scholarly journals Comparing the Spatial Patterns of Rainfall and Atmospheric Moisture among Tropical Cyclones Having a Track Similar to Hurricane Irene (2011)

Atmosphere ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corene Matyas
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Atmospheric Moisture ◽  
Hurricane Irene

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Atmospheric Moisture Recycling Rate between Observations and Models

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 2389-2398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Kao ◽  
Xun Jiang ◽  
Liming Li ◽  
James H. Trammell ◽  
Guang J. Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Recycling Rate ◽  
Short Time Scale ◽  
Atmospheric Moisture ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Moisture Recycling ◽  
Short Time

Precipitation and column water vapor data from 13 CMIP5 models and observational datasets are used to analyze atmospheric moisture recycling rate from 1988 to 2008. The comparisons between observations and model simulations suggest that most CMIP5 models capture two main characteristics of the recycling rate: 1) long-term decreasing trend of the global-average maritime recycling rate (atmospheric recycling rate over ocean within 60°S–60°N) and 2) dominant spatial patterns of the temporal variations of the recycling rate (i.e., increasing in the intertropical convergence zone and decreasing in subtropical regions). All models, except one, successfully simulate not only the long-term trend but also the interannual variability of column water vapor. The simulations of precipitation are relatively poor, especially over the relatively short time scales, which lead to the discrepancy of the recycling rate between observations and the CMIP5 models. Comparisons of spatial patterns also suggest that the CMIP5 models simulate column water vapor better than precipitation. The comparative studies indicate the scope of improvement in the simulations of precipitation, especially for the relatively short-time-scale variations, to better simulate the recycling rate of atmospheric moisture, an important indicator of climate change.

scholarly journals Extreme Rainfall from Landfalling Tropical Cyclones in the Eastern United States: Hurricane Irene (2011)

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 2883-2904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maofeng Liu ◽  
James A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Mountainous Terrain ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Rainfall Distribution ◽  
Extratropical Transition ◽  
Hurricane Irene ◽  
Landfalling Tropical Cyclones

Abstract Hurricane Irene produced catastrophic rainfall and flooding in portions of the eastern United States from 27 to 29 August 2011. Like a number of tropical cyclones that have produced extreme flooding in the northeastern United States, Hurricane Irene was undergoing extratropical transition during the period of most intense rainfall. In this study the rainfall distribution of landfalling tropical cyclones is examined, principally through analyses of radar rainfall fields and high-resolution simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. In addition to extratropical transition, the changing storm environment at landfall and orographic precipitation mechanisms can be important players in controlling the distribution of extreme rainfall. Rainfall distribution from landfalling tropical cyclones is examined from a Lagrangian perspective, focusing on times of landfall and extratropical transition, as well as interactions of the storm circulation with mountainous terrain. WRF simulations capture important features of rainfall distribution, including the pronounced change in rainfall distribution during extratropical transition. Synoptic-scale analyses show that a deep baroclinic zone developed and strengthened in the left-front quadrant of Irene, controlling rainfall distribution over the regions experiencing most severe flooding. Numerical experiments were performed with WRF to examine the role of mountainous terrain in altering rainfall distribution. Analyses of Hurricane Irene are placed in a larger context through analyses of Hurricane Hannah (2008) and Hurricane Sandy (2012).

The Global Climatology of Tropical Cyclones

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamish Ramsay
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclone ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Historical Record ◽  
Tropical Cyclone Formation ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation Patterns ◽  
Short Period ◽  
1960S And 1970S

