Sensitivity of Quasi-Periodic Outer Rainband Activity of Tropical Cyclones to the Surface Entropy Flux

The influence of outer-core surface entropy fluxes （SEFs） on tropical cyclone （TC） outer rainband activity is investigated in this study with a fully compressible,nonhydrostatic model.A control simulation and two sensitivity experiments with the outer-core SEF artificially increased and decreased by 20% respectively were conducted to examine the quasi-periodic outer rainband behavior.Larger negative horizontal advection due to the greater radial wind and the positive contribution by asymmetric eddies leads to a longer period of outer-rainband activity in the SEF-enhanced experiment.The well-developed outer rainbands in the control and SEF-reduced simulations significantly limit the TC intensity,whereas such an intensity suppression influence is not pronounced in the SEF-enhanced experiment.As diabatic heating in outer rainbands strengthens the outer-core tangential wind,the quasi-periodic activity of outer rainbands contributes to the quasi-periodic variations of the inner-core size of the TCs.     

Lightning Activity and Its Relationship with Typhoon Intensity and Vertical Wind Shear for Super Typhoon Haiyan(1330)

Super Typhoon Haiyan(1330), which occurred in 2013, is the most powerful typhoon during landfall in the meteorological record. In this study, the temporal and spatial distributions of lightning activity of Haiyan were analyzed by using the lightning data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network,typhoon intensity and position data from the China Meteorological Administration, and horizontal wind data from the ECMWF. Three distinct regions were identified in the spatial distribution of daily average lightning density, with the maxima in the inner core and the minima in the inner rainband. The lightning density in the intensifying stage of Haiyan was greater than that in its weakening stage. During the time when the typhoon intensity measured with maximum sustained wind speed was between 32.7 and 41.4 m s-1, the storm had the largest lightning density in the inner core, compared with other intensity stages.In contrast to earlier typhoon studies, the eyewall lightning burst out three times. The first two eyewall lightning outbreaks occurred during the period of rapid intensification and before the maximum intensity of the storm, suggesting that the eyewall lightning activity could be used to identify the change in tropical cyclone intensity. The flashes frequently occurred in the inner core, and in the outer rainbands with the black body temperature below 220 K. Combined with the ECMWF wind data, the influences of vertical wind shear(VWS) on the azimuthal distribution of flashes were also analyzed, showing that strong VWS produced downshear left asymmetry of lightning activity in the inner core and downshear right asymmetry in the rainbands.     

超强台风韦帕（0713）螺旋雨带中尺度结构双多普勒雷达研究

超强台风＂韦帕＂（Wipha）是2007年登陆中国大陆最强的台风,在浙江省造成了特大暴雨。利用宁波和舟山双多普勒天气雷达同步观测资料,对＂韦帕＂的两条螺旋雨带进行了双雷达三维风场反演;并综合利用组网雷达拼图数据等资料,对螺旋雨带的三维精细结构进行了分析。研究表明：（1）两条螺旋雨带的三维结构有很多相似之处。螺旋雨带内部低层有多个强回波区,水平速度大值区主要分布在强回波带上;强回波带的低层有较强的上升气流,最强上升气流超过4 m/s。在螺旋雨带中存在多个辐合辐散对、上升下沉气流对,这对于螺旋雨带的维持和进一步发展具有重要作用。在沿着台风中心的垂直剖面内,螺旋雨带内部的强回波区向雨带外侧倾斜。雨带外侧2 km高度以下的低层有较强的内流,最大值为5 m/s;雨带内侧有较强的外流,2 km高度以上均受外流控制;内流和外流在雨带中部低层汇合抬升。切向速度的强中心出现在3 km高度,速度值随高度增加而逐渐减小。（2）两个时段的螺旋雨带也存在差异。前一个时段的螺旋雨带对流发展更旺盛,45 dBZ的回波高度为4.8 km,而后一个时段的螺旋雨带45 dBZ的回波高度仅3.2 km。垂直剖面内,前一个时刻螺旋雨带低层辐合更强,最强辐合值超过-15×10^-4s^-1,正是由于低层的强辐合和充足的水汽供应,才使得雨带内部中低层的回波发展旺盛。     

