The impact of Arctic sea ice on the Arctic energy budget and on the climate of the Northern mid-latitudes

Tido Semmler; Ray McGrath; Shiyu Wang

doi:10.1007/s00382-012-1353-9

The Impact of Regional Arctic Sea Ice Loss on Atmospheric Circulation and the NAO

Journal of Climate ◽

10.1175/jcli-d-15-0315.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 889-902 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Rasmus A. Pedersen ◽

Ivana Cvijanovic ◽

Peter L. Langen ◽

Bo M. Vinther

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Atmospheric Circulation ◽

General Circulation ◽

Ice Cover ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Near Surface ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

The Impact ◽

Sea Ice Reduction

Abstract Reduction of the Arctic sea ice cover can affect the atmospheric circulation and thus impact the climate beyond the Arctic. The atmospheric response may, however, vary with the geographical location of sea ice loss. The atmospheric sensitivity to the location of sea ice loss is studied using a general circulation model in a configuration that allows combination of a prescribed sea ice cover and an active mixed layer ocean. This hybrid setup makes it possible to simulate the isolated impact of sea ice loss and provides a more complete response compared to experiments with fixed sea surface temperatures. Three investigated sea ice scenarios with ice loss in different regions all exhibit substantial near-surface warming, which peaks over the area of ice loss. The maximum warming is found during winter, delayed compared to the maximum sea ice reduction. The wintertime response of the midlatitude atmospheric circulation shows a nonuniform sensitivity to the location of sea ice reduction. While all three scenarios exhibit decreased zonal winds related to high-latitude geopotential height increases, the magnitudes and locations of the anomalies vary between the simulations. Investigation of the North Atlantic Oscillation reveals a high sensitivity to the location of the ice loss. The northern center of action exhibits clear shifts in response to the different sea ice reductions. Sea ice loss in the Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the Arctic cause westward and eastward shifts, respectively.

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Natural variability of the Arctic Ocean sea ice during the present interglacial

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.2008996117 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 117 (42) ◽

pp. 26069-26075

Author(s):

Anne de Vernal ◽

Claude Hillaire-Marcel ◽

Cynthia Le Duc ◽

Philippe Roberge ◽

Camille Brice ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Arctic Ocean ◽

Natural Variability ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Lomonosov Ridge ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

The Arctic Ocean ◽

Open Question ◽

The Impact

The impact of the ongoing anthropogenic warming on the Arctic Ocean sea ice is ascertained and closely monitored. However, its long-term fate remains an open question as its natural variability on centennial to millennial timescales is not well documented. Here, we use marine sedimentary records to reconstruct Arctic sea-ice fluctuations. Cores collected along the Lomonosov Ridge that extends across the Arctic Ocean from northern Greenland to the Laptev Sea were radiocarbon dated and analyzed for their micropaleontological and palynological contents, both bearing information on the past sea-ice cover. Results demonstrate that multiyear pack ice remained a robust feature of the western and central Lomonosov Ridge and that perennial sea ice remained present throughout the present interglacial, even during the climate optimum of the middle Holocene that globally peaked ∼6,500 y ago. In contradistinction, the southeastern Lomonosov Ridge area experienced seasonally sea-ice-free conditions, at least, sporadically, until about 4,000 y ago. They were marked by relatively high phytoplanktonic productivity and organic carbon fluxes at the seafloor resulting in low biogenic carbonate preservation. These results point to contrasted west–east surface ocean conditions in the Arctic Ocean, not unlike those of the Arctic dipole linked to the recent loss of Arctic sea ice. Hence, our data suggest that seasonally ice-free conditions in the southeastern Arctic Ocean with a dominant Arctic dipolar pattern, may be a recurrent feature under “warm world” climate.

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Interannual variability in Transpolar Drift ice thickness and potential impact of Atlantification

10.5194/tc-2020-305 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

H. Jakob Belter ◽

Thomas Krumpen ◽

Luisa von Albedyll ◽

Tatiana A. Alekseeva ◽

Sergei V. Frolov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Ice Thickness ◽

