Jullien S. auteur aut IRD Marchesiello Patrick auteur aut IRD Menkès Christophe auteur aut IRD Lefèvre Jérôme auteur aut IRD Jourdain N. C. auteur aut IRD Samson G. auteur aut IRD Lengaigne Matthieu auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access This study presents the first multidecadal and coupled regional simulation of cyclonic activity in the South Pacific. The long-term integration of state-of the art models provides reliable statistics, missing in usual event studies, of air-sea coupling processes controlling tropical cyclone (TC) intensity. The coupling effect is analyzed through comparison of the coupled model with a companion forced experiment. Cyclogenesis patterns in the coupled model are closer to observations with reduced cyclogenesis in the Coral Sea. This provides novel evidence of air-sea coupling impacting not only intensity but also spatial cyclogenesis distribution. Storm-induced cooling and consequent negative feedback is stronger for regions of shallow mixed layers and thin or absent barrier layers as in the Coral Sea. The statistical effect of oceanic mesoscale eddies on TC intensity (crossing over them 20 % of the time) is also evidenced. Anticyclonic eddies provide an insulating effect againststorm-induced upwelling and mixing and appear to reduce sea surface temperature (SST) cooling. Cyclonic eddies on the contrary tend to promote strong cooling, particularly through storm-induced upwelling. Air-sea coupling is shown to have a significant role on the intensification process but the sensitivity of TCs to SST cooling is nonlinear and generally lower than predicted by thermodynamic theories: about 15 rather than over 30 hPa degrees C-1 and only for strong cooling. The reason is that the cooling effect is not instantaneous but accumulated over time within the TC inner-core. These results thus contradict the classical evaporation-wind feedback process as being essential to intensification and rather emphasize the role of macro-scale dynamics. specialized Tropical cyclones Air-sea coupling Modeling ZONE TROPICALE PACIFIQUE SUD 032 021 020 43 9-10 2831-2854 2014 0930-7575 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062700 10.1007/s00382-014-2096-6 0930-7575 [F B010062700] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062700 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2014/12/010062700.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2015-01-12 2017-08-23 fdi:010062700 fre