DOCSLIB.ORG

Analysis of a Major Storm Over the Dongjiang Reservoir Basin Associated with Typhoon Bilis (2006)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Analysis of a Major Storm Over the Dongjiang Reservoir Basin Associated with Typhoon Bilis (2006) Nat Hazards DOI 10.1007/s11069-013-0696-9 ORIGINAL PAPER Analysis of a major storm over the Dongjiang reservoir basin associated with Typhoon Bilis (2006) Yi Zou • Shifan Qiu • Yaoqiu Kuang • Ningsheng Huang Received: 12 January 2013 / Accepted: 16 April 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 Abstract An unexpected major storm on July 14, 2006, resulted in great loss to the Dongjiang reservoir basin in Zixing City, Hunan Province, China, during the dominance of Typhoon Bilis (2006). The rainfall characteristics and temporal evolution of this major storm were studied with rain gauge data and high-resolution radar reflectivity data to investigate the connections between typhoon, reservoir and convective storm. Our inves- tigations found that the intense convective storm, which was characterized by a banded structure, brought heavy rainfall concentrated in the Dongjiang reservoir basin while the center of Typhoon Bilis was nearly 450 km away from the basin. By applying geographical information system techniques, analyses of radar reflectivity demonstrated that the topography of the Dongjiang reservoir has big influence on the development of convective storm. Furthermore, intense convective cells with strong radar reflectivity ([50 dBZ) arose more frequently over the edges of the reservoir, especially over the southern mountain valley in the basin. More importantly, our investigations indicate that the occurrence of this convective storm is closely related to a strong atmospheric inversion by examining the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder data. Keywords Convective storm Á Reservoir basin Á Tropical cyclone Á Bilis Á Radar reflectivity Á AIRS Y. Zou Á Y. Kuang (&) Á N. Huang Sustainable Development Research Center, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, China e-mail: [email protected] Y. Zou Á S. Qiu Á Y. Kuang Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangdong 510640, China Y. Zou Á S. Qiu University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China S. Qiu Department of Municipal Engineering, Guangdong Technical College of Water Resources and Electric Engineering, Guangdong 510635, China 123 Nat Hazards 1 Introduction Tropical cyclones (TCs), also known as hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones, are one of the most devastating weather phenomena in the world, but tropical cyclones are still poorly understood (Roy and Kovordanyi 2012). Tropical cyclone is an important trigger of many hazards, including floods, landslides and debris flows, and thus has drawn much attention from hydrologists, geomorphologists and engineering geologists (Catane et al. 2012; Chen et al. 2008; Huang et al. 2012; Liu and Wu 2011; Yu et al. 2006). As one of huge man-made projects, reservoir plays a key role in flood control. The understanding of precipitation characteristics over a reservoir basin is helpful in flood forecasting and warning systems. Although many investigations have explored the impacts of tropical cyclones on hydrological processes in reservoir basins (Huang and Hsieh 2010; Lin G-F et al. 2010, Lin G-W et al. 2011), few studies have paid attention to the char- acteristics of major storms triggered by tropical cyclones over a reservoir basin. Lack of observations with adequate spatial–temporal resolution largely hampered the study on convective storms associated with tropical cyclones over a reservoir basin. Being situated in a mountainous area with numerous towns and villages, the Dongjiang reservoir basin in Zixing City, China, is vulnerable to heavy rainfalls during tropical cyclone seasons. On July 14, 2006, Zixing City experienced a devastating major storm that caused 246 deaths, 95 missing and over 300 million dollars in damage during the domi- nance of Typhoon Bilis (2006). Previous investigations have shown that the surrounding areas of the Dongjiang reservoir in Zixing were the hardest hit with heavy loss of property and human lives caused by flash floods and landslides (Xu et al. 2011; Zhu and Zhuang 2009). However, the temporal and spatial scales of previous investigations on the Typhoon Bilis (Gao et al. 2009; Teng et al. 2008; Yang et al. 2009; Zhu and Zhuang 2009) were too rough to show the details of the extreme rainfall event in Zixing. Based on rain gauge data, radar reflectivity data