Fram Strait ◽

Ice Growth ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

Transpolar Drift ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Changes in Arctic sea ice thickness are the result of complex interactions of the dynamic and variable ice cover with atmosphere and ocean. Most of the sea ice exits the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait, which is why long-term measurements of ice thickness at the end of the Transpolar Drift provide insight into the integrated signals of thermodynamic and dynamic influences along the pathways of Arctic sea ice. We present an updated time series of extensive ice thickness surveys carried out at the end of the Transpolar Drift between 2001 and 2020. Overall, we see a more than 20 % thinning of modal ice thickness since 2001. A comparison with first preliminary results from the international Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) shows that the modal summer thickness of the MOSAiC floe and its wider vicinity are consistent with measurements from previous years. By combining this unique time series with the Lagrangian sea ice tracking tool, ICETrack, and a simple thermodynamic sea ice growth model, we link the observed interannual ice thickness variability north of Fram Strait to increased drift speeds along the Transpolar Drift and the consequential variations in sea ice age and number of freezing degree days. We also show that the increased influence of upward-directed ocean heat flux in the eastern marginal ice zones, termed Atlantification, is not only responsible for sea ice thinning in and around the Laptev Sea, but also that the induced thickness anomalies persist beyond the Russian shelves and are potentially still measurable at the end of the Transpolar Drift after more than a year. With a tendency towards an even faster Transpolar Drift, winter sea ice growth will have less time to compensate the impact of Atlantification on sea ice growth in the eastern marginal ice zone, which will increasingly be felt in other parts of the sea ice covered Arctic.

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Sea ice kinematic features in the Arctic outflow region and their associations with Arctic Northeast Passage accessibility

Abstracts of the ICA ◽

10.5194/ica-abs-1-101-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

Dawei Gui ◽

Xiaoping Pang ◽

Ruibo Lei ◽

Xi Zhao ◽

Jia Wang

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Fram Strait ◽

The North ◽

Atmospheric Circulation Indices ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

Outflow Region ◽

Transpolar Drift ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Increasing amounts of evidence have proven Arctic sea ice is undergoing remarkable loss. On the bright side, the Arctic sea routes are becoming increasingly accessible. In this study, the NSIDC product of sea ice motion was applied to reconstruct the northward speed of sea ice to obtain the kinematic features of the sea ice in the Arctic outflow region which specially referred to the Fram Strait and to the north of the Northeast Passage (NEP).In the Arctic outflow region, the average southward displacement of sea ice in 2007&ndash;2014 (1511&thinsp;km) was more than twice the average prior to 2007 (617&thinsp;km), which indicated continuous enhancement of the Transpolar Drift Stream (TDS) in comparison with previous years. In the regions to the north of the NEP, the long-term trend of northward sea ice speed in the Kara sector was +0.04&thinsp;cm&thinsp;s&minus;1&thinsp;year&minus;1 in spring. A significant statistical relationship was found between the NEP open period and the northward speed of the sea ice to the north of the NEP. The offshore advection of sea ice could account for the opening of sea routes by 33% and 15% in the Kara and Laptev sectors, respectively.The atmospheric circulation indices across the TDS, i.e., the Central Arctic Index (CAI), presented more significant correlation than for the Arctic atmospheric Dipole Anomaly index with the open period of the NEP, and the CAI could explain the southward displacement of sea ice toward Fram Strait by more than 45%. The impact from the summer positive CAI reinforces the thinning and mechanical weakening of the sea ice in the NEP region, which promoted the navigability of the NEP.

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Suppression of Arctic sea ice growth by winter clouds and snowfall

10.21203/rs.3.rs-84779/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Won-il Lim ◽

Hyo-Seok Park ◽

Andrew Stewart ◽

Kyong-Hwan Seo

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Longwave Radiation ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Ice Thickness ◽

Sea Ice Thickness ◽

Ice Growth ◽

Downward Longwave Radiation ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

The Impact

Abstract The ongoing Arctic warming has been pronounced in winter and has been associated with an increase in downward longwave radiation. While previous studies have demonstrated that poleward moisture flux into the Arctic strengthens downward longwave radiation, less attention has been given to the impact of the accompanying increase in snowfall. Here, utilizing state-of-the art sea ice models, we show that typical winter snowfall anomalies of 1.0 cm, accompanied by positive downward longwave radiation anomalies of ~5 W m-2 can decrease sea ice thickness by around 5 cm in the following spring over the Eurasian Seas. This basin-wide ice thinning is followed by a shrinking of summer ice extent in extreme cases. In the winter of 2016–17, anomalously strong warm/moist air transport combined with ~2.5 cm increase in snowfall decreased spring ice thickness by ~10 cm and decreased the following summer sea ice extent by 5–30%. Projected future reductions in the thickness of Arctic sea ice and snow will amplify the impact of anomalous winter snowfall events on winter sea ice growth and seasonal sea ice thickness.

