The Relationship between Satellite Measured Convective Bursts and Tropical Cyclone Intensification

Steranka, J.; Rodgers, E. B.; Gentry, R. Cecil

doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1986)114<1539:trbsmc>2.0.co;2

Cited by 70 publications

(54 citation statements)

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“…The outbreaks of deep convection have been given great attention with different terms since the work of Gentry et al (1970), who identified them from cold brightness temperatures in satellite images and recognized their significance in TC intensification. They were termed as ''circular exhaust clouds'' by Gentry et al (1970), extreme convection by Gray (1998), and convective bursts (CBs) or ''hot towers'' by many other studies (e.g., Steranka et al 1986;Rodgers et al 1998;Heymsfield et al 2001;Guimond et al 2010). In this study, we will use the more common term, that is, CB, which is defined herein as a deep, intense convective system consisting of one or more updrafts of at least 15 m s 21 in the upper troposphere (i.e., typically above z 5 11 km) that are resolvable by the model finest grid size.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Wilma (2005). Part II: Convective Bursts and the Upper-Level Warm Core

Chen

Zhang

2013

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

185

102

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Previous studies have focused mostly on the roles of environmental factors in the rapid intensification (RI) of tropical cyclones (TCs) because of the lack of high-resolution data in inner-core regions. In this study, the RI of TCs is examined by analyzing the relationship between an upper-level warm core, convective bursts (CBs), sea surface temperature (SST), and surface pressure falls from 72-h cloud-permitting predictions of Hurricane Wilma (2005) with the finest grid size of 1 km. Results show that both the upper-level inertial stability increases and static stability decreases sharply 2-3 h prior to RI, and that the formation of an upperlevel warm core, from the subsidence of stratospheric air associated with the detrainment of CBs, coincides with the onset of RI. It is found that the development of CBs precedes RI, but most subsidence warming radiates away by gravity waves and storm-relative flows. In contrast, many fewer CBs occur during RI, but more subsidence warming contributes to the balanced upper-level cyclonic circulation in the warm-core (as intense as 208C) region. Furthermore, considerable CB activity can still take place in the outer eyewall as the storm weakens during its eyewall replacement. A sensitivity simulation, in which SSTs are reduced by 18C, shows pronounced reductions in the upper-level warm-core intensity and CB activity. It is concluded that significant CB activity in the inner-core regions is an important ingredient in generating the upper-level warm core that is hydrostatically more efficient for the RI of TCs, given all of the other favorable environmental conditions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Wilma (2005). Part II: Convective Bursts and the Upper-Level Warm Core

Chen

Zhang

2013

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

185

102

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“…3c). The time window of 12 hours was determined by taking account of the duration time of the convective bursts, that is, 9 hours or longer (Steranka et al 1986). Two distinct CBs, one from 0200 UTC to 1100 UTC 4 October (hereafter CB1) and the other from 0000 UTC to 1300 UTC 5 October (hereafter CB2), were recognized by a sudden drop of TB (IR1) by about 30 K. CB2 occurred in the TC development phase, when MSW was increasing at the rate of 12.8 m s −1 day −1 .…”

Section: Characteristics Of the Tc Wind Field Captured By Amvsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…TC inner core is generally defined as the area within a radius 2−3 times the radius of maximum wind (RMW). Deep convection in developing TCs often takes the form of "convective bursts (CBs)" (Riehl and Malkus 1961), the characteristics of which have been studied by using satellite observations (Steranka et al 1986;Jiang 2012). The CBs precondition the establishment of TC inner core by inducing axisymmetrization, which leads to TC intensification (Miyamoto and Takemi 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intensification of Typhoon Danas (1324) Captured by MTSAT Upper Tropospheric Atmospheric Motion Vectors

Oyama

Wada

Sawada

2016

SOLA

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This study exemplifies a capability of upper tropospheric Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMVs) derived from successive imagery of MTSAT-2 images to detect the intensification of Typhoon Danas (1324). The evolution of the wind field around the cloud top captured by the AMVs revealed two remarkable features: increases of radial outflow, representing secondary circulation in the form of the two convective bursts (CBs), and increases of tangential winds after the first CBs and during the second CBs. It is suggested that the updrafts and latent heat release associated with the first CBs induced increases of lower tropospheric convergence and absolute angular momentum. This preconditioned the axisymmetrization and increase in tangential velocity and inertial stability during the second CBs that led to tropical cyclone (TC) intensification. These results show that upper tropospheric AMVs can be used to detect TC intensification and thereby improve TC forecasts.(

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“…In the late 1980s, Steranka et al (1986) found that maximum winds of TCs in most cases increased by 5 m s 21 or more within 24 h, during which time intense convection with high cloud tops lasted more than 9 h. Based on a composite analyses of airborne Doppler observations, Rogers et al (2013) reported that intensifying TCs had a relatively large amount of tall and vigorous convection [i.e., convective bursts (CBs)] inside the RMW compared with steady-state TCs. Sanger et al (2014) examined the spinup mechanism of rapidly intensifying Super Typhoon Jangmi (2008) and reported the observation of multiple rotating updrafts and a huge upright updraft with strong, low-level convergence and intense relative vorticity inside the RMW.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Study on the Extremely Rapid Intensification of an Intense Tropical Cyclone: Typhoon Ida (1958)

Kanada

Wada

2015

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

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Extremely rapid intensification (ERI) of Typhoon Ida (1958) was examined with a 2-km-mesh nonhydrostatic model initiated at three different times. Ida was an extremely intense tropical cyclone with a minimum central pressure of 877 hPa. The maximum central pressure drop in 24 h exceeded 90 hPa. ERI was successfully simulated in two of the three experiments. A factor crucial to simulating ERI was a combination of shallow-tomoderate convection and tall, upright convective bursts (CBs). Under a strong environmental vertical wind shear (.10 m s 21 ), shallow-to-moderate convection on the downshear side that occurred around the intense near-surface inflow moistened the inner-core area. Meanwhile, dry subsiding flows on the upshear side helped intensification of midlevel (8 km) inertial stability. First, a midlevel warm core appeared below 10 km in the shallow-to-moderate convection areas, being followed by the development of the upper-level warm core associated with tall convection. When tall, upright, rotating CBs formed from the leading edge of the intense nearsurface inflow, ERI was triggered at the area in which the air became warm and humid. CBs penetrated into the upper troposphere, aligning the areas with high vertical vorticity at low to midlevels. The upper-level warm core developed rapidly in combination with the midlevel warm core. Under the preconditioned environment, the formation of the upright CBs inside the radius of maximum wind speeds led to an upright axis of the secondary circulation within high inertial stability, resulting in a very rapid central pressure deepening.

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The Relationship between Satellite Measured Convective Bursts and Tropical Cyclone Intensification

Cited by 70 publications

References 0 publications

On the Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Wilma (2005). Part II: Convective Bursts and the Upper-Level Warm Core

On the Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Wilma (2005). Part II: Convective Bursts and the Upper-Level Warm Core

Intensification of Typhoon Danas (1324) Captured by MTSAT Upper Tropospheric Atmospheric Motion Vectors

Numerical Study on the Extremely Rapid Intensification of an Intense Tropical Cyclone: Typhoon Ida (1958)

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