The effect of topographic forcing on the formation and maintenance of blocking

A barotropic channel model in β-plane is used to study the effect of topographic forcing on the formation and maintenance of blocking. The approximate analytical solution of potential vorticity equation can show the main property of the whole process of blocking. It is indicated that the topographic forcing is one of the main factors causing the blocking process. The results suggest that the nonlinear interaction plays a very important role in the stable “Ω” situation of blocking. The atmospheric circulation with periodic and low-frequency oscillation, perhaps, is partly caused by topographic forcing.