The Role of Baroclinic Processes in Tropical Cyclone Motion: The influence of Vertical Tilt

Abstract

The numerical study presented here focuses on baroclinic processes that contribute to tropical cyclone (TC) propagation. A three-dimensional, semispectral, primitive equation model of baroclinic vortex was developed to study TC motion. In a tilted vortex, interaction between upper- and lower-level vorticity anomalies leads to vortex propagation relative to the steering flow. On a, β plane, with no environmental flow, the vortex is tilted toward the south and the interaction between the layers reduces the westward movement of the vortex. The vortex tilting can also occur due to the vertical shear in the environmental wind. On an f plane, the interaction between the layers causes the northward movement of the vortex in westerly linear shear, and southward movement in easterly linear shear, with a meridional velocity of about 1 m s−1. Ibis velocity increases with increasing vortex intensity and vertical motion.