STORM2K

ConvergenceZone wrote:

Derek Ortt wrote:This is highly unlikely to hit the TUTT

Okay, I apologize if this is an ignorant question, but what is TUTT?


Thanks
Dusty (who's still learning here).

This question came up in a Talking Tropics thread.

Perhaps some people can shead some light on TUTT.

A question that I have about TUTT is 2 fold.

Question 1:
How exactly does a TUTT aid in development of and Tropical Cyclone?

2:
What are some storms that are a good example of a TUTT enhancing a cyclone?

Here is the Definition

A Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough (TUTT) is a trough situated in upper level (at about 200 hPa) tropics. Its formation is usually caused by the expansion of the Trough of Westeriles Wind to the tropics. It can also develop from the inverted trough at the south of a upper level anticyclone. TUTTs are different from mid-latitude troughs in the sense that they are maintained by subsidence warming near the tropopause which balances radiation cooling.

TUTTs sometimes brings a large amount of vertical wind shear over tropical disturbances and cyclones and thus hinder their development. On the contrary, there are cases that TUTTs assist the genesis and intensification of tropical cyclones by providing additional forced ascent near the storm center and an efficient outflow channel in the upper troposphere. Moreover, under specific circumstances, TUTTs can grow into upper cold lows and may enhance the development of low level disturbances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_U ... ric_Trough

I can only open more questions here, but I thought a TUTT was a blast of upper level stuff from the north that only serves to kill tropical systems.

I found this:

There are also suggestions that TUTTs can assist tropical cyclone genesis and intensification by providing additional forced ascent near the storm center and/or by allowing for an efficient outflow channel in the upper troposphere. For a more detailed discussion on TUTTs see the article by Fitzpatrick et al. (1995).

Here:

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A10.html
So apparently a TUTT can aid in development of and Tropical Cyclone.

A TUTT to the northwest of a TC can enhance its outflow channel, which can allow in rapid intensification if all other factors are favorable.

Good recent example - Ioke.

Also, as Sadler showed in 1967, TUTT Lows themselves can transform into Tropica Cyclones as they migrate into lower latitudes it's a drawn out and complicated process but they do it. Sadler noted that about 16% of the WPAC storms developed from TUTT Lows. The most recent instance was the development of Tropical Storm Maria earlier this year.

Steve

I thought a TUTT was one of those troughs that are wrapped around a ridge and come ripping down from the north at high speed. They appear on the WV imagery like a multi-headed serpent or something striking down from the north. What is the term for these features?

Aslkahuna wrote:Also, as Sadler showed in 1967, TUTT Lows themselves can transform into Tropica Cyclones as they migrate into lower latitudes it's a drawn out and complicated process but they do it. Sadler noted that about 16% of the WPAC storms developed from TUTT Lows. The most recent instance was the development of Tropical Storm Maria earlier this year.

Steve

Didn't TS Wukong this year form from an ULL or was it from the monsoonal trough?

I think it was from the tutt, which forced the energy from the monsoonal trough into its eastern side. Which lowered pressure to form a surface low. Once it did that the upper low moved southwestward away from the system. Like Kyle 2002.