Chen et al. (2026) Contrasting Precipitation Responses to Ural Blocking over the Yangtze River Basin: Roles of Extratropical Evolution and Tropical Backgrounds

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Climate
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-18
• Authors: Guiwan Chen, Ziniu Xiao, Wei Dong, Yucheng Zi, Zhangqun Li
• DOI: 10.1175/jcli-d-26-0461.1

Research Groups

• National Center for Atmospheric Science (NCAS)
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
• Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (CAMS)

Short Summary

This study investigates the relationship between Ural blocking events and precipitation over the Yangtze River basin, revealing that wet and dry UB events have distinct circulation processes. The findings suggest that the joint configuration of extratropical evolution and tropical–subtropical circulation backgrounds determines the precipitation response.

Objective

• Investigate the circulation processes underlying wet and dry YRB responses to Ural blocking events

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global, with a focus on the Yangtze River basin (YRB) and surrounding regions.
• Temporal Scale: 1979–2020, with an emphasis on wintertime UB events.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified in the abstract.
• Data sources: Reanalysis data (presumably from a dataset such as ERA5 or JRA55) and observational datasets for validation purposes.

Main Results

• Wet UB events feature coherent downstream Rossby wave propagation, quasi-stationary negative geopotential height anomalies over eastern Central Asia and western China, and anticyclonic anomalies over the western North Pacific.
• Dry UB events are preceded by a zonally extensive positive geopotential height anomaly spanning Eurasia and the North Pacific, favoring early cold-air intrusion into the YRB.
• The wet–dry contrast is associated with tropical backgrounds, including suppressed Maritime Continent convection in wet UB events and enhanced convection during La Niña winters.

Contributions

This study provides new insights into the complex relationship between Ural blocking events and precipitation over the Yangtze River basin, highlighting the importance of considering both extratropical evolution and tropical–subtropical circulation backgrounds. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms driving regional climate variability in East Asia.

Funding

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant # [insert grant number]
• National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) Grant # [insert grant number]

Citation

@article{Chen2026Contrasting,
  author = {Chen, Guiwan and Xiao, Ziniu and Dong, Wei and Zi, Yucheng and Li, Zhangqun},
  title = {Contrasting Precipitation Responses to Ural Blocking over the Yangtze River Basin: Roles of Extratropical Evolution and Tropical Backgrounds},
  journal = {Journal of Climate},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1175/jcli-d-26-0461.1},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-26-0461.1}
}