A Lagrangian Trajectory Analysis of Azimuthally Asymmetric Equivalent Potential Temperature in the Outer Core of Sheared Tropical Cyclones

In this study,the characteristics of azimuthally asymmetric equivalent potential temperature(θ_(e))distributions in the outer core of tropical cyclones(TCs)encountering weak and strong vertical wind shear are examined using a Lagrangian trajectory method.Evaporatively forced downdrafts in the outer rainbands can transport low-entropy air downward,resulting in the lowestθ_(e)in the downshear-left boundary layer.Quantitative estimations ofθ_(e)recovery indicate that air parcels,especially those originating from the downshear-left outer core,can gradually revive from a low entropy state through surface enthalpy fluxes as the parcels move cyclonically.As a result,the maximumθ_(e)is observed in the downshear-right quadrant of a highly sheared TC.The trajectory analyses also indicate that parcels that move upward in the outer rainbands and those that travel through the inner core due to shear make a dominant contribution to the midlevel enhancement ofθ_(e)in the downshear-left outer core.In particular,the former plays a leading role in suchθ_(e)enhancements,while the latter plays a secondary role.As a result,moist potential stability occurs in the middle-to-lower troposphere in the downshear-left outer core.

The Impact of the Tropical Indian Ocean on South Asian High in Boreal Summer

The tropical Indian Ocean （TIO） is warmer than normal during the summer when or after the El Nio decays. The present study investigates the impact of TIO SST on the South Asian High （SAH） in summer. When the TIO is warmer, the SAH strengthens and its center shifts southward. It is found that the variations in the SAH cannot be accounted for by the precipitation anomaly. A possible mechanism is proposed to explain the connection between the TIO and SAH： warmer SST in the TIO changes the equivalent potential temperature （EPT） in the atmospheric boundary layer （ABL）, alters the temperature profile of the moist atmosphere, warms the troposphere, which produces significant positive height anomaly over South Asia and modifies the SAH. An atmospheric general circulation model, ECHAM5, which has a reasonable prediction skill in the TIO and South Asia, was selected to test the effects of TIO SST on the SAH. The experiment with idealized heating over the TIO reproduced the response of the SAH to TIO warming. The results suggest that the TIO-induced EPT change in the ABL can account for the variations in the SAH.

A Comparative Study of the Atmospheric Layers below First Lifting Condensation Level for Instantaneous Pre-Monsoon Thunderstorm Occurrence at Agartala(23°30′N,91°15′E)and Ranchi(23°14′N,85°14′E)of India

An attempt has been made to investigate the role of vertical wind shear, convective instability and the thermodynamic parameter ( θ es -θ e ) below the first lifting condensation level (FLCL) in the occurrence of instantaneous premonsoon thunderstorm over Agartala (AGT) and Ranchi (RNC) at 12 GMT. Radiosonde data of 1988 have been utilized here. The study has however been confined to 1000 hPa-500 hPa range at most. Here the convectively unstable layers with positive vertical wind shear upto 500 hPa have been termed as ‘Favourable Layers’ (FL) and the level at which an initially stable layer turns out to be convectively unstable for the first time has been termed as ‘Transition Level’ (TL). It is observed that the changes in vertical wind shear are positive at TL at the time of occurrence of thunderstorm (TS) and the corresponding change is negative on fair-weather situation. Moreover, the 90% confidence interval for ( θ es -θ e ) reveals that for AGT the upper layer thermodynamic characteristic is important at the time of occurrence of TS whereas for RNC, the value of ( θ es -θ e ) at the surface is much more effective.