Lin, IIIILinChen, CHCHChenPun, IFIFPunLiu, WTWTLiuWu, CCCCWuCHUN-CHIEH WUI-I LIN2021-01-282021-01-2820090094-8276https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/543792On 2 May 2008, category-4 tropical cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar. It was observed that just prior to its landfall, Nargis rapidly intensified from a weak category-1 storm to an intense category-4 storm within only 24 h. Using in situ ocean depth-temperature measurements and satellite altimetry, it is found that Nargis' rapid intensification took place on a pre-existing warm ocean anomaly in the Bay of Bengal. In the anomaly, the subsurface ocean is evidently warmer than climatology, as characterized by the depth of the 26°C isotherm of 73-101 m and the tropical cyclone heat potential of 77-105 kj cm -2. This pre-existing deep, warm subsurface layer leads to reduction in the cyclone-induced ocean cooling, as shown from the ocean mixed layer numerical experiments. As a result, there was a near 300% increase in the air-sea enthalpy flux to support Nargis' rapid intensification. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 3562-3578.animationHURRICANE INTENSITY; THERMAL STRUCTURE; EDDYjournal article10.1029/2008GL0358152-s2.0-62749187237WOS:000263328400001https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/348255