Abstract

The primary focus of this talk will be to explore aspects of eyewall replacement cycles in a tropical cyclone simulated using the WRF model. In an eyewall replacement cycle, a secondary eyewall forms and often replaces an inner, smaller eyewall. This process can lead to significant intensity and structural changes, yet the onset of secondary eyewall formation continues to elude forecasters. As such, eyewall replacement cycles remain an active area of research. In recent years, improved observations and numerous three-dimensional, full-physics numerical simulations of eyewall replacement cycles have led to substantial progress in the forecasting and our understanding of secondary eyewall formation. Nonetheless, a number of plausible, but disparate hypotheses for secondary eyewall formation still exist. Using various budget analyses of the model output and an idealized model framework, we examine symmetric and asymmetric dynamical aspects of secondary eyewall formation.