and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) data, this research aims to study the characteristics of the major storm associated with Typhoon Bilis over the Dongjiang reservoir basin and explore the mechanisms behind the extreme storm event. Thus, we try to identify the rainfall characteristics of the major storm by analyzing rain gauge data and radar reflectivity data, study the local topographic influence on the development of convective systems by introducing geographical infor- mation system (GIS) techniques, and explore the connections between the local atmo- sphere and the major storm by examining the AIRS data. 2 Study area and data Zixing is a city in the southeast of Hunan Province, China, with Dongjiang reservoir located at the upstream of Leishui River (Fig. 1). The city is located in the north of the Nanling Mountains with the Luoxiao Mountains to the east and the landform declining gradually from the southeast to the northwest. The study area consists of three distinct geomorphic parts: 1. the hilly plain, 106–300 m a.s.l.; 2. the hilly valley, * 300–700 m a.s.l.; 3. the arc-shaped mountains of the Luoxiao Mountains near the eastern and southern boundaries, [700 m a.s.l.. 123 Nat Hazards Fig. 1 Study area The Dongjiang reservoir basin is the most important landform of Zixing, and the Dongjiang reservoir within it is the largest reservoir in the south of Hunan, with a water area of 160 km2 and a capacity of 8.12 9 109 m3. Topographic properties of Zixing were obtained from the 30-m ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (version 2) of METI and NASA (Fig. 1). Radar reflectivity data of high temporal and spatial resolution were obtained by S band (10 cm) Doppler radar from Shaoguan weather radar station. The altitude of the radar antenna is 301.9 m a.s.l. Moreover, rainfall data from records of 21 rain gauges in and around Zixing were used to analyze the precipitation characteristic of the major storm in Zixing (Fig. 2). Of the 21 rain gauges, Fangshi (FS), Huangcao (HC), Lianping (LP), Longxi (LX), Qingjiang (QJ), Xingning (XN) and Zixing (ZX) are located in Zixing City. Recent developments in observation techniques have led to improvements in high- quality remote sensing data for better understanding the atmospheric and surface charac- teristics. Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is an advanced atmospheric remote sensing instrument on board the EOS-2/Aqua satellite. AIRS along with its accompanying microwave instrument, Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU-A), represents the most advanced atmospheric sounding system at present. The AIRS temperature retrievals have nominal horizontal resolution of 45 km and vertical resolution at 28 pressure levels 123 Nat Hazards Fig. 2 Location of the weather Doppler radar and rain gauges. CZ Chenzhou, FS Fanshi, GD Guidong, HC Huangcao, HK Hankou, LHD Longhudong, LP Lianping, LX Longxi, ND Nandong, QJ Qingjiang, RC Rucheng, SD Sidu, ST Shatian, XF Xinfang, XLS Xiulishan, XN Xingning, YS Yanshou, YX Yongxing, YZ Yizhang, ZHX Zhangxi, ZX Zixing between 1,100 and 0.1 hPa. Generally, temperature profiles have an accuracy of 1 K per 1-km-thick layer in the troposphere (Li 2008). The surface pressure combined with AIRS standard temperature products is interpolated from the NCEP GFS 3-, 6- and 9-h forecast and the local DEM topography (Olsen 2011). The local atmospheric conditions in the study area were examined on the basis of AIRS standard temperature products and air surface pressure before and after the major storm. 3 Case overview Typhoon Bilis (2006) developed in the western North Pacific Ocean and landed on the coast of Xiapu County, Fujian Province, China, at 0450 UTC on July 14, 2006, with a maximum wind speed of 108 km/h. After landing, it shortly weakened into a tropical storm in Fujian Province and kept moving westward at a speed of 10–15 km/h. On July 14, Bilis weakened to a tropical depression at 0700 UTC on July 15 in Jiangxi Province, but it still kept moving westward. Finally, it disappeared in Hunan Province at 1800 UTC on July 16, 2006. The best track of Bilis from 0000 UTC on July 11 to 1800 UTC on July 16, 2006 (Fig. 3), was plotted using the online dataset (http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/digital-typhoon/) 123 Nat Hazards Fig. 3 The best track of Bilis provided by the Japan National Institute of Informatics. As shown in Fig. 3, the center of Bilis was about 450 km away from Zixing at 1200 UTC on July 14, 2006, and then heavy rain occurred and appeared to be persistent over Zixing. Rainfall