The Effects of Dissipative Heating on Hurricane Intensity

Abstract

The effects of dissipative heating on hurricane intensity are examined using a 72-h explicit simulation of Hurricane Andrew (1992) with a state-of-the-art, three-dimensional, nonhydrostatic mesoscale (cloud resolving) model (i.e., MM5). It is found that the inclusion of dissipative heating increases the central pressure deficit of the storm by 5–7 hPa and its maximum surface wind by about 10% prior to landfall. It is shown that dissipative heating tends to warm the surface layer, causing a decrease (increase) in sensible heat flux at the sea surface (the top of the surface layer) that acts to cool the surface layer, although the net (sensible plus dissipative) heating rates are still 30%–40% greater than the sensible heating rates in the control simulation. Finally, the potential effects of energy transfer into the ocean, sea surface temperature changes within the inner core, and evaporation of sea spray, interacting with dissipative heating, on hurricane intensity are discussed.