Characteristics of the vertical structure of extratropical atmospheric cyclones and anticyclones in the Northern Hemisphere from ERA5 reanalysis data

Cyclones and anticyclones play an important role in the general circulation of the atmosphere and in the formation of atmospheric variability in extratropical latitudes [Hartmann et al., IPCC, 2013; Meshcherskaya et al., 2014; Intense atmospheric vortices ..., 2018]. Based on ERA5 reanalysis data for recent decades, the characteristics of cyclonic and anticyclonic activity in the atmosphere of the Northern Hemisphere have been studied, taking into account their vertical structure, in particular the trajectories of cyclones and anticyclones, their depth, duration, intensity and frequency at various levels in the atmosphere. To analyze the characteristics of atmospheric cyclones and anticyclones in extratropical latitudes (>200) The heights of the isobaric surface were used in the Northern hemisphere 1000, 925, 850, 700, 600, 500, 300, 200 hPa according to the data of the EPA5 reanalysis with a time step of 6 hours and a horizontal spatial resolution of 0.250 for the period 1979-2024. To identify cyclones and anticyclones, the vortex identification method was used, which was used to plot trajectories both in space and in heights in the atmosphere. The number of cyclones and anticyclones and their characteristics vary depending on the levels in the atmosphere. It is shown that the number and properties of vortex formations significantly depend on the level in the atmosphere: the maximum recurrence of cyclones is observed at the surface, then decreases with altitude, with a pronounced secondary maximum at 500 gPa, anticyclones decrease much faster with altitude compared to cyclones. The relationship of cyclones and anticyclones with variations in temperature (minimum, average, maximum), wind (maximum, average), and precipitation is analyzed. The study also analyzed the trends of characteristics of cyclones and anticyclones, including their seasonal and multiyear variability.