A Comparative Analysis of the Method of Extratropical Cyclone Identification

Three methods for identification cyclones in extratropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) (20A degrees-80A degrees L) are compared based on reanalysis data (1948-2007) for the fields of the sea level pressure (SLP). Different characteristics of extratropical cyclones, namely, their number, intensity, size, and lifetime, are analyzed. The effect of orographic effects for the identification of cyclones and their trajectories is evaluated. The characteristics of extratropical cyclones are compared based on different reanalysis data (National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), ERA-40, and ERA-INTERIM) with different spatial resolutions.