Understanding differences in tropical cyclone activity over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal

Abstract

Within the North Indian Ocean basin, tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) is substantially greater than over the Arabian Sea (AS). The authors attempt to quantify the roles of specific environmental factors in order to understand the reasons for this difference between the two basins. Environmental variables are considered in the basin as a whole and in the immediate times and places at which cyclogenesis and storm intensification occur.The results for the two sub-basins are compared to determine which environmental variablessignificantly between the sub-basins. A tropical cyclone genesis index (TCGI) is also examined to determine whether the AS- differedBased on that partial success, climatologies of the individual factors that comprise the index are examined to determine which ones are most important in the difference