Open AccessVariations of latent heat flux during tropical cyclones over the S outh C hina S ea
Author(s) -
Chen Shumin,
Li Weibiao,
Lu Youyu,
Wen Zhiping
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
meteorological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1469-8080
pISSN - 1350-4827
DOI - 10.1002/met.1398
Subject(s) - latent heat , sensible heat , climatology , environmental science , heat flux , flux (metallurgy) , tropical cyclone , troposphere , atmospheric sciences , atmosphere (unit) , meteorology , heat transfer , geography , geology , physics , chemistry , thermodynamics , organic chemistry
Latent heat flux exchanges at the air–sea interface play important roles in the formation and development of tropical cyclones ( TCs ). Usually, the latent heat flux transferred from oceans to atmosphere increases during the intensification stages of the TCs . However, through analysing a number of TC cases over the S outh C hina S ea, it is found that the changes of latent heat flux exhibit different behaviours during the intensification stage of the TCs , depending upon their travelling pathways. The air–sea latent heat flux increases while the TCs are intensifying in open sea areas of the S outh C hina S ea. However, the latent heat flux decreases while the TCs are travelling over the narrow area between the I ndo‐ C hina P eninsula and H ainan I sland, even though the TCs are in their intensification stage. For the latter case, the decrease in latent heat flux F is accompanied by the decrease in surface winds due to the terrain frictions even though the upper troposphere winds are still increasing. Copyright © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society