The role of wave energy accumulation in tropical cyclogenesis over the tropical North Atlantic

A hierarchical modeling approach is used to study the process by which interactions of easterly waves with the background flow can result in a reduction in the longitudinal and vertical scale of the waves. Theory suggests that in flows that possess a negative longitudinal gradient (U _x  < 0) there is a reduction of longitudinal and vertical group speeds and an increase in regional wave action density (or “wave energy”). Relative vorticity increases locally leading to an increase in the likelihood of tropical cyclogenesis near the wave axis. Opposite impacts on the structure of the waves is expected in a U _x  > 0 domain. In the simplified framework of a free-surface and divergent shallow water model, Rossby wave properties are tracked through a range of background flow scenarios to determine the important scales of interaction. The importance of wave energy accumulation for tropical cyclogenesis is then studied in a full physics and dynamics model using a nested regional climate model simulation, at 12 km horizontal grid spacing, over the tropical North Atlantic region for the entire 2005 hurricane season. The dynamical environment within which 70% of easterly waves formed tropical cyclones exhibits coherent regions in which easterly winds increase towards the east, consistent with the occurrence of wave energy accumulation.     

季风涡旋影响西北太平洋台风生成初步分析

西北太平洋对流层低层大尺度低频环流季风涡旋与台风生成有密切的关系。利用时间滤波方法将季风涡旋和台风环流从逐日台风风场中分离出来,对两次季风涡旋活动个例分析发现,气旋初始扰动都首先出现在季风涡旋中心东部,一次季风涡旋活动可以伴随着一个或几个热带气旋的生成。通过进一步分析2000—2009年季风涡旋活动与热带气旋的生成关系发现,虽然季风涡旋的定义与环流强度和持续时间有关,但是热带气旋的生成位置大多数分布在季风涡旋的中心和东部,这可能与季风涡旋的Rossby波能量频散有关。     

Recent trends in Australian region tropical cyclone activity

Summary The number of tropical cyclones observed in the Australian region (south of equator; 105–160° E) has apparently declined since the start of reliable (satellite) observations in the 1969/70 season. However, the number of more intense cyclones (with minimum pressures dropping to 970 hPa or lower) has increased slightly. The numbers of weak (minimum pressures not dropping below 990 hPa) and moderate systems (minimum pressures between 970 and 990 hPa) have declined. Possible reasons for these different trends are discussed. The decline in the number of weaker cyclones may at least partly reflect improved understanding of the nature of some weak systems. The decline in the number of cyclones more intense than 990 hPa primarily reflects the downward trend in the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Previous work has demonstrated that the number of tropical cyclones observed in the Australian region each cyclone season is related to the value of the SOI prior to the start of the cyclone season. This relationship is clearest with the number of moderate cyclones. The SOI is only weakly related to the number of intense or weak cyclones. The increase in the number of intense cyclones is not attributable to the trend in the SOI. Nor is there clear reason, at present, to suspect that it is artificial (i.e., due to changes in observing or analysis techniques).With 7 Figures     

Indo-Japanese lidar observations of the tropical middle atmosphere during 1998 and 1999

A state-of-the art Rayleigh and Mie backscattering lidar was set up at Gadanki (13.5N, 79.2E) in the Tropics in India. Using this system, regular observations of upper tropospheric clouds, aerosols at stratospheric heights and atmospheric temperatures in the range from 30 to 80 km were made. In this paper, the data collected during the period of 1998–99 were selected for systematic investigation and presentation. The Mie scattering lidar system is capable of measuring the degree of depolarization in the laser backscattering. Several tropical cirrus cloud structures have been identified with low to moderate ice content. Occasionally, thin sub-visible cirrus clouds in the vicinity of the tropical tropopause have also been detected. The aerosol measurements in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere show low aerosol content with a vertical distribution up to 35 km altitude. Rayleigh-scattering lidar observations reveal that at the tropical site, temperature inversion occurs at mesospheric heights. Atmospheric waves have induced perturbations in the temperatures for several times at the upper stratospheric heights. A significant warming in the lower mesosphere associated with a consistent cooling in the upper stratospheric heights is observed particularly in the winter season during the events of sudden stratospheric warming (SSW).     

