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Atmosphere
Special Issues
Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes
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Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Meteorology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2022) | Viewed by 7881

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dehai Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Interests: atmospheric dynamics; blocking dynamics; weather extremes
Dr. Yina Diao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Oceanic and atmospheric Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Interests: blocking dynamics; weather extremes; Arctic change
Dr. Yao Yao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Interests: NAO; blocking; extreme weather; Arctic change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Atmospheric blocking is an important phenomenon in the mid-high-latitude atmosphere, which has long been a hotspot and a challenge in the atmospheric science field. The occurrence of blocking circulation causes large-scale local exchange of energy and mass, resulting in dramatic temperature changes. Many extreme weather events (cold spells and heat waves) are associated with blocking circulation. At the same time, the theoretical study revealing the mechanism of blocking circulation is also a challenging issue due to its complex non-linear dynamics. In the context of global warming and Arctic amplification, the variability of the mid-latitude blocking circulation and its role in the context of climate anomalies becomes more complicated and needs to be further addressed. Here, we propose a Special Issue on atmospheric blocking and weather extremes to collect articles about the research advances in atmospheric blocking and weather extremes from relevant scholars to improve our understanding of blocking dynamics and associated weather extremes.

We invite you to submit your papers to this Special Issue. Submissions are encouraged to cover a wide range of topics which may include atmospheric blocking and extreme weather (extreme cold, heat waves, etc.), atmospheric blocking and Arctic climate, theoretical studies of atmospheric blocking, and so on.

Dr. Dehai Luo
Dr. Yina Diao
Dr. Yao Yao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • atmospheric blocking
  • extreme weather
  • Arctic change
  • theoretical studies
  • Arctic–midlatitude linkage

