Recent advances in understanding tropical cyclone motion

Abstract

Some advances in understanding of tropical cyclone motion that have occurred during the last five years are reviewed. Although the focus is on research in support of the Office of Naval Research Tropical Cyclone Motion Initiative, some other studies (especially from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration initiative) are included. Observational studies have detected a propagation vector, which is the departure of the motion vector from the steering flow (defined in a variety of ways) . Barotropic models have been used to understand: (i) vortex motion in a quiescent environment on a beta-plane; (ii) vortex outer wind structure effects; (iii) environmental relative vorticity and shear effects; and (iv) adjacent synoptic and mesoscale circulation influences. Recent baroclinic models that include idealized structure and vertical shear to ful l-physics models with real data are also reviewed briefly.