observations are available for these date from rain gauge networks in Zixing from 0000 UTC on 14 July to 2400 UTC on 15 July as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in the 3-h rainfall curves of Zixing (Fig. 4), the first peak of rainfall intensity appeared at 1500–1800 UTC on July 14, which is a prominent characteristic of the major storm event in Zixing during the dominance of Bilis. The unexpected intense precipitation resulted in devastating floods in Zixing, especially in the Dongjiang reservoir basin. Figure 5 shows the inflow, outflow and water level of Dongjiang reservoir from 1200 UTC on 14 July to 0900 UTC on 19 July. As shown in Fig. 5, there are two peak values along the inflow curve during this period. The inflow of Dongjiang reservoir increased sharply from 590 to 9,298 m3/s during the 9-h period from 1200 UTC to 2100 UTC on 14 July and then decreased rapidly before reaching the second peak at 2100 UTC on 15 July.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Enhancing Psychological Support
    Appeal No. MDRCN001 CHINA: FLOODS 2006 17 October 2007 The Federation’s mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 185 countries. In Brief Final Report; Period covered: 2 August 2006 - 31 July 2007; Final appeal coverage: 26%. <Click here to link directly to the attached Final Financial Report>. Appeal history: • This appeal was launched on 02 August 2006 seeking CHF 5,950,200 (USD 4,825,791 or EUR 3,782,708) for 12 months to assist 240,000 beneficiaries. • Disaster Relief Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: CHF 213,000 Related Emergency or Annual Appeals: 2006-2007 China Appeal MAACN001 2006-2007 East Asia Appeal MAA54001 Operational Summary: Every year, China is crippled by various natural disasters. In 2006, natural disasters were responsible for the deaths of at least 3,186 people. Over 13.8 million people were evacuated and relocated, with 1.93 million houses completely destroyed. According to latest statistics provided by the ministry of civil affairs, flooding in 2006 had caused a direct economic loss of USD 24 billion (CHF 30 billion). The Red Cross Society of China first responded to meet the emergency needs in Hunan province arising from typhoon Bilis. The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund allocated CHF 213,000 to initial relief distributions. A flood affected village in Hunan province. RCSC/International Federation Through the Federation’s China Floods Emergency Appeal (MDRCN001) launched on 2 August 2006, CHF 1.57 million was raised to provide additional support to beneficiaries through the national society.
    [Show full text]
  • Observational Analysis of Heavy Rainfall Mechanisms Associated with Severe Tropical Storm Bilis (2006) After Its Landfall
    JUNE 2009 G A O E T A L . 1881 Observational Analysis of Heavy Rainfall Mechanisms Associated with Severe Tropical Storm Bilis (2006) after Its Landfall SHUANZHU GAO China National Meteorological Center, Beijing, China ZHIYONG MENG Department of Atmospheric Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China FUQING ZHANG Department of Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania LANCE F. BOSART Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York (Manuscript received 5 June 2008, in final form 8 December 2008) ABSTRACT This observational study attempts to determine factors responsible for the distribution of precipitation over large areas of southern China induced by Bilis, a western North Pacific Ocean severe tropical storm that made landfall on the southeastern coast of mainland China on 14 July 2006 with a remnant circulation that persisted over land until after 17 July 2006. The heavy rainfalls associated with Bilis during and after its landfall can be divided into three stages. The first stage of the rainfall, which occurred in Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces, could be directly induced by the inner-core storm circulation during its landfall. The third stage of rainfall, which occurred along the coastal areas of Guangdong and Fujian Provinces, likely resulted from the interaction between Bilis and the South China Sea monsoon enhanced by topographical lifting along the coast. The second stage of the rainfall, which appeared inland around the border regions between Jiangxi, Hunan, and Guangdong Provinces, caused the most catastrophic flooding and is the primary focus of the current study. It is found that during the second stage of the rainfall all three ingredients of deep moist convection (moisture, instability, and lifting) are in place.
