The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwhara interaction is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclonicvorticies. When the vorticies approach each other, their centers will begin orbiting cyclonically about a point between the two systems. The two vorticies will be attracted to each other, and eventually spiral into the center point and merge. When the two vorticies are of unequal size, the larger vortex will tend to dominate the interaction, and the smaller vortex will orbit around it. In meteorology, a cyclone is the rotation of a volume of air about an area of low atmospheric pressure. ... Vortex created by the passage of an aircraft wing, revealed by coloured smoke A vortex is a spinning turbulent flow (or any spiral whirling motion) with closed streamlines. ...
The effect is named after Dr. Sakuhei Fujiwhara, the future chief of the Central Meteorological Bureau in Tokyo, who initially described it in a 1921 paper about the motion of vorticies in water. Long a symbol of Tokyo, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace. ...
The effect is often mentioned in relation to the motion of tropical cyclones, although the final merging of the two storms is uncommon. The effect becomes pronounced in these storms when they approach within about 1450 km (900 miles) of each other, and are at tropical storm strength or better. Hurricane Ivan viewed from the International Space Station, September 2004. ...
A few sets of examples can be found in the busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. During the height of the season, Hurricane Humberto and Hurricane Iris took part in a brief Fujiwhara interaction. Iris then began interacting with a third storm, Tropical Storm Karen, which orbited and later merged with the more intense Iris. That same year in the Pacific, Typhoon Pat and Typhoon Ruth completed a full orbit around their centroid before collapsing into a single cyclone. The 1995 Atlantic Hurricane season was the second most active season on record, and the most active in sixty-two years. ...
Sources
USA Today - "Fujiwhara effect describes a stormy waltz" (http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wfujiwha.htm)
Joint Typhoon Warning Center - Typhoon Pat (http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc/atcr/1994atcr/pdf/wnp/29w.pdf) (PDF)
Edward N. Rappaport, NOAA Hurricane Research Division - "Hurricane Iris Preliminary Report" (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/prelim/Iris_prelim.html)
The Fujiwhara effect or Fujiwharainteraction is a type of interaction between two nearby cyclonic vortices, causing them to appear to "orbit" each other.
The effect is often mentioned in relation to the motion of tropical cyclones, although the final merging of the two storms is uncommon.
The effect is named after Dr. Sakuhei Fujiwhara, the future chief of the Central Meteorological Bureau in Tokyo, Japan, who initially described it in a 1921 paper about the motion of vortices in water.
The change in heading was probably a consequence of a Fujiwharainteraction between Iris and Humberto located about 750 nmi to the east--Humberto had developed from a depression on the 22nd to a 95-knot hurricane by late on the 24th.
Iris began a Fujiwharainteraction on the 30th, with Tropical Storm Karen to its southeast.
The interaction swept the weaker Karen on a spiral path around, and then into Iris where it was absorbed on September 3rd.
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