Tropical Cyclone Kinetic Energy & Tropical Cyclone Power Charts
The Tropical Cyclone Kinetic Energy (TCKE) scale is an approximation of the energy dissipation and strength of a tropical cyclone. TCKE is derived from Tropical Cyclone Power (TCP), a mathematical model for the kinetic energy dissipation of a tropical cyclone as a result of its winds. The calculation takes into account wind radii of the cyclone and its maximum sustained winds. TCP/TCKE are underestimates, as they are only calculated for wind speeds greater than 34 knots. As such, only cyclones of tropical storm intensity or greater can have values of TCKE calculated for them. Nonetheless, both TCP and TCKE are good measures for the strength of a tropical cyclone and its potential for human impact. In addition, it can be used like Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) to measure and compare the overall activity of cyclone seasons. Unlike the ACE system, TCP/TCKE values can be expressed in basic SI units. The calculation of TCP outputs values in watts (W), which can easily be converted into a measure of total energy output in joules (J). Due to the intensity of tropical cyclones these units will generally be prefixed with tera- and exa- to represent terawatts (TW; 1012 watts) and exajoules (EJ; 1018 joules). Higher TCP values are produced by tropical cyclones with larger wind radii and/or higher sustained winds. Just as storms with stronger winds are much more violent and have a larger potential for significant damage, storms with larger wind radii have a higher potential for damage by buffeting larger swaths of land and sea with their winds.
For each cyclone in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins, its peak power (P) and total dissipated kinetic energy (Ek) are listed.
