MoonPhase 2013 Atlantic Storm break down

[gigabite]

phase ..............StormStartsIn.....ActiveStorm
----------------------------------------------------------
New Moon................5....................19
First Quarter.............1....................27
Full Moon.................4....................18
Last Quarter.............2....................12

75% of storms started in the New Moon Phase or Full Moon Phase

[terstorm1012]

Does this pattern track through the years? Otherwise, i'm not seeing where you're going with this.

[brunota2003]

I'd be interested in seeing what the moon phases were for landfalls.

[gigabite]

I have been tracking this aspect for a couple of decades. The percentage of storm starts at the new and full moon stays about the same. This season is a little low. Atmospheric moisture is a tidal factor. The tropical storm engine wants moisture to rise above 7,000 km. If the cloud mass is large enough gravity plays a role. After that the movement of the storm is
chaotic. I suspect that there is a pattern to movement in years where the lunar sub point is similar.

[beoumont]

Here's a study that I have posted before, concerning genesis of tropical storms in the Atlantic Basin as correlated to the phase of the moon.

Observed Relationships Between Lunar Tidal Cycles
and Formation of Hurricanes and Tropical Storms’

http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/100 ... 6-0451.pdf

The conclusion determines that there is a slight, but definite, increase in genesis on both the new and full moon phases.

It is my observation since this report, that there are some years that there will sometimes be development on four or five months in one season, on the same phase. Some years it doesn't hold, of course. For this effect, I consider it to be full moon on the day of, the day before, and the day after; same for the new moon phase.

For those of you old enough to remember him, famed NHC forecaster, Gilbert Clark, was a firm believer that the new and full moon phases were one (of many) important factors in whether a going disturbance would develop or not. Gilbert was added to the storm list as a tribute to Mr. Clark; who also happens to be the forecaster who was assigned in 1970 to update the list of upcoming seasons' storms. He used a book of baby names purchased at the corner drug store to developed this list of women's names only. He used his daughter's name, Roxanne on the list.

Article about Gil:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/ ... lark_n.htm

[Ptarmigan]

I could see Moon phase and solar activity as factors in tropical cyclone activity.

[terstorm1012]

Thank you. This is worth tracking for this season to see if there's a "There" there.