Intensified impact of northern tropical Atlantic SST on tropical cyclogenesis frequency over the western North Pacific after the late 1980s

Previous studies suggest that spring SST anomalies over the northern tropical Atlantic(NTA) affect the tropical cyclone(TC) activity over the western North Pacific(WNP) in the following summer and fall. The present study reveals that the connection between spring NTA SST and following summer–fall WNP TC genesis frequency is not stationary. The influence of spring NTA SST on following summer–fall WNP TC genesis frequency is weak and insignificant before, but strong and significant after, the late 1980 s. Before the late 1980 s, the NTA SST anomaly-induced SST anomalies in the tropical central Pacific are weak, and the response of atmospheric circulation over the WNP is not strong. As a result, the connection between spring NTA SST and following summer–fall WNP TC genesis frequency is insignificant in the former period. In contrast,after the late 1980 s, NTA SST anomalies induce pronounced tropical central Pacific SST anomalies through an Atlantic–Pacific teleconnection. Tropical central Pacific SST anomalies further induce favorable conditions for WNP TC genesis,including vertical motion, mid-level relative humidity, and vertical zonal wind shear. Hence, the connection between NTA SST and WNP TC genesis frequency is significant in the recent period. Further analysis shows that the interdecadal change in the connection between spring NTA SST and following summer–fall WNP TC genesis frequency may be related to the climatological SST change over the NTA region.     

季风槽内热带气旋生成的基本特征分析

利用美国关岛联合台风警报中心(JTWC)所提供的热带气旋(TC)、热带扰动、TBB、QuikSCAT观测风场和NCEP再分析风场等资料,统计了生成于季风槽内的TC(MTC),归纳了与MTC生成有关的季风槽主要模态,并进一步分析了不同季风槽模态下MTC生成的基本规律及其生成过程中中尺度对流系统(MCS)活动的时空特征.结...     

Intraseasonal modulation of tropical cyclogenesis in the western North Pacific: a case study

The temporal clustering of the western North Pacific tropical cyclogenesis and its modulation by the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) during the 1991 summer were examined based on the tropical cyclone best track, outgoing longwave radiation, and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis datasets. The wavelet analysis shows that convective activities around the monsoon trough in the western North Pacific possessed a distinct MJO with a period of 20–60 days. Two or more tropical cyclones were observed to form successively during each active phase of the MJO, and tropical cyclones tended to generate around the southeastern part of the maximum vorticity of the low-frequency cyclonic circulation during the developing and peak stages of the active MJO phase. But tropical cyclogenesis scarcely occurred during inactive MJO phases. Thus the MJO was a major agent in modulating repeated development of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific during the 1991 summer. The MJO in circulation was characterized by a huge anomalous cyclone (anticyclone) in the lower troposphere existing alternately over the western North Pacific, leading to an enhanced (weakened) monsoon trough. An examination of the meridional gradient of absolute vorticity associated with the zonal flow indicates that the zonal flow in the monsoon trough region satisfied the necessary conditions for barotropic instability, with both zonal flow and the meridional gradient of absolute vorticity varying on the similar MJO timescale. The intraseasonal oscillation of such an unstable zonal flow might thus be an important mechanism for temporal clustering of tropical cyclogenesis in the western North Pacific. The barotropic conversion could provide a major energy source for the formation and growth of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific during active MJO phases, with the eddy kinetic energy generation being dominated by both terms of eddies interacting with zonal and meridional gradients of the basic zonal flow.     

Wave dynamics of super cloud clusters over the tropical region

A wave dynamics for the super cloud clusters associated with the tropical intraseasonal oscillation is constructed. Under the present framework, the basic state of super cloud clusters is considered to be a large-scale convergence of the zonal wind. This convergence is created by a nonlinear diabatic Kelvin wave front, which moves eastward slowly without change of shape. When interacting with free equatorial waves with n=−1, 0, 1 and 2, this basic flow will suppress those waves which move eastward except for free Kelvin waves, and permit westward propagating modes such as the mixed Rossby-gravity wave, the inertio-gravity waves with n=1 and 2 to appear in the large-scale convergent region. Among these waves, only fast modes, that is, inertio-gravity waves with n=1 and 2 are regarded to be responsible for the presence of cloud clusters which move westward within a super cloud cluster, while the multiplicity of the occurrences of super cloud clusters, which move eastward within the large-scale convergent region, is due to the superposition of free Kelvin wave upon these inertio-gravity waves.     

