Influences of ENSO on Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Kinetic Energy and Its Meridional Transport

• Published in: Journal of climate Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 322 - 332
• Main Authors: Ha, Yao, Zhong, Zhong, Hu, Yijia, Yang, Xiuqun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA American Meteorological Society 01.01.2013
• Subjects: Atmospherics; Climate; Climate models; Climatology; Cold; Correlation; Cyclones; Datasets; Dipoles; Earth, ocean, space; El Nino; El Nino phenomena; El Nino-Southern Oscillation event; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Hurricanes; Kinetic energy; La Nina; Marine; Meridional transport; Meteorology; Ocean circulation; Phases; Southern Oscillation; Statistical analysis; Storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms; Summer; Transport; Tropical climates; Tropical cyclones; Velocity; Vortices; Vorticity; Wind; Northwest Pacific; Pacific Ocean; North Pacific; ISEW, South China Sea; IN, North Pacific; Teleconnection; Meridional flow; kinetic energy; El Niño Southern Oscillation; El Nino; Severe weather; Energy transport; Tropical cyclone; trajectory
• ISSN: 0894-8755; 1520-0442
• DOI: 10.1175/jcli-d-11-00543.1

This study investigates the influences of ENSO on tropical cyclone (TC) kinetic energy and its meridional transport in the western North Pacific (WNP) using the TC wind field obtained after a method for removing TC vortices from reanalysis data is applied. Results show that ENSO strongly modulates TC kinetic energy and its meridional transport in the WNP, but their effects and regions differ. The TC kinetic energy is positively correlated with the Niño-3.4 index in the entire WNP, and its poleward transport is positively (negatively) correlated with the Niño-3.4 index in the eastern WNP (the western WNP and the South China Sea); these correlations are statistically significant. The maximum TC kinetic energy is located around 25°N, 135°E (25°N, 125°E) in the warm (cold) year, showing an east–west pattern during different ENSO phases. The meridional transport of TC kinetic energy exhibits a dipole pattern over the WNP, with the poleward (equatorward) transport in the eastern (western) WNP. Both poleward and equatorward transports strengthen (weaken) and shift eastward (westward) in El Niño (La Niña) years. Therefore, El Niño has strong influences on TC kinetic energy and its meridional transport.