Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Sudden Surface Warming–Drying Events Caused by Typhoon Passages across Taiwan

Tsing-Chang Chen Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Search for other papers by Tsing-Chang Chen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Shih-Yu Wang Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Search for other papers by Shih-Yu Wang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Ming-Cheng Yen Department of Atmospheric Science, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan

Search for other papers by Ming-Cheng Yen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Adam J. Clark Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Search for other papers by Adam J. Clark in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Jenq-Dar Tsay Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Search for other papers by Jenq-Dar Tsay in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
01 Feb 2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JAMC2070.1
Page(s):
234–252
Restricted access

Abstract

Typhoon passages across Taiwan can generate sudden surface warming in downslope regions. Special characteristics and mechanisms for 54 such warming events that were identified during the 1961–2007 period are examined. Preferred warming regions were identified in northwest Taiwan, where warming is generated by downslope flow from east or northeast winds in westward-moving typhoons, and in southeast Taiwan, where it is generated by downslope flow from west or northwest winds in northwestward-moving typhoons. In addition to the orographic effect, warmings occurred exclusively within nonprecipitation zones of typhoons. Most northwest (southeast) warmings occur during the day (night) with an average lifetime of 4 (5) h, which roughly corresponds to the average time a nonprecipitation zone remains over a station. During the period examined, three typhoons generated warming events in both northwest and southeast Taiwan, and only Typhoon Haitang (2005) generated warmings with comparable magnitudes (∼12-K increase) in both regions. For Typhoon Haitang as an example, diagnostic analyses with two different approaches reveal that the majority of the warming is contributed by downslope adiabatic warming, but the warming associated with the passage of a nonprecipitation zone is not negligible. Similar results were found when these two diagnostic approaches were applied to the other warming events. The diurnal mode of the atmospheric divergent circulation over East Asia–western North Pacific undergoes a clockwise rotation. The vorticity tendency generated by this diurnal divergent circulation through vortex stretching may modulate the arrival time of typhoons to cause daily (nighttime) warming in the northwest (southeast).

Corresponding author address: Tsing-Chang (Mike) Chen, 3010 Agronomy Hall, Dept. of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. Email: tmchen@iastate.edu

Abstract

Typhoon passages across Taiwan can generate sudden surface warming in downslope regions. Special characteristics and mechanisms for 54 such warming events that were identified during the 1961–2007 period are examined. Preferred warming regions were identified in northwest Taiwan, where warming is generated by downslope flow from east or northeast winds in westward-moving typhoons, and in southeast Taiwan, where it is generated by downslope flow from west or northwest winds in northwestward-moving typhoons. In addition to the orographic effect, warmings occurred exclusively within nonprecipitation zones of typhoons. Most northwest (southeast) warmings occur during the day (night) with an average lifetime of 4 (5) h, which roughly corresponds to the average time a nonprecipitation zone remains over a station. During the period examined, three typhoons generated warming events in both northwest and southeast Taiwan, and only Typhoon Haitang (2005) generated warmings with comparable magnitudes (∼12-K increase) in both regions. For Typhoon Haitang as an example, diagnostic analyses with two different approaches reveal that the majority of the warming is contributed by downslope adiabatic warming, but the warming associated with the passage of a nonprecipitation zone is not negligible. Similar results were found when these two diagnostic approaches were applied to the other warming events. The diurnal mode of the atmospheric divergent circulation over East Asia–western North Pacific undergoes a clockwise rotation. The vorticity tendency generated by this diurnal divergent circulation through vortex stretching may modulate the arrival time of typhoons to cause daily (nighttime) warming in the northwest (southeast).

Corresponding author address: Tsing-Chang (Mike) Chen, 3010 Agronomy Hall, Dept. of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. Email: tmchen@iastate.edu

Save
Cover Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

  • Bender, M. A., R. E. Tuleya, and Y. Kurihara, 1987: A numerical study of the effect of island terrain on tropical cyclones. Mon. Wea. Rev., 115 , 130–155.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Chang, H. K., and W. A. Chien, 2005: Neural network with multi-trend simulating transfer function for forecasting typhoon wave. Adv. Eng. Software, 37 , 184–194.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Chen, S-H., P-H. Lee, M-H. Yao, and Y. Shen, 2007: The agrometeorological environment and disasters occurring potential in the central region of Taiwan. Crop Environ. Bioinformatics, 4 , 345–352.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Chen, T-C., 2006: Variation of the Asian monsoon water vapor budget: Interaction with the global-scale modes. The Asian Monsoon, B. Wang, Ed., Springer, 417–457.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Chen, T-C., and W. E. Baker, 1986: Global diabatic heating during FGGE SPO-1 and SPO-2. Mon. Wea. Rev., 114 , 2578–2589.

