Feature modeling approach to simulating Loop Current Frontal Eddies

Loop Current Frontal Eddies (LCFE) in the Gulf of Mexico are simulated with a regional configuration of the Princeton Ocean Model using a feature-oriented initialization technique. The initialization procedure is based on a prior investigation of stability characteristics of the Loop Current (LC). Zonal channel experiments conducted with a multi-layer intermediate equations model allowed to identify conditions necessary for formation and growth of frontal eddies. The simulations were able to reproduce key features of LCFE-topography interaction in the DeSoto Canyon region observed during the “Eddy Intrusion” study.     

Cyclone and bioturbation effects on sediments from coral reef lagoons

Despite the severity of tropical cyclone ‘Winifred’, which crossed the Great Barrier Reef on 1 February 1986, there were little long-term effects on lagoon surface sediments from reefs in its path. Short-term effects were apparent only at one particularly exposed area. These were: an increase in proportion of the coarse fraction, the establishment of sand ripples, and the destruction of the mounds produced by callianassid shrimps (normally the dominant topographic feature). Within six weeks this area was indistinguishable from a typical reef lagoon. This is probably the result of sediment reworking by callianassid shrimp, involving selective burial of the coarse fragments and transport to the surface of finer particles. Sediment turnover rates by callianassids are commensurate with change to the sediment within the relatively short period observed. The sediment fauna responded quickly to the changes in sediment type. Immediately after the cyclone the disturbed area supported a fauna typical of the coarse sediments on the shallow reef flat, as the sediment reverted to a more normal type so the fauna changed back to that typical of a reef lagoon.     

Quantifying Storm Tide Risk in Cairns

The United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR)gave rise to an increasing level of attention to the risks posed by a range of naturalhazards and the development of strategies by which to reduce those risks. It waswidely recognised that in order to evaluate risk treatment strategies it was necessaryto `measure' the level of risk that already existed and the level of risk that would beencountered with the treatment strategy(s) in place.This paper outlines the methodology developed under the AGSO (now GeoscienceAustralia) Cities Project to quantify the risk associated with storm tide inundation. It includes the methodology for `measuring' the level of community exposure to storm tide hazards and the methodology for `measuring' community vulnerability. The Far North Queensland city of Cairns is used as the case study to demonstrate the application of these methods.     

Community Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones: Cairns, 1996–2000

This paper is a partial discussion of a four-year study that investigated the vulnerability of the people living in the Cairns region to the tropical cyclone hazard. The longitudinal case study, focussing on the Cairns Northern Beaches area, was unique in that it included a social and societal `pre-cyclone impact' evaluation of various resident communities within the region, and then two consecutive `post-cyclone impact' studies. The primary research method supported an inductive qualitative approach to the collection and analysis of survey data. Some quantitative methods were invoked to support qualitative research findings. Survey data was collected in five separate questionnaire-based social surveys that were administered between 1996 and 2000. During the study, residents experiencedthe direct impact of two land-falling tropical cyclones. In addition to this, targeted andfocussed tropical cyclone awareness education was made increasingly available withinthe community. The social and demographic attributes that influence the individual'sperception of risk and contribute to our understanding of community vulnerability were examined and evaluated. Changes in the residents' attitudes, cyclone preparednessbehaviours and willingness to respond to cyclone warnings were monitored and measured. Analysis of early survey data indicated that community residents generally had some knowledge of cyclones but a limited understanding of cyclone processes and very little direct personal experience of the cyclone hazard. Individually and collectively, residents frequently demonstrated a biased perception of the risks associated with cyclones. The resident community was shown to be fragmented, with limited support being available to individual households. Initially, residents were found to be poorly prepared for cyclones and unlikely to respond to warnings appropriately. It appeared that, in the event of a land-falling tropical cyclone impacting the area, the community was highly vulnerable to unnecessary loss of property, livelihood and – in extreme circumstances – life. By 2000, Cairns community residents were somewhat better informed about cyclones and certainly more experienced. This paper provides some insight into how cyclone experience and education may synergisticly have contributed to a change in risk perceptions and a reduction in the vulnerability of Cairns residents to the tropical cyclone and storm surge hazards.     

ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE DIAGNOSIS OF OCEANIC EXPLOSIVE CYCLONES*

Using the data of ECMWF (European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts) to undertake composite diagnoses of 16 explosive cyclones occurring at the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans,it is found that there are a lot of obvious discrepancies on the basic fields between these strong and weak explosive cyclones.The major reasons why the explosive cyclones over the Atlantic are stronger than those over the Pacific Ocean are that the non-zonal upper jet and the low-level warm moist flow over the Atlantic are stronger.The non-zonal upper jet offers stronger divergence,baroclinicity and baroclinic instability fields for explosive cyclones.Anticyclonic curvature at the high level of strong explosive cyclones is easy to make the inertia-gravitational wave developing at the moment of northward transfer of energy and stimulate the cyclones deepening quickly.Warm advection and diabatic heating can cause the upper isobaric surface lifting,as a result,the anticyclone curvature of cyclones enlarges,and wave energy develops easily as well.The most powerful period of the development of explosive cyclones is just the time when the positive vorticity advection center is located over the low vortex.At the upper level,when the distribution of potential vorticity contours changes suddenly from rareness to denseness,and the large values of the potential vorticity both in the west and north sides of cyclones extend downwards together,then cyclones are easy to explosively develop.The formation of strong explosive cyclones is closely related with the non-zonality of upper jet and the anticyclonic curvature.     

Meteorological Office, Pune-411 005

Natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, tropicalcyclones, heat and cold wavewreak havoc and cause tremendous loss ofproperty all over the world. Most ofthe natural disasters are either dueto weather or are triggered due toweather related processes.Extreme weather events claimed thousands oflives and caused damage on vastscale. Recent super cyclone which affectedOrissa in 1999, Bangladesh cyclone of1970 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 areexamples of some of the more damagingtropical cyclones which affected developingas well as the developed world. Heatand cold waves are also extreme events,which cause enormous losses in terms oflives lost and human discomfort and ailmentsarising out of them. The heat waveof 1995 and 1998 are still fresh in the mindof the Indian public. The estimated lossof human lives due to heat wave in 1998 was morethan 15,000. Economic losses asa result of these disasters and in particular inassociation with tropical cyclones haveincreased enormously over the last three decades.During 1961–1991, total loss oflives from drought alone was 1,333,728 overthe whole world. In terms of economiclosses, there is 8–10 fold increase from thebase figure of 1960. The socio-economicimpact of natural disaster is complex dependingupon the vulnerability of the placeand mitigation strategies that are put in place.Meteorology plays a crucial role in forewarningpeople about the severe/extremeweather systems and a constant endeavour by themeteorological services worldover has gone a long way towards minimizing thelosses caused by natural disasters.The paper summarises the natural disasterstatistics over south Asia and the possibleprediction strategies for combating theirsocio-economic impacts.     

Tropical Cyclone Genesis Potential Index for Bay of Bengal During Peak Post-Monsoon (October-November) Season Including Atmosphere-Ocean Parameters

Several studies on tropical cyclone genesis potential index (GPI) mainly using atmospheric parameters (relative/absolute vorticity, relative humidity, vertical wind shear, potential instability, vertical velocity etc.) have been reported earlier. Though the ocean plays a vital role in the genesis and intensification of cyclones, no ocean parameter has been included in most of the studies. In this study, we have made an attempt to develop a new GPI for Bay of Bengal during peak post-monsoon (October-November) season including upper ocean heat content (UOHC) using the data for the period 1995–2015. It is found that the new GPI is better correlated with the total number of depressions, cyclones and severe cyclones (TNDC) compared with the existing GPI which was developed for the north Indian Ocean and presently used by India Meteorological Department (IMD), New Delhi. The correlation has significantly enhanced (r=0.86:significant at >99% level) by using the first differences [year(0) –year(?1)] of the time series data. Since, the new GPI which considers atmosphere and ocean (UOHC) parameters, it appears to be more suitable for Bay of Bengal during the peak post-monsoon season.     

