Ocean Initialization to Typhoon Intensity Forecast in Northwest Pacific

Abstract

The ocean state is recently regarded as one of the most important components to determine properties of the tropical cyclones (Bender and Ginis, 2000). In this work, we have developed a data assimilative northwest Pacific regional ocean model (NWPROM) to better initialize the ocean state for the typhoon forecast system. The 3-dimensional variational method and Ensemble Optimal Interpolation have been implemented to the northwest Pacific regional ocean model to assimilate temperature profiles, and satellite-borne microwave sea surface temperature and sea surface height anomaly (Kim et al. 2009 Evensen 2003). We also have coupled the regional ocean model with the GFDL typhoon model which is well known as one of the most powerful tropical cyclone models in the world. The GFDL typhoon model is composed of three nested domains. The outmost domain covers northwest Pacific with 1/3° horizontal resolution including other two inner domains moving along the typhoon track. The innermost domain has the finest horizontal resolution of 1/12° to resolve the fine structure of typhoons.el (NWPROM) to better initialize the ocean state for the typhoon forecast system. The 3-dimensional variational method and Ensemble Optimal Interpolation have been implemented to the northwest Pacific regional ocean model to assimilate temperature profiles, and satellite-borne microwave sea surface temperature and sea surface height anomaly (Kim et al. 2009 Evensen 2003). We also have coupled the regional ocean model with the GFDL typhoon model which is well known as one of the most powerful tropical cyclone models in the world. The GFDL typhoon model is composed of three nested domains. The outmost domain covers northwest Pacific with 1/3° horizontal resolution including other two inner domains moving along the typhoon track. The innermost domain has the finest horizontal resolution of 1/12° to resolve the fine structure of typhoons.