On the eddy structure of hurricanes

✍ Scribed by Alan Robock

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1975
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 428 KB
• Volume: 101
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0035-9009
• DOI: 10.1002/qj.49710142919

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Given the general conditions present in a mature hurricane, this paper seeks to show by observational and theoretical means that the circulation regime within a hurricane, beyond a certain radius, must be of the eddy type rather than axisymmetric. This is done by first pointing out, following recent results of Starr, that mean radial circulations cannot transport angular momentum across surfaces of constant mean values of this quantity. A diagram is constructed showing such momentum surfaces obtained from data for a mean hurricane, and it is demonstrated that there must be a flux of momentum across these closed surfaces. This flux, therefore, can only be produced by an eddy type circulation regime.