Defining Medicanes: Bridging the Knowledge Gap between Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones in the Mediterranean
Définir les médicanes : combler le fossé entre les connaissances sur les cyclones tropicaux et extratropicaux en Méditerranée
Miglietta, Mario Marcello ; Flaounas, Emmanouil ; González-Alemán, Juan Jesús ; Panegrossi, Giulia ; Gaertner, Miguel Angel ; Pantillon, Florian ; Pasquero, Claudia ; Schultz, David M. ; D'Adderio, Leo Pio ; Dafis, Stavros ; Husson, Romain ; Ricchi, Antonio ; Carrió, Diego Saúl Carrió ; Davolio, Silvio ; Fita, Lluís ; Picornell, María Ángeles ; Pytharoulis, Ioannis ; Raveh-Rubin, Shira ; Scoccimarro, Enrico ; Bernini, Lisa ; Cavicchia, Leone ; Conte, Dario ; Ferretti, Rossella ; Flocas, Helena ; Gutiérrez-Fernández, Jesús ; Hatzaki, Maria ; Santaner, Victor Homar ; Jansà, Agusti ; Patlakas, Platon
Année de publication
2025
The term "Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone" or "medicane" has been used in different ways by different authors. Identification of medicanes has been based on features observed from satellite imagery or on diagnostics applied to numerical weather prediction model outputs. In the absence of an official definition, medicanes are generally considered to be cyclones over the Mediterranean sharing physical processes with tropical cyclones. Nevertheless, recent studies on the dynamics of several systems widely recognized as medicanes show different underlying development mechanisms. A commonly agreed definition is critical and necessary to assess their climatology in past and future climates, as well as to consistently identify such systems in weather forecasts. The scientific community working on Mediterranean cyclones hereby proposes a definition, which is based solely on Earth observations: "A medicane is a mesoscale cyclone that develops over the Mediterranean Sea and displays tropical-like cyclone characteristics: a warm core extending into the upper troposphere, an eye-like feature in its center with spiral cloud bands around, an almost windless center surrounded by nearly-symmetric sea surface wind circulation with maximum wind speed within a few tens of km from the center."</div>
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