A study of track deflection associated with the landfall of Tropical Cyclone Sidr (2007) over the Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh

In this study, the dynamics of track deflection associated with Tropical Cyclone (TC) Sidr (2007) are explored using a numerical weather prediction model. It is found that (a) the simulated track of Sidr is sensitive to flow, orographic, and model vertical structure that change the environmental steering flow leading to the track deflection. In particular, the track of TC Sidr is deflected northwestward for cases with lower domain height, horizontal domain covering only part of Himalaya mountains, and varying mountain heights; (b) the simulated track of TC Sidr, when compared with GFS reanalysis data, is mainly controlled by its deep-layer environmental steering flow as a point vortex; (c) the northwestward deflection with lower domain height is caused by an artificially larger high pressure at lower levels in the vicinity of the Himalayas, due to the upward propagation of wave energy being reflected by the upper domain boundary; (d) the significant northwestward deflection associated with the varying mountain height cases is due to the cyclone vortex being advected by the northeasterly monsoonal flow, which is blocked by the mountains in the corresponding cases with mountains; (e) the northeastward track deflection after the landfall of Sidr is explained by the addition of the frictional force.In summary, the model vertical domain height and the Himalaya mountain representation play key roles in influencing the accuracy of TC Sidr track simulation, compared with other factors, such as the vertical resolution, at least for TC Sidr.     

Effects of vertical wind shear and storm motion on tropical cyclone rainfall asymmetries over the North Indian Ocean

Tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall asymmetry is often influenced by vertical wind shear and storm motion. This study examined the effects of environmental vertical wind shear (200-850 hPa) and storm motion on TC rainfall asymmetry over the North Indian Ocean (NIO): the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and the Arabian Sea (AS). Four TC groups were used in this study: Cyclonic Storm (CS), Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS), Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) and Extreme Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS). The Fourier coefficients for wave number-1 was used to analyze the structure of TC rainfall asymmetry. Results show that the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry was predominantly in the downshear left quadrant in the BoB, while it placed to downshear right quadrant in the AS, likely due to the different primary circulation strength of the TC vortex. For the most intense cyclone (ESCS), the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry was in the upshear left quadrant in the BoB, whereas it was downshear right quadrant in the AS. It is evident for both basins that the magnitude of TC rainfall asymmetry declined (increased) with TC intensity (shear strength). This study also examined the collective effects of vertical wind shear and storm motion on TC rainfall asymmetry. Here, the analysis in case of the strong shear environment (>7 m s^-1) omitted for the AS because the maximum value for this basin was about 7 m s^-1. The result showed that the downshear left quadrant was dominant in the BoB for the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry. In a weak shear environment (<5 m s^-1), on the other hand, downshear right quadrant is evident for the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry in the BoB, while it placed dominantly downshear left quadrant in the AS. In the case of motion-relative wavenumber-1, the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry was dominantly downshear for both basins.     

黄海气旋数值模拟的可视化

对一次黄海气旋数值模拟进行了可视化研究, 给出了气旋云系、锋面、流场、涡度场的立体图像, 展示了可视化软件Live View在数值模拟研究中有广阔的应用前景.     

热带测雨卫星对淮河一次暴雨降水结构与闪电活动的研究

文中利用热带测雨卫星 (TRMM )搭载的测雨雷达 (PR)、闪电成像仪 (LIS)、GOES卫星红外通道辐射亮温(TBB)对 2 0 0 3年淮河汛期一锋面气旋系统的两个时次的探测结果 ,分析研究了降水结构及闪电活动 ,并与“98.7.2 0”武汉附近地区中尺度强降水的结构和闪电活动进行了比较。GOES的TBB、降水系统中的对流降水与层云降水比例、闪电活动频数随时间的变化均能表征锋面气旋系统的发展。TRMMPR探测结果表明 :冷锋降水狭窄细长 ,且均为强对流降水 (特别在冷锋加强时 ) ;暖锋宽广 ,且为大片层云降水 ,但其中存在面积不等的强对流降水云团 ;与“98.7.2 0”武汉附近地区中尺度强降水垂直结构的比较表明 ,锋面气旋降水的最大降水率出现在近地面 ,而中尺度强降水的最大降水率出现在低空 (3.0～ 3.5km) ,表明两者之间的降水微物理过程存在差别。TRMMLIS探测结果表明 :闪电活动均发生在冷锋的强对流降水云团中 ,暖锋中虽有强对流降水 ,但无闪电活动 ;闪电活动频数高所对应的降水廓线中、上部存在大量的冰相粒子。     

