Asymmetric Distribution of Convection in Tropical Cyclones over the Western North Pacific Ocean

Forecasts of the intensity and quantitative precipitation of tropical cyclones(TCs) are generally inaccurate, because the strength and structure of a TC show a complicated spatiotemporal pattern and are affected by various factors. Among these, asymmetric convection plays an important role. This study investigates the asymmetric distribution of convection in TCs over the western North Pacific during the period 2005–2012, based on data obtained from the Feng Yun 2(FY2)geostationary satellite. The asymmetric distributions of the incidence, intensity and morphology of convections are analyzed.Results show that the PDFs of the convection occurrence curve to the azimuth are sinusoidal. The rear-left quadrant relative to TC motion shows the highest occurrence rate of convection, while the front-right quadrant has the lowest. In terms of intensity, weak convections are favored in the front-left of a TC at large distances, whereas strong convections are more likely to appear to the rear-right of a TC within a 300 km range. More than 70% of all MCSs examined here are elongated systems, and meso-β enlongated convective systems(MβECSs) are the most dominant type observed in the outer region of a TC. Smaller MCSs tend to be more concentrated near the center of a TC. While semi-circular MCSs [MβCCSs, MCCs(mesoscale convective complexes)] show a high incidence rate to the rear of a TC, elongated MCSs [MβECSs, PECSs(persistent elongated convective systems)] are more likely to appear in the rear-right quadrant of a TC within a range of 400 km.

Maintenance and Sudden Change of a Strong Elevated Ducting Event Associated with High Pressure and Marine Low-Level Jet

Capture of a strong elevated ducting event,especially its maintenance and sudden change,is of great value to airborne radar to achieve its beyond-the-line-of-sight detection.However,the knowledge is not easily accessible over the open ocean and hence very rare.During the Air–Sea Interaction Survey(ASIS)over the western North Pacific(WNP)in May 2016,a strong elevated ducting event with a long-life period and sudden change in its evolution was observed.Measurements from the ASIS,images from the Himawari-8 satellite,reanalysis data from the ECMWF,and Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model,were used to analyze the maintenance and sudden change of this strong ducting event,together with the model performance on simulating it.The results showed that the maintenance of strong elevated ducts,with their tops ranging from 750 to 1050 m and average strength of approximately 38 M units,was caused by a strong dry air mass capping over the wet marine atmospheric boundary layer(MABL),together with the subsidence inversion associated with high pressure.The WRF model performs well in simulating them.However,a sudden increase in duct height with a slight decrease of strength was recorded by the subsequent GPS radiosonde,which was finally contributed to the mechanical turbulent inversion and hydrolapse associated with the marine low-level jet(MLLJ).The height of the maximum horizontal wind speed(Umh)of the MLLJ corresponds well with the bottom of the trapping layer.However,these jet-relevant ducts are generally weak and it is difficult to accurately simulate them by using the mesoscale numerical model,since the wind-shear produced eddies are too small to be properly parameterized.

Direct/indirect effects of aerosols and their separate contributions to Typhoon Lupit(2009):Eyewall versus peripheral rainbands

As a typhoon approaches the continent,the position where anthropogenic aerosols penetrate,the convection competition between the eyewall and peripheral rainbands,and the separate contributions of direct aerosol-radiation interactions(ARI)and indirect aerosol-cloud interactions(ACI),yield uncertainties in the convection intensification area and hence the typhoon intensity.Typhoon Lupit(2009)was simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry(WRF-Chem)to investigate and isolate the direct and indirect effects of aerosols on the intensity,convection,and precipitation of the typhoon.Three simulations(CTL,CLEAN,and CTLARIOFF)were designed,representing a polluted case(CTL,considering the ingestion of anthropogenic aerosols with ARI and ACI),a clean maritime case(CLEAN,mainly with sea salt aerosols),and a polluted case without aerosol radiative forcing(CTLARIOFF,as per CTL but without ARI).The results showed that anthropogenic aerosols could penetrate into both the peripheral rainbands and the eyewall when the typhoon was approaching the Asian continent.Owing to the representation of the real aerosol scenario,the simulated typhoon intensity weakened and was closer to observed values in the CTL experiment.The ARI dominated over ACI with the opposite effects.Specifically,the ACI mainly enhanced the formation of ice-phase hydrometeors within the upper level of the eyewall with more freezing latent heat releases,leading to an invigoration of eyewall convection.These excess ice-phase particles melted after they descended into the warm layer below the 0°C level,which accelerated the accretion of cloud droplets by raindrops(Pcacr)and hence the mixed phase precipitation process in the eyewall.The dynamic feedback induced by the ACI enhanced the boundary layer inflow and the upper layer outflow,supporting the maintenance of strong eyewall convection and intensification of the typhoon.Inversely,the ARI heated the distant periphery low-level atmosphere at an altitude of 1-2 km by the absorbing polluted aerosols.The heated air,driven by the radial inflow,firstly went through the periphery rainbands of the typhoon and invigorated convection there due to the low-level warming.Then,the enhanced periphery convection inhibited the further transport of warm moist air into the eyewall,resulting in weakening of the eyewall convection and hence typhoon intensity.In sum,for the polluted scenario,as the typhoon approached the continent,ARI played a dominant role over ACI.The WRF-Chem model with full consideration of aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions is advantageous in terms of reliably simulating typhoon intensity and precipitation distribution.

Mature typhoon “cloud gyro” model and numerical simulation study

Due to the coarse temporal resolution of the best track databases for typhoons,some small-scale characteristics of typhoon motion have been neglected.In order to reveal the fine features of typhoon motion,the dense cloud within the radius of maximum wind(RMW)of mature typhoons,defined as a“cloud gyro”that simultaneously spins around its own rotational axis and precesses around the vertical axis,is approximated to a rigid body.Based on the principles of gyrodynamics,the derived mathematical model of a typhoon track indicates that typhoon movement is composed of translational motion governed by the steering flow and superimposed precessional motion that manifests as the inherent characteristics of typhoon tracks,especially with the external torque.High temporal resolution numerical simulation of a real case verifies the conclusion of this study,which is that the smaller the RMW,the larger the tangential wind speed or the larger the external torque,and the more obviously precessional motion manifests.