Ocean internal tides suppress tropical cyclones in the South China Sea
Journal
Nature Communications
Journal Volume
15
Journal Issue
1
Start Page
3903
Date Issued
2024-12-01
Author(s)
Guan, Shoude
Jin, Fei-Fei
Tian, Jiwei
Pun, Iam-Fei
Zhao, Wei
Huthnance, John
Xu, Zhao
Cai, Wenju
Jing, Zhao
Zhou, Lei
Liu, Ping
DOI
10.1038/s41467-024-48003-y
Abstract
Tropical Cyclones (TCs) are devastating natural disasters. Analyzing four decades of global TC data, here we find that among all global TC-active basins, the South China Sea (SCS) stands out as particularly difficult ocean for TCs to intensify, despite favorable atmosphere and ocean conditions. Over the SCS, TC intensification rate and its probability for a rapid intensification (intensification by ≥ 15.4 m s−1 day−1) are only 1/2 and 1/3, respectively, of those for the rest of the world ocean. Originating from complex interplays between astronomic tides and the SCS topography, gigantic ocean internal tides interact with TC-generated oceanic near-inertial waves and induce a strong ocean cooling effect, suppressing the TC intensification. Inclusion of this interaction between internal tides and TC in operational weather prediction systems is expected to improve forecast of TC intensity in the SCS and in other regions where strong internal tides are present.
Subjects
Pacific Ocean
South China Sea
cooling water
internal tide
natural disaster
ocean wave
topographic effect
tropical cyclone
weather forecasting
article
atmosphere
controlled study
cooling
hurricane
prediction
probability
tide
topography
Type
journal article