Investigation of Maxima Assumptions in Modelling Tropical Cyclone- Induced Hazards in the South China Sea

The present study aims to examine the suitability of two commonly used assumptions that simplify modelling metoceanconditions for designing offshore wind turbines in the South China Sea (SCS). The first assumption assumes thatjoint N-year extreme wind and wave events can be independently estimated and subsequently combined. The secondone assumes peak wind and waves can be modelled as occurring simultaneously during a tropical cyclone (TC) event.To better understand the potential TC activity, a set of 10000 years synthetic TC events are generated. The wind fieldmodel and the Mike 21 spectral wave model are employed to model the TC-induced hazards. Subsequently, theeffect of the assumptions is evaluated by analyzing the peak structural response of both monopile and semisubmersibleoffshore wind turbines during TC events. The results demonstrate that the examined assumptions are generally accurate.By assessing the implications of these assumptions, valuable insights are obtained, which can inform andimprove the modelling of TC-induced hazards in the SCS region.

Seasonal Prediction of Tropical Cyclones and Storms over the Southwestern Indian Ocean Region Using the Generalized Linear Models

Tropical cyclones (TCs) and storms (TSs) are among the devastating events in the world and southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) in particular. The seasonal forecasting TCs and TSs for December to March (DJFM) and November to May (NM) over SWIO were conducted. Dynamic parameters including vertical wind shear, mean zonal steering wind and vorticity at 850 mb were derived from NOAA (NCEP-NCAR) reanalysis 1 wind fields. Thermodynamic parameters including monthly and daily mean Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) and equatorial Standard Oscillation Index (SOI) were used. Three types of Poison regression models (i.e. dynamic, thermodynamic and combined models) were developed and validated using the Leave One Out Cross Validation (LOOCV). Moreover, 2 × 2 square matrix contingency tables for model verification were used. The results revealed that, the observed and cross validated DJFM and NM TCs and TSs strongly correlated with each other (p ≤ 0.02) for all model types, with correlations (r) ranging from 0.62 - 0.86 for TCs and 0.52 - 0.87 for TSs, indicating great association between these variables. Assessment of the model skill for all model types of DJFM and NM TCs and TSs frequency revealed high skill scores ranging from 38% - 70% for TCs and 26% - 72% for TSs frequency, respectively. Moreover, results indicated that the dynamic and combined models had higher skill scores than the thermodynamic models. The DJFM and NM selected predictors explained the TCs and TSs variability by the range of 0.45 - 0.65 and 0.37 - 0.66, respectively. However, verification analysis revealed that all models were adequate for predicting the seasonal TCs and TSs, with high bias values ranging from 0.85 - 0.94. Conclusively, the study calls for more studies in TCs and TSs frequency and strengths for enhancing the performance of the March to May (MAM) and December to October (OND) seasonal rainfalls in the East African (EA) and Tanzania in particular.

A GCM-Based Forecasting Model for the Landfall of Tropical Cyclones in China

A statistical dynamic model for forecasting Chinese landfall of tropical cyclones （CLTCs） was developed based on the empirical relationship between the observed CLTC variability and the hindcast atmospheric circulations from the Pusan National University coupled general circulation model （PNU-CGCM）.In the last 31 years,CLTCs have shown strong year-to-year variability,with a maximum frequency in 1994 and a minimum frequency in 1987.Such features were well forecasted by the model.A cross-validation test showed that the correlation between the observed index and the forecasted CLTC index was high,with a coefficient of 0.71.The relative error percentage （16.3%） and root-mean-square error （1.07） were low.Therefore the coupled model performs well in terms of forecasting CLTCs;the model has potential for dynamic forecasting of landfall of tropical cyclones.

Possible Sources of Forecast Errors Generated by the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System for Landfalling Tropical Cyclones. Part Ⅱ: Model Uncertainty

This paper investigates the possible sources of errors associated with tropical cyclone(TC) tracks forecasted using the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System(GRAPES). In Part I, it is shown that the model error of GRAPES may be the main cause of poor forecasts of landfalling TCs. Thus, a further examination of the model error is the focus of Part II.Considering model error as a type of forcing, the model error can be represented by the combination of good forecasts and bad forecasts. Results show that there are systematic model errors. The model error of the geopotential height component has periodic features, with a period of 24 h and a global pattern of wavenumber 2 from west to east located between 60?S and 60?N. This periodic model error presents similar features as the atmospheric semidiurnal tide, which reflect signals from tropical diabatic heating, indicating that the parameter errors related to the tropical diabatic heating may be the source of the periodic model error. The above model errors are subtracted from the forecast equation and a series of new forecasts are made. The average forecasting capability using the rectified model is improved compared to simply improving the initial conditions of the original GRAPES model. This confirms the strong impact of the periodic model error on landfalling TC track forecasts. Besides, if the model error used to rectify the model is obtained from an examination of additional TCs, the forecasting capabilities of the corresponding rectified model will be improved.

