Convection in Tropical Cyclone Intensification
Abstract
Funds are provided to investigate the intensification and decay of a tropical cyclone which is believed to result from a mismatch between the vertical mass flux supplied at the top of the boundary layer by frictional convergence and the capacity of deep convection to transport mass to the upper troposphere. The dependence of convective mass flux on environmental conditions in tropical cyclones is poorly understood. A combination of field observational and computer modeling of convective clouds is expected to lead to significant new understanding. The fundamental hypothesis of the proposed work is that rapid intensification of a tropical cyclone occurs in a persistent region with sustained low values of lower tropospheric moist convective instability. Understanding how rapid intensification can occur under such conditions is the goal of this project. The PI will simulate convection in specified convective environments, will diagnose high-resolution models of realistic conditions and analyze observations in cooperation with other ONR DRI investigators and NOAA s IFEX program. The ability to predict rapid intensification of tropical cyclones would allow the Navy to respond better to such situations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 17, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012135
Entities
People
- David Raymond
Organizations
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy