Contribution of tropical cyclone seeds in the poleward shift of the tropical cyclone formation

Tropical cyclones (TCs), the generic name for typhoons, are among the most destructive natural hazards. It is important to understand how climate change affects TC frequency, to minimize human and economic losses. Some studies have suggested that the number of TCs will decrease, and their formation will shift poleward. However, there is a major lack of fundamental understanding of the origin and development of the TCs from the initial precursory vortex, called a TC seed. The changes in the number of TC seeds and their survival rate (i.e., the proportion that successfully develops into TCs) will eventually control the future TC frequency. However, key challenges are mainly due to a lack of consensus in TC seed definition and a lack of computing resources for TC modeling.

This study aims to meet the above challenges, through the following three tasks: (1) to identify the representation of TC seeds based on three different definitions from early-stage to matured stage; (2) to investigate the future changes in TC seeds and survival rate and their contribution to the poleward shift in TC genesis location; and (3) to unravel the physical mechanisms responsible for the change in response to climate change. We use a high-resolution fully-coupled Community Earth System Model (CESM) with an atmospheric resolution of 0.25° and an ocean resolution of 0.1° with present-day, doubling, and quadrupling CO2 concentrations. Our results show TC seeds defined by early-stage definition show more equatorward distribution with a strong connection to vertical velocity than those defined by matured stage. Interestingly, all three definitions exhibit a statistically significant reduction in the frequency of TC seeds while that in survival rate is not significant. Details of the methods and mechanisms will be further discussed during the presentation. The outcomes of this project will strengthen fundamental scientific knowledge of the TC seeds and their future change mechanisms, as well as provide a scientific basis for future risk assessment and precautionary strategies.