Evolution of an Axisymmetric Tropical Cyclone before Reaching Slantwise Moist Neutrality

In a previous study, the authors showed that the intensification process of a numerically simulated axisymmetric tropical cyclone (TC) can be divided into two periods denoted by "phase I" and "phase II." The intensification process in phase II can be qualitatively described by Emanuel's intensification theory in which the angular momentum (M) and saturated entropy (s*) surfaces are congruent in the TC interior. During phase I, however, the M and s* surfaces evolve from nearly orthogonal to almost congruent, and thus, the intensifying simulated TC has a different physical character as compared to that found in phase II. The present work uses a numerical simulation to investigate the evolution of an axisymmetric TC during phase I. The present results show that sporadic, deep convective annular rings play an important role in the simulated axisymmetric TC evolution in phase I. The convergence in low-level radial (Ekman) inflow in the boundary layer of the TC vortex, together with the increase of near-surface s* produced by sea surface fluxes, leads to episodes of convective rings around the TC center. These convective rings transport larger values of s* and M from the lower troposphere upward to the tropopause; the locally large values of M associated with the convective rings cause a radially outward bias in the upper-level radial velocity and an inward bias in the low-level radial velocity. Through a repetition of this process, the pattern (i.e., phase II) gradually emerges. The role of internal gravity waves related to the episodes of convection and the TC intensification process during phase I is also discussed.