Tropical cyclones, also known as hurricanes or typhoons, are one of the most violent weather phenomena on the planet, posing significant threats to those living near or along coastlines where tropical cyclone–related impacts are most pronounced. About 80 tropical cyclones form annually, a rate that has been remarkably steady over the period of reliable historical record. Roughly two thirds of these storms form in the Northern Hemisphere from about June to November, while the remaining third form in the Southern Hemisphere typically during the months of November to May. Our understanding of the global and regional spatial patterns, the year-to-year variability, and temporal trends of these storms has improved considerably since the advent of meteorological satellites in the 1960s because of advances in both remote-sensing technology and operational analysis procedures. The well-recognized spatial patterns of tropical cyclone formation and tracks were laid out in a series of seminal papers in the late 1960s and 1970s and remain an accurate sketch even to this day. Concerning the year-to-year variability of tropical cyclone frequency, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has by far the most dominant influence across multiple ocean basins, so much so that it is typically used as the main predictor for statistical forecasts of seasonal tropical cyclone activity. ENSO has a modulating influence on atmospheric circulation patterns, even in regions remote to the tropical Pacific, which, in turn, can act to enhance or inhibit tropical cyclone formation. While the meteorological and climate community has come a long way in our understanding of the global and regional climatological features of tropical cyclones, as well as some aspects of the broader relationship between tropical cyclones and climate, we are still hindered by temporal inconsistencies within the historical record of storm data, particularly pertaining to tropical cyclone intensity. Despite recent efforts to homogenize the historical record using satellite-derived intensity data back to the early 1980s, the relatively short period makes it difficult to discern secular trends due to anthropogenic climate change from natural trends occurring on decadal to multidecadal time scales.

Role of the Atmospheric Moisture Budget in Defining the Precipitation Seasonality of the Great Lakes Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 643-657
Author(s):  
Samar Minallah ◽  
Allison L. Steiner
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Moisture Transport ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Moisture Budget ◽  
Atmospheric Moisture ◽  
Precipitation Seasonality ◽  
Atmospheric Moisture Budget

AbstractPrecipitation in the Great Lakes region has a distinct seasonal cycle that peaks in early summer, followed by a decline in August and a secondary peak in September. This seasonality is often not captured by models, which necessitates understanding of the driving mechanisms to ascertain the model biases. This study analyzes the atmospheric moisture budget using reanalysis datasets to assess the role of regional evapotranspiration and moisture influx from remote origins in defining the precipitation seasonality, and to understand how the Great Lakes modulate spatial patterns and magnitudes of these components. Specifically, the land–water thermal contrast yields large seasonal variations in the evaporative fluxes and creates distinctive localized spatial patterns of moisture flux divergence. We find considerable month-to-month variations in both evapotranspiration and the net moisture transport through the boundaries, where they play a cooperative (contrasting) role in amplifying (dampening) the moisture content available for precipitation and total precipitable water. Our seasonal analysis suggests that the misrepresentation of the budget quantities in models, for example, in simulation of moisture transport processes and parameterization schemes, can result in an anomalous precipitation behavior and, in some cases, violation of the atmospheric moisture mass balance, resulting in large residual magnitudes. We also identify conspicuous differences in the representation of moisture budget components in the various reanalyses, which can alter their representation of the regional hydroclimates.

scholarly journals Influence of Saharan dust on Atlantic tropical cyclones

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenxi Zhang ◽  
Wen Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Saharan Dust ◽  
Tropical Atlantic ◽  
Atmospheric Moisture ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Atlantic Itcz ◽  
Atlantic Tropical Cyclone

Abstract. The influence of Saharan dust outbreaks on summertime Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) activity is explored using continuous atmospheric reanalysis products and TC track data from 1980 to 2019. Analyses reveal that the Saharan dust plume over the tropical Atlantic can affect TC activity by affecting the atmospheric hydrology and radiation absorbed by the earth's surface, which can be classified into three mechanisms. (1) A strong Saharan dust plume indirectly induces the reduction of atmospheric moisture, which further suppresses TC track, number of TC days, and intensity, with the influence covering the whole tropical Atlantic. (2) A strong Saharan dust plume enhances atmospheric moisture just along the North Atlantic ITCZ through the dust microphysical effect, which further promotes TC activity along 10º N latitude in June. (3) The climatological influence of dust on TC activity is caused by the strong radiative forcing of Saharan dust over the eastern tropical Atlantic in June, which produces an evident reduction in SST and lessens the duration and intensity of regional TC activity in June, according to the 40-yr average from 1980 to 2019.

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