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The effect of coastline curvature on the weakening of atlantic tropical cyclones
Author(s) -
Rogers Robert E.,
Davis Robert E.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
international journal of climatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.58
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-0088
pISSN - 0899-8418
DOI - 10.1002/joc.3370130305
Subject(s) - storm , tropical cyclone , landfall , climatology , environmental science , curvature , geology , atmospheric sciences , tropical cyclone rainfall forecasting , cyclone (programming language) , oceanography , mathematics , geometry , field programmable gate array , computer science , computer hardware
Abstract This study attempts to determine the relationship between the curvature of the coastline and the filling (increase in central pressure) of hurricanes and tropical storms by comparing both the rate of filling and the total filling for storms striking convex, concave, and linear coastlines. The USA and Mexican coastline was approximated by a subjective smoothing procedure, and the coastal curvature corresponding to each landfalling Atlantic tropical cyclone from 1900 to 1979 was measured and grouped into one of the three curvature categories. Storm‐filling rates and total amounts of filling were determined before and after landfall by computing the change in wind speed for various Saffir‐Simpson hurricane intensity categories. The averages of these variables within each strength and curvature grouping were compared in order to determine if they were statistically different. Storms were also compared in order to determine if stronger storms fill a greater total amount than weaker storms, regardless of the coastline's curvature. Concave coasts were found to be associated with storms filling both more rapidly and by a greater amount than convex coasts for weak hurricanes and strong tropical storms, and they were associated with storms that filled by a greater amount for hurricanes of moderate strength. This most likely results from the lower water‐to‐land ratios associated with storms striking concave coasts and the reduction in latent and sensible heat fluxes from the surface. Also, stronger storms were found to fill more rapidly and by a greater total amount than weaker storms, and storms striking the East Coast generally filled more rapidly and by a greater total amount than storms striking the Gulf Coast or Florida.