Suggested Term Paper Topics
How close are tropical entropy distributions to Held-Hou criticality?
Use re-analysis data to calculate critical function.
What causes the sudden onset of monsoons?
Use a simplified numerical model to examine whether the advection of moisture over dry land might be responsible for this attribute of the monsoon.
Are there two stable states of tropical land-sea circulation?
Use a model to investigate whether tropical droughts are self-perpetuating, owing to interactions between soil moisture, atmospheric water vapor, and circulation.
What determines the amplitude and timing of convection over tropical land masses?
Use a single-column model to explore influences on the diurnal cycle of convection.
What causes the Madden-Julian 30-50-day equatorial wave?
Use the simple numerical model developed for class to look at the influence of such exotica as cloud-radiation feedback and ocean feedback.
Do tropical cyclones play a role in triggering an El Niño event?
TCs are known to be a significant heat source for the upper ocean…can this help trigger El Niño? Use TC and El Niño data sets to look for a connection.
Do Atlantic tropical cyclones influence European weather?
Since TCs increase the heat content of the upper ocean, it is possible that variations in Atlantic TC activity influence weather in the North Atlantic region. Can you find evidence of this is weather records?
How does the boundary layer and surface flux formulation effect the structure and precipitation distribution in TCs?
We know quite a bit about how boundary layers and surface fluxes control TC intensity, but almost nothing about their influence on structure and precipitation. Use simple models to explore this issue.