Researchers report trends over recent decades in available atmospheric energy during summer in the extratropical Northern Hemisphere, finding a decrease in the nonconvective component of available energy consistent with reduced extratropical cyclone activity, and an increase in the convective component consistent with increased convective precipitation, illustrating how extratropical cyclones can become weaker even as convection becomes more energetic.
Article #18-12312: "Changing available energy for extratropical cyclones and associated convection in Northern Hemisphere summer," by Charles G. Gertler and Paul A. O'Gorman.
MEDIA CONTACT: Charles G. Gertler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA; tel: 617-699-9165; e-mail: cgertler@mit.edu
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