Abstract
The current research aims at studying the spatio-temporal distribution of blocking events in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres from 1968 to 2018, for a period of 51 years based on the Wiedenmann block intensity (BI) index. The results showed that blocking events in the Northern Hemisphere are almost twice as often as in the Southern Hemisphere. This could be due to the uneven distribution of land and water areas, and resulted from the greater temperature differences in the Northern Hemisphere. Blockings in the Northern Hemisphere are also stronger than in the Southern Hemisphere in terms of intensity, strength, and durability. The reason can be attributed to the greater temperature difference between water and land in the Northern Hemisphere. In terms of seasonal occurrence of blockings, the highest frequency of blockings in the Northern Hemisphere is related to spring in the North Atlantic and in the Southern Hemisphere, it is related to winter in the South Atlantic region. The growth trend of blockings in the Northern Hemisphere was faster by 54% and in the Southern Hemisphere by 26%. The results also showed that the core of the blockings in the Northern Hemisphere corresponds to the three troughs of the Northern Hemisphere, but the core of the blockings of the Southern Hemisphere is formed at the southernmost lands of the Southern Hemisphere, i.e., at the costal zones of the Southern Hemisphere continents where the temperature difference is maximum. These regions include the Philippine Archipelago, Indonesia, and Australia in the east of the Pacific Ocean, and the coasts of Chile and Peru in the west of the Pacific Ocean.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data used in this article from the University of Missouri to address: http://weather.missouri.edu/gcc/ received. Also, the HGT data of the 500 level from the NOAA site was received to the https://psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded/data.ncep.reanalysis.pressure.html address.
Code availability
In this research, the SPSS and Excel software have been used. But the code is not used.
References
Antokhina OY, Antokhin PN, Martynova YV, Mordvinov VI (2016) The impact of atmospheric blocking on spatial distributions of summertime precipitation over Eurasia. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci 48:012035. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/48/1/012035
Austin JF (1980) The blocking of middle latitude westerly winds by planetary waves. Quart J Roy Meteor Soc 106:327–350. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49710644807
Azizi Gh (1996) Blocking and its effect on Iran precipitations, Ph.D. Thesis, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Barriopedro D, Ricardo GH, Anthony RL, Emiliano H (2006) A climatology of Northern Hemisphere blocking. J Climate 19:1042–1063. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI3678.1
Clark JV, Mihalka KM, Lupo AR (2007) Blocking in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere: an update to include 2000–2006. In: The 87th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society, 19th Conference on Climate Variability and Change, 14–18 January, San Antonio. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?oi=bibs&cluster=11995066578504372144&btnI=1&hl=en
Colucci SJ (1985) Explosive cyclogenesis and large-scale circulation changes: implications for atmospheric blocking. J Atmos Sci 42(24):2701–2717. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1985)042%3C2701:ECALSC%3E2.0.CO;2
Croci-Maspoli M, Schwierz C, Davies HC (2007) A multifaceted climatology of atmospheric blocking and its recent linear trend. J Climate 20:633–649. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI4029.1
D’Andrea F, Tibaldi S, Blackburn M, Boer G, Déqué M, Dix MR, Dugas B, Ferranti L, Iwasaki T, Kitoh A, Pope V, Randall D, Roeckner E, Strauss D, Stern W, Van den Dool H, Williamson D (1998) Northern Hemisphere atmospheric blocking as simulated by 15 atmospheric general circulation models in the period 1979–1988. Clim Dynam 14:385–407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s003820050230
Davini P, D’Andrea F (2016) Northern Hemisphere atmospheric blocking representation in global climate models: twenty years of improvements? J Climate 29(24):8823–8840. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0242.1
DeVondria DR, Anthony RL, Andrew DJ, Patrick SM (2019) The predictability of blocking character in the Northern Hemisphere using an Ensemble forecast system. Open Atmos Sci J 13:13–28. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874282301913010013
Diao Y, Li J, Luo D (2006) A new blocking index and its application: blocking action in the Northern Hemisphere. J Climate 19:4819–4839. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI3886.1
