Revealing short-term dynamics of tropical cyclone wind speeds from satellite synthetic aperture radar

Revealing short-term dynamics of tropical cyclone wind speeds from satellite synthetic aperture radar

Blog Article

Abstract Both unresolved physics in numerical models and limited theoretical understanding of the small-scale diffusion processes occurring near the ocean surface hamper predictability of tropical cyclone (TC) wind changes.An analytical model is here developed to diagnose the short-term evolution of the TC wind profile.An effective frictional parameter is introduced to control the unknown diffusion effects.

When this SUN E-400 frictional parameter is adjusted to match the TC intensity change, solutions are consistent with observed high-resolution ocean surface wind speeds from satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR).The initial high-resolution estimate of the near-core wind structure is then found to strongly modulate the wind profile evolution.The frictional parameter can, unfortunately, not efficiently be calibrated using outer-core wind speed changes.

Low-resolution observations or standard numerical weather predictions may thus not be directly used to reinterpret and anticipate short-term TC wind changes.The expected accumulation of orbiting SAR sensors as well as improved measurements of the ocean-atmosphere Earthrise boundary layer characteristics shall then become essential to more precisely monitor TC dynamics.