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Public Disclosure Authorized Report No. 82638-PH INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCING DOCUMENT Public Disclosure Authorized FOR PROPOSED SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCING IN THE AMOUNT OF US$500 MILLION TO THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FOR Public Disclosure Authorized THE PHILIPPINES SECOND DEVELOPMENT POLICY LOAN TO FOSTER MORE INCLUSIVE GROWTH FOR POST TYPHOON RECOVERY December 04, 2013 Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Sector Department Philippines East Asia and Pacific Region Public Disclosure Authorized This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization. GOVERNMENT'S FISCAL YEAR January 1 – December 31 CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency unit: Philippine Pesos (PHP) as of November 12, 2013 US$ 1 = PHP43.59 Currency Unit US$1.00 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AIR Applied Insurance Research JBIC Japan Bank for International Cooperation BPO Business Processing and Outsourcing KALAHI- Kapitbisig Laban Sa Kahirapan- CIDSS Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services BSP Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas LBP Land Bank of the Philippines CAS Country Assistance Strategy LDP Letter of Development Policy CAT-DDO Catastrophe Draw Down Option LGU Local Government Unit CCT Conditional Cash Transfer NCDDP National Community Driven Development Project COA Commission on Audit NDRRMC National Disaster Risk Reduction
    [Show full text]
  • Recent Advances in Research on Tropical Cyclogenesis
    Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Tropical Cyclone Research and Review 9 (2020) 87e105 www.keaipublishing.com/tcrr Recent advances in research on tropical cyclogenesis Brian H. Tang a,*, Juan Fang b, Alicia Bentley a,y, Gerard Kilroy c, Masuo Nakano d, Myung-Sook Park e, V.P.M. Rajasree f, Zhuo Wang g, Allison A. Wing h, Liguang Wu i a University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, USA b Nanjing University, Nanjing, China c Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany d Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan e Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan, South Korea f Centre for Atmospheric and Climate Physics Research, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK g University of Illinois, Urbana, USA h Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA i Fudan University, Shanghai, China Available online 7 May 2020 Abstract This review article summarizes recent (2014e2019) advances in our understanding of tropical cyclogenesis, stemming from activities at the ninth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones. Tropical cyclogenesis involves the interaction of dynamic and thermodynamic processes at multiple spatio-temporal scales. Studies have furthered our understanding of how tropical cyclogenesis may be affected by external processes, such as intraseasonal oscillations, monsoon circulations, the intertropical convergence zone, and midlatitude troughs and cutoff lows. Addi- tionally, studies have furthered our understanding of how tropical cyclogenesis may be affected by internal processes, such as the organization of deep convection; the evolution of the “pouch” structure; the role of friction; the development of the moist, warm core; the importance of surface fluxes; and the role of the mid-level vortex.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix 8: Damages Caused by Natural Disasters
    Building Disaster and Climate Resilient Cities in ASEAN Draft Finnal Report APPENDIX 8: DAMAGES CAUSED BY NATURAL DISASTERS A8.1 Flood & Typhoon Table A8.1.1 Record of Flood & Typhoon (Cambodia) Place Date Damage Cambodia Flood Aug 1999 The flash floods, triggered by torrential rains during the first week of August, caused significant damage in the provinces of Sihanoukville, Koh Kong and Kam Pot. As of 10 August, four people were killed, some 8,000 people were left homeless, and 200 meters of railroads were washed away. More than 12,000 hectares of rice paddies were flooded in Kam Pot province alone. Floods Nov 1999 Continued torrential rains during October and early November caused flash floods and affected five southern provinces: Takeo, Kandal, Kampong Speu, Phnom Penh Municipality and Pursat. The report indicates that the floods affected 21,334 families and around 9,900 ha of rice field. IFRC's situation report dated 9 November stated that 3,561 houses are damaged/destroyed. So far, there has been no report of casualties. Flood Aug 2000 The second floods has caused serious damages on provinces in the North, the East and the South, especially in Takeo Province. Three provinces along Mekong River (Stung Treng, Kratie and Kompong Cham) and Municipality of Phnom Penh have declared the state of emergency. 121,000 families have been affected, more than 170 people were killed, and some $10 million in rice crops has been destroyed. Immediate needs include food, shelter, and the repair or replacement of homes, household items, and sanitation facilities as water levels in the Delta continue to fall.
