The Influence of Sea Surface Temperatures on the Extratropical Transition of Tropical Cyclones

Many tropical storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean migrate into the mid-latitudes after they move into the prevailing westerly flow north of ~35oN. Some tropical cyclones (TCs) simply weaken (spin down) over cooler water or over land, while many of these storms undergo a process known as extratropical transition (ET) whereby the TC evolves into an extratropical cyclone. Primarily thermodynamic processes through latent heat release in cumulus clouds provide energy for a TC over the warm tropical ocean waters. When the TC undergoes ET, the release of available potential energy through baroclinic instability processes begin to govern the cyclones ’ energetics much like a typical mid-latitude cyclone. To conduct computer modeling and simulations of this process, variables from both the atmosphere and ocean are needed to develop a picture of the cyclone’s transition. The main objective of this project is to determine the influence of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) on TCs undergoing ET. We wish to answer th