Negative entropy flow and the life-cycle of a severe tropical storm

The relationship of the evolution of a severe tropical storm with entropy flow is investigated in this paper, based on the observational analyses covering its whole life-cycle. The formula for calculating entropy flow is derived starting with the Gibbs relation in terms of constant pressure coordinates. The results show that the entropy flow properties of the severe tropical storm are different in the different stages of its life-cycle and negative entropy flow plays an important role in the growth of a storm, suggesting that entropy flow analysis is a powerful tool in understanding the mechanism responsible for the evolution of a storm.