Precursors to atmospheric blocking events
Name
1028750157-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
9.62 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
81718a4096938abee7ecabfb6dc52250
Author(s)
Marino, Garrett P
Advisor(s)
Lodovica Illari.
Date Issued
2008
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Atmospheric blocking disturbs synoptic-scale features from their normal eastward progression, causing extreme weather conditions for the duration of the blocking event. Blocking precursors, as indicators of meridional flow preceding the onset of strong Atlantic blocking episodes, have been identified by using a modified version of the Tibaldi and Molteni blocking index (1990). Hovmoller diagrams of the modified index were found to be particularly useful in finding the potential cases, clearly showing a precursor signal propagating from the western United States down to the Atlantic to initiate the blocking pattern. A composite of the 14 cases identified showed the precursor pattern to be consistent with the positive phase of the PNA, while the composite mature phase of Atlantic blocking resembles the negative NAO and AO phases. The results suggest that blocking is a global, rather than localized, phenomenon.
Description
Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2008.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 51-55).
Subjects
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.
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