Remote Sensing Observations of Ocean Surface Chlorophyll and Temperature with the Impact of Cyclones and Depressions over the Bay of Bengal Water

MODIS-Aqua derived eight-day composite chlorophyll concentration data analyzed to study the impact of cyclones and depressions on the Bay of Bengal productivity. A total of 15 cyclonic storms and depressions picked up from the India Meteorological Department datasets. MODIS-Aqua data analyzed during October 2002 to December 2009. There was observation of depressions (D), deep depressions (DD), cyclonic storms (CS), severe cyclonic storms (SCS), and very severe cyclonic storms (VSCS) with categories of intensities (“T” numbers 1.5–6) and wind speeds (25–108 knots). The chlorophyll concentration observed to be high (1.0–5.0 mg/m³) with the impact in the coastal and offshore waters. Quickscat scatterometer data showed high wind speed (about 10 meters/second). Sea surface temperature (SST) observed to be decreased (roughly 2°C) with effect of cyclones. The cyclone numbers, intensity, and chlorophyll concentration has been observed to be increasing from 2002 to 2009, with observation of VSCS “Sidr” during 2007. The study would be interesting to link carbon flux/sequestration, marine food chain, and harnessing fishery resources in a postcyclone period.     

华南地区7-10月两类区域性极端降水事件特征及环流异常对比

利用1981—2016年7—10月中国753站逐日降水资料、气象信息综合分析处理系统（MICAPS）逐日站点降水资料、日本东京台风中心西北太平洋热带气旋（TC）最佳路径资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料集,分析了华南地区区域性日降水极端事件（RDPE事件）的统计特征及环流异常。根据华南地区RDPE事件的发生是否受热带气旋影响将其分为TCfree-RDPE和TCaff-RDPE两类事件,其中TCaff-RDPE事件占42%且集中发生在8月4—5候;TCfree-RDPE事件以7月发生频数最多,占其总频次的1/2以上。TCfree-RDPE事件发生时,华南地区受异常气旋性环流控制,来自西太平洋和中国南海的暖湿气流与北方冷气团在此汇合并形成一条狭长的水汽辐合带,低层辐合、高层辐散,显著强烈的上升运动为TCfree-RDPE事件的发生与维持提供了有利条件;与此同时,波扰动能量由高原东北侧及河西走廊地区向华南一带传播并在华南显著辐合,有利于华南上空扰动的发展和维持。TCaff-RDPE事件发生时,华南上空由低层到高层的斜压环流结构更为明显,异常上升运动更加强烈,热带气旋在其运动过程中携带了大量源自孟加拉湾、中国南海和西太平洋地区的水汽并输送至华南地区,水汽辐合气流更为强盛。同时,波扰动能量由高纬度地区沿河西走廊向下游传播,但在华南地区辐合不甚明显。两类极端事件发生时,加热场上的差异亦明显。华南及邻近地区上空的大气净加热及其南侧大范围区域的净冷却所形成的加热场梯度对TCfree-RDPE事件的发生有利。而TCaff-RDPE事件发生时,〈Q₁〉和〈Q₂〉在经向上由18°N以南、华南及其邻近地区、32°N以北呈负—正—负的异常分布型,正距平值更高,加热场梯度更大,有利于TCaff-RDPE事件的维持。这些结果有利于人们认识和预测华南区域性日降水极端事件的发生。      

用赤道东太平洋海温预报西太平洋热带气旋年际变化的探讨

根据实际应用中统计预报对相关系数的基本要求,利用相关分析探讨了用赤道东太平洋海温预测西太平洋热带气旋年际变化的可行性。同时,利用谱分析方法探讨了这种预报的有效性和局限性。主要结论是:用区域(5°N—5°S,90—150°W)的平均海温预测西太平洋热带气旋的年际变化,效果比使用赤道东太平洋海温好,用前者可预测西太平洋中区各类热带气旋的年际变化,用后者只能预测西太平洋全区及中区热带气旋总体的年际变化,对达到热带风暴或台风的热带气旋的年际变化则分别是勉强能或不能预测;用赤道东太平洋海温无法预测南海热带气旋的年际变化;用赤道东太平洋海温预测西太平洋热带气旋活动实际上只对年际变化中的ENSO(3—5年)周期及准二年周期有效。