The Simulation of Five Tropical Cyclones by Sample Optimization of Ensemble Forecasting Based on the Observed Track and Intensity

The quality of ensemble forecasting is seriously affected by sample quality.In this study,the distributions of ensemble members based on the observed track and intensity of tropical cyclones(TCs)were optimized and their influence on the simulation results was analyzed.Simulated and observed tracks and intensities of TCs were compared and these two indicators were combined and weighted to score the sample.Samples with higher scores were retained and samples with lower scores were eliminated to improve the overall quality of the ensemble forecast.For each sample,the track score and intensity score were added as the final score of the sample with weight proportions of 10 to 0,9 to 1,8 to 2,7 to 3,6 to 4,5 to 5.These were named as“tr”,“91”,“82”,“73”,“64”,and“55”,respectively.The WRF model was used to simulate five tropical cyclones in the northwestern Pacific to test the ability of this scheme to improve the forecast track and intensity of these cyclones.The results show that the sample optimization effectively reduced the track and intensity error,“55”usually had better performance on the short-term intensity prediction,and“tr”had better performance in short-term track prediction.From the overall performance of the track and intensity simulation,“91”was the best and most stable among all sample optimization schemes.These results may provide some guidance for optimizing operational ensemble forecasting of TCs.

Technical Note on a Track-pattern-based Model for Predicting Seasonal Tropical Cyclone Activity over the Western North Pacific

Recently, the National Typhoon Center （NTC） at the Korea Meteorological Administration launched a track-pattern-based model that predicts the horizontal distribution of tropical cyclone （TC） track density from June to October. This model is the first approach to target seasonal TC track clusters covering the entire western North Pacific （WNP） basin, and may represent a milestone for seasonal TC forecasting, using a simple statistical method that can be applied at weather operation centers. In this note, we describe the procedure of the track-pattern-based model with brief technical background to provide practical information on the use and operation of the model. The model comprises three major steps. First, long-term data of WNP TC tracks reveal seven climatological track clusters. Second, the TC counts for each cluster are predicted using a hybrid statistical-dynamical method, using the seasonal prediction of large-scale environments. Third, the final forecast map of track density is constructed by merging the spatial probabilities of the seven clusters and applying necessary bias corrections. Although the model is developed to issue the seasonal forecast in mid-May, it can be applied to alternative dates and target seasons following the procedure described in this note. Work continues on establishing an automatic system for this model at the NTC.

A 28-Year Climatological Analysis of Size Parameters for Northwestern Pacific Tropical Cyclones

A 28-year best track dataset containing size parameters that include the radii of the 15.4 m s^-1 winds （R15） and the 25.7 m s^-1 winds （R26） of tropical cyclones （TCs） in the Northwestern Pacific, the NCEP/ NCAR reanalysis dataset and the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature （ERSST） dataset are employed in this study. The climatology of size parameters for the tropical cyclones in the Northwestern Pacific from 1977 to 2004 is investigated in terms of the spatial and temporal distributions. The results show that the major activity of TCs in the Northwestern Pacific is from July to October. A majority of TCs lie over the ocean west of 150°E, and a few TCs can intensify to the Saffir-Simpson （S-S） categories 4, 5. Both R15 and R26 tend to increase as the tropical cyclones intensify. The values of R15 and R26 are larger for intense TCs in the Northwestern Pacific than in the North Atlantic generally. Both R15 and R26 peak in October, and before and after October, R15 and R26 decrease, which is different from the case in the North Atlantic. The smaller R15s and R26s occur in a large range over the Northwestern Pacific, while the larger R15s and R26s mainly lie in the eastern ocean from Taiwan Island to the Philippine Islands where many tropical cyclones develop in intense systems. The tropical cyclones with size parameters of R15 or R26 on average take a longer time to intensify than to weaken, and the weak tropical cyclones have faster weakening rates than intensification rates. From 1977 to 2004, the annual mean values of R15 increase basically with year; during the 28-year period, the value of R15 increases by 52.7 kin, but R26 does not change with year obviously.

