The Asymmetric Boundary layer Flow Under a Translating Hurricane

Abstract

An investigation is made of the role of the translation of a hurricane in determining the distribution of boundary layer winds and in the organization of convection. A slab boundary layer model of constant depth is used to analyze the steady flow under a specified translating symmetric vortex in gradient balance. A truncated spectral formulation is used, including asymmetries through wavenumber 2. The role of linear and nonlinear asymmetric effects in the determination of the boundary layer response is diagnosed. These effects am relevant to relatively slowly and rapidly translating hurricanes, respectively. The analysis is compared to observations of Hurricanes Frederic of 1979 and Allen of 1980, as well as to other observational and theoretical cures. Allen's translation speed was approximately twice that of Frederic. It is found that the simple boundary layer formulation simulates the qualitative features of the wind field observed in Frederic. The distribution of convection in Frederic and Allen compares favorably with boundary layer convergence diagnosed from the model.