In general,the tropical cyclone(TC) activity is considered to be influenced by the heat content of underlying ocean,vertical shear of horizontal wind,vorticity in the low troposphere,moisture in the troposphere,and favorable condition for deep convection development.However,these factors by nature merely present the internal factors of either atmosphere or ocean which influence the TC activity.In fact,the energy budget of the Earth system and its variation,modulated by the land-sea thermal contrast,are the intrinsic reasons responsible for the variation of TC activity.Here we investigate the modulation of diabatic heating distribution associated with the land-sea thermal contrast on the distribution of TC activity energy source and sink as well as the seasonality.An accumulated energy increment index(AEI) is defined using the TC best track data,and the energy sources and sinks of TC activity are then diagnosed effectively and practically according to the distribution of AEI.Results show that the thermal contrast of land and ocean is the primary reason for asymmetric distribution of TC activity about the Equator as well as the zonally asymmetric distribution of TC activity.The energy sources of TC activity are dominated by condensation heating of deep convection or double-dominant heating,which includes the condensation heating and cooling of longwave radiation(LO),while the sink areas are dominated by LO.The large scale diabatic heating associated with land-sea thermal contrast results in more favorable conditions for TC activity over the west part of oceans than those over the east parts.Moreover,the intensity of interaction of different diabatic heating over the west and east parts of ocean is also affected by the zonal scale of the oceans,which induces the difference of TC activity over the western North Pacific(WNP) and North Atlantic(ATL).The favorable westerlies and anticyclonic vertical shear associated with the tropical zonally asymmetric diabatic heating also contribute to the most intense TC activity ov
Tropical cyclone(TC) activity over the western North Pacific(WNP) in 2012 is summarized and the associated large-scale environmental conditions are discussed. In total 25 named storms formed in the WNP basin in 2012, among them were 3 tropical storms(TSs), 7 severe TSs, 4 typhoons, 6 severe typhoons, and 5 super typhoons. TC activity was close to a 30-year average but above the average active level of recent years since 2005. Total number of TCs formed in the South China Sea(SCS) in 2012 was below normal, with only 40% of the climatological mean. Overall, TC genesis over the WNP was characterized by four active periods. During each period TCs took distinct prevailing tracks. The periodic characteristics in TC genesis were attributed to the activity of the intraseasonal oscillation(ISO), while those in TC tracks were related to the large-scale dynamical and thermodynamic conditions induced by the enhanced WNP monsoon activity and the weak El Ni?o conditions.
Previous studies have revealed a significantly negative correlation between prior winter snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau （TPSC） and tropical cyclone genesis frequency （TCF） over the western North Pacific （WNP） in the following typhoon season. This study revisited this relationship based on long-term observational data. The results showed that the interannual correlation between TCF over the WNP and TPSC experienced a shift in the early 1990s. This correlation is significant during only 1993-2012 and is considerably weak during 1976-1992. The possible reasons causing the shift were examined further, and the results demonstrated that the central Pacific （CP） E1 Nifio-Southern Oscillation （ENSO） has played a vital role in intensifying the interannual relationship between TCF over the WNP and TPSC since the early 1990s. During 1993-2012, TPSC was negatively related to CP ENSO. When TPSC was higher than （lower than） normal, CP ENSO was often in its cold （warm） phase. Such a combination remarkably enhances the relationship of TPSC with the zonal land-sea thermal difference and thus with the summer monsoon over the WNE Additionally, it enhances the modulation of TPSC on the dynamical environments controlling TCF. As a result, the linkage between TPSC and TCF was significantly strengthened in this period. In sharp contrast, due to the weak relationship between TPSC and ENSO followed by the weak modulation of TPSC on the summer monsoon over the WNP and the dynamical environment during 1976-1992, the linkage between TPSC and TCF was weak during this time period. The results from additional dynamical diagnostic analyses further showed that during 1993-2012 CP ENSO modulated the barotropic energy conversion of zonal winds over the WNP, contributing to the intensified relationship between TPSC and TCF. These results will improve seasonal forecasting of tropical cyclone activity over the WNP.
