Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2022, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (1): 94-105.doi: 10.11978/2021021CSTR: 32234.14.2021021

• Marine Meteorology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Climatic characteristics and interannual variability of tropical cyclone rapid intensification in the South Indian Ocean

WANG Hao1,2(), WANG Jing1(), ZHENG Jiayu2   

  1. 1. School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
    2. State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography (South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Guangzhou 510301, China
  • Received:2021-02-20 Revised:2021-05-04 Online:2022-01-10 Published:2021-05-10
  • Contact: WANG Jing E-mail:wangh576@mail2.sysu.edu.cn;jwang@scsio.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China(2019YFA0606701);National Natural Science Foundation of China(41731173);Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)(GML2019ZD0306);National Program on Global Change and Air-Sea Interaction under grant(GASI-IPOVAI-03);Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, the Chinese Academy of Sciences(ISEE2021ZD01)

Abstract:

Using tropical cyclone (TC) data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature version 5 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the temperature and salinity data from the Global Ocean Data Assimilation System, and the reanalysis data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research, we investigated climatic characteristics and interannual variability of TC rapid intensification (RI) in the South Indian Ocean (SIO) during the period of 1981~2019. The occurrence frequency of RI events in the SIO presents a single peak distribution, which ranges from October to June of the next year. The occurrence of SIO RI events is distributed in the subtropical area in a belt shape, with three high-value centers of RI events located in the northeast of Madagascar, the middle of the SIO and the northwest of Australia. The spatial distribution of SIO RI events is mainly modulated by two large-scale environmental variables: tropical cyclone heat potential (TCHP) and vertical wind shear (VWS). We also found that the influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation on the occurrence frequency of SIO RI events is asymmetric: the occurrence frequencies of RI events during El Niño and La Niña years are both reduced. During El Niño years, the decrease of RI events is mainly due to higher VWS. During La Niña years, the decrease of RI events is mainly due to lower TCHP, and SST; VWS and RHUM also contribute to the decrease of RI events.

Key words: tropical cyclone, rapid intensification, sea-surface temperature, South Indian Ocean, interannual variability

CLC Number: 

  • P732.33