Work

Climatological characteristics of the extratropical transition of tropical cyclones along different tracks in the western North Pacific (1979–2022)

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Based on datasets from the International Best-Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) and the fifth major global reanalysis produced by ECMWF (ERA5), we found that 29% of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western North Pacific underwent extratropical transition (ET) from 1979 to 2022, with the frequency of ET events showing a slow decreasing trend. The extratropical transition tropical cyclones (ETCs) are classified into four clusters using the k -means clustering method based on their track patterns: recurving ETCs, westward ETCs, northwestward ETCs, and abnormal track ETCs. The transition process of recurving ETCs mostly occurs after the recurvature is completed, while 63.7% of the westward ETCs complete their transition after landfall. Abnormal track ETCs undergo transition over high-latitude oceans. Northwestward ETCs have the longest duration and slowest transition speed during the ET period, resulting in a prolonged impact. The ET process occurs at the edges of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), with higher frequency during westward extension and lower during eastward retreat. While westward ETCs transition through surface friction effects, others complete ET in the northwest baroclinic zone of the WPSH.

Source: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

DOI: 10.1016/j.aosl.2025.100652

Authors: Shanshan Li, Lei Chen, Xihui Gu

Institution: China University of Geosciences

Language: English

Topic: Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research

Subfield: Atmospheric Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,200