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Modeled dependence of wind and waves on ocean temperature in tropical cyclones
Author(s) -
Phibbs Samuel,
Toumi Ralf
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 - 10.1002/2014gl061721
Subject(s) - wind speed , maximum sustained wind , tropical cyclone , wind wave , significant wave height , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , wind shear , climatology , wave height , sea surface temperature , meteorology , geology , wind gradient , physics , oceanography
A coupled ocean‐atmosphere‐wave model is used to investigate the sensitivity of surface wind speed and significant wave height to ocean temperature for idealized tropical cyclones (TCs). More intense and larger TCs, with higher waves, form when ocean temperature is increased. The maximum significant wave height increases more than the maximum wind speed for TCs up to hurricane force wind. However, above hurricane force wind the change in maximum wind speed is similar or greater than the change in maximum significant wave height. This can be explained by the wind drag coefficient decreasing as wind speed exceeds hurricane force wind, so that the growth of waves is dampened. The areal footprint of wave height grows considerably more than the maximum as ocean temperature is increased. This suggests a large increase in the surface area of damaging waves generated by TCs may be the dominant impact of a future warmer ocean.