Effects of Vertical Wind Shear on Intensity and Rainfall Asymmetries of Strong Tropical Storm Bilis （2006）

The effects of environmental vertical wind shear(VWS)on the intensity and rainfall asymmetries in Tropical Storm(TS)Bilis(2006)have been analyzed based on TRMM/TMI-estimated surface rainfall data,QuikSCAT wind fields,850-and 200-hPa winds of the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis,precipitation data at 5-min intervals from automatic weather stations over mainland China,and the best track data of TS Bilis(2006). The results show that the simultaneous and 6-hour-lagged correlation coeffcients between VWS and storm intensity(the minimum central sea level pressure)are 0.59145 and 0.57438(P0.01),respectively.The averaged VWS was found to be about 11 m s-1 and thus suppressed the intensification of Bilis(2006). Distribution of precipitation in Bilis(2006)was highly asymmetric.The azimuthally-averaged rainfall rate in the partial eyewall,however,was smaller than that in a major outer rainband.As the storm intensified,the major rainband showed an unusual outward propagation.The VWS had a great impact on the asymmetric distribution of precipitation.Consistent with previous modeling studies,heavy rainfall generally occurred downshear to downshear-left of the VWS vector both near and outside the eyewall,showing a strong wavenumber-one asymmetry,which was amplified as the VWS increased.     

Lightning activity and its relationship with typhoon intensity and vertical wind shear for Super Typhoon Haiyan (1330)

Super Typhoon Haiyan (1330), which occurred in 2013, is the most powerful typhoon during landfall in the meteorological record. In this study, the temporal and spatial distributions of lightning activity of Haiyan were analyzed by using the lightning data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network, typhoon intensity and position data from the China Meteorological Administration, and horizontal wind data from the ECMWF. Three distinct regions were identified in the spatial distribution of daily average lightning density, with the maxima in the inner core and the minima in the inner rainband. The lightning density in the intensifying stage of Haiyan was greater than that in its weakening stage. During the time when the typhoon intensity measured with maximum sustained wind speed was between 32.7 and 41.4 ms^?1, the storm had the largest lightning density in the inner core, compared with other intensity stages. In contrast to earlier typhoon studies, the eyewall lightning burst out three times. The first two eyewall lightning outbreaks occurred during the period of rapid intensification and before the maximum intensity of the storm, suggesting that the eyewall lightning activity could be used to identify the change in tropical cyclone intensity. The flashes frequently occurred in the inner core, and in the outer rainbands with the black body temperature below 220 K. Combined with the ECMWF wind data, the influences of vertical wind shear (VWS) on the azimuthal distribution of flashes were also analyzed, showing that strong VWS produced downshear left asymmetry of lightning activity in the inner core and downshear right asymmetry in the rainbands.     

西北太平洋热带气旋变性过程中的风及降水分布变化特征分析

利用中国气象局上海台风研究所（CMA/STI）整编的热带气旋最佳路径资料、美国飓风联合警报中心（JTWC）最佳路径资料、美国国家海洋与大气管理局（NOAA）的全球多平台热带气旋风场资料（MTCSWA）和CMORPH降水资料、日本卫星云顶黑体辐射温度（T_BB）资料等,分析1987～2016年30年间西北太平洋228个变性热带气旋（ETTC）的活动规律、风与降水分布及其演变特征。结果表明:（1）ETTC年均7.6个,除1～2月,各月均有分布,峰值在9月。约90.4%的ETTC变性位置在30°N以北,仅约9.6%在30°N以南较低纬度,且多发生于春夏和秋冬交替季节。（2）TC（热带气旋）变性通常发生在其转向后,半数以上移速加快,大多数中心气压升高或维持,仅10.5%降低。（3）变性过程中ETTC近中心最大风速减小,最大风速半径增大,内核趋于松散。其34节风圈半径北侧明显大于南侧,风场结构非对称性增强。（4）ETTC强风和强降水呈显著非对称性分布,其强风区主要出现在ETTC中心东侧,即路径右后方;强降水区主要出现在北侧,且变性后在东北象限向外扩张。（5）较强的环境水平风垂直切变（VWS）是影响ETTC风及降水分布的重要因子。强降水主要出现在顺风切方向及其左侧,强风（去除TC移速时）出现在切变左侧。     

