Open AccessSatellite‐based midlatitude cyclone statistics over the Southern Ocean: 1. Scatterometer‐derived pressure fields and storm tracking
Author(s) -
Patoux Jérôme,
Yuan Xiaojun,
Li Cuihua
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2008jd010873
Subject(s) - scatterometer , mesoscale meteorology , middle latitudes , cyclone (programming language) , extratropical cyclone , climatology , low pressure area , environmental science , storm , surface pressure , meteorology , tropical cyclone , geology , atmospheric pressure , wind speed , geography , field programmable gate array , computer science , computer hardware
A wavelet‐based method is described for incorporating swaths of surface pressure derived from scatterometer measurements into surface pressure analyses obtained from the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The resulting modified pressure fields are used to identify low‐pressure centers over the Southern Ocean and to build statistics of midlatitude cyclones during 7 years of the SeaWinds‐on‐QuikSCAT operational period (July 1999 to June 2006). The impact of the scatterometer‐derived pressure swaths is assessed with a statistical analysis of cyclone characteristics (central pressure, radius, depth) performed in parallel on the ECMWF and on the modified pressure fields. More low‐pressure centers (5–10% depending on the season) are identified with the modified pressure fields, in particular incipient lows captured earlier than ECMWF and more short‐lived mesoscale cyclones (with a life span less than 4 days). The cyclones identified with the modified pressure fields are characterized by lower central pressure and tighter isobars on average. A parallel spectral analysis reveals ∼1% additional energy at scales less than 2000 km in the modified pressure fields.