    [Show full text]
  • Science Discussion Started: 22 October 2018 C Author(S) 2018
    Discussions Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2018-127 Earth System Manuscript under review for journal Earth Syst. Sci. Data Science Discussion started: 22 October 2018 c Author(s) 2018. CC BY 4.0 License. Open Access Open Data 1 Field Investigations of Coastal Sea Surface Temperature Drop 2 after Typhoon Passages 3 Dong-Jiing Doong [1]* Jen-Ping Peng [2] Alexander V. Babanin [3] 4 [1] Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 5 Taiwan 6 [2] Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemuende (IOW), Rostock, Germany 7 [3] Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, University of 8 Melbourne, Australia 9 ---- 10 *Corresponding author: 11 Dong-Jiing Doong 12 Email: [email protected] 13 Tel: +886 6 2757575 ext 63253 14 Add: 1, University Rd., Tainan 70101, Taiwan 15 Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, National Cheng Kung University 16 -1 Discussions Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2018-127 Earth System Manuscript under review for journal Earth Syst. Sci. Data Science Discussion started: 22 October 2018 c Author(s) 2018. CC BY 4.0 License. Open Access Open Data 1 Abstract 2 Sea surface temperature (SST) variability affects marine ecosystems, fisheries, ocean primary 3 productivity, and human activities and is the primary influence on typhoon intensity. SST drops 4 of a few degrees in the open ocean after typhoon passages have been widely documented; 5 however, few studies have focused on coastal SST variability. The purpose of this study is to 6 determine typhoon-induced SST drops in the near-coastal area (within 1 km of the coast) and 7 understand the possible mechanism.
    [Show full text]
  • China Date: 8 January 2007
    Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: CHN31098 Country: China Date: 8 January 2007 Keywords: China – Taiwan Strait – 2006 Military exercises – Typhoons This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Questions 1. Is there corroborating information about military manoeuvres and exercises in Pingtan? 2. Is there any information specifically about the military exercise there in July 2006? 3. Is there any information about “Army day” on 1 August 2006? 4. What are the aquatic farming/fishing activities carried out in that area? 5. Has there been pollution following military exercises along the Taiwan Strait? 6. The delegate makes reference to independent information that indicates that from May until August 2006 China particularly the eastern coast was hit by a succession of storms and typhoons. The last one being the hardest to hit China in 50 years. Could I have information about this please? The delegate refers to typhoon Prapiroon. What information is available about that typhoon? 7. The delegate was of the view that military exercises would not be organised in typhoon season, particularly such a bad one. Is there any information to assist? RESPONSE 1. Is there corroborating information about military manoeuvres and exercises in Pingtan? 2. Is there any information specifically about the military exercise there in July 2006? There is a minor naval base in Pingtan and military manoeuvres are regularly held in the Taiwan Strait where Pingtan in located, especially in the June to August period.
