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Observations of wind stress direction during Typhoon Chaba (2010)
Author(s) -
Potter Henry,
Collins Clarence O.,
Drennan William M.,
Graber Hans C.
Publication year - 2015
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 - 10.1002/2015gl065173
Subject(s) - typhoon , wind stress , geology , wind speed , maximum sustained wind , tropical cyclone , climatology , meteorology , wind direction , swell , atmospheric sciences , oceanography , geography , wind gradient
Direct flux measurements of stress direction taken at the ocean surface during Typhoon Chaba (2010) over 3 days are examined for wind speeds between 12 and 26.5 m s −1 . Results show stress deviated up to 35° from the wind direction and resided predominantly between the wind and peak wave directions in both bimodal and unimodal seas. Off‐wind stress angle was most pronounced in Chaba's wake where wind sea and swell created an apparent unimodal system with narrow directional spread. These conditions lasted 2 days during which the stress direction was midway between the wind and wave directions. The implications for tropical cyclone forecasting are discussed.