DECADAL CHANGES IN WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONES ASSOCIATED WITH MADDEN–JULIAN OSCILLATION

This study focuses on the decadal variability of tropical cyclones (TC) over the Western North Pacific (WNP) and how these changes are related to the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO). It was done with the help of the Real-time Multivariate MJO index from the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology of the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, TC data from the Joint Typhoon Warming Center best track datasets, and daily and monthly datasets from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis center. The results show that the TC frequency in the WNP exhibited a statistically significant decrease during 1998–2010 compared to during 1979–1997. The decrease in TC frequency in the WNP mainly occurred during MJO active phases (i.e., phases 4, 5, 6, and 7). Further investigation of the climate background and the propagation differences of the MJO between 1979–1997 and 1998–2010 was performed. The La Ni?a-like tropical sea surface temperature cooling caused stronger Walker circulation and thus induced unfavorable atmosphere conditions for WNP TC genesis including a low-level easterly anomaly, a negative relative vorticity anomaly, an increase in sea-level pressure, and stronger vertical wind shear. Moreover, shortening of the MJO cycle, decline in the duration of the active phases in the WNP, and easterly anomaly and shrinkage of the convection area during MJO active phases may also partly explain the decadal variation of TC.     

CLIMATOLOGICAL FEATURES OF RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING (RI) TROPICAL CYCLONES IN NW PACIFIC WEST OF 135°E1

Tropical cyclones which rapidly intensify (ΔV≥ 20 m/s in 24 h)in the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of 135°E could have adverse influence on oceanic and coastal economic activities in China, 71% of which land in China. Rapid intensification is mostly seen east and northeast of the Luzon Island. It is much correlated with sea surface temperature(≥28℃)and upper air conditions, such as enhanced subtropical high, onset of Southwest monsoon surge, invasion of modest cold air, and Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough(TUTT) etc. Abovementioned processes enhance inflows in the low level and deep convection in the area of inner core. Statistics of satellite pixels have confirmed that rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones are marked by a sharp increase in the inner core convection and stable or slowly-increasing deep convection in outer region. Non-rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones have only constant or decreased deep convection in inner core and outer region. The sharp increasing of deep convection in the inner core and the rapid warming in its upper level is a forewarning of rapid intensification of tropical cyclones.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL CYCLONE GENESIS IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC DURING THE DEVELOPING AND DECAYING PHASES OF TWO TYPES OF EL NI?O

During the developing phase of central Pacific El Nio(CPEN), more frequent TC genesis over the northwest quadrant of the western North Pacific(WNP) is attributed to the horizontal shift of environmental vorticity field.Such a northwestward shift resembles the La Nia composite, even though factors that cause the shift differ(in the La Nia case the relative humidity effect is crucial). Greater reduction of TC frequency over WNP happened during the decaying phase of eastern Pacific El Nio(EPEN) than CPEN, due to the difference of the anomalous Philippine Sea anticyclone strength. The TC genesis exhibits an upward(downward) trend over the northern(southern) part of the WNP,which is linked to SST and associated circulation changes through local and remote effects.     

STUDY ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES ACTIVITY OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC IN 2004 AND THE CAUSATION

In this paper, we summarized the characteristics of tropical cyclones (TC) activity over the western North Pacific in 2004 and analyzed their causation. Compared with the normal, the annual frequency of TC in 2004 was slightly higher, tropical cyclones in 2004 had a longer life span and occurred in a concentrated period, the source of TC were situated eastward; in all tracks of TC, the recurvature tracks took up larger proportion, the landfall regions of TC were located northward, which concentrated from East China to Japan. The primary causes were revealed as follows. Firstly, the intensity and area of the western North Pacific subtropical high was stronger and larger than usual respectively, and its ridge was frequently in the form of cells and stretched northwestward. Secondly, the convergence of intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) was reinforced and the convergence zone moved more eastward than average. Thirdly, the meridionality of the westerlies was larger than average and the cell-shaped ridge formed a saddle region, which is in favor of TC northward motion and recurature.     

INTENSITY CHANGE CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AS REVEALED BY THREE DIFFERENT DATASETS

Analyzed in this paper are the 20-yr(1991-2010)tropical cyclone(TC)intensity from three forecast centers in the Western North Pacific,i.e.China Meteorological Administration(CMA),Japan Meteorological Agency(JMA),and Joint Typhoon Warning Center(JTWC)of the United States.Results show that there is more or less discrepancy in the intensity change of a TC among different datasets.The maximum discrepancy reaches 22 hPa/6h(42 hPa/6h,33 hPa/6h)between CMA and JMA(CMA and JTWC,JMA and JTWC).Special attention is paid to the records for abrupt intensity change,which is currently a difficult issue for forecasters globally.It is found that an abrupt intensity change process recorded by one dataset can have,in some extreme cases,intensity change in another dataset varying from 0 to≥10 hPa/6h with the same sign or the opposite sign.In a total of 2511 cases experiencing rapid intensity change,only 14%have consensus among all the three datasets and 25%have agreement between two of the three datasets.In spite of such a significant uncertainty,the three datasets agree on the general statistical characteristics of abrupt intensity change,including regional and seasonal distribution,the relationship with initial intensity and TC moving speed,and persistence features.Notable disagreement is on very strong systems(SuperTY)and TCs moving very fast.     

