Assessing the Influence of the ENSO on Tropical Cyclone Prevailing Tracks in the Western North Pacific

摘要

Using a statistical model for simulating tropical cyclone (TC) formation and a trajectory model for simulating TC tracks, the influence of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the peak-season (July-September) TC prevailing tracks in the western North Pacific basin is assessed based on 14 selected El Nino and 14 selected La Nina years during the period 1950-2007. It is found that the combination of statistical formation model and a trajectory model can simulate well the primary features of TC prevailing tracks on the interannual timescale. In the El Nino years, the significant enhancement of TC activity primarily occurs south of 20°N, especially east of 130°E. TCs that take the northwestward prevailing track and affect East Asia, including Taiwan Island, the Chinese mainland, Korea, and Japan, tend to move more westward in the El Nino years, while taking a more northward track in the La Nina years. Numerical simulations confirm that the ENSO-related changes in large-scale steering flows and TC formation locations can have a considerable influence on TC prevailing tracks.