Influence of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation on Continental United States Hurricane Landfalls

Abstract The Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) significantly impacts North Atlantic hurricanes, with increased hurricane activity occurring when the MJO enhances convection over Africa and the tropical Indian Ocean and suppressed hurricane activity occurring when the MJO enhances convection over the t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Philip J. Klotzbach, Carl J. Schreck III, Gilbert P. Compo, Kimberly M. Wood, Eric C. J. Oliver, Steven G. Bowen, Michael M. Bell
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023
Subjects:
tropical cyclone
hurricane
Madden‐Julian oscillation
hurricane landfall
hurricane damage
Geophysics. Cosmic physics
QC801-809
North Atlantic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL102762
https://doaj.org/article/0e327dbb838d4b99ab454c1b33ffddf4
Description
Summary:Abstract The Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) significantly impacts North Atlantic hurricanes, with increased hurricane activity occurring when the MJO enhances convection over Africa and the tropical Indian Ocean and suppressed hurricane activity occurring when the MJO enhances convection over the tropical Pacific. Using data from 1905 to 2015, we find more tropical cyclones (TCs) make landfall in the continental United States when the MJO enhances tropical Indian Ocean convection. In addition, when the MJO enhances Western Pacific and Western Hemisphere convection, TC activity is preferentially favored in the Caribbean, leading to more Gulf Coast landfalls. As MJO‐enhanced convection moves to the Indian Ocean and Maritime Continent, more storms form in the tropical Atlantic, favoring Florida Peninsula and East Coast landfalls. The MJO's TC steering wind modulation appears to be secondary to its genesis location modulation.

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