Xinxi Wang and Haiyan Jiang
Department of Earth & Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that the large-scale environmental characteristics of rapidly intensifying (RI) tropical cyclones (TCs) are significantly different with those in non-RI storms. The Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme
(SHIPS) RI index was developed based on different sets of environmental predictors for different basins. However, other studies have also shown that environmental conditions are quite similar between RI and slowly intensifying (SI) stages. Both RI and SI could occur as events during a TC’ s life cycle. This study aims at understanding how environmental conditions evolve during RI and SI events for TCs in the North Atlantic (ATL) and eastern North Pacific (EPA) basins, and whether any differences or similarities exist during the evolution of these two types of events.
This study will first identify RI and SI events using the global TC best track data from the National Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The 6-hourly best track data entries will be classified into before RI/SI, during RI/SI, and after RI/SI categories. SI events will be selected carefully to only include those that did not undergo to RI. Environmental factors will be derived from the European Centre for Medium- Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) interim reanalysis dataset. These factors will be compared statistically for different stages during RI and SI events. The shear-relative distributions of see surface temperature and relative humidity in different vertical levels will also be examined for the evolution of RI and SI events. The environmental characteristics of RI and SI events in the ATL and EPA will be compared.
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