Statistical characteristics of meso-scale vortex effects on the track of a tropical cyclone

Abstract

This paper examines initial meso-scale vortex effects on the motion of a tropical cyclone (TC) in a system where coexisting two components of TC and meso-scale vortices with a barotropic vorticity equation model. The initial meso-scale vortices are generated stochastically by employing Reinaud's method. The 62 simulations are performed and analysed in order to understand the statistical characteristics of the effects. Results show that the deflection of the TC track at t = 24 h induced by the initial meso-scale vortices ranges from 2 km to 37 km with the mean value of 13.4 km. A more significant deflection of the TC track can be reduced when several initial meso-scale vortices simultaneously appear in a smaller TC circulation area. It ranges from 22 km to 37 km with the mean value of 28 km, this fact implies that the initial meso-scale vortices-induced deflection may not be neglected sometimes.