Marine Heatwaves x Tropical Cyclones
This page compares two closely related studies. They share the same characters (marine heatwaves and tropical cyclones) but tell two different stories: one where tropical cyclones suppress marine heatwaves, and another where marine heatwaves intensify a typhoon.
Publications
- I.-F. Pun*, I.-I. Lin, C.-C. Wu. Suppression of marine heatwave activity by tropical cyclone-induced upper ocean cooling. Sci. Adv. 11, eadw8070 (2025).
- I.-F. Pun*, H.-H. Hsu, I.-J. Moon, I.-I. Lin, J.-Y. Jeong. Marine heatwave as a supercharger for the strongest typhoon in the East China Sea. npj Clim. Atmos. Sci. 6, 128 (2023).
(Pun et al., 2025) Suppression of marine heatwave activity by tropical cyclone-induced upper ocean cooling
Core idea: Tropical cyclones can cool the upper ocean (via mixing and upwelling), which reduces sea surface temperature and can disrupt or weaken marine heatwave conditions.
What this study emphasizes: The ocean's response to storms. In short, storms do not just react to the ocean; they can also reshape ocean thermal extremes.
Why it matters: If tropical cyclones systematically interrupt marine heatwaves, then storm climatology and track patterns may influence how often marine heatwaves persist, especially during active cyclone seasons.
(Pun et al., 2023) Marine heatwave as a supercharger for the strongest typhoon in the East China Sea
Core idea: A marine heatwave increases upper-ocean heat content, helping sustain strong air-sea fluxes and providing extra energy that can support rapid intensification or unusually high typhoon intensity.
What this study emphasizes: The atmosphere's response to ocean extremes. Instead of storms suppressing heatwaves, the heatwave becomes an enabling background condition for extreme storm behavior.
Why it matters: If marine heatwaves become more frequent or longer-lasting, they may increase the probability of extreme typhoon intensity events in regions like the East China Sea, depending on other constraints (wind shear, track, translation speed, etc.).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Paper A: TC → MHW | Paper B: MHW → TC |
|---|---|---|
| Primary direction | Tropical cyclone impacts marine heatwave activity | Marine heatwave impacts typhoon intensity |
| Key mechanism | Upper-ocean cooling (mixing/upwelling) weakens MHW conditions | Enhanced upper-ocean heat content fuels stronger air-sea energy exchange |
| Main viewpoint | Ocean thermal extremes as outcomes shaped by storms | Storm extremes as outcomes enabled by ocean heat extremes |
| Typical message | Storms can "turn off" or interrupt marine heatwaves | Marine heatwaves can "power up" extreme typhoons |