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arXiv · 2005.11522

Comments on "An evaluation of hurricane superintensity in axisymmetric numerical models" by Rapha\"el Rousseau-Rizzi and Kerry Emanuel

Anastassia M. Makarieva·Andrei V. Nefiodov·Douglas Sheil·Antonio Donato Nobre·Alexander V. Chikunov·Günter Plunien·Bai-Lian Li
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Abstract

In a recent paper Rousseau-Rizzi and Emanuel (2019) presented a derivation of an upper limit on maximum hurricane velocity at the surface. This derivation was based on a consideration of an infinitely narrow (differential) Carnot cycle with the warmer isotherm at the point of the maximum wind velocity. Here we show that this derivation neglected a significant term describing the kinetic energy change in the outflow. Additionally, we highlight the importance of a proper accounting for the power needed to lift liquid water. Finally, we provide a revision to the formula for surface fluxes of heat and momentum showing that, if we accept the assumptions adopted by Rousseau-Rizzi and Emanuel (2019), the resulting velocity estimate does not depend on the flux of sensible heat.

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Anastassia M. Makarieva, Andrei V. Nefiodov, Douglas Sheil, Antonio Donato Nobre, Alexander V. Chikunov, Günter Plunien, Bai-Lian Li. 2020-05-23. Comments on "An evaluation of hurricane superintensity in axisymmetric numerical models" by Rapha\"el Rousseau-Rizzi and Kerry Emanuel. https://doi.org/10.1175/jas-d-20-0156.1

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