IMPACT OF TROPICAL INTRASEASONAL OSCILLATION ON THE TRACKS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC

In this work,an index of tropical 20-90 d oscillation(intra-seasonal oscillation;ISO)in the western North Pacific(WNP)was determined via the combined empirical orthogonal function(EOF)method using daily outgoing longwave radiation(OLR)field data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA),daily wind field data(at 850 hPa)from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF)and referencing the Madden-Julian oscillation(MJO)index proposed by Wheeler and Hendon.An in-depth investigation was conducted to examine the impact of the ISO on changes in tropical cyclone(TC)tracks in the WNP during different ISO phases.The research results indicate that during the easterly phase of the ISO,under the impact of the northeastern airflow of anti-cyclonic ISO circulation,the easterly airflow south of the western Pacific subtropical high is relatively weak,and TCs generated in the subtropical high tend to change their tracks east of 140°E;during the westerly phase,there is a relatively high probability that TCs change their tracks west of 140°E.This work also analyzed the ISO flow field situation in cases of typhoons and determined that the track of a tropical cyclone will experience a sudden right turn when the center of the ISO cyclonic(anti-cyclonic)circulation coincides with that of the cyclone.     

SIMULATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONES OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND LANDFALLING IN CHINA BY REGCM4

This study evaluates the performance of the regional climate model RegCM4 in simulating tropical cyclone (TC) activities over the Western North Pacific (WNP) and their landfalling in China. The model is driven by ERA-Interim boundary conditions at a grid spacing of 25 km, with the simulation period as 1991–2010. Results show that RegCM4 performs well in capturing the main structural features of observed TCs, and in simulating the genesis number and annual cycle of the genesis. The model reproduces the general pattern of the observed TC tracks and occurrence frequency. However, significant underestimation of the occurrence frequency as well as the TC intensity is found. Number of the landfalling TCs over China is also much less than the observed. Bias of the model in reproducing the large-scale circulation pattern and steering flow may contribute to the underestimated landfalling TC numbers.     

2008年西北太平洋热带气旋活动异常特征及成因分析

2008年西北太平洋热带气旋活动的特点:(1)初台异常偏早;(2)生成热带气旋异常偏少,但登陆热带气旋异常偏多,登陆热带气旋与生成热带气旋比例高;(3)从热带气旋的生成源地来看,2008年的热带气旋生成位置明显偏西.2008年热带气旋生成年频数异常偏少的主要原因:2008年仍处在生成热带气旋偏少的气候背景下,对流层低层...     

A CLIMATOLOGY OF EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION OF TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC

Based on best-track data and JRA-25 reanalysis, a climatology of western North Pacific extratropical transition (ET) of tropical cyclone (TC) is presented in this paper. It was found that 35% (318 out of 912) of all TCs underwent ET during 1979–2008. The warm-season (June through September) ETs account for 64% of all ET events with the most occurrence in September. The area 120°E–150°E and 20°N–40°N is the most favorable region for ET onsets in western North Pacific. The TCs experience ET at latitudes 30°N–40°N and have the greatest intensity in contrast to other latitude bands. The distribution of ET onset locations shows obviously meridional migration in different seasons. A cyclone phase space (CPS) method was used to analyze the TC evolution during ET. Except for some cases of abnormal ET at relatively high latitudes, typical phase evolution paths—along which TC firstly showed thermal asymmetry and an upper-level cold core and then lost its low-level warm core—can be used to describe the main features of ET processes in western North Pacific. Some seasonal variations of ET evolution paths in CPS were also found at low latitudes south of 15°N, which suggests different ET onset mechanisms there. Further composite analysis concluded that warm-season ETs have generally two types of evolutions, but only one type in cold season (October through next May). The first type of warm-season ETs has less baroclinicity due to long distance between the TC and upper-level mid-latitude system. However, significant interactions between a mid-latitude upper -level trough and TC, of either approaching or being absorbed into the trough, and TC’s relations with downstream and upstream upper-level jets, are the fingerprints for both a second type of warm-season ETs and almost all the cold-season ETs. For each type of ETs, detailed structural characteristics as well as precipitation distribution are illustrated by latitude.     

