Bibliography - Kun Gao

1. Gao, Kun, and I Ginis, August 2018: On the characteristics of linear-phase roll vortices under a moving hurricane boundary layer. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 75(8), DOI:10.1175/JAS-D-17-0363.1 .
   [ Abstract ]

   Previous theoretical and numerical studies only focused on the formation of roll vortices (rolls) under a stationary and axisymmetric hurricane. The effect of the asymmetric wind structure induced by the storm movement on the roll characteristics remains unknown. In this study, we present the first attempt to investigate the characteristics of linear-phase rolls under a moving hurricane by embedding a linear two-dimensional (2-D) roll-resolving model into a 3-D hurricane boundary layer model. It is found that the roll horizontal wavelength under the moving hurricane is largely determined by the radial shear layer depth, defined as the thickness of the layer with positive radial wind shear. The horizontal distribution of the roll wavelength resembles the asymmetric pattern of the radial shear layer depth. Interestingly, the roll growth rate is not only affected by the radial wind shear magnitude alluded to in previous studies, but also by the radial shear layer depth. A deeper (shallower) radial shear layer tends to decrease (increase) the roll growth rate. Such an effect is due to the presence of the bottom boundary. The bottom boundary constrains the lower-level roll streamlines and reduces the efficiency of rolls in extracting kinetic energy from the radial shear. This effect is more pronounced under a deeper shear layer, which favors the formation of larger-size rolls. This study improves the understanding of the main factors affecting the structure and growth of rolls, and will provide guidance for interpreting the spatial distribution of rolls under realistic hurricanes in observations and high-resolution simulations.

2. Gao, Kun, et al., September 2017: Effect of Boundary Layer Roll Vortices on the Development of an Axisymmetric Tropical Cyclone. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 74(9), DOI:10.1175/JAS-D-16-0222.1 .
   [ Abstract ]

   In this study, the authors numerically investigate the response of an axisymmetric tropical cyclone (TC) vortex to the vertical fluxes of momentum, heat, and moisture induced by roll vortices (rolls) in the boundary layer. To represent the vertical fluxes induced by rolls, a two-dimensional high-resolution Single-Grid Roll-Resolving Model (SRM) is embedded at multiple horizontal grid points in the mesoscale COAMPS for Tropical Cyclones (COAMPS-TC) model domain. Idealized experiments are conducted with the SRM embedded within 3 times the radius of maximum wind of an axisymmetric TC. The results indicate that the rolls induce changes in the boundary layer wind distribution and cause a moderate (approximately 15%) increase in the TC intensification rate by increasing the boundary layer convergence in the eyewall region and induce more active eyewall convection. The numerical experiments also suggest that the roll-induced tangential momentum flux is most important in contributing to the TC intensification process, and the rolls generated at different radii (within the range considered in this study) all have positive contributions. The results are not qualitatively impacted by the initial TC vortex or the setup of the vertical diffusivity in COAMPS-TC.

3. Gao, Kun, Jan-Huey Chen, Lucas Harris, Shian-Jiann Lin, Baoqiang Xiang, and Ming Zhao, December 2017: Impact of Intraseasonal Oscillations on the Tropical Cyclone Activity over the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean Sea in GFDL HiRAM. Journal of Geophysical Research, 122(24), DOI:10.1002/2017JD027756 .
   [ Abstract ]

   The Tropical Cyclones (TC) that form over the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico region pose a major threat to the surrounding coastal communities. Skillful sub-seasonal prediction of TC activity is important for early preparedness and reducing the TC damage in this region. In this study, we evaluate the performance of a 25-km resolution Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) in simulating the modulation of the TC activity in the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean Sea by the Intraseasonal Oscillation (ISO) based on multi-year retrospective seasonal predictions. We demonstrate that the HiRAM faithfully captures the observed influence of ISO on TC activity over the region of interest, including the formation of tropical storms and (major) hurricanes, as well as the landfalling storms. This is likely because of the realistic representation of the large-scale anomalies associated with boreal summer ISO over Northeast Pacific in HiRAM, especially the enhanced (reduced) moisture throughout the troposphere during the convectively enhanced (suppressed) phase of ISO. The reasonable performance of HiRAM suggests its potential for the subseasonal prediction of regional TC risk.

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