Improvement of wind field hindcasts for tropical cyclones

This paper presents a study on the improvement of wind field hindcasts for two typical tropical cyclones, i.e., Fanapi and Meranti, which occurred in 2010. The performance of the three existing models for the hindcasting of cyclone wind fields is first examined, and then two modification methods are proposed to improve the hindcasted results. The first one is the superposition method, which superposes the wind field calculated from the parametric cyclone model on that obtained from the cross-calibrated multi-platform （CCMP） reanalysis data. The radius used for the superposition is based on an analysis of the minimum difference between the two wind fields. The other one is the direct modification method, which directly modifies the CCMP reanalysis data according to the ratio of the measured maximum wind speed to the reanalyzed value as well as the distance from the cyclone center. Using these two methods, the problem of underestimation of strong winds in reanalysis data can be overcome. Both methods show considerable improvements in the hindcasting of tropical cyclone wind fields, compared with the cyclone wind model and the reanalysis data.

Computation of Wave, Tide and Wind Current for the South China Sea Under Tropical Cyclones

Based on the third-generation oceanic wave prediction model (WAVEWATCH (.) III) the third-generation nearshore wave calculation model (SWAN) and the mathematical tide, tidal current and cyclone current model, which have been improved, interconnected and expanded, a coupled model of offshore wave, tide and sea current under tropical cyclone surges in the South China Sea has been established. The coupled model is driven by the tropical cyclone field containing the background wind field. In order to test the hindcasting effect of the mathematical model, a comparison has been made between the calculated results and the observational results of waves of 15 cyclone cases, water levels and current velocities of the of 7 cyclones. The results of verification indicate that the calculated and observed results are basically identical.

An ocean-land-atmosphere coupled model for tropical cyclone landfall processes: The multi-layer ocean model and its verification

POM (Princeton ocean model) tentatively taken as the ocean part of an ocean-land atmosphere coupled modcl is verified for the ultimate purpose of studying the landfall process of tropical cyclone (TC) in the western North Pacific. The POM is tested with monthly mean wind stress in the summer and given lateral boundary conditions. The results indicate that the equilibrium state of the ocean is in accordance with the climate mean, with the error in sea surface temperature (salinity) less than 0.5 ℃ (0.5). The simulated occan currents are reasonable as well.Several numerical experiments are designed to verify the oceanic response to a stationary or moving TC. It is found that the results agree fairly well with the previous work, including both the drop magnitude and the distribution ofsca temperature. Compared with the simple two-layer ocean model used by some other studies, the response of the ocean to a TC is more logical here. The model is also verified in a real case with a TC passing the neighborhood of a buoy station. It is shown that the established ocean model can basically reproduce the sea surface temperature change as observed.

Possible Sources of Forecast Errors Generated by the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System for Landfalling Tropical Cyclones.PartⅠ:Initial Uncertainties

This paper investigates the possible sources of errors associated with tropical cyclone （TC） tracks forecasted using the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System （GRAPES）. The GRAPES forecasts were made for 16 landfaIling TCs in the western North Pacific basin during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, with a forecast length of 72 hours, and using the default initial conditions （＂initials＂, hereafter）, which are from the NCEP-FNL dataset, as well as ECMWF initials. The forecasts are compared with ECMWF forecasts. The results show that in most TCs, the GRAPES forecasts are improved when using the ECMWF initials compared with the default initials. Compared with the ECMWF initials, the default initials produce lower intensity TCs and a lower intensity subtropical high, but a higher intensity South Asia high and monsoon trough, as well as a higher temperature but lower specific humidity at the TC center. Replacement of the geopotential height and wind fields with the ECMWF initials in and around the TC center at the initial time was found to be the most efficient way to improve the forecasts. In addition, TCs that showed the greatest improvement in forecast accuracy usually had the largest initial uncertainties in TC intensity and were usually in the intensifying phase. The results demonstrate the importance of the initial intensity for TC track forecasts made using GRAPES, and indicate the model is better in describing the intensifying phase than the decaying phase of TCs. Finally, the limit of the improvement indicates that the model error associated with GRAPES forecasts may be the main cause of poor forecasts of landfalling TCs. Thus, further examinations of the model errors are required.

K-MEANS CLUSTERING FOR CLASSIFICATION OF THE NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACKS

Based on the Joint Typhoon Warning Center(JTWC) best-track dataset between 1965 and 2009 and the characteristic parameters including tropical cyclone(TC) position,intensity,path length and direction,a method for objective classification of the Northwestern Pacific tropical cyclone tracks is established by using k-means Clustering.The TC lifespan,energy,active season and landfall probability of seven clusters of tropical cyclone tracks are comparatively analyzed.The characteristics of these parameters are quite different among different tropical cyclone track clusters.From the trend of the past two decades,the frequency of the western recurving cluster(accounting for 21.3% of the total) increased,and the lifespan elongated slightly,which differs from the other clusters.The annual variation of the Power Dissipation Index(PDI) of most clusters mainly depended on the TC intensity and frequency.However,the annual variation of the PDI in the northwestern moving then recurving cluster and the pelagic west-northwest moving cluster mainly depended on the frequency.

