Why do the maximum intensities in modeled tropical cyclones vary under the same environmental conditions?

Tao, D., Bell, M., Rotunno, R. and Van Leeuwen, P. J. (2020) Why do the maximum intensities in modeled tropical cyclones vary under the same environmental conditions? Geophysical Research Letters, 47 (3). e2019GL085980. ISSN 0094-8276 doi: 10.1029/2019GL085980

Abstract/Summary

In this study w e explored why the different initial tropical cyclone structures can result in different steady‐state maximum intensities in model simulations with the same environmental conditions. We discovered a linear relationsh ip between the radius of maximum wind (rm) and the absolute angular momentum that passes through rm (Mm) in the model simulated steady‐state tropical cyclones that rm = aMm+b. This nonnegligible intercept b is found to be the key to making a steady‐state storm with a larger Mm more intense. The sensitivity experiments show that this nonzero b results mainly from horizontal turbulent mixing and decreases with decreased horizontal mixing. Using this linear relationship from the simulations, it is also found that the degree of supergradient wind is a function of Mm as well as the turbulent mixing length such that both a larger Mm and/or a reduced turbulent mixing length result in larger supergradient winds.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/88874
Identification Number/DOI	10.1029/2019GL085980
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Publisher	Wiley
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