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Cyclone‐cyclone interactions through the ocean pathway
Author(s) -
Balaguru Karthik,
Taraphdar Sourav,
Leung L. Ruby,
Foltz Gregory R.,
Knaff John A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl061489
Subject(s) - cyclone (programming language) , tropical cyclone , climatology , environmental science , cyclogenesis , tropical cyclone scales , extratropical cyclone , tropical cyclone rainfall forecasting , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , geology , oceanography , geography , field programmable gate array , computer science , computer hardware
The intense sea surface temperature cooling caused by tropical cyclone‐induced mixing lasts several weeks and may thus influence a later cyclone passing over it. Using a 28 year analysis spanning the North Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and Northwest Pacific, we systematically demonstrate that, on average, when tropical cyclones encounter lingering wakes, they experience sea surface temperatures that are ∼0.25–0.5°C colder. Consequently, the intensification rates are ∼ 0 . 4 − 0 . 7 ms − 136 hlower for cyclones when they interact with wakes, consistent with the maximum potential intensity theory. The probability for cyclones to encounter lingering wakes varies positively with cyclone frequency, is ∼10% on average, and has been as high as 27%–37% in the past. These large interaction probabilities reduce the mean intensification rates for cyclones by 3%–6% on average and by ∼12%–15% during the most active years. “Cyclone‐cyclone interactions” may therefore represent a mechanism through which tropical cyclones self‐regulate their activity to an extent on intraseasonal time scales.