Dole RM, Gordon ND (1983) Persistent anomalies of the extra tropical Northern Hemisphere winter time circulation: geographical distribution and regional persistence characteristics. Mon Weather Rev 111(8):1567–1586. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1983)111%3C1567:PAOTEN%3E2.0.CO;2
García-Herrera G, Paredes D, Trigo RM, Trigo IF, Hernandez E, Barriopedro D, Mendes M (2007) The outstanding2004/5 drought in the Iberian Peninsula: associated atmospheric circulation. Am Meteorol Soc 8:483–498. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM578.1
Gates WL (1992) AMIP: The Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc 73(12):1962–1970. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1992)073%3C1962:ATAMIP%3E2.0.CO;2
Gilbert N (2010) Russia counts environmental cost of wildfires, Nature News: Briefing. https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2010.404
Jordan LR, Lupo AR, Patrick EG (2018) Evaluating linkages between atmospheric blocking patterns and heavy rainfall events across the North-Central Mississippi River Valley for different ENSO phases Advances in Meteorology, 2018. Article ID 1217830:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1217830
Karaca M, Deniz A, Tayanc M (2000) Cyclone track variability over Turkey in association with regional. Int J Clim 20:1225–1236. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0088(200008)20:10%3C1225::AID-JOC535%3E3.0.CO;2-1
Knox JL, Hay JE (1985) Blocking signatures in the northern hemisphere: Frequency distribution and interpretation. J Climatol 5(1):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.3370050102
Lejenas H (1984) Characteristics of southern hemisphere blocking as determined from a time series of observational data. Q J Roy Meteor Soc 110:967–979. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49711046610
Lupo AR (1997) A diagnosis of two blocking events that occurred simultaneously in the midlatitude Northern Hemisphere. Am Meteorol Soc 125:1801–1823. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1997)125%3C1801:ADOTBE%3E2.0.CO;2
Lupo AR, Burkhardt JP (2006) The planetary and synoptic-scale interactions in a Southeast Pacific blocking episode using PV diagnostics. Atmos Sci 62:1901–1916. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS3440.1
Lupo AR, Smith PJ (1995) Climatological features of blocking anticyclones in the Northern Hemisphere. Tellus 47A:439–456. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0870.1995.t01-3-00004.x
Lupo AR, Jensen DJ, Mokhov IM, Akperov MG (2017) Changes in blocking characteristics during the first part of the 21st century. 1(5) 679. https://doi.org/10.3390/ecas2017-04154
Meehl GA, Covey C, Delworth T, Latif M, McAvaney B, Mitchell JFB, Stouffer RJ, Taylor KE (2007) THE WCRP CMIP3 Multimodel Dataset: A New Era in Climate Change Research. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc 88(9):1383–1394. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-88-9-1383
Namias J, Clapp PF (1951) Observational studies of general circulation patterns. In: Malone, T.F. (eds) Compendium of meteorology. American Meteorological Society, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-940033-70-9_46
Oliveira FNM, Carvalho LMV, Ambrizzi T (2014) A new climatology for Southern Hemisphere blockings in the winter and the combined effect of ENSO and SAM phases. Int J Climatol 34:1676–1692. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.3795
Pavan V, Molten F, Brankovic C (2000) Wintertime variability in the Euro-Atlantic region in observations and in ECMWF seasonal ensemble experiments. Quart J Roy Meteor Soc 126:2143–2173. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712656709
Pelly JL, Hoskins BJ (2003) A new perspective on blocking. J Atmos Sci 60:743–755. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(2003)060%3c0743:ANPOB%3e2.0.CO;2
Renwick JA (2005) Persistent Positive Anomalies in the Southern Hemisphere Circulation. Mon Weather Rev 133(4):977–988. https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR2900.1
Renwick JA, Revell MJ (1999) Blocking over the south Pacific and Rossby wave propagation. Mon Weather Rev 127:2233–47. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1999)127%3C2233:BOTSPA%3E2.0.CO;2
Rex D (1950a) Blocking action in the middle troposphere and its effect upon regional climate. I: An aerological study of blocking. Tellus 2:196–211. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2153-3490.1950.tb00331.x
Rex D (1950b) Blocking action in the middle tropospheric westerlies and its effects on regional climate. II: A climatology of blocking. Tellus 2:1577–1589. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2153-3490.1950.tb00339.x
Rimbu N, Sabina S, Busuioc A (2015) Florinela Georgescu Links between blocking circulation and precipitation extremes over Romania in summer. Int J Climatol 36(1):369–376. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.4353