非绝热加热对冷锋锋生过程影响的比较研究

本文利用半地转模式研究了非绝热加热对冷锋锋生过程的影响。计算结果表明，非绝热加热包括大尺度凝结潜热、积云对流加热和感热都可以在加热区诱发出附加的锋生场。从而使加热区内的锋区强度得到明显加强；三种加热都能使上升速度增大，其中大尺度凝结潜热释放可在锋前出现一条宽约２００ｋｍ的强降水带．积云对流加热可使上升运动区范围缩小或在低层出现中尺度雨带，感热加热是产生中尺度雨带的一种可能机制。计算还表明，大尺度凝结潜热对锋生过程的影响最明显。它可以影响锋生过程中所有物理量。而积云对流加热和感热加热只对位温场和垂直速度场有明显影晌。但影响程度没有大尺度凝结潜热大。     

Sensitivity of the simulation of tropical cyclone size to microphysics schemes

The sensitivity of the simulation of tropical cyclone(TC) size to microphysics schemes is studied using the Advanced Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting Model(WRF). Six TCs during the 2013 western North Pacific typhoon season and three mainstream microphysics schemes–Ferrier(FER), WRF Single-Moment 5-class(WSM5) and WRF Single-Moment6-class(WSM6)–are investigated. The results consistently show that the simulated TC track is not sensitive to the choice of microphysics scheme in the early simulation, especially in the open ocean. However, the sensitivity is much greater for TC intensity and inner-core size. The TC intensity and size simulated using the WSM5 and WSM6 schemes are respectively higher and larger than those using the FER scheme in general, which likely results from more diabatic heating being generated outside the eyewall in rainbands. More diabatic heating in rainbands gives higher inflow in the lower troposphere and higher outflow in the upper troposphere, with higher upward motion outside the eyewall. The lower-tropospheric inflow would transport absolute angular momentum inward to spin up tangential wind predominantly near the eyewall, leading to the increment in TC intensity and size(the inner-core size, especially). In addition, the inclusion of graupel microphysics processes(as in WSM6) may not have a significant impact on the simulation of TC track, intensity and size.     

Dependence of Tropical Cyclone Intensification on the Latitude under Vertical Shear

The sensitivity of tropical cyclone (TC) intensification to the ambient rotation effect under vertical shear is investigated. The results show that the vortices develop more rapidly with intermediate planetary vorticity, which suggests an optimal latitude for the TC development in the presence of vertical shear. This is different from the previous studies in which no mean flow is considered. It is found that the ambient rotation has two main effects. On the one hand, the boundary layer imbalance is largely controlled by the Coriolis parameter. For TCs at lower latitudes, due to the weaker inertial instability, the boundary inflow is promptly established, which results in a stronger moisture convergence and thus greater diabatic heating in the inner core region. On the other hand, the Coriolis parameter modulates the vertical realignment of the vortex with a higher Coriolis parameter, favoring a quicker vertical realignment and thus a greater potential for TC development. The combination of these two effects results in an optimal latitude for TC intensification in the presence of a vertical shear investigated.     