Derivation of Parametric Tropical Cyclone Models for Storm Surge Modeling

In this paper, the parametric tropical cyclone models for storm surge modeling are further developed. Instead of tangential wind speed via cyclostrophic balance and radial wind speed using a simple formulation of defection angle, the analyrical expressions of tangential and radial wind speed distribution are derived from the governing momentum equations based on the general symmetric pressure distribution of Holland and Fujita. The radius of the maximum wind is estimated by tropical cyclone wind structure which is characterized by the radial extent of special wind speed. The shape parameter in the pressure model is estimated by the data of several tropical cyclones that occurred in the East China Sea. Finally, the Fred cyclone （typhoon 199417） is calculated, and comparisons of the measured and calculated air pressures and wind speed are presented.

STOCHASTIC SIMULATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACKS IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC REGION WITH CLASSIFICATION MODEL

Accurate simulation of tropical cyclone tracks is a prerequisite for tropical cyclone risk assessment.Against the spatial characteristics of tropical cyclone tracks in the Northwest Pacific region,stochastic simulation method based on classification model is used to simulate tropical cyclone tracks in this region.Such simulation includes the classification method,the genesis model,the traveling model,and the lysis model.Tropical cyclone tracks in the Northwest Pacific region are classified into five categories on the basis of its movement characteristics and steering positions.In the genesis model,Gaussian kernel probability density functions with the biased cross validation method are used to simulate the annual occurrence number and genesis positions.The traveling model is established on the basis of the mean and mean square error of the historical 6 h latitude and longitude displacements.The termination probability is used as the discrimination standard in the lysis model.Then,this stochastic simulation method of tropical cyclone tracks is applied and qualitatively evaluated with different diagnostics.Results show that the tropical cyclone tracks in Northwest Pacific can be satisfactorily simulated with this classification model.

Effects of a Dry-Mass Conserving Dynamical Core on the Simulation of Tropical Cyclones

The accurate forecasting of tropical cyclones(TCs)is a challenging task.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a dry-mass conserving(DMC)hydrostatic global spectral dynamical core on TC simulation.Experiments were conducted with DMC and total(moist)mass conserving(TMC)dynamical cores.The TC forecast performance was first evaluated considering 20 TCs in the West Pacific region observed during the 2020 typhoon season.The impacts of the DMC dynamical core on forecasts of individual TCs were then estimated.The DMC dynamical core improved both the track and intensity forecasts,and the TC intensity forecast improvement was much greater than the TC track forecast improvement.Sensitivity simulations indicated that the DMC dynamical core-simulated TC intensity was stronger regardless of the forecast lead time.In the DMC dynamical core experiments,three-dimensional winds and warm and moist cores were consistently enhanced with the TC intensity.Drier air in the boundary inflow layer was found in the DMC dynamical core experiments at the early simulation times.Water vapor mixing ratio budget analysis indicated that this mainly depended on the simulated vertical velocity.Higher updraft above the boundary layer yielded a drier boundary layer,resulting in surface latent heat flux(SLHF)enhancement,the major energy source of TC intensification.The higher DMC dynamical core-simulated updraft in the inner core caused a higher net surface rain rate,producing higher net internal atmospheric diabatic heating and increasing the TC intensity.These results indicate that the stronger DMC dynamical coresimulated TCs are mainly related to the higher DMC vertical velocity.

Influence of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau snow cover on interannual variability of Western North Pacific tropical cyclone tracks

Track density function(TDF)was computed for all Western North Pacific tropical cyclones(WNP TCs)tracks from 1950 to 2018,and the TDFs were further investigated using principal component analysis(PCA)to analyze their inter-annual spatial and temporal variability.Then,the relationships between each empirical orthogonal function(EOF)mode and the typhoon count,typhoon landfall count,track pattern,and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau snow cover(QXPSC)were examined,and the possible physical mechanisms implied by the statistical relationship were explored.The results show the QXPSC significantly affected the surface-atmosphere heat exchange through snow cover(SC)level,then changed the East Asian summer monsoon regional circulation pattern,influenced the subtropical high-pressure system strength and location,and ultimately affected the WNP TCs track patterns and thus changed their landfall locations.

