Upper-Ocean Thermal Structure and the Western North Pacific Category 5 Typhoons. Part 1. Ocean Features and the Category 5 Typhoons' Intensification

Abstract

Category 5 cyclones are the most intense & devastating cyclones on earth. With increasing observations of category 5 cyclones, such as Hurricane Katrina (2005), Rita (2005), Mitch (1998), and Supertyphoon Maemi (2003) found to intensify on warm ocean features (i.e., regions of positive sea surface height anomalies detected by satellite altimeters), there is great interest in investigating the role ocean features play in the intensification of category 5 cyclones. Based on 13 yr of satellite altimetry data, in situ & climatological upper-ocean thermal structure data, best-track typhoon data of the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center, together with an ocean mixed layer model, 30 western North Pacific category 5 typhoons that occurred during the typhoon season from 1993 to 2005 are systematically examined in this study.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA494628

Entities

People

  • Chun-chien Wu
  • Dong-shan Ko
  • I. -i. Lin
  • Iam-fei Pun

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altimeters
  • Altimetry
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cyclones
  • Enthalpy
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Flux
  • Height
  • Hurricanes
  • Isotherms
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Latent Heat
  • Measurement
  • North Pacific Ocean
  • Oceans
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Tropical Cyclones

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers

Technology Areas

  • Space