Understanding Tropical Cyclone–Ocean Interactions: Physical Dynamics, Ecological Impacts, and Climate Model Advancements

Tropical cyclones are among the most destructive weather systems, driving extreme air-sea interactions and profoundly influencing the physical, chemical, and biological state of the oceans. Their strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges alter sea surface temperatures through shear-induced vertical mixing, Ekman pumping, and pycnocline erosion. These hydrodynamical processes trigger sea surface cooling, ocean cold wakes, inner-shelf barotropic and baroclinic adjustments, and deep nutrient entrainment, with cascading effects on coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass meadows, fisheries, and coastal ecosystems.

As ocean temperatures and ocean heat content continue to rise under climate change, evidence suggests that tropical cyclones are exhibiting greater variability, becoming wetter, and capable of causing greater ecological and socioeconomic damage. At the same time, accurately representing cyclone-ocean interactions, including surface momentum and enthalpy fluxes, wave-current dynamics, and atmospheric boundary-layer feedbacks, remains a major challenge for climate and Earth system models. Advances in satellite observations, high-frequency radar, autonomous ocean platforms (such as gliders and profiling floats), high-resolution coupled models, artificial intelligence, and data assimilation now offer unprecedented opportunities to improve process understanding and predictive capability.

This Research Topic aims to advance interdisciplinary research on tropical cyclone-ocean interactions, their underlying physical processes and ecological consequences, and innovations that enhance weather forecasting, climate projections, and resilience of vulnerable coastal and marine environments. It seeks contributions that improve knowledge of air-sea coupling, upper-ocean dynamic and thermodynamic responses, estuarine hydrodynamics, ecosystem impacts, and feedback mechanisms influencing cyclone evolution and intensity.

We welcome studies employing field observations, remote sensing, hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic numerical modeling, artificial intelligence, and data assimilation to enhance forecasting and climate projections. We also encourage research on ecosystem resilience, coastal vulnerability, and adaptation strategies that support sustainable management and disaster risk reduction in a warming climate, contributing to more accurate predictions and informed policy decisions.