Abstract: Moist processes, and in particular the release of latent heat in ascending airstreams, can modify the mid-latitude flow and contribute to the formation of prolonged circulation ano
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Abstract: Moist processes, and in particular the release of latent heat in ascending airstreams, can modify the mid-latitude flow and contribute to the formation of prolonged circulation anomalies such as atmospheric blocking. Blocking represents a challenge to numerical weather and climate forecasting, because it may lead to high impact weather in a situation of increased forecast uncertainty. The causal link between latent heating and blocking is still not well understood. In this study, we explore the effect of latent heating in ascending airstreams on the characteristics of atmospheric blocking using a combination of climatological analysis and modelling approaches. The results of this study illustrate how the physics within ascending airstreams play a crucial role in the formation of blocking anticyclones and in the upper-level wave dynamics in general.
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