The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index in the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR Datasets: A Comparative Climatology for the Period 1940–2022
Blocking anticyclones are important atmospheric phenomena generally associated with extreme weather (e.g., droughts and cold air surges). Blockings also constitute large-scale indicators of climate change. The study of blockings in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) has been traditionally carried out util...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Adrián E. Yuchechen Susan G. Lakkis Pablo O. Canziani |
| author_facet | Adrián E. Yuchechen Susan G. Lakkis Pablo O. Canziani |
| author_sort | Adrián E. Yuchechen |
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| description | Blocking anticyclones are important atmospheric phenomena generally associated with extreme weather (e.g., droughts and cold air surges). Blockings also constitute large-scale indicators of climate change. The study of blockings in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) has been traditionally carried out utilizing reanalysis products. This paper is aimed at presenting an updated, comprehensive climatology of blockings in the SH as extracted from the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis datasets in the 1940–2022 and 1948–2022 periods, respectively. Blockings were located by means of a unidimensional index at 500 hPa. The results were stratified by season, longitude, region, persistence, and intensity, and the climatology from both datasets was compared. The primary location of blockings was close to the Date Line in every season. Additionally, depending on the season, up to fourth-rank maxima could be located. Generally, the secondary maxima were found in the south Atlantic; lower-order maxima were located in the south-eastern Pacific, west of South America, and in the south-western Indian Ocean east of South Africa. The most intense blockings were concentrated in the Pacific and in the south Atlantic in both datasets, and they were also located in the Indian Ocean, but in the ERA5 reanalysis only. The longest-lived blockings occurred in the south Pacific and in the south Atlantic during southern winter. |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-cc36210fb9234ac08aa34c747ea8d28e2025-08-20T03:26:49ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-06-0116671910.3390/atmos16060719The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index in the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR Datasets: A Comparative Climatology for the Period 1940–2022Adrián E. Yuchechen0Susan G. Lakkis1Pablo O. Canziani2Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires C1425FQB, ArgentinaUnidad de Investigación y Desarrollo de las Ingenierías, Facultad Regional Buenos Aires, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Mozart 2300, Buenos Aires C1407IVT, ArgentinaConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires C1425FQB, ArgentinaBlocking anticyclones are important atmospheric phenomena generally associated with extreme weather (e.g., droughts and cold air surges). Blockings also constitute large-scale indicators of climate change. The study of blockings in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) has been traditionally carried out utilizing reanalysis products. This paper is aimed at presenting an updated, comprehensive climatology of blockings in the SH as extracted from the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis datasets in the 1940–2022 and 1948–2022 periods, respectively. Blockings were located by means of a unidimensional index at 500 hPa. The results were stratified by season, longitude, region, persistence, and intensity, and the climatology from both datasets was compared. The primary location of blockings was close to the Date Line in every season. Additionally, depending on the season, up to fourth-rank maxima could be located. Generally, the secondary maxima were found in the south Atlantic; lower-order maxima were located in the south-eastern Pacific, west of South America, and in the south-western Indian Ocean east of South Africa. The most intense blockings were concentrated in the Pacific and in the south Atlantic in both datasets, and they were also located in the Indian Ocean, but in the ERA5 reanalysis only. The longest-lived blockings occurred in the south Pacific and in the south Atlantic during southern winter.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/6/719500 hPablockingblocking indexclimatologyERA5NCEP/NCAR |
| spellingShingle | Adrián E. Yuchechen Susan G. Lakkis Pablo O. Canziani The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index in the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR Datasets: A Comparative Climatology for the Period 1940–2022 Atmosphere 500 hPa blocking blocking index climatology ERA5 NCEP/NCAR |
| title | The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index in the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR Datasets: A Comparative Climatology for the Period 1940–2022 |
| title_full | The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index in the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR Datasets: A Comparative Climatology for the Period 1940–2022 |
| title_fullStr | The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index in the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR Datasets: A Comparative Climatology for the Period 1940–2022 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index in the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR Datasets: A Comparative Climatology for the Period 1940–2022 |
| title_short | The Southern Hemisphere Blocking Index in the ERA5 and the NCEP/NCAR Datasets: A Comparative Climatology for the Period 1940–2022 |
| title_sort | southern hemisphere blocking index in the era5 and the ncep ncar datasets a comparative climatology for the period 1940 2022 |
| topic | 500 hPa blocking blocking index climatology ERA5 NCEP/NCAR |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/6/719 |
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