Impacts of Air-Sea Energy Transfer on Typhoon Modelling

Abstract

The Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport model has been used to simulate Super Typhoon Yutu (2018). The impacts of four momentum transfer parameterization schemes (COARE, TY, OT, and DN) and three heat transfer parameterization schemes (COARE, GR, and ZK) on typhoon modelling have been studied by means of the track, intensity, and radial structure of typhoon. The results show that the track of Yutu is not sensitive to the choice of parameterization scheme, while the combinations of different parameterization schemes affect the intensity of Yutu. Among the four momentum flux parameterization schemes, three wave-state-based schemes (TY, OT, and DN) provide better intensity results than the wind-speed-based COARE scheme, but the differences between the three wave-state-based schemes are not obvious. Among the three heat flux parameterization schemes, the results of the GR scheme are slightly better than those of the COARE scheme, and both the GR and COARE schemes are significantly better than the ZK scheme, from which the intensity of Yutu is underpredicted obviously. The influence of the combination of different parameterization schemes on the intensity of the typhoon is also reflected in the radial structure of the typhoon, and the radial structure of the typhoon simulated by experiments with stronger typhoon intensity also develops faster. Differences of intensity between experiments are due mainly to the differences in sea surface heat flux, the enthalpy transferred from sea surface to the atmosphere has a significant impact on the bottom atmosphere wind field, and there is a strong correspondence between the distribution of enthalpy flux and the bottom wind field.