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- Title
Dependence of tropical cyclone intensification rate on sea-surface temperature.
- Authors
Črnivec, Nina; Smith, Roger K.; Kilroy, Gerard
- Abstract
The dependence of tropical cyclone intensification rate on the sea-surface temperature (SST) is examined in the prototype problem for tropical cyclone intensification on an f-plane using a three-dimensional, non-hydrostatic numerical model. The effects of changing the SST are compared with those of changing the latitude examined in a recent article. It is found that the dependence of intensification rate on latitude is largest when the SST is marginal for tropical cyclone intensification (26 °C) and reduces in significance as the SST is increased. Further, at a given latitude, intensification begins earlier and the rate of intensification increases with increasing SST, on account of a significant increase of surface moisture fluxes from the warmer ocean. These higher fluxes result in higher values of near-surface moisture and equivalent potential temperature, leading to a larger radial gradient of diabatic heating rate in the low to middle troposphere above the boundary layer. This larger radial gradient leads to a stronger overturning circulation, which in turn leads to a stronger radial import of absolute angular momentum surfaces and therefore more rapid spin-up. These arguments invoke the classical axisymmetric spin-up mechanism. Non-axisymmetric issues are touched upon briefly.
- Subjects
TROPICAL cyclones; OCEAN temperature; ATMOSPHERIC boundary layer; TYPHOONS; CONVECTION (Meteorology); MOISTURE; CLIMATOLOGY
- Publication
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 2016, Vol 142, Issue 697, p1618
- ISSN
0035-9009
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/qj.2752