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Arctic Energy Budget in Relation to Sea Ice Variability on Monthly-to-Annual Time Scales

Journal of Climate ◽

10.1175/jcli-d-15-0002.1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (16) ◽

pp. 6335-6350 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

F. Krikken ◽

W. Hazeleger

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Time Scales ◽

Energy Budget ◽

Climate Models ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Albedo Feedback ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

Cloud Ice

Abstract The large decrease in Arctic sea ice in recent years has triggered a strong interest in Arctic sea ice predictions on seasonal-to-decadal time scales. Hence, it is important to understand physical processes that provide enhanced predictability beyond persistence of sea ice anomalies. This study analyzes the natural variability of Arctic sea ice from an energy budget perspective, using 15 climate models from phase 5 of CMIP (CMIP5), and compares these results to reanalysis data. The authors quantify the persistence of sea ice anomalies and the cross correlation with the surface and top-of-atmosphere energy budget components. The Arctic energy balance components primarily indicate the important role of the seasonal ice–albedo feedback, through which sea ice anomalies in the melt season reemerge in the growth season. This is a robust anomaly reemergence mechanism among all 15 climate models. The role of the ocean lies mainly in storing heat content anomalies in spring and releasing them in autumn. Ocean heat flux variations play only a minor role. Confirming a previous (observational) study, the authors demonstrate that there is no direct atmospheric response of clouds to spring sea ice anomalies, but a delayed response is evident in autumn. Hence, there is no cloud–ice feedback in late spring and summer, but there is a cloud–ice feedback in autumn, which strengthens the ice–albedo feedback. Anomalies in insolation are positively correlated with sea ice variability. This is primarily a result of reduced multiple reflection of insolation due to an albedo decrease. This effect counteracts the ice-albedo effect up to 50%. ERA-Interim and Ocean Reanalysis System 4 (ORAS4) confirm the main findings from the climate models.

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Influence of Arctic sea-ice loss on the Greenland ice sheet climate

Climate Dynamics ◽

10.1007/s00382-021-05897-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Raymond Sellevold ◽

Jan T. M. Lenaerts ◽

Miren Vizcaino

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Ice Sheet ◽

Greenland Ice Sheet ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Humid Atmosphere ◽

Baffin Bay ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

Surface Melt ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe Arctic is the region on Earth that is warming the fastest. At the same time, Arctic sea ice is reducing while the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is losing mass at an accelerated pace. Here, we study the seasonal impact of reduced Arctic sea ice on GrIS surface mass balance (SMB), using the Community Earth System Model version 2.1 (CESM2), which features an advanced, interactive calculation of SMB. Addressing the impact of sea-ice reductions on the GrIS SMB from observations is difficult due to the short observational records. Also, signals detected using transient climate simulations may be aliases of other forcings. Here, we analyze dedicated simulations from the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project with reduced Arctic sea ice and compare them with preindustrial sea ice simulations while keeping all other forcings constant. In response to reduced sea ice, the GrIS SMB increases in winter due to increased precipitation, driven by the more humid atmosphere and increasing cyclones. In summer, surface melt increases due to a warmer, more humid atmosphere providing increased energy transfer to the surface through the sensible and latent heat fluxes, which triggers the melt-albedo feedback. Further, warming occurs throughout the entire troposphere over Baffin Bay. This deep warming results in regional enhancement of the 500 hPa geopotential heights over the Baffin Bay and Greenland, increasing blocking and heat advection over the GrIS’ surface. This anomalous circulation pattern has been linked to recent increases in the surface melt of the GrIS.

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The impact of orbital forcing on the Arctic climate during the Last Interglacial simulated by the IPSL-CM6A-LR model

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-16044 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marie Sicard ◽

Masa Kageyama ◽

Pascale Braconnot ◽

Sylvie Charbit

Keyword(s):

Solar Radiation ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

Arctic Climate ◽

The Arctic ◽

Orbital Forcing ◽

Last Interglacial ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

The Impact

The Last Interglacial (129 &#8211; 116 ka BP) is a time period with a strong orbital forcing which leads to a different seasonal and latitudinal distribution of insolation compared to the present. In particular, these changes amplify the Arctic climate seasonality. They induce warmer summers and colder winters in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Such surface conditions favour a huge retreat of the arctic sea ice cover. In this study, we try to understand how this solar radiation anomaly spreads through the surface and impacts the seasonal arctic sea ice. Using IPSL-CM6A-LR model outputs, we decompose the surface energy budget to identify the role of atmospheric and oceanic key processes beyond 60&#176;N and its changes compared to pre-industrial. We show that solar radiation anomaly is greatly reduced when it reaches the Earth&#8217;s surface, which emphasizes the role of clouds and water vapor transport. The results are also compared to other PMIP4-CMIP6 model simulations. We would like to thank PMIP participants for producing and making available their model outputs.

