Simulation and Projection of Tropical Cyclone Activities over the Western North Pacific by CMIP6 HighResMIP

Abstract

Abstract This study assesses the relative impacts of model resolutions, tropical cyclone (TC) trackers, and ocean coupling on simulating TC climatology over the western North Pacific (WNP) based on six Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) High-Resolution Model Intercomparison Project (HighResMIP) models from 1979 to 2014. The HighResMIP multimodel ensemble (MME) analysis shows that the high resolution has a higher Taylor skill score II (S2) in both temporal and spatial patterns of TC genesis frequency and accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) than the low resolution. In contrast, the TempestExtremes tracker (coupled run) results in a higher S2 in temporal patterns but a lower S2 in spatial patterns than the TRACK tracker (uncoupled run). Among the three factors, increased resolution leads to the greatest improvement in S2 in both temporal and spatial patterns. Furthermore, this study investigates the projections of future TC activity over the WNP by HighResMIP under the SSP5–8.5 scenario. Overall, HighResMIP MMEs project a decrease in the genesis frequency, track density, and ACE of all TCs, with the high-resolution, TRACK tracker, and uncoupled run showing greater magnitude. The high-resolution MMEs, using both trackers, project an increase in the genesis frequency and ACE of intense TCs in the coupled run. Moreover, TC track density and ACE show a larger poleward migration in the coupled run than in the uncoupled run, consistent with the significant surface warming in the northern WNP.