Evolution of the upper‐level thermal structure in tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are associated with tropopause‐level cooling above tropospheric warming. We collect temperature retrievals from 2007 to 2014 near worldwide hurricane‐strength TCs using three remote sensing platforms: the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2016-10, Vol.43 (19), p.10,530-10,537
Main Authors: Rivoire, Louis, Birner, Thomas, Knaff, John A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit
Anomalies
Asymmetry
Cold storage
Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate
Convection
Cooling
Cyclones
Destabilization
Evolution
Geophysics
Hurricanes
Imagery
Infrared imagery
Ionosphere
Meteorology
Microwave sounding
Positive feedback
Pressure gradients
Remote observing
Remote sensing
Retrieval
Storms
Temperature
Temperature structure
Thermal structure
Tropical climate
Tropical cyclones
Tropopause
Troposphere
upper troposphere lower stratosphere
vertical structure
Wind
Winds
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Summary:Tropical cyclones (TCs) are associated with tropopause‐level cooling above tropospheric warming. We collect temperature retrievals from 2007 to 2014 near worldwide hurricane‐strength TCs using three remote sensing platforms: the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC), the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit‐A (AMSU‐A), and geostationary infrared (IR) imagery. These retrievals are composited about the lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) to examine the evolution of the fine‐scale temperature structure within TCs. The convective structure evolves highly asymmetrically about LMI, while intensity evolution shows a much weaker degree of asymmetry. Relative to the far‐field structure, tropopause‐level cooling occurs before a tropospheric warm core is established. We speculate that the associated convective destabilization exerts a positive feedback on TC development by increasing the depth of existing convection. Tropopause‐level cold anomalies move away from the storm after LMI, potentially increasing the near‐surface horizontal pressure gradient toward the storm center and increasing the maximum winds. Key Points Tropopause‐level cooling occurs in tropical cyclones starting several days prior to maximum intensity Tropopause‐level cooling has a similar magnitude as the warm core Tropopause‐level cooling may affect tropical cyclone potential intensity
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1002/2016GL070622