Influence of major typhoons on ocean, atmosphere and air quality of Northwest Pacific during August 2020

Abstract

Tropical storms (TSs)/Typhoons (TYs) in the Northwest Pacific (NWP) region are one of the most devastating natural hazards, which cause large-scale impacts on human life and infrastructure. In August 2020, a total of 9 tropical storms were identified by International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) in the NWP region. These TSs/TYs made their landfall over the coastal parts of China, North Korea, and South Korea, while none of them made their landfall over Taiwan. These conditions were unique in recent years and induced drought conditions in Taiwan during 2020. We have carried out a three-dimensional analysis of oceanic, atmospheric, and meteorological parameters for the evaluation of changes associated with typhoons during August 2020. The model, satellite, and ground observations data have been used for the assessment of the impact of these TS/TYs on the ocean, atmosphere, and air quality. The rise in ocean temperature (1 °C–2 °C) was observed even at the depth of 100 m. Strong upwelling of the ocean water in the NWP originated a change in the mixed layer depth and also has affected the salinity in South China, East China, and the Philippines Sea. The strong convective forces during the storm conditions produced a prominent rise in CO and Ozone concentration. These typhoons also affected the air quality of Taiwan during August 2020. The transboundary air pollutants triggered the enhancement in particulate matter (PM1.0 and PM2.5) and surface ozone over Taiwan, which resulted in major health hazards to a large population.