Analysis of an Ensemble of High-Resolution WRF Simulations for the Rapid Intensification of Super Typhoon Rammasun(2014)

Diagnostics are presented from an ensemble of high-resolution forecasts that differed markedly in their predictions of the rapid intensification(RI)of Typhoon Rammasun.We show that the basic difference stems from subtle differences in initializations of(a)500-850-h Pa environmental winds,and(b)midlevel moisture and ventilation.We then describe how these differences impact on the evolving convective organization,storm structure,and the timing of RI.As expected,ascent,diabatic heating and the secondary circulation near the inner-core are much stronger in the member that best forecasts the RI.The evolution of vortex cloudiness from this member is similar to the actual imagery,with the development of an inner cloud band wrapping inwards to form the eyewall.We present evidence that this structure,and hence the enhanced diabatic heating,is related to the tilt and associated dynamics of the developing inner-core in shear.For the most accurate ensemble member:(a)inhibition of ascent and a reduction in convection over the up-shear sector allow moistening of the boundary-layer air,which is transported to the down-shear sector to feed a developing convective asymmetry;(b)with minimal ventilation,undiluted clouds and moisture from the down-shear left quadrant are then wrapped inwards to the up-shear left quadrant to form the eyewall cloud;and(c)this process seems related to a critical down-shear tilt of the vortex from midlevels,and the vertical phase-locking of the circulation over up-shear quadrants.For the member that forecasts a much-delayed RI,these processes are inhibited by stronger vertical wind shear,initially resulting in poor vertical coherence of the circulation,lesser moisture and larger ventilation.Our analysis suggests that ensemble prediction is needed to account for the sensitivity of forecasts to a relatively narrow range of environmental wind shear,moisture and vortex inner-structure.     

Precipitation Microphysical Characteristics of Typhoon Ewiniar (2018) before and after Its Final Landfall over Southern China

In this paper, the evolution of the microphysical characteristics in different regions(eyewall, inner core, and outer rainbands) and different quadrants [downshear left(DL), downshear right(DR), upshear left(UL), and upshear right(UR)]during the final landfall of Typhoon Ewiniar(2018) is analyzed using two-dimensional video disdrometer and S-band polarimetric radar data collected in Guangdong, China. Due to the different types of underlying surfaces, the periods before landfall(mainly dominated ...     

西北太平洋地区热带气旋闪电活动的气候学特征及其与气旋强度变化的关系

利用2005~2014年全球闪电定位网（WWLLN）资料和中国气象局提供的热带气旋（Tropical Cyclone,TC）位置和强度资料,分析了近10年西北太平洋地区228个TC中的闪电时空分布特征及其与气旋强度变化的关系。结果表明:TC闪电活动年际变化呈震荡分布,夏半年闪电活动比冬半年强,闪电频数日变化呈单峰分布,峰值出现在12:00（地方时,下同）,谷值出现在06:00。闪电密度呈三圈分布结构,内核区和外雨带区闪电密度较高,内雨带区最低;闪电密度空间不对称分布,最高值出现在TC南侧。TC强度改变时,内核区闪电密度随TC不同强度等级的分布与外雨带区不同。TC内核区闪电活动较外雨带区强,内核区和外雨带区的闪电密度最大值分别出现在TC快速增强和强度一般变化时;快速增强过程一般发生在中等强度的TC中,而快速减弱过程一般发生在强度较强的TC中。TC快速增强前后,内核区闪电活动变化比全部TC闪电和外雨带区明显,表明内核闪电活动较全部TC闪电和外雨带区闪电能更好的指示TC的快速增强。     

SIMULATED FINE STRUCTURES OF SPIRAL RAINBANDS IN TYPHOON CHANCHU (2006)

In this study, fine structures of spiral rainbands in super Typhoon Chanchu (2006) are examined using an Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecast (WRF-ARW) model simulation with the finest grid size of 2 km. Results show that the simulation reproduces well Typhoon Chanchu’s track, intensity and basic structures. According to their locations and features, spiral rainbands are classified into principal, secondary, inner and distant rainbands, and their dynamic and thermodynamic features are investigated. The principal rainbands remain quasi-stationary with respect to Chanchu’s center and exhibit a wavenumber-1 feature with their outer edges separated by dry air. The secondary rainbands that occur on the radially inward side of the principal rainbands move around Chanchu''s center. The inner rainbands are closest to the center. They propagate both radially outward and azimuthally with time. The distant rainbands are located outside the inner-core region, and have stronger and continuous updrafts compared to the other rainbands. Distant rainbands are inward-sloping with height along the radial direction and have a cold pool in the low layers, whereas the principal and secondary rainbands lean radially outward with height. The inner rainbands do not show tilting with height along the radial direction. However, there are few vertical tilting cells along the azimuthal orientation among the four types of rainbands. The simulated radar reflectivity cores in all rainbands are collocated with the maxima of updrafts and equivalent potential temperatures in the low layer, indicating the important roles of energy supply in the boundary layer in determining the development of the rainband convection.     

