A 32-year reanalysis intercomparison of tropical cyclone structure in the eastern North Pacific and North Atlantic

Previous work has shown that reanalyses do not consistently resolve tropical cyclone strength and structure compared with best track data. However, various reanalysis data sets are widely used to examine tropical cyclone characteristics, particularly the geopotential thickness symmetry and the thermal wind as used by cyclone phase space (CPS).

This study investigates the differences in CPS evaluation of tropical cyclone structure between six different datasets: the 0.7° ECMWF Interim Reanalysis (ERA-I), the 0.5°x0.667° Modern Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), the 0.5° Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), the 1.25° Japanese 25-Year Reanalysis (JRA-25), the 2° Twentieth Century Reanalysis, and the 2.5° NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis. Comparisons are also made with 0.225° Year of Tropical Convection (YOTC) data as a proxy for “truth.” This poster will present results from two different basins and consider the potential impacts of aircraft reconnaissance and other in situ measurements on the reanalysis fields.