Mesoscale Structure of Tropical Cyclones in the Surface Wind Field

E. Yu. Potalova, M. S. Permyakov, and T. I. Kleshcheva

The mesoscale structure of tropical cyclones in the northwest Pacific in 2002–2007 at different stages of evolution (from the genesis to the maximum intensity) is studied using the QuikSCAT satellite data and JRA-25 reanalysis data. It is demonstrated that the genesis of the tropical cyclone was preceded by the formation of the stable disturbance that was observed in the vorticity field on the average 47 hours before the first report. The variability is noted of the mesoscale structure of the cyclone during the process of its formation and evolution: the increase in the intensity of mesovortices, the decrease in their number as a result of the merging, the narrowing of the area occupied by them, and localization of this area near the center at the stage of maximum development. It is shown that the relationship between the mean intensity of mesovortices at the initial disturbance and the tropical cyclone intensity is close to linear and has high correlation coefficients.