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 15020 KiB  
Article
Statistical Characteristics of Blocking High in the Ural Mountains during Winters and Relationship with Changes in Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Ice
by Yingying Liu and Yuanzhi Zhang
Atmosphere 2023, 14(1), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14010129 - 06 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1339
Abstract
A blocking high in the Ural Mountains, which is recognized as the third major blocking high area in the northern hemisphere, describes a deep warm high-pressure system superimposed on the westerly belt. Based on the ERA-5 daily reanalysis data (the fifth-generation European Centre [...] Read more.
A blocking high in the Ural Mountains, which is recognized as the third major blocking high area in the northern hemisphere, describes a deep warm high-pressure system superimposed on the westerly belt. Based on the ERA-5 daily reanalysis data (the fifth-generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts atmospheric reanalysis global climate dataset) and using the Tibaldi and Molteni (TM) method, we selected 43 blocking high events in the Ural Mountains during the extended winters of 1979–2020 and analyzed their atmospheric circulation characteristics and influencing factors. Our findings revealed a downward trend in the frequency of occurrence of blocking highs in the Ural Mountains in winter, most of them were short-lived; furthermore, the frequency and duration of these occurrences generally followed a 3–4 years oscillating cycle. The synthetic results of the geopotential height (HGT) anomaly field and the surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly field of these 43 extended wintertime blocking high events in the Ural Mountains region showed that during the development of a blocking high, the central intensity of the positive anomalies in the Ural Mountains region first increased and then weakened, while the central intensity and meridional span of the negative anomalies in the Eurasian mid-latitudes of the SAT anomaly field increased continuously. In addition, abnormally high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic sea area and abnormal reduction of sea ice (SI) in the Barents-Kara Sea and the Chukchi Sea in autumn had a significant impact on the wintertime formation of Ural Mountains blocking highs. In contrast, in autumn, the abnormal reduction of SI in the Barents-Kara and Chukchi Seas might also have led to the westward positioning of Ural Mountains blocking highs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes)
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15 pages, 5702 KiB  
Article
Interdecadal Change of Ural Blocking Highs and Its Atmospheric Cause in Winter during 1979–2018
by Yao Lu, Yan Li, Quan Xia, Qingyi Yang and Chenghai Wang
Atmosphere 2022, 13(9), 1530; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13091530 - 19 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1379
Abstract
The Ural blocking (UB) high is a weather system closely related to the cold air process during winter, which could trigger extreme cold events in East Asia. By retrieving five single blocking indexes, including accumulation frequency, central latitude, blocking intensity, mean duration and [...] Read more.
The Ural blocking (UB) high is a weather system closely related to the cold air process during winter, which could trigger extreme cold events in East Asia. By retrieving five single blocking indexes, including accumulation frequency, central latitude, blocking intensity, mean duration and north rim, it is found that the UB in winter occurs more frequently, grows stronger, lasts longer and is located more northward after 2002, compared with 1985–2001. In order to describe the UB comprehensively, a new comprehensive blocking index (CBI) is developed based on the above five blocking indexes. The CBI can also reflect the interdecadal change of UB synthetically. Analysis on the corresponding atmospheric circulation shows that the relationship between the UB and atmospheric circulation, such as the polar vortex and jet, is closer in 2002–2018 than in 1985–2001. Compared with the atmospheric circulation in 1985–2001, the most prominent feature in 2002–2018 is that the intensity of the polar vortex is weaker at 100 hPa, and that the subtropical jet moves northward. Meanwhile, the East Asian trough downstream of the Urals deepens at 500 hPa and the Siberian high strengthens, indicating that the East Asia winter monsoon is stronger during 2002–2018. Further analysis on atmospheric waves and baroclinicity demonstrates that the meridional circulation of planetary waves strengthens, especially the 2-waves, which may increase the frequency of the UB and shift its location northward after 2002. Additionally, the baroclinicity (−∂T/∂y) in the mid-high latitudes is weakened during winter since 2002, which is also beneficial for the establishment of meridional circulation, causing a stronger intensity and longer duration of the UB. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes)
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22 pages, 4241 KiB  
Article
The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index Revisited
by Adrián E. Yuchechen, S. Gabriela Lakkis and Pablo O. Canziani
Atmosphere 2022, 13(9), 1343; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13091343 - 23 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1454
Abstract
An updated climatology for the occurrence of blockings in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) using daily reanalysis data from 1948–2021 is presented. Geopotential height (z) at 500 hPa was the working variable. The blocking index (BI) was defined for every 2.5° of [...] Read more.
An updated climatology for the occurrence of blockings in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) using daily reanalysis data from 1948–2021 is presented. Geopotential height (z) at 500 hPa was the working variable. The blocking index (BI) was defined for every 2.5° of longitude whenever z(35° S)−z(50° S)<0. The results were organized in longitudinal bands of a width of 10° in order to compare them with previous findings. The primary region for the occurrence of blockings was located around the date line, with a secondary region in southern South America (SSA) and its vicinities, with a third-rank region situated in southern Africa and its surroundings. The results were also stratified by the intensity and duration (persistence) of the events, and the annual and seasonal differences were discussed. Additionally, three different areas were defined to study the distribution of the blockings therein, with the Pacific region (110° E–80° W) having the maximum intensities and longest durations. Linear trends were estimated for the annual and the seasonal time series of the BI and for the number of episodes. On an annual basis, more frequent and the strongest events are expected at 180° E and their surroundings in the future. An alternative BI, using radiosonde data, was built for SSA at 58.50° W. The time evolution of this index was in general agreement with the one estimated from the reanalysis data at some longitudes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes)
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21 pages, 14974 KiB  
Article
Summer Precipitation Extremes over the Yellow River Loop Valley and Its link to European Blocking
by Kan Xu, Yina Diao and Peng Huang
Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071140 - 18 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1263
Abstract
Characteristics of extreme precipitation over Yellow River Loop Valley (YRLV) and links to European blocking are investigated in this study. Spatial and temporal analysis of extreme precipitation shows that it contributes more than 30% of the total summer precipitation in the YRLV and [...] Read more.
Characteristics of extreme precipitation over Yellow River Loop Valley (YRLV) and links to European blocking are investigated in this study. Spatial and temporal analysis of extreme precipitation shows that it contributes more than 30% of the total summer precipitation in the YRLV and is characterized by a strong and short period of local rainfall. Most of the extreme rains in the YRLV occur in July and August. Two typical circulation patterns were identified using a k-means clustering method. The extreme precipitation results from the combined actions of intensified high pressure over northeast China (NECH) and the westward extension of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH). The intensified southerly flow of the amplified NECH strengthens the water vapor transport induced by the westward extension of the WPSH from the northwest Pacific or Bay of Bengal into the YRLV. The NECH is amplified by the wave energy propagating from European blocking via the Silk Road pattern (SRP). This is the subseasonal cause of extreme precipitation over the YRLV. The composited July and August mean 500 hPa geopotential anomaly pattern for extreme precipitation years shows a high-pressure anomaly over the European continent and a negative phase of the SRP. The former provides a background for the occurrence of European blocking, and the latter explains the preexistence of the NECH and provides a linkage between the activity of European blocking and the subseasonal evolution of the NECH. Thus, the interannual variation in the extreme precipitation over the YRLV is mainly reflected by the phase of the SRP and the stationary waves over Europe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes)
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8 pages, 298 KiB  
Article
Baroclinic Instability of a Time-Dependent Zonal Shear Flow
by Chengzhen Guo and Jian Song
Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071058 - 03 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1253
Abstract
In the real atmosphere, the development of large-scale motion is often related to the baroclinic properties of the atmosphere. So, it is necessary to discuss the stability condition of baroclinic flow. It is advantageous to use a layered model to discuss baroclinic instability, [...] Read more.
In the real atmosphere, the development of large-scale motion is often related to the baroclinic properties of the atmosphere. So, it is necessary to discuss the stability condition of baroclinic flow. It is advantageous to use a layered model to discuss baroclinic instability, not only to apply the potential vortex equation directly, but also to deal with shear of basic flow. The stability and oscillatory shear ability of Rossby waves are studied based on the two-layer Phillips model in the β plane; then, we summarize the baroclinic instability of time-dependent zonal shear flows. The multiscale method is used to eliminate some terms of natural frequency oscillations of nonlinear operators in the third-order expansion, thus generating an equation about the amplitude of the lowest-order Rossby wave in the long-time variable. The large amplitude perturbation begins to decrease, which produces the desired behavior. After the amplitude decreases for some time, the amplitude of Rossby waves can still be found to oscillate periodically with the time variable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes)
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