Brown Ocean Effect

[Joshua T. Clark]

Would like to open a thread for discussion regarding this phenomenon. Enclosed are the links to several articles that I have found.

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2008MWR2409.1

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JAMC-D-13-035.1

From what I have gathered, with the right set of conditions, it would not be out of the realm of possibility for a landfalling hurricane of significant magnitude, coupled with this effect, would be able to maintain its strength.

 

[Drew Terril]

From what I remember reading, Hurricane Hazel (1954 I believe) maintained significant strength all the way into Canada. I don't know if this was a similar effect or just a freak occurrence.

 

[Kori Winstead]

I think... people shouldn't be surprised by tropical cyclone maintenance inland. There are so many factors besides just the brown ocean effect that it honestly shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

Frontal interaction/baroclinicity probably being one of the biggest contributors. Forward speed maybe the second.

 

[Joshua T. Clark]

I would like to hear from some of the other met's like Jeff Duda and the like on this. I was hoping to have a serious discussion on this topic. Besides mesoscale ( severe weather), tropical cyclones are the butter for my bread.

 

[Boris Konon]

Look

From what I remember reading, Hurricane Hazel (1954 I believe) maintained significant strength all the way into Canada. I don't know if this was a similar effect or just a freak occurrence.

Hazel was a case of an very fast and intense transition to an extratropical cyclone. one of the most intense recorded for a U.S. landfalling hurricane.

 

[Boris Konon]

Look at this loop of the complete life cycle of Bill,
https://www.facebook.com/NWSWPC/videos/909312685802315/?fref=nf

Notice the huge MCCs NW of it. As one of them dissipates, its remains appear to get entrained into Bill.
Since MCCs act like warm core systems and have distinct mid level vorticity, that may have helped Bill remain
tropical inland as long as it did. Certainty one of the longest lasting TCs inland I have ever seen, esp.
for a system that never was that strong to begin with! I was most impressed with Bill's small center sfc pressure
gradient remaining rather tight all the way to the Cincinnati area.