scholarly journals Dynamical Link between the Barents–Kara Sea Ice and the Arctic Oscillation

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (14) ◽  
pp. 5103-5122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Yi Yang ◽  
Xiaojun Yuan ◽  
Mingfang Ting
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Arctic Oscillation ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Stratospheric Polar Vortex ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Barents And Kara Seas ◽  
The Arctic Oscillation

Abstract The recent accelerated Arctic sea ice decline has been proposed as a possible forcing factor for midlatitude circulation changes, which can be projected onto the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and/or North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) mode. However, the timing and physical mechanisms linking AO responses to the Arctic sea ice forcing are not entirely understood. In this study, the authors suggest a connection between November sea ice extent in the Barents and Kara Seas and the following winter’s atmospheric circulation in terms of the fast sea ice retreat and the subsequent modification of local air–sea heat fluxes. In particular, the dynamical processes that link November sea ice in the Barents and Kara Seas with the development of AO anomalies in February is explored. In response to the lower-tropospheric warming associated with the initial thermal effect of the sea ice loss, the large-scale atmospheric circulation goes through a series of dynamical adjustment processes: The decelerated zonal-mean zonal wind anomalies propagate gradually from the subarctic to midlatitudes in about one month. The equivalent barotropic AO dipole pattern develops in January because of wave–mean flow interaction and firmly establishes itself in February following the weakening and warming of the stratospheric polar vortex. This connection between sea ice loss and the AO mode is robust on time scales ranging from interannual to decadal. Therefore, the recent winter AO weakening and the corresponding midlatitude climate change may be partly associated with the early winter sea ice loss in the Barents and Kara Seas.

Recent Arctic Sea Ice Variability: Connections to the Arctic Oscillation and the ENSO

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiping Liu ◽  
Judith A. Curry ◽  
Yongyun Hu
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Arctic Oscillation ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
The Arctic Oscillation

scholarly journals Response of the Wintertime Northern Hemisphere Atmospheric Circulation to Current and Projected Arctic Sea Ice Decline: A Numerical Study with CAM5

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 244-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannick Peings ◽  
Gudrun Magnusdottir
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Stratospheric Polar Vortex ◽  
Sea Ice Decline ◽  
Arctic Sea

Abstract The wintertime Northern Hemisphere (NH) atmospheric circulation response to current (2007–12) and projected (2080–99) Arctic sea ice decline is examined with the latest version of the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM5). The numerical experiments suggest that the current sea ice conditions force a remote atmospheric response in late winter that favors cold land surface temperatures over midlatitudes, as has been observed in recent years. Anomalous Rossby waves forced by the sea ice anomalies penetrate into the stratosphere in February and weaken the stratospheric polar vortex, resulting in negative anomalies of the northern annular mode (NAM) that propagate downward during the following weeks, especially over the North Pacific. The seasonality of the response is attributed to timing of the phasing between the forced and climatological waves. When sea ice concentration taken from projections of conditions at the end of the twenty-first century is prescribed to the model, negative anomalies of the NAM are visible in the troposphere, both in early and late winter. This response is mainly driven by the large warming of the lower troposphere over the Arctic, as little impact is found in the stratosphere in this experiment. As a result of the thermal expansion of the polar troposphere, the westerly flow is decelerated and a weak but statistically significant increase of the midlatitude meanders is identified. However, the thermodynamical response extends beyond the Arctic and offsets the dynamical effect, such that the stronger sea ice forcing has limited impact on the intensity of cold extremes over midlatitudes.

scholarly journals Implications of all season Arctic sea-ice anomalies on the stratosphere

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 11819-11831 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cai ◽  
M. Dameris ◽  
H. Garny ◽  
T. Runde
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Arctic Oscillation ◽  
Ice Cover ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Time Slice ◽  
Wave Radiation ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
The Arctic Oscillation

Abstract. In this study the impact of a substantially reduced Arctic sea-ice cover on the lower and middle stratosphere is investigated. For this purpose two simulations with fixed boundary conditions (the so-called time-slice mode) were performed with a Chemistry-Climate Model. A reference time-slice with boundary conditions representing the year 2000 is compared to a second sensitivity simulation in which the boundary conditions are identical apart from the polar sea-ice cover, which is set to represent the years 2089–2099. Three features of Arctic air temperature response have been identified which are discussed in detail. Firstly, tropospheric mean polar temperatures increase up to 7 K during winter. This warming is primarily driven by changes in outgoing long-wave radiation. The tropospheric response (e.g. geopotential height anomaly) is in reasonable agreement with similar studies dealing with Arctic sea-ice decrease and the consequences on the troposphere. Secondly, temperatures decrease significantly in the summer stratosphere caused by a decline in outgoing short-wave radiation, accompanied by a slight increase of ozone mixing ratios. Thirdly, there are short periods of statistical significant temperature anomalies in the winter stratosphere probably driven by modified planetary wave activity, but generally there is no clear stratospheric response. The Arctic Oscillation (AO)-index, which is related to the troposphere–stratosphere coupling favours a more neutral state during winter. The only clear stratospheric response can be shown during November. Significant changes in Arctic temperature, meridional eddy heat fluxes and the Arctic Oscillation (AO)-index are detected. In this study the overall stratospheric response to the prescribed sea-ice anomaly is small compared to the tropospheric changes.

