NOWCAST: CONFERENCE NOTEBOOK

ARE HURRICANES POSSIBLE IN A DRY ENVIRONMENT?

Tropical cyclones result from a complex interaction between dynamics and thermodynamics. Contrary to popular thinking, moisture and precipitation are not necessary for the formation of hurricane-like vortices. Our research reveals that a hurricane-like vortex can form and exist in a dry environment. Dry thermodynamics provides a simplified system for studying the interactions between dynamics and thermodynamics of hurricanes, and should help us to improve the theory for hurricane intensity. Moreover, dry or almost dry hurricane dynamics may also be related to polar lows and extraterrestrial vortex phenomena, and may indicate that …