PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study highlights growing threat of intense tropical cyclones hitting East Asia

2014-01-16
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Michael Bishop
michael.bishop@iop.org
01-179-301-032
Institute of Physics
Study highlights growing threat of intense tropical cyclones hitting East Asia The intensity of tropical cyclones hitting East Asia has significantly increased over the past 30 years, according to a new study published today.

The coastlines of China, Korea and Japan in particular have experienced increasingly stronger cyclones, which the researchers have attributed to increasing sea surface temperatures and a change in atmospheric circulation patterns over the coastal seas.

According to the study, the changes in sea surface temperature and wind flows meant that cyclones were more likely to track along coastal seas from the South China Sea upwards, meaning that by the time the cyclones hit the north-east coast of Asia they had gathered more energy than usual and were at their maximum intensity.

The study, which has been published today, 16 January, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, involved an analysis of five separate data sets that documented the evolution of tropical cyclones across the north-west Pacific between 1977 and 2010.

The researchers also found that in south-east Asia, in countries such as Taiwan and Vietnam, there was no substantial change in the intensity of tropical cyclones. Here, they found that tropical cyclones had started to generate too close to land in the South China Sea to gather enough energy to reach maximum intensity as they approached land.

In addition to increasing sea surface temperatures in the western Pacific, which have notably warmed over the past 30 years, the researchers also attributed the changes to the strengthening of the Walker circulation—an ocean-based atmospheric circulation system that exists over the Pacific.

According to the researchers, the Pacific Walker circulation strengthens as the difference in sea surface temperature between the warmer western Pacific and the colder central-eastern Pacific increases. The result is that the wind flows associated with the circulation pattern force the tropical cyclones towards the north-east coast of Asia, where they reach maximum intensity.

Although the study only accounts for natural variations in sea surface temperature and the Walker circulation retrospectively, over the past 30 years, the researchers do predict that the tropical cyclones hitting East Asia will only strengthen under human-induced climate change.

Professor Chang-Hoi Ho, from Seoul National University, said: "Noticeable increases of greenhouse gases over the globe could influence rising sea surface temperature and change large-scale atmospheric circulation in the western North Pacific, which could enhance the intensity of tropical cyclones hitting land over East Asia.

"If the past changes of large-scale environments are evidence or a result of global warming, it can be assumed that, in the future, more catastrophic tropical cyclones will strike East Asia than ever before.

"The next stage of our research is to use climate models to predict future tropical cyclone landfall intensity in these regions."

### From Thursday 16 January, this paper can be downloaded from http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/9/1/014008/article

Notes to Editors

Contact

1. For further information, a full draft of the journal paper or contact with one of the researchers, contact IOP Press Officer, Michael Bishop:
Tel: 0117 930 1032
E-mail: michael.bishop@iop.org

For more information on how to use the embargoed material above, please refer to our embargo policy.

IOP Publishing Journalist Area

2. The IOP Publishing Journalist Area gives journalists access to embargoed press releases, advanced copies of papers, supplementary images and videos. In addition to this, a weekly news digest is uploaded into the Journalist Area every Friday, highlighting a selection of newsworthy papers set to be published in the following week.

Login details also give free access to IOPscience, IOP Publishing's journal platform.

To apply for a free subscription to this service, please email Michael Bishop, IOP Press Officer, michael.bishop@iop.org, with your name, organisation, address and a preferred username.

Growing threat of intense tropical cyclones to East Asia over the period 1977-2010

3. The published version of the paper 'Growing threat of intense tropical cyclones to East Asia over the period 1977-2010' (Doo-Sun R Park, Chang-Hoi Ho and Joo-Hong Kim 2014 Environ. Res. Lett. 9 014008) will be freely available online from Thursday 16 January. It will be available at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/9/1/014008/article.

Environmental Research Letters

4. Environmental Research Letters is an open access journal that covers all of environmental science, providing a coherent and integrated approach including research articles, perspectives and editorials.

IOP Publishing

5. IOP Publishing provides a range of journals, magazines, websites and services that enable researchers and research organisations to reach the widest possible audience for their research.

