By using the data from observation on the Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong No.5 and other sources during AMEX phase II, the kinetic energy budget and circulation characteristics of the tropical storm Irma were analyzed.Irma formed on the ITCZ of the Southern Hemisphere. During the formative stage of the storm, the SE trades and monsoon westerlies on both sides of the ITCZ strengthened, and more importantly, there was a strong divergent flow in upper troposphere. These contributed to the intensification of Irma. At the time when Irma formed, the Richardson number (Ri) in middle and lower troposphere was much smaller than that prior to and post the formation.When Irma intensified rapidly, the area-averaged kinetic energy in the general flow increased in the whole troposphere . The largest contribution came from kinetic energy generation term, -[v.(?)(?)] .indicates that there existed a strong ageostrophic accetration. As to the generation term , the conversion of available potential energy to
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