Tropical cyclone intensity is shown to be proportional to the difference between the moist static energy of the eyewall and that of the undisturbed environment, and to the difference between the absolute temperatures of the boundary layer and of the storm top. Measurements of the radial gradient of cloud top altitude and temperature from the eyewall to the outer region of the storm should therefore provide a measure of storm intensity, when coupled with an estimate of the total temperature difference between the sea surface and the cloud top. Here we develop a formalism for making such intensity estimates and apply it to cloud top heights and temperatures produced by an axisymmetric, nonhydrostatic hurricane model. The results are encouraging, and offer the potential for accurate remote detection of tropical cyclone intensity, to supplement existing satellite-based methods.
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