The composite development and structure of intense synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones
<p>Understanding the location and intensity of hazardous weather across the Arctic is important for assessing risks to infrastructure, shipping, and coastal communities. Key hazards driving these risks are extreme near-surface winds, high ocean waves, and heavy precipitation, which are depende...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Weather and Climate Dynamics |
| Online Access: | https://wcd.copernicus.org/articles/3/1097/2022/wcd-3-1097-2022.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828143365088083968 |
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| author | A. F. Vessey A. F. Vessey K. I. Hodges K. I. Hodges L. C. Shaffrey L. C. Shaffrey J. J. Day |
| author_facet | A. F. Vessey A. F. Vessey K. I. Hodges K. I. Hodges L. C. Shaffrey L. C. Shaffrey J. J. Day |
| author_sort | A. F. Vessey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Understanding the location and intensity of hazardous weather across the Arctic is important for assessing risks to infrastructure, shipping, and coastal communities. Key hazards driving these risks are extreme near-surface winds, high ocean waves, and heavy precipitation, which are dependent on the structure and development of intense synoptic-scale cyclones. This study aims to describe the typical lifetime, structure, and development of a large sample of past intense winter (DJF) and summer (JJA) synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones using a storm compositing methodology applied to the ERA5 reanalysis.</p>
<p>Results show that the composite development and structure of intense summer Arctic cyclones are different from those of intense winter Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean extra-tropical cyclones and from those described in conceptual models of extra-tropical and Arctic cyclones. The composite structure of intense summer Arctic cyclones shows that they typically undergo a structural transition around the time of maximum intensity from having a baroclinic structure to an axi-symmetric cold-core structure throughout the troposphere, with a low-lying tropopause and large positive temperature anomaly in the lower stratosphere. Summer Arctic cyclones are also found to have longer lifetimes than winter Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean extra-tropical cyclones, potentially causing prolonged hazardous and disruptive weather conditions in the Arctic.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:56:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-927a5fea8e8c4182825d364fa7362069 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2698-4016 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:56:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Weather and Climate Dynamics |
| spelling | doaj.art-927a5fea8e8c4182825d364fa73620692022-12-22T04:06:04ZengCopernicus PublicationsWeather and Climate Dynamics2698-40162022-09-0131097111210.5194/wcd-3-1097-2022The composite development and structure of intense synoptic-scale Arctic cyclonesA. F. Vessey0A. F. Vessey1K. I. Hodges2K. I. Hodges3L. C. Shaffrey4L. C. Shaffrey5J. J. Day6AXA XL, 20 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 0BG, UKDepartment of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 6BB, UKDepartment of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 6BB, UKNational Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 6BB, UKDepartment of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 6BB, UKNational Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 6BB, UKECMWF, Shinfeld Park, Reading RG2 9AX, UK<p>Understanding the location and intensity of hazardous weather across the Arctic is important for assessing risks to infrastructure, shipping, and coastal communities. Key hazards driving these risks are extreme near-surface winds, high ocean waves, and heavy precipitation, which are dependent on the structure and development of intense synoptic-scale cyclones. This study aims to describe the typical lifetime, structure, and development of a large sample of past intense winter (DJF) and summer (JJA) synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones using a storm compositing methodology applied to the ERA5 reanalysis.</p> <p>Results show that the composite development and structure of intense summer Arctic cyclones are different from those of intense winter Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean extra-tropical cyclones and from those described in conceptual models of extra-tropical and Arctic cyclones. The composite structure of intense summer Arctic cyclones shows that they typically undergo a structural transition around the time of maximum intensity from having a baroclinic structure to an axi-symmetric cold-core structure throughout the troposphere, with a low-lying tropopause and large positive temperature anomaly in the lower stratosphere. Summer Arctic cyclones are also found to have longer lifetimes than winter Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean extra-tropical cyclones, potentially causing prolonged hazardous and disruptive weather conditions in the Arctic.</p>https://wcd.copernicus.org/articles/3/1097/2022/wcd-3-1097-2022.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. F. Vessey A. F. Vessey K. I. Hodges K. I. Hodges L. C. Shaffrey L. C. Shaffrey J. J. Day The composite development and structure of intense synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones Weather and Climate Dynamics |
| title | The composite development and structure of intense synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones |
| title_full | The composite development and structure of intense synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones |
| title_fullStr | The composite development and structure of intense synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones |
| title_full_unstemmed | The composite development and structure of intense synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones |
| title_short | The composite development and structure of intense synoptic-scale Arctic cyclones |
| title_sort | composite development and structure of intense synoptic scale arctic cyclones |
| url | https://wcd.copernicus.org/articles/3/1097/2022/wcd-3-1097-2022.pdf |
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