Tropical Cyclones

Observations and Basic Processes

Roger K. Smith, Michael T. Montgomery

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9780443134494
• eBook ISBN: 9780443134500
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Civil Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Tropical cyclones are a major threat to life and property, even in the formative stages of their development. They include a number of different hazards that individually can cause significant impacts, such as extreme winds, storm surge, flooding, tornadoes, and lightning. Tropical Cyclones: Observations and Basic Processes provides a modern overview of the theory and observations of tropical cyclone structure and behavior.The book begins by summarizing key observations of the structure, evolution, and formation of tropical cyclones. It goes on to develop a theoretical foundation for a basic understanding of tropical cyclone behavior during the storm's life cycle. Horizontally two-dimensional dynamics of vortex motion and other non-axisymmetric features are considered first before tackling the axisymmetric balance dynamics involving the overturning circulation. Following a review of moist convective processes, later chapters focus mainly on a range of three-dimensional aspects of the tropical cyclone life cycle. Building from first principles, the book provides a state-of-the-art summary of the fundamentals of tropical cyclones aimed at advanced undergraduates, graduate students, tropical meteorologists, and researchers.Members of the Royal Meteorological Society are eligible for a 35% discount on all Developments in Weather and Climate Science series titles. See the RMetS member dashboard for the discount code. - Develops a systematic foundation for understanding tropical cyclone dynamics and thermodynamics in two and three dimensions - Provides a detailed appraisal of steady-state models and the widely accepted, but enigmatic, WISHE intensification theories - Applies the new ideas developed in the book to a range of basic problems, including observational tests of the theory

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Nomenclature
• List of Illustrations
• List of Tables
• Chapter 1 : Observations of tropical cyclones
• Chapter 2 : Fluid dynamics and moist thermodynamics
• Chapter 3 : Tropical cyclone motion
• Chapter 4 : Vortex axisymmetrization, waves and wave-vortex interaction
• Chapter 5 : Axisymmetric vortex theory fundamentals
• Chapter 6 : Frictional effects
• Chapter 7 : Estimating boundary layer parameters
• Chapter 8 : A prognostic balance theory for vortex evolution
• Chapter 9 : Moist convection
• Chapter 10 : Tropical cyclone formation and intensification
• Chapter 11 : The rotating-convection paradigm
• Chapter 12 : Emanuel's intensification theories
• Chapter 13 : Emanuel's maximum intensity theory
• Chapter 14 : Global budgets and steady state considerations
• Chapter 15 : Tropical cyclone life cycle
• Chapter 16 : Applications of the rotating-convection paradigm
• Chapter 17 : Epilogue
• References
• Index
• Symbols