西北太平洋热带气旋路径异常偏折的分类特征

基于中国台风网CMA-STI热带气旋（TC）最佳路径资料,对1949—2016年西北太平洋TC路径发生异常偏折的地理位置进行K-means聚类分析,并将其分为五个区域。对各区TC路径异常偏折的频数、方向变化、周期及时间变率等特征进行分析。结果表明:(1)不同分区TC异常偏折高频月份不同,纬度较高区域主要发生在夏季,纬度较低区域则主要发生在秋季。(2)异常右折TC在发生偏折前移向主要为西北向,偏折后为北向;异常左折TC偏折前主要为北向,偏折后主要转为西北向。(3)西北太平洋TC异常偏折总频数存在准2~4年、准3~6年的年际变化周期,其长期变化趋势表现为20世纪80年代中期之前呈增加趋势,其后呈减少趋势, 低纬区域年变化与之最为相似,中高纬区域变化趋势不明显。（4）将研究区域按5 °×5 °进一步栅格化统计TC异常偏折频数的时间变率,发现其地理分布表现为中国沿海为正、台湾岛以东海域为负的变化特征。其中沿海的增加趋势主要由异常右折增加引起,台湾岛以东洋面的减弱趋势主要由异常左折的减少引起。(5)异常右折TC强度增强的高频中心主要位于菲律宾半岛以东洋面,次中心位于中国南海中部,而强度减弱位于台湾岛西南区域;异常左折TC强度增强的高频中心位于南海中部,强度减弱中心位于我国东南沿海。      

西北太平洋热带气旋迅速增强特征及其影响因子

选取西北太平洋上热带气旋(TC)24小时风速变化累积频率达95%所对应的15.4 m/s作为迅速增强(RI)的标准,研究了RI个例的基本特征以及TC自身特征因子与环境因子对RI的作用。结果表明,TC迅速增强过程的持续时间平均为33小时,最长可达78小时,并且TC经过迅速增强过程几乎都达到了台风级别以上,其中,一半以上达到了强台风级别以上。对比迅速增强(RI)和非迅速增强(non-RI)个例得到,RI个例相对于non-RI个例发生区域偏南偏东,两者的移动速度没有明显差异,但RI个例有较大向西移动分量并且前12小时增强较大;相对于non-RI个例,RI个例离最大潜在强度较远并且发生在较暖水区和55%～75%的低层相对湿度的条件下;RI个例发生在较小的垂直风切变和较弱的对流层上层东风气流情况下,由上层槽或冷低压引起的强迫弱于平均状况时RI较易发生。TC前12小时强度变化(DVMX)、海表面温度(SST)和垂直风切变(SHR)是影响迅速增强的主要因子,当DVMX≥6.3 m/s时RI发生的可能性最大,达到17.2%。当有若干个影响因子共同起作用时发生RI可能性显著增加,其中以较大的前12小时强度变化(DVMX≥6.3 m/s)、较高的海表面温度(SST≥29.4℃)、较弱的垂直风切变(SHR≤5.9 m/s)、较小的相对涡旋角动量通量辐合(REFC≤-1.6 m/(s.d))、偏东经度(LON≥138.2°E)和低纬度(LAT≤16.7°N)共同作用时,RI发生的可能性达到最大,可达66.7%。     

DIFFERENCES AMONG DIFFERENT DATABASES IN THE NUMBER OF TROPICAL CYCLONES FORMING OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC

As shown in comparisons of the characteristics of inter-annual and inter-decadal variability and periodical changes in the number of tropical cyclones forming over the western North Pacific by three major forecast centers, i.e. China Meteorological Administration (CMA), Regional Specialized Meteorological Center of Tokyo (JMA) and Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of Guam, there are the following important points. (1) Climatology of tropical cyclone (TC) or typhoon (TC on the intensity of TS or stronger) shows some difference in tropical cyclone frequency among the centers, which is more notable with TC than with typhoon. Both of them are more at the database of CMA than at those of the other two centers. (2) The difference is too significant to ignore in the inter-annual variability of tropical cyclone frequency between CMA and JTWC, which mainly results from the obvious difference in the inter-annual variability of the number of generated tropical depression (TD) between the two databases. The difference is small in the inter-annual variability of TS formations among all the three databases, and consistence is good between JMA and CMA or JTWC. (3) Though differences are not significant in the periodical variation of TC formations between CMA and JTWC, they are markedly apart in the inter-decadal variability, which is mainly shown by an anti-phase during the 1990s. (4) Non-homogeneity may exist around the late stage of the 1960s in the data of tropical cyclone frequency.     

ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURE EVOLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC DURING EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION

Fifty-eight extratropical transition (ET) cases in the years 2000-2008, including 2,021 observations (at 6-hour intervals), over the western North Pacific are analyzed using the cyclone phase space (CPS) method, in an effort to get the characteristics of the structure evolution and environmental conditions of tropical cyclones (TCs) during ET over this area. Cluster analysis of the CPS dataset shows that strong TCs are more likely to undergo ET. ET begins with the increment of thermal asymmetry in TCs, along with the generation and intensification of an upper-level cold core, and ends with the occurrence of a lower-level cold core. ET lasts an average duration of about 28 hours. Dynamic composite analysis of the environmental field of different clusters shows that, in general, when TCs move northward, they are gradually embedded in the westerlies and gradually transform into extratropical cyclones under the influence of the mid- and higher-latitude baroclinic systems. As for those TCs which complete ET, there is always much greater potential vorticity gradient in the northwest of them and obvious water vapor transport channels in the environment.