Work

A Fast Analytical Model for the Complete Radial Structure of Tropical Cyclone Low‐Level Wind Field

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: A tropical cyclone (TC) can generally be divided into three regions: inner core with vigorous convection, intermediate region with intermittent convection, and far outer region with less convective activity. The different physics in these three regions suggest correspondingly different wind structure models. In this study, we combine the inner‐core wind model from Tao et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl104583 , T23), the outer wind model from Emanuel (2004, https://texmex.mit.edu/pub/emanuel/PAPERS/Energetics_Structure.pdf , E04), and a transition model of a modified Rankine vortex to create a new fast and analytical model for the complete radial structure of the TC wind field. The T23 model captures inner‐core wind variation with small errors, while the E04 model reproduces the broad outer wind structure at large radii well. The new wind model combines the strengths from both T23 and E04 models without the need for statistical fitting, showing great potential in reproducing the full range of simulated and observed TC winds.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2025gl118320

Authors: Dandan Tao, Robert G. Nystrom, Daniel R. Chavas, Arthur Avenas