A Comparison of Tropical Cyclone, Hurricane and Typhoon Mass and Moisture Structure

Abstract

Radiosonde soundings obtained within 180 km of tropical cyclones in the Australian region are compared to similar sets of hurricane and typhoon data. The mean storm profiles in each region reflect the background structure of each storm basin. Comparison of the storm groups as deviations from the background profiles, reveals a very similar structure, although some unresolved differences are found in the upper troposphere. The mean tropical cyclone sounding shows boundary layer characteristics consistent with the continental location of most Australian radiosonde stations. A mean tropical cyclone profile derived from island data only, shows more boundary layer moisture and greater potential instability than the mean sounding obtained from all the Australian data.