Variations of the Atlantic and Pacific Blocking Anticyclones and Their Correlation in the Northern Hemisphere

Blocking is a large-scale, mid-latitude atmospheric anticyclone that splits the westerly into two jets and has a profound effect on local and regional climates. This study examined the seasonal, interannual, and decadal variability of the Atlantic and Pacific blocking anticyclones in the Northern Hemisphere based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis data between 1958 and 1999. The preferred blocking region during these forty-two years was located over the Atlantic. Most blocking anticyclones over the Atlantic occurred in spring, while most of those over the Pacific occurred in winter. Similar two-to four-year and eleven-year oscillations were found for both the Atlantic and Pacific blocks by using wavelet analysis. The dominant mode for the Pacific blocks is decadal variation, while for the Atlantic blocks the predominant one is interannual variation with a period of about three years. The frequencies of the Pacific and Atlantic blocks varied almost in phase on interannual time scales except during the period of 1965-1977, and frequencies were out of phase on decadal time scale throughout the forty-two years.