Tropical Cyclogenesis in the Intra-Americas Sea: Hurricane Cindy (2005)

^*The authors appreciate the assistance of Tom Whittaker from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) who assisted us in obtaining the GOES-12 satellite imagery. The authors also thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments on the original version of the article.

Abstract

The tropical cyclogenesis (TCG) of Atlantic Hurricane Cindy (2005) was investigated to study environmental conditions preceding mesoscale vortex development in the Intra-Americas Sea (IAS; i.e., the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea) using the ERA-Interim Reanalysis pressure level data. Major findings include that the development of a mesoscale vortex occurred downward over Central America due to 600 hPa level enhanced winds downstream of southeasterly winds from northern South America, triggering Cindy's TCG in a few days. The contribution of midlevel enhanced winds should be noted as a potential precursor of other TCGs in the IAS.

本研究运用ERA-Interim再分析的气压层资料, 检视大西洋飓风辛蒂 (2005) 的热带气旋 (TCG), 以研究内美洲海中 (IAS; 例如墨西哥湾与加勒比海), 中尺度涡旋发展的环境条件。研究包括下列主要发现: 在中美洲上空600百帕层级向下发生的中尺度涡旋之发展, 增强了来自南美洲北部东南风的顺流风, 在数日内触发了辛蒂飓风的热带气旋。中层增强风的贡献, 应被视为在内美国海的其他热带气旋发生的潜在先驱。

Se investigó la ciclogénesis tropical (CGT) del Huracán Cindy del Atlántico (2005) para estudiar las condiciones ambientales que preceden al desarrollo de un vórtice de escala mediana en el Mar Intra-Américas (MIA, i.e., el Golfo de México y el Mar Caribe), utilizando los datos de nivel de presión del ERA-Interim Reanalysis. Como algo de mayor importancia, en este estudio se descubrió que un vórtice de escala mediana descendió sobre Centroamérica debido a que un nivel de presión de 600 hPa fortaleció la corriente derivada de los vientos sudestes del norte de Sudamérica, desencadenando la CGT de Cindy en pocos días. La contribución de los vientos acentuados de nivel mediano debe notarse como un potencial precursor de otras CGTs en el MIA.

Key Words::

• Intra-Americas Sea
• midlevel enhanced winds
• South American southeasterlies
• tropical cyclogenesis
• vortex generation

关键词::

• 内美国海
• 中层增强风
• 南美洲东南风
• 热带气旋
• 涡旋产生

Palabras clave::

• Mar Intra-Américas
• vientos acentuados de nivel mediano
• sudestes sudamericanos
• ciclogénesis tropical
• generación de vórtices

Notes

^*The authors appreciate the assistance of Tom Whittaker from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) who assisted us in obtaining the GOES-12 satellite imagery. The authors also thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments on the original version of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jinwoong Yoo

JINWOONG YOO is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Geography, Environmental Science, and Planning at University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. NES 306, Tampa, FL 33620. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include tropical cyclogenesis, anthropogenic sea surface temperature change and its impact on the variability of hurricane development, applications of numerical modeling, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS).

Jennifer M. Collins

JENNIFER M. COLLINS is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, Environmental Science and Planning at the University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. NES 316, Tampa, FL 33620. E-mail:[email protected]. Her research interests focus on weather and climate, particularly hurricanes. As a hurricane researcher, she is primarily interested in the interaction between large-scale climatic patterns such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Madden–Julian Oscillation and seasonal and intraseasonal patterns of tropical cyclone activity in multiple oceanic basins.

Robert V. Rohli

ROBERT V. ROHLI is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology, Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include synoptic and applied climatology and geographic education.