Reexamination of the Relationship between Tropical Cyclone Size and Intensity over the Western North Pacific

This study reexamines the correlation between the size and intensity of tropical cyclones (TCs) over the western North Pacific from the perspective of individual TCs, rather than the previous large-sample framework mixing up all TC records. Statistics show that the positive size-intensity correlation based on individual TCs is relatively high. However, this correlation is obscured by mixing large samples. The weakened correlation based on all TC records is primarily due to the diversity in the size change relative to the same intensity change among TCs, which can be quantitatively measured by the linear regression coefficient (RC) of size against intensity. To further explore the factors that cause the variability in RCs that weakens the size-intensity correlation when considering all TC records, the TCs from 2001 to 2020 are classified into two groups according to their RC magnitudes, within which the high-RC TCs have a larger size expansion than the low-RC TCs given the same intensity change. Two key mechanisms responsible for the RC differences are proposed. First, the high-RC TCs are generally located at higher latitudes than the low-RC TCs, resulting in higher planetary vorticity and thus higher planetary angular momentum import at low levels. Second, the high-RC TCs are susceptible to stronger environmental vertical wind shear, leading to more prolific outer convection than the low-RC TCs. The positive feedback between outer diabatic heating and boundary layer inflow favors the inward import of absolute angular momentum in the outer region, thereby contributing to a larger size expansion in the high-RC TCs.     

A COMPOSITE STUDY OF RAINFALL ASYMMETRY OF TROPICAL CYCLONES AFTER MAKING LANDFALL IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE

Based on observed rainfall data, this study makes a composite analysis of rainfall asymmetry in tropical cyclones(TCs) after making landfall in Guangdong province(GD) during 1998—2015. There are 3.0 TCs per year on average making landfall in GD and west of GD(WGD) has the most landfall TCs. Most of TCs make landfall in June,July, August, and September at the intensities of TY, STS, and TS. On average, there is more rainfall in the southwest quadrant of TC in CGD(center of GD), WGD, and GD as a whole, and the maximum rainfall is located in the southwest near the TC center. The mean TC rainfall in the east of GD(EGD) leans to the eastern side of TC. The TC rainfall distributions in June, July, August, and September all lean to the southwest quadrant and the maximum rainfall is located in the southwest near the TC center. The same features are found in the mean rainfall of TD, TS, STS, TY,and STY. The maximum rainfall is mainly in the downshear of vertical wind shear. Vertical wind shear is probably the dominate factor that determines asymmetric rainfall distribution of TCs in GD. Storm motion has little connection with TC rainfall asymmetry in GD.     

Insight into the Role of Lower-Layer Vertical Wind Shear in Tropical Cyclone Intensification over the Western North Pacific

Vertical wind shear fundamentally influences changes in tropical cyclone (TC) intensity. The effects of vertical wind shear on tropical cyclogenesis and evolution in the western North Pacific basin are not well understood. We present a new statistical study of all named TCs in this region during the period 2000-2006 using a second-generation partial least squares (PLS) regression technique. The results show that the lower-layer (between 850 hPa and 10 m above the sea surface) wind shear is more important than the commonly analyzed deep-layer shear (between 200 and 850 hPa) for changes in TC intensity during the TC intensification period. This relationship is particularly strong for westerly low-level shear. Downdrafts induced by the lower-layer shear bring low θ e air into the boundary layer from above, significantly reducing values of θ e in the TC inflow layer and weakening the TC. Large values of deep-layer shear over the ocean to the east of the Philippine Islands inhibit TC formation, while large values of lower-layer shear over the central and western North Pacific inhibit TC intensification. The critical value of deep-layer shear for TC formation is approximately 10 ms-1 , and the critical value of lower-layer shear for TC intensification is approximately ±1.5 ms-1 .     

