Potential vorticity mixing and rapid intensification in the numerically simulated Supertyphoon Haiyan (2013)

Satoki Tsujino and Hung-Chi Kuo

Published: 2020
DOI

概要

The inner-core dynamics of Supertyphoon Haiyan (2013) undergoing rapid intensification (RI) are studied with a 2-km-resolution cloud-resolving model simulation. The potential vorticity (PV) field in the simulated storm reveals an elliptical and polygonal-shaped eyewall at the low and middle levels during RI onset. The PV budget analysis confirms the importance of PV mixing at this stage, that is, the asymmetric transport of diabatically generated PV to the storm centerfrom the eyewall and the ejection of PV filaments outside the eyewall. We employ a piecewise PV inversion (PPVI) and an omega equation to interpret the model results in balanced dynamics. The omega equation diagnosis suggests eye dynamical warming is associated with the PV mixing. The PPVI indicates that PV mixing accounts for about 50% of the central pressure fall during RI onset. The decrease of central pressure enhances the boundary layer (BL) inflow. The BL inflow leads to contraction of the radius of the maximum tangential wind (RMW) and the formation of a symmetric convective PV tower inside the RMW. The eye in the later stage of the RI is warmed by the subsidence associated with the convective PV towers. The results suggest that the pressure change associated with PV mixing, the increase of the symmetric BL radial inflow, and the development of a symmetric convective PV tower are the essential collaborating dynamics for RI. An experiment with 500-m resolution shows that the convergence of BL inflow can lead to an updraft magnitude of 20 m s−1 and to a convective PV tower with a peak value of 200 PVU (1 PVU = 10−6 K kg−1 m2 s−1).

引用

Tsujino, S., and H.-C. Kuo, 2020: Potential vorticity mixing and rapid intensification in the numerically simulated Supertyphoon Haiyan (2013). Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 77, 2067-2090. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-19-0219.1.

解説動画

アメリカ気象学会の 34th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology における著者による発表動画です。