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Evaluation of a multilayer snow scheme in NEMO-LIM3

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-9731 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gaëlle Gilson ◽

Thierry Fichefet ◽

Olivier Lecomte ◽

Pierre-Yves Barriat ◽

Jean Sterlin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Ocean Circulation ◽

Climate Models ◽

Thickness Distribution ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Optimum Number ◽

Ice Growth ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

The Impact

Arctic sea ice is a major component of the Earth&#8217;s climate system and has been experiencing a drastic decline over the past decades, with important consequences regionally and globally. With the sustained warming of the Arctic, sea ice loss is expected to continue in the future. However, the estimation of its magnitude is model-dependent. As a result, the representation of sea ice in climate models requires further consideration. A major issue relates to the long-standing misrepresentation of snow properties on sea ice. However, the presence of snow strongly impacts sea ice growth and surface energy balance. Through its high albedo, snow reflects more solar radiation than bare sea ice does. When a snow cover is present, sea ice growth is reduced because snow is an effective insulator, with a thermal conductivity an order of magnitude lower than that of sea ice. Ocean circulation models usually use multiple layers to resolve sea ice thermodynamics but only one single layer for snow. Lecomte et al. (2013) developed a multilayer snow scheme for ocean circulation models and improved the snow depth distribution by considering the macroscopic effects of wind packing and redeposition. Since then, this snow scheme has been revisited and implemented in a more recent and much more robust NEMO-LIM version, using a simpler technical approach. In addition, new instrumental observations of snow thickness, distribution and density are available since these exploratory works. They are used in the current study to: 1) evaluate the performance of the multilayer snow scheme for sea ice in the NEMO-LIM3 model, and 2) investigate the climatic importance of this snow scheme. Here, we present results of simulations with a varying number of snow layers. By comparing these to the latest observational datasets, we recommend an optimum number of snow &#160;layers to be used in ocean circulation models in both hemispheres. Finally, we explore the impact of a few specific parameterizations of snow thermophysical properties on the representation of sea ice in climate models.

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Impact of Ural Blocking on Winter Warm Arctic–Cold Eurasian Anomalies. Part I: Blocking-Induced Amplification

Journal of Climate ◽

10.1175/jcli-d-15-0611.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (11) ◽

pp. 3925-3947 ◽

Cited By ~ 117

Author(s):

Dehai Luo ◽

Yiqing Xiao ◽

Yao Yao ◽

Aiguo Dai ◽

Ian Simmonds ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

High Latitude ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Height Anomaly ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

Cold Anomaly ◽

Arctic Sea Ice Loss ◽

The Impact ◽

Sea Ice Reduction

Abstract In Part I of this study, the impact of Ural blocking (UB) on the warm Arctic–cold Eurasian (WACE) pattern associated with the winter (DJF) arctic sea ice loss during 1979–2013 is examined by dividing the arctic sea ice reduction region into two dominant subregions: the Barents and Kara Seas (BKS) and the North American high-latitude (NAH) region (Baffin and Hudson Bay, Davis Strait, and Labrador Sea). It is found that atmospheric response to arctic sea ice loss resembles a negative Arctic response oscillation with a dominant positive height anomaly over the Eurasian subarctic region. Regression analyses of the two subregions further show that the sea ice loss over the BKS corresponds to the UB pattern together with a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO+) and is followed by a WACE anomaly, while the sea ice reduction in the NAH region corresponds to a negative NAO (NAO−) pattern with a cold anomaly over northern Eurasia. Further analyses reveal that the UB pattern is more persistent during the period 2000–13 (P2) than 1979–99 (P1) because of the reduced middle-to-high-latitude mean westerly winds over Eurasia associated with the intense BKS warming. During P2 the establishment of the UB becomes a slow process because of the role of the BKS warming, while its decay is slightly rapid. In the presence of the long-lived UB that often occurs with the NAO+, the BKS-warming-induced DJF-mean anticyclonic anomaly is intensified and widened and then expands southward during P2 to amplify the WACE pattern and induce the southward displacement of its cold anomaly and the further loss of the BKS sea ice. Thus, midlatitude Eurasian cold events should be more frequent as the sea ice loss continues over the BKS.

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