The Extratropical Transition of Tropical Cyclones
Abstract
The extratropical transition (ET) of tropical cyclones can sometimes result in rapid changes in the structure and intensity of the tropical cyclone. In particular, the second stage of ET can result in very different results from complete dissipation to rapid intensification into an intense midlatitude cyclone. Whether the tropical cyclone dissipates or reintensifies appears to be strongly dependent on the details of the midlatitude circulation. At the heart of the forecast problem is a lack of knowledge of the fundamental physical changes occurring during ET. Results are presented that show that the details of the midlatitude circulation are probably less important than the basic midlatitude structure for reintensification. Simulations presented here show that variations in the strength of the midlatitude upper-level trough have little impact on the subsequent reintensification of the tropical cyclone. Rather, it is more likely the energy of the background environmental state, and the phasing between the trough and TC that ultimately determine the intensity to which the cyclone can reintensify.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA417496
Entities
People
- Elizabeth A. Ritchie
Organizations
- University of New Mexico