Liutex Core Lines as a New Framework for Tropical Cyclone Vortex Analysis
Abstract
Liutex core lines are systematically applied to Hurricane Dorian to investigate the three-dimensional vortical organization of an intense tropical cyclone. Unlike conventional analysis based on wind speed or vorticity, Liutex core lines identify the local vortex axes and provide a compact geometrical representation of rotational structures. The results show that Dorian is not characterized by a single vortex core, but by a large population of vortices embedded within a coherent hurricane-scale circulation. Stronger and more vertically organized vortices are concentrated in the inner-core region, whereas numerous weaker, inclined, and curved vortical structures extend outward and collectively retain the spiral organization of the storm. The complete core line field therefore reveals a three-dimensional, multiscale vortical skeleton of the hurricane. These results suggest that a tropical cyclone can be viewed as an organized multiscale vortex system rather than a single monolithic vortex. Beyond visualization, Liutex core lines provide a potential framework for quantifying vortex geometry, spatial organization, and temporal evolution, offering a new approach for studying structural changes and vortex dynamics in tropical cyclones.
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BibTeX
@misc{yu2026liutex,
title = {{Liutex Core Lines as a New Framework for Tropical Cyclone Vortex Analysis}},
author = {Yifei Yu and Chenxi Ma and Chaoqun Liu},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.13217},
eprint = {2609.13217},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.13217},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Liutex Core Lines as a New Framework for Tropical Cyclone Vortex Analysis
AU - Yifei Yu
AU - Chenxi Ma
AU - Chaoqun Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.13217
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.13217
AB - Liutex core lines are systematically applied to Hurricane Dorian to investigate the three-dimensional vortical organization of an intense tropical cyclone. Unlike conventional analysis based on wind speed or vorticity, Liutex core lines identify the local vortex axes and provide a compact geometrical representation of rotational structures. The results show that Dorian is not characterized by a single vortex core, but by a large population of vortices embedded within a coherent hurricane-scale circulation. Stronger and more vertically organized vortices are concentrated in the inner-core region, whereas numerous weaker, inclined, and curved vortical structures extend outward and collectively retain the spiral organization of the storm. The complete core line field therefore reveals a three-dimensional, multiscale vortical skeleton of the hurricane. These results suggest that a tropical cyclone can be viewed as an organized multiscale vortex system rather than a single monolithic vortex. Beyond visualization, Liutex core lines provide a potential framework for quantifying vortex geometry, spatial organization, and temporal evolution, offering a new approach for studying structural changes and vortex dynamics in tropical cyclones.
ER -