  • Chen, T-C., M-C. Yen, J-C. Hsieh, and R. W. Arritt, 1999: Diurnal and seasonal variations of the rainfall measured by the automatic rainfall and meteorological telemetry system in Taiwan. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 80 , 2299–2312.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Chen, T-C., S-Y. Wang, and M-C. Yen, 2007: Enhancement of afternoon thunderstorm activity by urbanization in a valley: Taipei. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 46 , 1324–1340.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Cressman, G. P., 1959: An operational objective analysis system. Mon. Wea. Rev., 87 , 367–374.

  • Drechsel, S., and G. J. Mayr, 2008: Objective forecasting of foehn winds for a subgrid-scale Alpine valley. Wea. Forecasting, 23 , 205–218.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Elsberry, R. L., 1996: Tropical cyclone motion. Global Perspectives on Tropical Cyclones, R. L. Elsberry, Ed., World Meteorological Organization Tech. Rep. WMO/TD-693, 106–197.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kanamitsu, M., and Coauthors, 1991: Recent changes implemented into the global forecast system at NMC. Wea. Forecasting, 6 , 425–435.

  • Kasahara, A., and A. P. Mizzi, 1985: Preliminary evolution of diabatic heating distribution from FGGE level III-b analysis data. Proc. First National Workshop on the Global Weather Experiment. Part I, Vol. 2, Washington, DC, National Academic Press, 317–329.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Li, M. H., M. J. Yang, R. Soong, and H. L. Huang, 2005: Simulating typhoon floods with gauge data and mesoscale-modeled rainfall in a mountainous watershed. J. Hydrometeor., 6 , 306–323.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Liao, S. Y., 1979: Analysis of typhoon modification in relation to the foehn wind over Taiwan. Bull. Inst. Geophys., 18 , 44–60.

  • Lin, Y-L., J. Han, D. W. Hamilton, and C-Y. Huang, 1999: Orographic influence on a drifting cyclone. J. Atmos. Sci., 56 , 534–562.

  • Lin, Y-L., D. B. Ensley, S. Chiao, and C-Y. Huang, 2002: Orographic influences on rainfall and track deflection associated with the passage of a tropical cyclone. Mon. Wea. Rev., 130 , 2929–2950.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Mass, C. F., and D. P. Dempsey, 1985: A one-level, mesoscale model for diagnosing surface winds in mountainous and coastal regions. Mon. Wea. Rev., 113 , 1211–1227.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Miller, L. J., and S. M. Fredrick, cited. 1998: CEDRIC (Custom Editing and Display of Reduced Information in Cartesian Space). NCAR User Manual, 130 pp. [Available online at http://www.mmm.ucar.edu/pdas/Postscript/cedric_doc.ps].

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Miller, L. J., and S. M. Fredrick, cited. 1999: SPRINT (Sorted Position Radar Intererpolation). NCAR User Manual, 76 pp. [Available online at http://www.mmm.ucar.edu/pdas/Postscript/sprint_doc.ps].

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Mohr, C. G., L. J. Miller, R. L. Vaughn, and H. W. Frank, 1986: The merge of mesoscale datasets into a common Cartesian format for efficient and systematic analyses. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 3 , 143–161.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Powell, M. D., 1990a: Boundary layer structure and dynamics in outer hurricane rainbands. Part I: Mesoscale rainfall and kinematic structure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118 , 891–917.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Powell, M. D., 1990b: Boundary layer structure and dynamics in outer hurricane rainbands. Part II: Downdraft modification and mixed layer recovery. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118 , 918–938.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Rienecker, M. M., and Coauthors, 2008: The GEOS-5 data assimilation system—Documentation of versions 5.0.1 and 5.1.0. NASA GSFC Tech. Rep. Series on Global Modeling and Data Assimilation, NASA/TM-2007-104606, Vol. 27, 118 pp. [Available online at http://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/pubs/docs/GEOS5_104606-Vol27.pdf].

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wallace, J. M., and P. V. Hobbs, 2006: Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey. 2nd ed. Academic Press, 483 pp.

  • Wei, M-Y., D. Johnson, and R. D. Townsend, 1983: Seasonal distributions of diabatic heating during the First GARP Global Experiment. Tellus, 35A , 241–255.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Willoughby, H. E., 1996: Mature structure and evolution. Global Perspective on Tropical Cyclones, World Meteorological Organization Rep. TCP-38, WMO/TD-693, 21–62.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wu, C-C., 2001: Numerical simulation of Typhoon Gladys (1994) and its interaction with Taiwan terrain using the GFDL hurricane model. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129 , 1533–1549.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Yang, F., H. L. Pan, S. K. Krueger, S. Moorthi, and S. J. Lord, 2006: Evaluation of the NCEP Global Forecast System at the ARM SGP site. Mon. Wea. Rev., 134 , 3668–3690.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Yeh, T. C., and R. L. Elsberry, 1993: Interaction of typhoons with the Taiwan orography. Part II: Continuous and discontinuous tracks across the island. Mon. Wea. Rev., 121 , 3213–3233.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 1931 1344 36
PDF Downloads 285 86 5