    [Show full text]
  • Interaction Between Tropical Cyclone and Southwesterly Monsoon
    Interaction between tropical cyclone and southwesterly monsoon Qinghong Zhang(张庆红) Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, School of Physics, Beijing 100871 Email: [email protected] Collaborator: Zhanpeng Dai Roving seminar Dec 2010 Thailand Satellite FY 2C IR observation 1953-2006 Bilis 路径南北5个经 纬度内的登陆热带 气旋共有30个 Rainfall Comparison between observation & MM5-9km simulation Rainfall Reinforcement Associated with Landfalling Tropical Cyclones in Mainland China (Dong et. al. 2010) Initial field of sensitive experiment Control weaker Comparison 850 hPa wind speed over SCS of control and weaker TC run 3-4 m/s difference Momentum budget Pressure advection gradient force Momentum budget comparison between control and weaker TC run PGD weaker TC PGD control Advection control Advection weaker TC 30 typhoons with similar track with Bilis Mesoscale convection systems accompanied with tropical cyclone landfall would enhance the pressure gradient force in low atmosphere above South China Sea Region, which would lead to intensification of the low level jet in summer monsoon. from 1950 to 2009, 80% of the tropical cyclone activities accompany with positive low level wind speed anomaly in South China Sea . TC Monsoon Rainfall Reinforcement Associated with Landfalling Tropical Cyclones in Mainland China (Dong et. al. 2010) Study on the potential impact of landfall TC in China Qinghong Zhang(张庆红) Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, School of Physics, Beijing 100871 Email: [email protected] Collaborator: Qing Wei , Lianshou Chen and Zhanpeng Dai Roving seminar Dec 2010 Thailand Motivation • Landfall TCs are high-impact weather systems in China. • Prediction of TC economic loss are based on the statistics using intensity observed, forecasting track in China • How to predict the potential impact, especially economic impact before TC landfall is still not clear.
    [Show full text]
  • Gaining from Losses: Using Disaster Loss Data As a Tool for Appraising Natural Disaster Policy
    GAINING FROM LOSSES: USING DISASTER LOSS DATA AS A TOOL FOR APPRAISING NATURAL DISASTER POLICY by SHALINI MOHLEJI B.A., University of Virginia, 2000 M.S., Purdue University, 2002 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Environmental Studies Program 2011 This thesis entitled: Gaining from Losses: Using Disaster Loss Data as a Tool for Appraising Natural Disaster Policy written by Shalini Mohleji has been approved for the Environmental Studies Program Roger Pielke Jr. Sam Fitch Date 5/26/11 The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. IRB protocol #: 11-0029 iii Mohleji, Shalini (Ph.D., Environmental Studies) Gaining from Losses: Using Disaster Loss Data as a Tool for Appraising Natural Disaster Policy Thesis directed by Dr. Roger Pielke Jr. ABSTRACT This dissertation capitalizes on an opportunity, untapped until now, to utilize data on disaster losses to appraise natural disaster policy. Through a set of three distinct studies, I use data on economic losses caused by natural disasters in order to analyze trends in disaster severity and answer important disaster policy questions. The first study reconciles the apparent disconnect between (a) claims that global disaster losses are increasing due to anthropogenic climate change and (b) studies that find regional losses are increasing due to socioeconomic factors. I assess climate change and global disaster severity through regional analyses derived by disaggregating global loss data into their regional components.
