CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES IMPACTING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN SOUTHERN FUJIAN AND ESTIMATE OF MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE

Based on tropical cyclone (TC) data for the period 1949 to 2008 and following the Gumbe-I method, Pearson-Ⅲ method and determinacy method, this article estimates the possible minimum central pressure of TCs affecting southern Fujian where a nuclear power will be located. Results show that the observed minimum central pressure of TCs agrees well with the results determined with the methods above and there is little difference between them (the minimum central pressure is 867.4 hPa and 868.1 hPa, respectively, in a 1,000-yr return period). Established with the theory of atmospheric dynamics, the determinacy method yields a result of 867.28 hPa/1000 years, only a little smaller than the result of the probability method. Because of randomicity in parameter adjustment with the Pearson-Ⅲ method whereas the determinacy method is theoretically solid and its estimates are the smallest of the three methods, it is therefore reasonable, for security and conservative concerns, to adopt the result determined with the determinacy method as the possible maximum intensity of TC (with the central pressure being 867.28 hPa in a 1,000-yr return period).