The role of low-level flow direction on tropical cyclone intensity changes in a moderate-sheared environment
Journal
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
Journal Volume
78
Journal Issue
9
Pages
2859-2877
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
Lee T.-Y
Abstract
The impact of low-level flow (LLF) direction on the intensification of intense tropical cyclones under moderate deep-layer shear is investigated based on idealized numerical experiments. The background flow profiles are constructed by varying the LLF direction with the same moderate deep-layer shear. When the maximum surface wind speed of the simulation without background flow reaches 70 kt (36ms-1), the background flow profiles are imposed. After a weakening period in the first 12 h, the members with upshear-left-pointing LLF (fast-intensifying group) intensify faster between 12 and 24 h than those members (slow-intensifying group) with downshear-right-pointing LLF. The fastintensifying group experiences earlier development of inner-core structures after 12 h, such as potential vorticity below the midtroposphere, upper-level warm core, eyewall axisymmetrization, and radial moist entropy gradient, while the innercore features of the slow-intensifying group remain relatively weak and asymmetric. The FI group experiences smaller tilt increase and stronger midlevel PV ring development. The upshear-left convection during 6-12 h is responsible for the earlier development of the inner core by reducing ventilation, providing axisymmetric heating, and benefiting the eyewall development. The LLF of the fast-intensifying group enhances surface heat fluxes in the downshear side, resulting in higher energy supply to the upshear-left convection from the boundary layer. In all, this study provides new insights on the impact of LLF direction on intense storms under moderate shear by modulating the surface heat fluxes and eyewall convection. ? 2021 American Meteorological Society.
Subjects
Dynamics
Hurricanes
Shear structure/flows
Surface fluxes
Wind shear
Boundary layers
Heat convection
Heat flux
Storms
Tropics
Wind
Axisymmetrization
Entropy gradients
Numerical experiments
Potential vorticity
Surface heat fluxes
Surface wind speed
Tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone intensity change
Shear flow
heat flux
hurricane
precipitation intensity
shear flow
surface flux
tropical cyclone
wind shear
wind velocity
Type
journal article