影响2018年盛夏热带气旋群发的多尺度环流特征

以2018年盛夏一次典型的热带气旋群发(Multiple Tropical Cyclogenesis,MTC)事件为例,分析了多尺度环流(包括大尺度环流、季节内振荡及热带波动等)对MTC的影响,并探讨了MTC群发期和间歇期整层大气垂直扰动场的差异。结果表明:1)2018年盛夏西北太平洋经历了一次持续时间长达16 d有8个TC相继生成的MTC群发期和紧接着长达19 d仅1个TC生成的MTC间歇期;2)MTC群发期越赤道气流增强,季风槽加强东伸,南海和西北太平洋上空低层辐合高层辐散的环流配置有利于TC生成;3)夏季东亚-西北太平洋季节内振荡北传对MTC次季节变化具有显著的调制作用,MTC群发期(间歇期)南海和西北太平洋正好处于一次较强的季节内振荡(Intraeasonal Oscillation,ISO)北传湿(干)位相上;4)群发期内8个TC的生成皆与热带波动有关,其中5个同时受两种热带波动的影响,热带波动通过改变局地热动力状况为TC生成提供触发条件;5)多尺度环流的共同影响最终导致MTC群发期和间歇期在温压扰动场配置、垂直运动扰动和比湿扰动的垂直结构特征上表现出显著的差异,扰动分析法的应用为MTC生成的延伸期预报提供了一个新的思路。     

Modulation of tropical cyclogenesis in the western North Pacific by the quasi-biweekly oscillation

The quasi-biweekly oscillation(QBWO) is the second most dominant intraseasonal mode over the western North Pacific(WNP) during boreal summer. In this study, the modulation of WNP tropical cyclogenesis(TCG) by the QBWO and its association with large-scale patterns are investigated. A strong modulation of WNP TCG events by the QBWO is found.More TCG events occur during the QBWO's convectively active phase. Based on the genesis potential index(GPI), we further evaluate the role of environmental factors in affecting WNP TCG. The positive GPI anomalies associated with the QBWO correspond well with TCG counts and locations. A large positive GPI anomaly is spatially correlated with WNP TCG events during a life cycle of the QBWO. The low-level relative vorticity and mid-level relative humidity appear to be two dominant contributors to the QBWO-composited GPI anomalies during the QBWO's active phase, followed by the nonlinear and potential intensity terms. These positive contributions to the GPI anomalies are partly offset by the negative contribution from the vertical wind shear. During the QBWO's inactive phase, the mid-level relative humidity appears to be the largest contributor, while weak contributions are also made by the nonlinear and low-level relative vorticity terms.Meanwhile, these positive contributions are partly cancelled out by the negative contribution from the potential intensity.The contributions of these environmental factors to the GPI anomalies associated with the QBWO are similar in all five flow patterns—the monsoon shear line, monsoon confluence region, monsoon gyre, easterly wave, and Rossby wave energy dispersion associated with a preexisting TC. Further analyses show that the QBWO strongly modulates the synoptic-scale wave trains(SSWs) over the WNP, with larger amplitude SSWs during the QBWO's active phase. This implies a possible enhanced(weakened) relationship between TCG and SSWs during the active(inactive) phase. This study improves our understanding of the modulation of WNP TCG by the QBWO and thus helps with efforts to improve the intraseasonal prediction of WNP TCG.     

Intense mesocyclones in the Black Sea region

The statistical study of intense mesoscale cyclones formed in the Black Sea region in 1979-2013 is carried out using the surface wind data of the RegCM climate model. Such cyclone parameters as intensity, lifetime, area, height, and trajectories over the sea as well as the place and time of origin are considered. The distribution of mesocyclones by months and times of day is considered. The obtained results are compared with the results of a statistical study on the Black Sea mesocyclones based on the PRECIS climate model. Possible causes for differences in data on the intensity and number of mesocyclones simulated by RegCM and PRECIS models are considered.     

Role of synoptic-scale forcing in cyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal

The cyclone frequency distribution over the Bay of Bengal during 1990–2009 was distinctly bimodal, with a primary post-monsoon peak and a secondary pre-monsoon peak, despite the very high convective available potential energy (CAPE) during the pre-monsoon. The location of the monsoon trough over the bay is a primary factor in tropical cyclogenesis. Because the trough was in the northernmost bay during the pre-monsoon season, cyclogenesis was inactive in the southern bay, where a strong southwesterly wind shear was found. In this season, moreover, a hot, dry air mass extending vertically from 950 to 600 hPa was advected from northwestern India toward the bay. Moist, warm southwesterly winds penetrating below the deep, dry air mass caused a prominent dryline to form aloft on the northwestern side of the bay. The synoptic-scale hot, dry air forcing to the bay suppressed the active convection necessary for cyclogenesis. The strength of the stable environmental layer, represented by convective inhibition (CIN), was extremely large, and acted as a cap over the northern and northwestern bay. Conversely, during the post-monsoon, there were no horizontal temperature or moisture gradients, and CAPE and CIN were fairly modest. The entire bay was covered by a very deep, moist layer from the surface to 700 hPa transported from the east. The monsoon trough position and the environmental CIN in combination can explain the lower frequency of cyclogenesis during the pre-monsoon compared with the post-monsoon season.     

西北太平洋台风尺度与强度变化之间关系初探

为探究西北太平洋台风尺度对台风强度变化的影响,从美国联合台风预警中心(JTWC)2006—2015年最优路径(best track)观测资料中筛选出快速增强和非快速增强两类台风样本,采用台风最大风速半径(RMW)、34 kn(1 kn=0.51 m/s)风速等值线半径(AR34)和最外围闭合等压线半径(ROCI)三个尺度参数,初步分析了台风尺度与强度变化之间的关系。结果表明:内核尺度(RMW和AR34)与台风强度变化之间存在显著负相关,而外核尺度(ROCI)与台风强度变化之间的相关性较弱。经历和未经历快速增强过程的两类台风的初始尺度,前者显著小于后者。可以使用RMW和AR34代表的尺度参数来辅助中小尺度台风的强度预报和快速增强过程的预测。     

On the role of the planetary boundary layer in cyclogenesis over the ocean: Research note

Abstract

The importance of boundary‐layer convergence of mass and water vapour on the pressure tendency is studied. Mass convergence tends to fill the low while moisture convergence deepens it, owing to the subsequent release of latent heat. It is estimated that at dew points above about 18°C, the moisture convergence effect becomes dominant; that is, the C1SK mechanism is important at high dew points.     

Changes in extended boreal summer tropical cyclogenesis associated with large-scale flow patterns over the western North Pacific in response to the global warming hiatus

Climate Dynamics - This study examines extended boreal summer (May–October) tropical cyclogenesis events (TCGEs) associated with large-scale flow patterns (LFPs) over the western North...     

基于1998/1999年HUBEX强化观测资料的水文过程模拟

考虑流域空间变异性,基于数字高程模型,构建淮河流域能量和水循环试验(HUBEX)水文强化观测区-史灌河流域的数字水系.在此基础上,应用新安江模型计算蒋集控制站1980～1987年日流量过程.结果表明,基于数字流域的水文模型明显优于传统水文模型.同时,对1998/1999年史灌河流域黄泥庄站和蒋集站的径流过程及土壤水分时间序列过程进行了检验,结果令人满意.     

Interannual variability of winter precipitation over northwest India and adjoining region: impact of global forcings

The role of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the mechanism through which ENSO influences the precipitation variability over northwest India and the adjoining (NWIA) region is well documented. In this study, the relative role of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)/Arctic Oscillation (AO) and ENSO in modulating the Asian jet stream in the Northern Hemisphere winter and their relative impact on the precipitation variability over the region have been estimated through analysis of observed data. It is seen that interannual variations of NWIA precipitation are largely influenced by ENSO. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis has been carried out to understand dominant modes of interannual variability of zonal wind at 200 hPa of the Northern Hemisphere. The EOF-1 pattern in the tropical region is similar to that of an ENSO pattern, and the principal component (PC) time series corresponds to the ENSO time series. The EOF-2 spatial pattern resembles that of NAO/AO with correlation of PC time series with AO and NAO being 0.74 and 0.62, respectively. The precipitation anomaly time series over the region of interest has marginally higher correlation with the PC-2 time series as compared to that of PC-1. Regression analysis of precipitation and circulation parameters indicates a larger contribution of the second mode to variability of winds and precipitation over the NWIA. Moisture transport from the Arabian Sea during the active phase of NAO/AO and the presence of a cyclonic anomaly lead to higher precipitation over the NWIA region.     

1999年我国天气气候特点

１９９９年我国主要天气气候特点可概括为：大部地区冬春连旱,夏季南涝北旱,秋季旱渍并存。全国持续偏暖,但幅度已较１９９８年有所下降,而且阶段性变化也更趋明显,部分地区遭受了高温或低温霜冻危害。热带风暴生成和登陆我国的个偏省;沙尘暴异常偏早;风雹偏省,损失轻;雾日较多。