Impact of Interannual Variation of Synoptic Disturbances on the Tracks and Landfalls of Tropical Cyclones over theWestern North Pacific

This study investigates the tropical cyclone(TC)activity associated with the two leading modes of interannual variability in synoptic disturbances.Both leading modes are found to be related to a dipole pattern of TC occurrence between the subtropical western North Pacific and the South China Sea.Therefore,in this study we performed composite analyses on TC tracks and landfalls,based on the cases of combined modes,to highlight the differences.The composite results indicate that these cases are characterized by distinct features of TC tracks and landfalls:more TCs tend to take recurving tracks and attack eastern China,Korea and Japan,or more TCs exhibit straight-moving tracks and hit the Philippines,Vietnam and southern China.Further analyses suggest that these distinctions in the TC prevailing tracks and landfalls can be attributed to the differences in large-scale steering flow and TC genesis location.

Remote Impact of Blocking Highs on the Sudden Track Reversal of Tropical Cyclones

Previous work showed that some tropical cyclones （TCs） in the western Pacific Ocean undergo sudden track reversal, and the onset, maintenance and decay of blocking highs （BHs） coexisted with 19 of the studied TCs with sudden track reversal. In these cases, the phase relations between the BH, the continental high （CH）, the subtropical high （SH） and the suddenly reversed TCs could be classified into types A, B, C and D. Types C and D were the focal point of this follow-up study, in which Typhoon Pabuk （2007） and Lupit （2009） were employed to conduct numerical simulations. The results showed that the reversed tracks of Pabuk （2007） and Lupit （2009） could have been affected by the BH, particularly in terms of the turning location and the trend of movement after turning. Specifically, the two main features for Pabuk （2007） in the BH perturbations were the deflection of its turning point and a distinct anticlockwise rotation. Lupit （2009） deviated to the southwest and finally made landfall in the Philippines, or experienced further eastward movement, in the perturbed BH. The impact mechanisms can be attributed to the change in the vorticity field transported from the BH, leading to an intensity variation of midlatitude systems. BHs may have a positive feedback effect on the strength of the westerly trough （TR）, as indicated by a weakened and strengthened TR corresponding to negative and positive BH perturbations, respectively.

Parameterizing sea surface temperature cooling induced by tropical cyclones using a multivariate linear regression model

Combining a linear regression and a temperature budget formula, a multivariate regression model is proposed to parameterize and estimate sea surface temperature（SST） cooling induced by tropical cyclones（TCs）. Three major dynamic and thermodynamic processes governing the TC-induced SST cooling（SSTC）, vertical mixing, upwelling and heat flux, are parameterized empirically using a combination of multiple atmospheric and oceanic variables：sea surface height（SSH）, wind speed, wind curl, TC translation speed and surface net heat flux. The regression model fits reasonably well with 10-year statistical observations/reanalysis data obtained from 100 selected TCs in the northwestern Pacific during 2001–2010, with an averaged fitting error of 0.07 and a mean absolute error of 0.72°C between diagnostic and observed SST cooling. The results reveal that the vertical mixing is overall the pre dominant process producing ocean SST cooling, accounting for 55% of the total cooling. The upwelling accounts for 18% of the total cooling and its maximum occurs near the TC center, associated with TC-induced Ekman pumping. The surface heat flux accounts for 26% of the total cooling, and its contribution increases towards the tropics and the continental shelf. The ocean thermal structures, represented by the SSH in the regression model,plays an important role in modulating the SST cooling pattern. The concept of the regression model can be applicable in TC weather prediction models to improve SST parameterization schemes.

IMPACT OF TROPICAL INTRASEASONAL OSCILLATION ON THE TRACKS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC

In this work,an index of tropical 20-90 d oscillation(intra-seasonal oscillation;ISO)in the western North Pacific(WNP)was determined via the combined empirical orthogonal function(EOF)method using daily outgoing longwave radiation(OLR)field data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA),daily wind field data(at 850 hPa)from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF)and referencing the Madden-Julian oscillation(MJO)index proposed by Wheeler and Hendon.An in-depth investigation was conducted to examine the impact of the ISO on changes in tropical cyclone(TC)tracks in the WNP during different ISO phases.The research results indicate that during the easterly phase of the ISO,under the impact of the northeastern airflow of anti-cyclonic ISO circulation,the easterly airflow south of the western Pacific subtropical high is relatively weak,and TCs generated in the subtropical high tend to change their tracks east of 140°E;during the westerly phase,there is a relatively high probability that TCs change their tracks west of 140°E.This work also analyzed the ISO flow field situation in cases of typhoons and determined that the track of a tropical cyclone will experience a sudden right turn when the center of the ISO cyclonic(anti-cyclonic)circulation coincides with that of the cyclone.