On the physics of a new time-dependent theory of tropical cyclone intensification

Recent studies (Wang et al. 2021; Li et al. 2024) propose a new time-dependent theory for tropical cyclone intensification. Here, we examine the physics of this new theory and point out that intensification in the model has to be the result of an unspecified source of absolute angular momentum. For this reason, we are led to question the physical integrity of the theory. We question also the methodology seeking to tune the unknown parameters introduced in the theory.