Riviere G, Orlanski I (2007) Characteristics of the Atlantic storm-track eddy activity and its relation with the North Atlantic Oscillation. J Atmos Sci 64(2):241–66. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS3850.1
Rodrigues RR, Woollings T (2017) Impact of atmospheric blocking on South America in austral summer. J Climate 30:1821–1837. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0493.1
Sanders F, Gyakum JR (1980) Synoptic-dynamic climatology of the bomb. Mon Weather Rev 108(10):1589–1606. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108%3C1589:SDCOT%3E2.0.CO;2
Scherrer SC, Croci-Maspoli M, Schwarz C, Appenzeller C (2006) Two-dimensional indices of atmospheric blocking and their statistical relationship with winter climate patterns in the Euro-Atlantic region. Int J Climatol 26:233–249. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1250
Schwierz C, Croci-Maspoli M, Davies HC (2004) Perspicacious indicators of atmospheric blocking. Geophys Res Lett 31:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL019341
Shabbar A, Huang JP, Higuchi K (2001) The relationship between the wintertime North Atlantic Oscillation and blocking episodes in the North Atlantic. Int J Climatol 21:355–369. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.612
Sinclair MRA (1996) Climatology of anticyclones and blocking for the Southern Hemisphere. Mon Weather Rev 124:245–263. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1996)124%3C0245:ACOAAB%3E2.0.CO;2
Taylor KE, Stouffer RJ, Meehl GA (2012) An Overview of CMIP5 and the Experiment Design. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc 93(4):485–498. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00094.1
Tibaldi S, Molteni F (1990) On the operational predictability of blocking. Tellus A 42:343–365. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0870.1990.t01-2-00003.x
Toulabi Nejad M, Hejazizadeh Z, Lupo A R, Salighe M (2021) Connection of Eurasia-Northern Atlantic blockings with pervasive wet and dry months in Iran. J Geogr Environ Hazards 10(3). https://doi.org/10.22067/geoeh.2021.70187.1054
Toulabi Nejad M, Hejazizadeh Z, Salighe M (2019) Spatial distribution of blocking systems and its coincidence to the cold seasons wet year in Iran. Geography 17(62): 20–40. https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=FHssg2cAAAAJ&cstart=20&pagesize=80&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=FHssg2cAAAAJ:eQOLeE2rZwMC
Treidl RA, Birch EC, Sajecki P (1981) Blocking action in the Northern Hemisphere. Atmos Ocean 19(1):1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/07055900.1981.9649096
Trigo RM, Trigo IM, DaCamara CC, Osborn TJ (2004) Climate impact of the European winter blocking episodes from the NCEP/NCAR Reanalyses. Clim Dyn 23(1):17–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-004-0410-4
Wang L, Chen W, Zhou W, Barriopedro D, Huang R (2009) Short communication effect of the climate shift around mid-1970s on the relationship between wintertime Ural blocking circulation and East Asian climate. J Climatol 30(1):153–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1876
Watson JS, Colucci SJ (2002) Evaluation of ensemble predictions of blocking in the NCEP Global Spectral Model. Mon Wea Rev 130:3008–3021. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(2002)130%3C3008:EOEPOB%3E2.0.CO;2
Wiedenmann JM, Lupo AR, Mokhov II, Tikhonova E (2002) The climatology of blocking anticyclones for the Northern Hemisphere: block intensity as a diagnostic. J Clim 15(23):3459–3473. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015%3C3459:TCOBAF%3E2.0.CO;2
Woollings T (2010) Dynamical influences on European climate: an uncertain future. Philos t Roy Soc A 368:3733–3756. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0040
Woollings T, Barriopedro D, Methven J et al (2018) Blocking and its response to climate change. Curr Clim Chang Rep 4:287–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-018-0108-z
Yarnal B (1993) Synoptic climatology in environmental analysis: a primer. UK, London: Belhaven. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.3370140116
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors conceived of the presented idea, developed the theory, and performed the computations.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval
Not applicable, because this article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.
Consent to participate
The data of this research were not prepared through a questionnaire.
Consent for publication
The authors of the article make sure that everyone agrees to submit the article and is aware of the submission.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Toulabi Nejad, M., Hejazizadeh, Z., Lupo, A.R. et al. Spatio-temporal distribution of atmospheric blocking events in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Theor Appl Climatol 150, 491–505 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-022-04175-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-022-04175-5