Upper Ocean Heat Content Variability in East Pacific Hurricane Genesis and Duration

Upper ocean heat content is emerging as an increasingly important observation in tropical cyclogenesis and intensification literature. Upon comparison to typical neutral-El Niño conditions in the Northeast Pacific, the 2014 hurricane season has been identified as strongly atypical in both tropical cyclone frequency and intensity. This study utilizes satellite microwave sea surface temperature, upper ocean heat content, and altimetry measurements to identify upper ocean thermal structure, features, and anomalies in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Detailed animations of upper ocean heat content and sea surface temperature fluctuations were developed for the 2014 tropical cyclone season. Preliminary results indicate that the northern and western extent of higher sea surface temperatures allowed for more intense and longer tropical cyclone durations. Such favorable conditions in the Central Pacific led to three tropical cyclones in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands, one of which made a rare landfall on the Big Island. It is hypothesized that such an occurrence would not take place under typical upper ocean heat content and sea surface temperature conditions as seen in the East and Central Pacific.