A Numerical Study of the Effect of Dissipative Heating on Tropical Cyclone Intensity

The dissipative heating effect due to viscous dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy and surface friction is examined using the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS®)· as we continue to seek improvements in the model performance in tropical cyclone (TC) intensity forecasts. Previous studies suggest that dissipative heating could result in 20% increase in surface maximum winds. The objective of this study is to include these processes in COAMPS and evaluate the impact on intensity forecasts. Dissipative heating from both the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and surface friction have been implemented into the model and are being tested for several TC cases. The relative importance of TKE dissipation vs. surface friction is of our interest. Additionally, sensitivity of these processes to model resolutions and physics choices are under investigation. Detailed results will be presented at the conference.