Effects of Surface Energy Fluxes during the Early Development and Rapid Intensification Stages of Seven Explosive Cyclones in the Western Atlantic

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A series of eight numerical experiments were conducted on seven cases of explosive marine cyclogenesis, using the Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) mesoscale model. The main objective was to elucidate the role of surface energy fluxes both during and preceding rapid deepening. Results from the 24-h experiments initialized at the commencement of the period of most rapid deepening showed that the fluxes occurring during this stage had essentially no effect on the deepening rate. However, substantial effects of the fluxes were found in 48-h experiments initialized early in the development. When the fluxes were withheld from the 48-h simulations, the predicted cyclones were weakened on average by 7.1 mb at 24 hours and 13.5 mb at 48 hours. Evidently the fluxes occurring during the 24 hours preceding rapid deepening did affect the storm development throughout its lifetime. Additional 48-h experiments confirmed the relatively small impact of the concurren... Abstract A series of eight numerical experiments were conducted on seven cases of explosive marine cyclogenesis, using the Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) mesoscale model. The main objective was to elucidate the role of surface energy fluxes both during and preceding rapid deepening. Results from the 24-h experiments initialized at the commencement of the period of most rapid deepening showed that the fluxes occurring during this stage had essentially no effect on the deepening rate. However, substantial effects of the fluxes were found in 48-h experiments initialized early in the development. When the fluxes were withheld from the 48-h simulations, the predicted cyclones were weakened on average by 7.1 mb at 24 hours and 13.5 mb at 48 hours. Evidently the fluxes occurring during the 24 hours preceding rapid deepening did affect the storm development throughout its lifetime. Additional 48-h experiments confirmed the relatively small impact of the concurren...

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: