dem05
(User)
Sat May 31 2008 05:19 PM
Re: alma starts a fight

EDIT: This was not officially Arthur as I was typing. Reference 90L as Arthur now in the text below.

I see the great debate of is or isn't 90L the spawn of Alma. This is a somewhat classic debate that has occurred in the past. However, with Alma, there is a twist.

I bring to light the following storms of the recent past: Hurricane Mitch of 1998 and Hurricane Ivan of 2004. In the case of Mitch, the mid level center that was directly affiliated with the core of the hurricane worked it's way into the Bay of Campechee. That mid level center was able to work it's way back to the surface and re-develop into a tropical storm. After much debate, the system retained it's name. As for Ivan in 2004, the same evolution occurred. The mid level circulation directly affiliated with the core of the system re-emerged over water. After a long loop southward, the system worked it's way back to the surface and re-formed several days later. This system required even further examination and debate, but after clear evidence was provided, the decision was made that the new storm was Ivan.

In this case, we have two items to discuss.
1.) I think everyone is on board with this one, but if 90L was to develop and it indeed had been the remnants of Alma, it's name would be re-assigned to an Atlantic name.
2.) Alma is the daughter of a monsoon trough and likewise, 90L is the son of the same monsoon trough. However, 90L is certainly not the child of Alma. There are some very good reason to say that 90L is not the remenants of Alma in any way shape or form. Alma was a small cyclone embedded within the broader monsoon trough. While it is true that Alma pumped up some heat and moisture in the Caribbean, the circulation of Alma never made it to the Gulf of Hondoras. In fact, the stage was already being set for 90L to evlove within the broader trough while Alma was just starting to spin down over Central America. By mid day yesterday, it was clear to see that new vorticity was evolving within the moonsoon trough over the Western Caribbean. At the same time, the remenant low of Alma was still deciernable over western Hondoras. As time went by, that remenant low was absorbed into the broader monsoon rotation evolving over the western Caribbean. In some, there was no remenant (low level or mid level) of Alma to make it over water and 90L is of it's own independant development within the broader monsoon trough. If anything, 90L ate the remenants of Alma for lunch mid day yesterday.

I hope this expalains the evloution a bit. In the mean time, I am digging to see if there is an archived satellite loop that depicts how this dance occurred. Will be back with it if I find it.



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