Effect of Tropical Cyclone Intensity on the Relationship between
Hydrometeor Distribution and Rapid Intensification by GPM GMI
Abstract
This study analyzes hydrometeor evolution during rapid intensification
(RI) and tropical cyclone (TC) intensity dependence using satellite
data. Previous studies have suggested that ice cloud water or
non-convective precipitation can serve as predictors of RI from
different perspectives. However, few studies have focused on the impact
of TC intensity or comprehensive comparisons to identify better
indicators. During RI, the hydrometeor contents in weak TCs (WTCs)
increase over the entire region, whereas they increase mainly in the
inner-core region and decrease in advance in the outer-core region for
strong TCs (STCs). Hydrometeor contents are higher in RI than in slow
intensification, and their maximum locations are related to TC intensity
and intensification rate. Cloud water content (CWC) in the inner-core
region has the largest correlation with the intensification rate,
especially in WTCs. Therefore, the CWC can serve as a predictor of RI
and can be applied to all TC intensities.