AN ANALYSIS OF THE ASYMMETRICAL STRUCTURE OF TYPHOON AERE'S PRECIPITATION

The structural characteristics of 2004 typhoon Aere’s precipitation are analyzed using the high-resolution data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) of the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA). It is found that the typhoon’s characteristics vary at different stages of its development. To analyze the asymmetric causation of precipitation distribution, data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis are used to calculate the vertical integral of the water vapor flux vector. The results show that because of this process, along with the unique phenomenon of twin-typhoon circulation, the easterly air current of the typhoon’s northern side and the southwesterly air current of its southern side play a joint role in transporting water vapor. Furthermore, its transport effects vary greatly at the different stages of development, showing the peculiarity of the water source for this typhoon process. The distributions of the typhoon convection area―characterized by heavy precipitation and a maximum-value area of the water vapor flux, as well as a strong ascending-motion area―differ at different stages of the typhoon’s development. The non-uniform distribution of water vapor flux and the vertical motion bring about asymmetrical distribution of the typhoon precipitation.