We combine the culture of a learned society with global reach and highly efficient and effective publishing systems and processes. With offices in the UK, US, Germany, China and Japan, and staff in many other locations including Mexico and Russia, we serve researchers in the physical and related sciences in all parts of the world.

IOP Publishing is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Institute of Physics. The Institute is a leading scientific society promoting physics and bringing physicists together for the benefit of all. Any profits generated by IOP Publishing are used by the Institute to support science and scientists in both the developed and developing world. Go to ioppublishing.org.

The Institute of Physics

6. The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society. We are a charitable organisation with a worldwide membership of more than 50,000, working together to advance physics education, research and application. We engage with policymakers and the general public to develop awareness and understanding of the value of physics and, through IOP Publishing, we are world leaders in professional scientific communications. Go to http://www.iop.org.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Mercury and ozone depletion events in the Arctic linked to sea-ice dynamics

2014-01-16
Mercury and ozone depletion events in the Arctic linked to sea-ice dynamics DRI scientists' co-author study examining changing atmospheric chemistry in fragile northern ecosystems RENO - This week a new study published in Nature and co-authored by Drs. Chris ...

Crittercam captures crocodilian foraging behaviors (videos)

2014-01-16
Crittercam captures crocodilian foraging behaviors (videos) Video footage reveals novel insights into alligator's cryptic foraging behaviors Animal-borne camera reveals that alligators may attempt to capture prey most often at night, even though the calculated probability ...

Using progesterone for hot flashes shown safe for women's cardiovascular health

2014-01-16
Using progesterone for hot flashes shown safe for women's cardiovascular health Treatment with progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone that has been shown to alleviate severe hot flashes and night sweats in post-menopausal women, poses little ...

Breakthrough announced in treatment of patient with rare type of leukemia

2014-01-16
Breakthrough announced in treatment of patient with rare type of leukemia University of Leicester researchers deploy 'precision medicine' to successfully target advanced form of leukaemia with skin cancer drug A team of scientists from the University of Leicester ...

A deeper look at interfaces

2014-01-16
A deeper look at interfaces Researchers at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source develop new technique for probing subsurface electronic structure "The interface is the device," Nobel laureate Herbert Kroemer famously observed, referring to the remarkable ...

Trees grow faster and store more carbon as they age

2014-01-16
Trees grow faster and store more carbon as they age Trees put on weight faster and faster as they grow older, according to a new study in the journal Nature. The finding that most trees' growth accelerates as they age suggests that large, old trees may ...

2 diabetes studies in Jan. 2014 Health Affairs

2014-01-16
2 diabetes studies in Jan. 2014 Health Affairs Jan. articles examine the toll of diabetes, both in the US and abroad Poorer Americans: depleted food budgets can mean higher risk of hypoglycemia. For generations, economists have noted that low-income households spend much ...

Researchers discover that coevolution between humans and bacteria reduces gastric cancer risk

2014-01-16
Researchers discover that coevolution between humans and bacteria reduces gastric cancer risk Research carried out in two distinct communities in Colombia illustrates how coevolution between humans and bacteria can affect a person’s risk ...

New analysis shows fewer years of life lost to cancer

2014-01-16
New analysis shows fewer years of life lost to cancer Dartmouth researchers say US has underestimated its progress in war on cancer (Lebanon, NH, 1/15/14) - Since the enactment of the National Cancer Act in 1971, the U.S. has spent hundreds ...

Ray of hope for magazines in digital era

2014-01-16
Ray of hope for magazines in digital era Targeted audiences and websites can help magazines weather the onslaught of online competition There is a ray of hope for magazines that do it right. While print media continue to suffer at the hands of their online counterparts, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Graz University of Technology opens up new avenues in lung cancer research with digital cell twin

Exoplanets are not water worlds

Study shows increasing ‘healthy competition’ between menu options nudges patients towards greener, lower-fat hospital food choices

New insights into melanoma plasticity uncover a critical role of iron metabolism

A graphene sandwich — deposited or transferred?

New light-powered motor fits inside a strand of hair

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers boost widespread use of dental varnish across pediatric network

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

[Press-News.org] Study highlights growing threat of intense tropical cyclones hitting East Asia