The Influence of Protective Pouches on Tropical Cyclogenesis in the Caribbean Sea
Abstract
This paper is an investigation of the formation of tropical cyclones in the Caribbean Sea. The research is aimed to investigate the question of whether the formation of tropical cyclones in this area occurs by a different process than in the open ocean? This study is focused on three named late-season storms from the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season, Gamma, Zeta, and Iota, and investigates the mechanisms behind their formation, with particular focus on the effects of the Okubo-Weiss variable and Dunkerton, Montgomery, and Wang's 2009 marsupial paradigm. This paper investigates the differences in formation of these tropical cyclones through a retrospective examination of the precursors of the storms in a co-moving framework, looking at the evolution of pouches as described in the marsupial paradigm. This study also provides a comparison of the mechanisms that formed these hurricanes, with Iota forming from a tropical wave, Gamma forming from the interaction of a tropical wave and a low-level strip of relative vorticity that rolled up, and Zeta forming from the interaction of a tropical wave and a Central American Gyre.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1164956
Entities
People
- Meredith A. Mckaig
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School