Author(s): Zhuo Wang, University of Illinois (First Author, Presenting Author) Mingshi Yang, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign John Walsh, University of Alaska Fairbanks James Doyle, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Arctic cyclones are the primary synoptic weather systems in the Arctic. This study identifies three types of Arctic cyclones based on their development mechanisms. Type I is characterized by weak diabatic heating, weak low-level baroclinicity, and weak upper-level forcing; Type II is characterized by strong upper-level forcing and strong diabatic heating, while Type III is characterized by strong low-level baroclinicity. The three types of ACs are also associated with different intensity and structural evolutions and different geographic distributions. The classification provides a conceptual framework for understanding the development mechanisms and evolutionary processes of Arctic cyclones.