SATELLITE-BASED ANALYSIS ON THE CONCENTRIC EYEWALL REPLACEMENT CYCLES OF SUPER TYPHOON MUIFA (1109)

Multisatellite data is used to analyze the characteristics of three eyewall replacement cycles (ERCs) during the lifetime of Typhoon Muifa (1109). Spiral rainbands evolutions, concentric eyewall (CE) structure modes, CE durations, and intensity changes are discussed in detail. In addition, an ERC evolution model of Typhoon Muifa is given. There are four main findings. (1) The outer spiral rainband joins end to end to form the outer eyewall after it disconnects from the original (inner) eyewall. The inner eyewall weakens as the outer eyewall becomes axisymmetric and is intensified. The contraction of the outer eyewall causes the inner eyewall to dissipate rapidly. Finally, the ERC ends with an annular eyewall or spiral rainbands. (2) Although the CE duration times of Typhoon Muifa’s three ERCs covered a large range, the CE structures were all maintained for approximately 5 h from the formation of the axisymmetric outer eyewall to the end of the cycle. (3) There is no obvious precipitation reflectivity in the eye or moat region for the subsidence flow. The convection within the two eyewalls is organized as a radially outward slope with increasing height. (4) Typhoon intensity estimation results based on ADT may not explain the intensity variations associated with ERC correctly, while the typhoon’s warm core data retrieved from AMSU-A works well.     

Effects of a Dry-Mass Conserving Dynamical Core on the Simulation of Tropical Cyclones

The accurate forecasting of tropical cyclones(TCs) is a challenging task. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a dry-mass conserving(DMC) hydrostatic global spectral dynamical core on TC simulation. Experiments were conducted with DMC and total(moist) mass conserving(TMC) dynamical cores. The TC forecast performance was first evaluated considering 20 TCs in the West Pacific region observed during the 2020 typhoon season. The impacts of the DMC dynamical core on forecasts o...     

The potential impacts of warmer-continent-related lower-layer equatorial westerly wind on tropical cyclone initiation

Global climate models predict that the increasing Amazonian-deforestation rates cause rising tempera- tures (increases of 1.8℃ to 8℃ under different conditions) and Amazonian drying over the 21st century. Observations in the 20th century also show that over the warmer continent and the nearby western South At- lantic Ocean, the lower-layer equatorial westerly wind (LLEWW) strengthens with the initiation of tropical cyclones (TCs). The warmer-continent-related LLEWW can result from the Coriolis-force-induced deflection of the cross-equatorial flow (similar to the well-known heat-island effect on sea breeze) driven by the enhanced land-sea contrast between the warmer urbanized continents and relatively cold oceans. This study focuses on the processes relating the warmer-continent-related LLEWW to the TC initiation and demonstrates that the LLEWW embedded in trade easterlies can directly initiate TCs by creating cyclonic wind shears and forming the intertropical convergence zone. In addition to this direct effect, the LLEWW combined with the rotating Earth can boost additional updraft vapor over the high sea-surface temperature region (factor 1), facilitating a surface-to-midtroposphere moist layer (factor 2) and convective instability (factor 3) followed by diabatic processes. According to previous studies, the diabatic heating in a finite equatorial region also activates TCs (factor 4) on each side of the Equator with weak vertical shear (factor 5). Factors 1-5 are favorable conditions for the initiation of severe TCs. Statistical analyses show that the earliest signal of sustained LLEWW not only leads the earliest signal of sustained tropical depression by >3 days but also explains a higher percentage of total variance.