Tropical cyclone/upper-atmospheric interaction as inferred from satellite total ozone observations
The Nimbus-7 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) was used to map the distribution of total ozone within and surrounding western North Atlantic and North Pacific tropical cyclones that occurred from 1979-1982. It was found from numerical model simulations and diagnostics and satellite observations that the distribution of total ozone within the subtropical upper-tropospheric waves during the tropical cyclone season corresponded well with the variation of thermodynamic parameters (i.e., temperature, thickness, geopotential heights) near the tropopause and the regions of strong stratospheric and tropospheric exchange processes. These results are similar to previous middle latitudinal observations. It was also found that the three-dimensional transport processes associated with both the western North Atlantic and Pacific tropical cyclone's outflow jet induced secondary circulation and the strong vertical motions associated with active deep convective and eye regions helped to modify the total ozone distribution that is usually observed within these subtropical upper-tropospheric waves. The tropical cyclone induced modifications of the total ozone in the upper-tropospheric waves became greater as the tropical cyclone became more intense and the three-dimensional transpost processes associated with the outflow jet, convection and eye strengthened. The strong relationship between total ozone distribution and the variation of the tropopause topography, made it possible to use TOMS to monitor the propagation of the subtropical upper-tropospheric waves and the mutual adjustment between tropical cyclones and their upper-tropospheric and lower-stratospheric environment when these tropical cyclones and the upper-tropospheric waves interacted. These total ozone patterns during tropical cyclone and upper-tropospheric wave interaction reflected the three-dimensional upper-tropospheric transport processes that were conducive for storm intensification, weakening, or recurvature.
- Research Organization:
- Colorado Univ., Boulder, CO (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 7226849
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Dynamical response of the tropical total ozone to sea surface temperature changes
Satellite-based microwave observations of tropopause-level thermal anomalies - Qualitative applications in extratropical cyclone events