A Multivariate Analysis of Extratropical Cyclone Environmental Sensitivity

Abstract:

The implications of a changing climate system include more than a simple temperature increase. A changing climate also modifies atmospheric conditions responsible for shaping the genesis and evolution of atmospheric circulations. In the mid-latitudes, the effects of climate change on extratropical cyclones (ETCs) can be expressed through changes in bulk temperature, horizontal and vertical temperature gradients (leading to changes in mean state winds) as well as atmospheric moisture content. Understanding how these changes impact ETC evolution and dynamics will help to inform climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, and allow for better informed weather emergency planning. However, our understanding is complicated by the complex interplay between a variety of environmental influences, and their potentially opposing effects on extratropical cyclone strength. Attempting to untangle competing influences from a theoretical or observational standpoint is complicated by nonlinear responses to environmental perturbations and a lack of data. As such, numerical models can serve as a useful tool for examining this complex issue.

We present results from an analysis framework that combines the computational power of idealized modeling with the statistical robustness of multivariate sensitivity analysis. We first establish control variables, such as baroclinicity, bulk temperature, and moisture content, and specify a range of values that simulate possible changes in a future climate. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model serves as the link between changes in climate state and ETC relevant outcomes. A diverse set of output metrics (e.g., sea level pressure, average precipitation rates, eddy kinetic energy, and latent heat release) facilitates examination of storm dynamics, thermodynamic properties, and hydrologic cycles. Exploration of the multivariate sensitivity of ETCs to changes in control parameters space is performed via an ensemble of WRF runs coupled with a statistical response surface emulator and uncertainty quantification framework. The result is a quantitative estimate of the relationship between our selected control variables and their effects on ETC evolution.