Effect of Tropical Cyclone Intensity on the Relationship between Hydrometeor Distribution and Rapid Intensification by GPM GMI

Abstract

This study analyzes hydrometeor evolution during rapid intensification (RI) and tropical cyclone (TC) intensity dependence using satellite data. Previous studies have suggested that ice cloud water or non-convective precipitation can serve as predictors of RI from different perspectives. However, few studies have focused on the impact of TC intensity or comprehensive comparisons to identify better indicators. During RI, the hydrometeor contents in weak TCs (WTCs) increase over the entire region, whereas they increase mainly in the inner-core region and decrease in advance in the outer-core region for strong TCs (STCs). Hydrometeor contents are higher in RI than in slow intensification, and their maximum locations are related to TC intensity and intensification rate. Cloud water content (CWC) in the inner-core region has the largest correlation with the intensification rate, especially in WTCs. Therefore, the CWC can serve as a predictor of RI and can be applied to all TC intensities.