Fig. 7: Blocking-centered composites of diabatic heating, vertical wind velocity, and moisture transport anomalies during blocking onset. | Nature Communications

Fig. 7: Blocking-centered composites of diabatic heating, vertical wind velocity, and moisture transport anomalies during blocking onset.

From: Cloud radiative effects significantly increase wintertime atmospheric blocking in the Euro-Atlantic sector

Fig. 7: Blocking-centered composites of diabatic heating, vertical wind velocity, and moisture transport anomalies during blocking onset.

a–d Zonal cross-sections of latent heating (LH) anomalies (shading; units: 10−1 K day−1) from (a) the MERRA-2, b the control (CTL) run, c the cloud-locking (CLOCK) run, and (d) the longwave cloud radiative effect–off (LWOFF) run. e–h As in (a–d) but for longwave cloud radiative effect (LWCRE) anomalies. Anomalies are averaged during the onset period (days  − 3 to  − 1) over a 10∘ latitude band relative to the block center. i–j Composite differences of vertical wind anomalies (shading; units: 10−2 Pa s−1) for (i) CLOCK-CTL and (j) LWOFF-CTL, with contours showing the control (CTL). k–l As in (i–j), but showing latitude–longitude composites of integrated vapor transport (IVT) anomalies (shading; units: kg m−1 s−1). Contours indicate geopotential height differences, and vectors show water vapor flux differences. The dashed lines mark the block center. Green boxes in (a, b, i, j, k, l) highlight the upstream LH region. Stippling in (i–l) marks differences from CTL significant at the 95% level based on a t-test.

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