Analyzing the Mediterranean Tropical-like Cyclone Ianos Using the Moist Static Energy Budget.

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the energy dynamics of the Mediter-ranean tropical-like cyclone, Medicane Ianos, by using a moist static energy (MSE) budgetframework. Medicanes are hybrid cyclonic systems that share characteristics of both ex-tratropical and tropical cyclones, making their classification and prediction challenging.Using high-resolution ERA5 reanalysis data, we analyzed the life cycle of Ianos, which isone of the strongest recorded medicanes, employing the vertically integrated MSE spatialvariance budget to quantify the contributions of different energy sources to the cyclone’sdevelopment. The chosen study area was approximately 25002km2, covering the entiretrack of the cyclone. The budget was calculated after tracking Ianos and applying Hartphase space analysis to assess the cyclone phases. The results show that the MSE budgetcan reveal that the cyclone development was driven by a delicate balance between con-vection and dynamical factors. The interplay between vertical and horizontal advection,in particular the upward transport of moist air and the lateral inflow of warm, moist airand cold, dry air, was a key mechanism driving the evolution of Ianos, followed by surfacefluxes and radiative feedback. By analyzing what process contributes most to the increasein MSE variance, we concluded that Ianos can be assimilated in the tropical frameworkwithin a radius of 600 km around the cyclone center, but only during its intense phase. Inthis way, the budget can contribute as a diagnostic tool to the ongoing debate regardingmedicanes classification.