Citation

Yu Y, Yao X. Acta Meterol. Sin. 2011; 25(4): 467-477.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Chinese Meteorological Society, Publisher Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s13351-011-0407-y

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In order to investigate the different thermodynamic mechanisms between rapid intensifying (RI) and rapid weakening (RW) tropical cyclones (TCs), the thermodynamic structures of two sets of composite TCs are analyzed based on the complete-form vertical vorticity tendency equation and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. Each composite is composed of five TCs, whose intensities change rapidly over the coastal waters of China. The results show that the maximum apparent heating source Q 1 exists in both the upper and lower troposphere near the RI TC center, and Q 1 gets stronger at the lower level during the TC intensification period. But for the RW TC, the maximum Q 1 exists at the middle level near the TC center, and Q 1 gets weaker while the TC weakens. The maximum apparent moisture sink Q 2 lies in the mid troposphere. Q 2 becomes stronger and its peak-value height rises while TC intensifies, and vice versa. The increase of diabatic heating with height near the TC center in the mid-upper troposphere and the increase of vertical inhomogeneous heating near the TC center in the lower troposphere are both favorable to the TCs' rapid intensification; otherwise, the intensity of the TC decreases rapidly.