The development of a powerful Mongolian cyclone on 14–15 March 2021: Eddy energy analysis

Intense and extensive dust, caused by a strong Mongolian cyclone, hit Mongolia and northern China on 14–15 March 2021. In this study, the development process of this cyclone is analysed from the perspective of high-frequency eddy energetics. During the low-frequency circulation field of early March of 2021, an amplified polar vortex intruding towards central Asia and a ridge straddling eastern and northeastern Asia worked in concert to comprise a strong baroclinic zone from central Asia to Lake Baikal. Under these favourable conditions, on 13 March, a migratory trough triggered the Mongolian cyclone by crossing over the Sayan Mountains. The downwards transfer of kinetic energy from the eddy at 850 hPa played a key role in the intensification and mature stage of the cyclone. This mechanism was primarily completed by the cold air sinking behind the cold front. The frontal cyclone wave mechanism became crucial once the cyclone started to rapidly develop. The authors emphasize that the anomalously large growth of high-frequency available potential energy, which characterized this super strong cyclone, was obtained by extracting energy first from the time-mean available potential energy and then from the low-frequency available potential energy. The interannual temperature anomaly pattern of “north cold south warm” facilitated the additional time-mean available potential energy, and the temperature anomaly pattern of “northwest cold southeast warm” conditioned the extra low-frequency available potential energy. The analysis results suggest that the interaction between high- and low-frequency waves was also important in the development of the intense cyclone.