Composite sharpening by vortex symmetrization and normalization of tropical cyclones

Caratsch, Andrina; Ferrachat, Sylvaine; Lohmann, Ulrike

doi:10.5194/gmd-19-5041-2026

Articles | Volume 19, issue 11

https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-5041-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-5041-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 19, issue 11

Methods for assessment of models

|

15 Jun 2026

Methods for assessment of models |

| 15 Jun 2026

Composite sharpening by vortex symmetrization and normalization of tropical cyclones

Andrina Caratsch, Sylvaine Ferrachat, and Ulrike Lohmann

Data sets

Data for publication "Composite Sharpening by Vortex Symmetrization and Normalization of Tropical Cyclones" A. Caratsch et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20027435

Tropical cyclone tracking method from numerical weather prediction and climate model ICON B. Enz et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19821081

Model code and software

Scripts for publication "Composite Sharpening by Vortex Symmetrization and Normalization of Tropical Cyclones" A. Caratsch et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20027390

Short summary

Tropical cyclones come in various size and shape, which smoothes out key storm features in composite analyses. To address this, we developed a compositing method that symmetrizes storms and better aligns their eyewalls and horizontal extents prior to compositing. This approach preserves mesoscale features in the composites, reduces within-group variance, and enhances the power of statistical testing. The method facilitates the investigation and understanding of tropical cyclone development.