多尺度天气分析理论和应用Ⅱ:锋面和气旋的形成机制

利用多尺度天气分析理论,研究了锋面和气旋的形成机制.结果表明,冷、暖气团是由不同性质的亚微团在环境力的作用下向不同方向运动而形成的,而它们的交界面就是锋面.急流附近强动能梯度力能促进微团的分离,因此锋面与急流有很好的对应关系.另外,低空急流附近存在上干冷下暖湿的稳定气流,原因在于急流之上的能量梯度力与重力的方向相反,导致该区域微团所受到的作用力为零,形成稳定的结构.但当微团运动到急流出口处时,这种平衡不再存在,暖湿微团向上运动而干冷微团向下运动,形成剧烈的天气变化.地球自转所形成的离心力使得轻微团产生向北、向上的运动分量,导致极锋向北倾斜.气旋的形成同样是由亚微刚的分离而产生的.当轻微团离开微团,在绝对环境涡度场的作用下将发生旋转,旋转的方向与初始涡度的方向一致,在北半球地转涡度的垂直分量向上,为逆时针旋转,南半球为顺时针旋转.在气旋的形成过程中,轻亚微团在气压梯度力场和绝对涡度力的作用下呈现螺旋运动,是气旋系统普遍存在螺旋云带和雨带的原因.水汽是气旋在形成和加强过程中的基本能源,由于发生地的不同,温带气旋和台风在水汽输送方式上亦有差别:温带气旋主要依靠低空暖输送带进行水汽输送;台风因为发生在热带海洋,水汽充沛,各个层次都有水汽供应.气旋运动主要受三个力的制约:环境气压梯度场力、绝对涡度场力和环境涡度力,这三个力的作用导致台风在沿副热带高压边缘运动的同时,还存在蛇形路径和打转运动.     

热带气旋资料长度对风暴潮危险性评估结果的影响

热带气旋历史样本数不足一直困扰着风暴潮风险评估研究,本文基于西北太平洋62 a(1949-2010年)历史观测热带气旋事件集资料和用随机模拟方法构造的1000 a模拟热带气旋随机事件集,以福建省连江县为例,开展了资料长度对风暴潮灾害危险性评估结果的影响分析。文中用ADCIRC模型模拟了两种数据集强迫下的风暴潮增水,采用极值Ⅰ型分布法得到了典型重现期的风暴潮增水,经过对计算结果分析发现典型重现期的风暴潮增水计算结果与所用数据资料长度有着密切相关性,数据资料越长,结果越稳定。对于1000 a一遇的风暴潮增水值,使用500 a长度的资料已经趋于稳定,并接近用1000 a资料计算得到的结果。在进行风暴潮危险性评估时,相比用几十年尺度的热带气旋历史数据集,1000 a的热带气旋模拟数据集的计算结果更具实际意义。     

Numerical Simulation of Extreme Sea Levels for the Tamil Nadu (India) and Sri Lankan Coasts

Numerical modeling of extreme sea levels associated with tropical cyclones in the Indian seas has been confined to the northern part of the Bay of Bengal (north of Tamil Nadu). However, limited attempts have been made for modeling of surges along the Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan coasts. Although, very rarely, cyclones form south of 10°N, there are some instances of severe cyclonic storms hitting these areas and causing widespread destruction to life and property. Keeping this in view, a suitable location-specific, high-resolution, numerical model has been developed for the prediction of storm surges in these regions with a grid resolution of 3 km. Using the model, numerical experiments are performed to simulate the storm surge associated with the 1964 Rameswaram cyclone, the 1978 Batticaloa cyclone, the 1992 Tuticorin cyclone, the 1993 Karaikal cyclone, and the 1994 Madras cyclone. During the years 1964, 1978, and 1992, the cyclones struck both Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu coasts, while in 1993 and 1994, the cyclones struck only the Tamil Nadu coast. It is found that the computed sea surface elevations are in close agreement with the available observations/estimates.     

西北太平洋热带气旋气候变化的若干研究进展

热带气旋气候变化研究不仅是当前国际热带气旋气候界的热点科学问题,而且也是具有现实意义的社会问题,各国气象学者和科学家们对此进行了广泛的研究。虽然热带气旋活动与气候变化之间的关系及其相应的内在物理机制至今还处在探究之中,但是近20多年来热带气旋气候学的研究还是取得了显著的进展。本文主要针对濒临中国的西北太平洋海域,回顾了热带气旋活动季节内、年际、年代际变化及其全球变暖背景下的变化趋势的气候学研究。此外,文中也对西北太平洋热带气旋气候学的研究进行了展望,并提出了该领域中一些亟待解决的科学问题。     

Incipient vortex size-dependent evolution of tropical disturbances Part I — Results from a numerical experiment

The present work is concerned with the study of intensification of tropical disturbances with a view to improve prediction and early warning. The tropical disturbances are known to come in sizes (radii) ranging from 100–400 kms. Since the vortices of different sizes give rise to different initial convergence fields and since the subsequent development of the tropical depressions is very sensitive to the initial convergence fields, we argue that the size of the incipient vortex is likely to be an important factor in determining the subsequent development of a tropical disturbance. We have examined the above hypothesis using an axisymmetric model of tropical cyclone. The incipient vortex is introduced by prescribing an initial temperature perturbation with wind in gradient balance. The results show a fairly sharp selection of scale at about 250 km radius. This implies that out of a number of initial disturbances of varying sizes and embedded in the same large scale environment, it is the vortex with about 250 km radius size that will develop to the most severe system. The sensitivity of this selective intensification at this incipient vortex radius to initial perturbation field and the mean thermodynamic state is investigated. Finally, the importance of such a selective scale of intensification for prediction, tracking and early warning of tropical cyclones is emphasized.     

Cyclone track prediction using INSAT data

INSAT visible and infrared imageries of three cyclones in the Bay of Bengal during the period 1984–1987 were analysed with a view to improve the cyclone track prediction in this region. It was observed that the rotation in the major structural cloud features (as seen from the cloud-top temperature maps) associated with these cyclones in the Bay of Bengal is followed with a change in direction of their movement. This method is seen to be particularly effective when the cyclone is severe and when the major cloud features persist for a reasonably longer time. In the present study, only the direction of movement is forecast assuming a uniform speed of the cyclone.