    [Show full text]
  • Tropical Cyclogenesis Associated with Rossby Wave Energy Dispersion of a Preexisting Typhoon
    VOLUME 63 JOURNAL OF THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES MAY 2006 Tropical Cyclogenesis Associated with Rossby Wave Energy Dispersion of a Preexisting Typhoon. Part I: Satellite Data Analyses* TIM LI AND BING FU Department of Meteorology, and International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii (Manuscript submitted 20 September 2004, in final form 7 June 2005) ABSTRACT The structure and evolution characteristics of Rossby wave trains induced by tropical cyclone (TC) energy dispersion are revealed based on the Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) data. Among 34 cyclogenesis cases analyzed in the western North Pacific during 2000–01 typhoon seasons, six cases are associated with the Rossby wave energy dispersion of a preexisting TC. The wave trains are oriented in a northwest–southeast direction, with alternating cyclonic and anticyclonic vorticity circulation. A typical wavelength of the wave train is about 2500 km. The TC genesis is observed in the cyclonic circulation region of the wave train, possibly through a scale contraction process. The satellite data analyses reveal that not all TCs have a Rossby wave train in their wakes. The occur- rence of the Rossby wave train depends to a certain extent on the TC intensity and the background flow. Whether or not a Rossby wave train can finally lead to cyclogenesis depends on large-scale dynamic and thermodynamic conditions related to both the change of the seasonal mean state and the phase of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation. Stronger low-level convergence and cyclonic vorticity, weaker vertical shear, and greater midtropospheric moisture are among the favorable large-scale conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Mega-Stress for Mega-Cities a Climate Vulnerability Ranking of Major Coastal Cities in Asia
    Mega-Stress for Mega-Cities A Climate Vulnerability Ranking of Major Coastal Cities in Asia Shanghai CHINA BANGLADESH Hong Kong Calcutta Dhaka INDIA Manila PHILIPPINES THAILAND VIETNAM Bangkok CAMBODIA Phnom Ho Chi Minh Penh Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA SINGAPORE INDONESIA Jakarta Table of Contents Section I 3 - 6 Executive Summary Section II 7 - 8 Context Section III 9 - 10 Methodology Section IV City Scorecards 11 - 12 Dhaka, Bangladesh 13 - 14 Jakarta, Indonesia 15 - 16 Manila, Philippines 17 - 18 Calcutta, India 19 - 20 Phnom Penh, Cambodia 21 - 22 Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 23 - 24 Shanghai, China 25 - 26 Bangkok, Thailand 27 - 28 Hong Kong, China 29 - 30 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 31 - 32 Singapore, Republic of Singapore Section V 33 - 34 Vulnerability Rankings Section VI 35 - 36 Policy Recommendations Section VII 37 - 39 References and Resources 2 Section I Executive Summary Asia is arguably among the regions of the world most vulnerable to climate change. Climate change and climatic variability have and will continue to impact all sectors, from national and economic security to human health, food production, infrastructure, water availability and ecosystems. The evidence of climate change in Asia is widespread: overall temperatures have risen from 1°C to 3°C over the last 100 years, precipitation patterns have changed, the number of extreme weather events is increasing, and sea levels are rising. Because many of the largest cities in Asia are located on the coast and within major river deltas, they are even more susceptible to the impacts of climate change. In response, this report highlights the vulnerability of some of those cities - with the goal of increasing regional awareness of the impacts of climate change, providing a starting point for further research and policy discussions, and triggering action to protect people and nature in and around Asia’s mega- cities from mega-stress in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Typhoons on Economic Activity in the Philippines: Evidence from Nightlight Intensity
    THE IMPACT OF TYPHOONS ON ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE PHILIPPINES: EVIDENCE FROM NIGHTLIGHT INTENSITY Eric Strobl NO. 589 ADB ECONOMICS July 2019 WORKING PAPER SERIES ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK ADB Economics Working Paper Series The Impact of Typhoons on Economic Activity in the Philippines: Evidence from Nightlight Intensity Eric Strobl Eric Strobl ([email protected]) is a professor in the Department of Economics and Oeschger Centre for No. 589 | July 2019 Climate Change Research, University of Bern. This paper was prepared as background material for the Asian Development Outlook 2019 theme chapter on ‘‘Strengthening Disaster Resilience.’’ ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) © 2019 Asian Development Bank 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City, 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines Tel +63 2 632 4444; Fax +63 2 636 2444 www.adb.org Some rights reserved. Published in 2019. ISSN 2313-6537 (print), 2313-6545 (electronic) Publication Stock No. WPS190278-2 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/WPS190278-2 The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by ADB in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.
    [Show full text]