The 23rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology

2A.3
IMPACTS OF SEA SPRAY AND OCEANIC RESPONSE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

Chien-Liang Uang, Chung Cheng Inst. of Technology, Taiwan, Taoyuan, ROC

Under the strong wind stress of a tropical cyclone, sea spray droplets are produced and the sea surface temperatures are reduced, especially in the inner-core region. An axisymmetric tropical cyclone and a 3-layer and 3-dimensional ocean model have been used to investigate the impacts of the evaporation of sea spray and the SST reduction on the development of tropical cyclones. This study has revealed the negative impacts of these two processes. Although the evaporation of sea spray occurs only in a thin layer at the sea surface, it does retard the intensification of tropical cyclones under certain circumstances. However, the maximum intensity of tropical cyclones is not significant affected. In regard to the tropical cyclone-ocean interaction, the reduction of SST not only retards the cyclone's intensification, but also limits its maximum intensity. The first negative impact is due to the modification of the inner-core convection of tropical cyclones. By contrast, the second one is due to the reduction of the available moist energy for tropical cyclones to develop.

The 23rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology