantic Dust and Tropical Cyclone Activity using Aerosol Optical Depth Reanalyses: 2003–2018

10.5194/acp-2020-287 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Peng Xian ◽

Philip J. Klotzbach ◽

Jason P. Dunion ◽

Matthew A. Janiga ◽

Jeffrey S. Reid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tropical Cyclone ◽

Aerosol Optical Depth ◽

Optical Depth ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Large Scale ◽

Tropical Atlantic ◽

African Dust ◽

Tropical North Atlantic ◽

June July ◽

The Relationship

Abstract. Previous studies have noted a relationship between African dust and Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) activity. However, due to the limitations of past dust analyses, the strength of this relationship remains uncertain. The emergence of aerosol reanalyses, including the Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) reanalysis, NASA Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version-2 (MERRA-2) and ECMWF Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reanalysis (CAMSRA) enable an investigation of the relationship between African dust and TC activity over the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean in a consistent temporal and spatial manner for 2003–2018. Although June-July-August (JJA) 550 nm dust AOD (DAOD) from all three reanalysis products correlate significantly over the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean, the difference in DAOD magnitude between products can be as large as 60 % over the Caribbean and 20 % over the tropical North Atlantic. Based on the three individual reanalyses, we have created an aerosol multi-reanalysis-consensus (MRC). The MRC presents overall better root mean square error over the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean compared to individual reanalyses when verified with ground-based AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) AOD measurements. Each of the three individual reanalyses and the MRC have significant negative correlations between JJA Caribbean DAOD and seasonal Atlantic Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE), while the correlation between JJA tropical North Atlantic DAOD and seasonal ACE is weaker. Possible reasons for this regional difference are provided. A composite analysis of three high versus three low JJA Caribbean DAOD years reveals large differences in overall Atlantic TC activity. We also show that JJA Caribbean DAOD is significantly correlated with large-scale fields associated with variability in interannual Atlantic TC activity including zonal wind shear, mid-level moisture and SST, as well as ENSO and the Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM), implying confounding effects of these factors on the dust-TC relationship. Further analysis indicates that seasonal Atlantic DAOD and the AMM, the leading mode of coupled Atlantic variability, are inversely related and intertwined in the dust-TC relationship.

Download Full-text

Revisiting the relationship between Atlantic dust and tropical cyclone activity using aerosol optical depth reanalyses: 2003–2018

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-20-15357-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (23) ◽

pp. 15357-15378

Author(s):

Peng Xian ◽

Philip J. Klotzbach ◽

Jason P. Dunion ◽

Matthew A. Janiga ◽

Jeffrey S. Reid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tropical Cyclone ◽

Aerosol Optical Depth ◽

Optical Depth ◽

North Atlantic ◽

Southern Oscillation ◽

Tropical Atlantic ◽

African Dust ◽

Tropical North Atlantic ◽

The Caribbean ◽

The Relationship

Abstract. Previous studies have noted a relationship between African dust and Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) activity. However, due to the limitations of past dust analyses, the strength of this relationship remains uncertain. The emergence of aerosol reanalyses, including the Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) reanalysis, NASA Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), and ECMWF Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reanalysis (CAMSRA), enables an investigation of the relationship between African dust and TC activity over the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean in a consistent temporal and spatial manner for 2003–2018. Although June–July–August (JJA) 550 nm dust AOD (DAOD) from all three reanalysis products correlates significantly over the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean, the difference in DAOD magnitude between products can be as large as 60 % over the Caribbean and 20 % over the tropical North Atlantic. Based on the three individual reanalyses, we have created an aerosol multi-reanalysis consensus (MRC). The MRC presents overall better root mean square error over the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean compared to individual reanalyses when verified with ground-based AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) AOD measurements. Each of the three individual reanalyses and the MRC have significant negative correlations between JJA Caribbean DAOD and seasonal Atlantic accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), while the correlation between JJA tropical North Atlantic DAOD and seasonal ACE is weaker. Possible reasons for this regional difference are provided. A composite analysis of 3 high-JJA-Caribbean-DAOD years versus 3 low-JJA-Caribbean-DAOD years reveals large differences in overall Atlantic TC activity. We also show that JJA Caribbean DAOD is significantly correlated with large-scale fields associated with variability in interannual Atlantic TC activity including zonal wind shear, mid-level moisture, and sea surface temperature (SST), as well as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM), implying confounding effects of these factors on the dust–TC relationship. We find that seasonal Atlantic DAOD and the AMM, the leading mode of coupled Atlantic variability, are inversely related and intertwined in the dust–TC relationship. Overall, DAOD in both the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean is negatively correlated with Atlantic hurricane frequency and intensity, with stronger correlations in the Caribbean than farther east in the tropical North Atlantic.

Download Full-text

Influence of Pacific Decadal Oscillation on the relationship between ENSO and tropical cyclone activity in the Bay of Bengal during October–December

Climate Dynamics ◽

10.1007/s00382-014-2282-6 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 44 (11-12) ◽

pp. 3469-3479 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

M. S. Girishkumar ◽

V. P. Thanga Prakash ◽

M. Ravichandran

Keyword(s):

Tropical Cyclone ◽

Pacific Decadal Oscillation ◽

Bay Of Bengal ◽

Tropical Cyclone Activity ◽

Cyclone Activity ◽

The Relationship

Download Full-text

Multi-scale meteorological conceptual model of observed active fire hotspot activity and smoke optical depth in the Maritime Continent

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-11-21091-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 21091-21170 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. S. Reid ◽

P. Xian ◽

E. J. Hyer ◽

M. K. Flatau ◽

E. M. Ramirez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tropical Cyclone ◽

Conceptual Model ◽

Optical Depth ◽

El Niño ◽

El Nino ◽

Tropical Cyclone Activity ◽

Cyclone Activity ◽

Maritime Continent ◽

El Niño Modoki ◽

Active Fire

Abstract. Much research and speculation exists about the meteorological and climatological impacts of biomass burning in the Maritime Continent (MC) of Indonesia and Malaysia, particularly during El Niño events. However, the MC hosts some of the world's most complicated meteorology, and we wish to understand how tropical phenomena at a range of scales influence observed burning activity. Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived active fire hotspot patterns coupled with aerosol data assimilation products, satellite based precipitation, and meteorological indices, the meteorological context of observed fire prevalence and smoke optical depth in the MC are examined. Relationships of burning and smoke transport to such meteorological and climatic factors as the interannual El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), El Niño Modoki, Indian Ocean Dipole (IOP), the seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the 30–90 day Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), tropical waves, tropical cyclone activity, and diurnal convection were investigated. A conceptual model of how all of the differing meteorological scales affect fire activity is presented. Each island and its internal geography have different sensitivities to these factors which are likely relatable to precipitation patterns and land use practices. At the broadest scales as previously reported, we confirm ENSO is indeed the largest factor. However, burning is also enhanced by periods of El Niño Modoki. Conversely IOD influences are unclear. While interannual phenomena correlate to total seasonal burning, the MJO largely controls when visible burning occurs. High frequency phenomena which are poorly constrained in models such as diurnal convection and tropical cyclone activity also have an impact which cannot be ignored. Finally, we emphasize that these phenomena not only influence burning, but also the observability of burning, further complicating our ability to assign reasonable emissions.

Download Full-text