Seasonal Variability in the Mechanisms Behind the 2020 Siberian Heatwaves

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-44
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Arctic Oscillation ◽  
Surface Air Temperature ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Stratospheric Polar Vortex

Abstract Record breaking heatwaves and wildfires immersed Siberia during the boreal spring of 2020 following an anomalously warm winter. Springtime heatwaves are becoming more common in the region, with statistically significant trends in the frequency, magnitude, and duration of heatwave events over the past four decades. Mechanisms by which the heatwaves occur and contributing factors differ by season. Winter heatwave frequency is correlated with the atmospheric circulation, particularly the Arctic Oscillation, while the frequency of heatwaves during the spring months is highly correlated with aspects of the land surface including snow cover, albedo, and latent heat flux. Idealized AMIP-style experiments are used to quantify the contribution of suppressed Arctic sea ice and snow cover over Siberia on the atmospheric circulation, surface energy budget, and surface air temperature in Siberia during the winter and spring of 2020. Sea ice concentration contributed to the strength of the stratospheric polar vortex and Arctic Oscillation during the winter months, thereby influencing the tropospheric circulation and surface air temperature over Siberia. Warm temperatures across the region resulted in an earlier than usual recession of the winter snowpack. The exposed land surface contributed to up to 20% of the temperature anomaly during the spring through the albedo feedback and changes in the ratio of the latent and sensible heat fluxes. This, in combination with favorable atmospheric circulation patterns, resulted in record breaking heatwaves in Siberia in the spring of 2020.

scholarly journals The Effect of the Arctic Oscillation on the Predictability of Mid-High Latitude Circulation in December

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihai Zheng ◽  
Jin Ban ◽  
Yongsheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Arctic Oscillation ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
High Latitudes ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
High Predictability ◽  
The Arctic Oscillation ◽  
The Impact

The impact of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) on the predictability of mid-high latitude circulation in December is analysed using a full set of hindcasts generated form the Beijing Climate Center Atmospheric General Circulation Model version 2.2 (BCC_AGCM2.2). The results showed that there is a relationship between the predictability of the model on the Eurasian mid-high latitude circulation and the phase of AO, with the highest predictability in the negative AO phase and the lowest predictability in the normal AO phase. Moreover, the difference of predictability exists at different lead times. The potential sources of the high predictability in the negative AO phase in the BCC_AGCM2.2 model were further diagnosed. It was found that the differences of predictability on the Eurasian mid-high latitude circulation also exist in different Arctic sea ice anomalies, and the model performs well in reproducing the response of Arctic sea ice on the AO. The predictability is higher when sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events occur, and strong SSW events tend to form a negative AO phase distribution in the Eurasian mid-high latitudes both in the observation and model. In addition, the model captured the blocking over the mid-high latitudes well, it may be related to the relatively long duration of the blocking. Changes in the AO will affect the blocking circulations over the mid-high latitudes, which partly explains the high predictability of the model in negative AO phases from the aspect of the internal atmospheric dynamics.

1,500-year cycle in the Arctic Oscillation identified in Holocene Arctic sea-ice drift

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 897-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis A. Darby ◽  
Joseph D. Ortiz ◽  
Chester E. Grosch ◽  
Steven P. Lund
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Arctic Oscillation ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ice Drift ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Sea Ice Drift ◽  
The Arctic Oscillation

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

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 889-902 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Quantification of the Arctic Sea Ice‐Driven Atmospheric Circulation Variability in Coordinated Large Ensemble Simulations

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu‐Chiao Liang ◽  
Young‐Oh Kwon ◽  
Claude Frankignoul ◽  
Gokhan Danabasoglu ◽  
Stephen Yeager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Large Ensemble ◽  
Ensemble Simulations ◽  
Arctic Sea

scholarly journals Internal Variability in Projections of Twenty-First-Century Arctic Sea Ice Loss: Role of the Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin J. Wettstein ◽  
Clara Deser
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Wave Train ◽  
Internal Variability ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Rossby Wave Train ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice Loss

Abstract Internal variability in twenty-first-century summer Arctic sea ice loss and its relationship to the large-scale atmospheric circulation is investigated in a 39-member Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3) ensemble for the period 2000–61. Each member is subject to an identical greenhouse gas emissions scenario and differs only in the atmospheric model component's initial condition. September Arctic sea ice extent trends during 2020–59 range from −2.0 × 106 to −5.7 × 106 km2 across the 39 ensemble members, indicating a substantial role for internal variability in future Arctic sea ice loss projections. A similar nearly threefold range (from −7.0 × 103 to −19 × 103 km3) is found for summer sea ice volume trends. Higher rates of summer Arctic sea ice loss in CCSM3 are associated with enhanced transpolar drift and Fram Strait ice export driven by surface wind and sea level pressure patterns. Over the Arctic, the covarying atmospheric circulation patterns resemble the so-called Arctic dipole, with maximum amplitude between April and July. Outside the Arctic, an atmospheric Rossby wave train over the Pacific sector is associated with internal ice loss variability. Interannual covariability patterns between sea ice and atmospheric circulation are similar to those based on trends, suggesting that similar processes govern internal variability over a broad range of time scales. Interannual patterns of CCSM3 ice–atmosphere covariability compare well with those in nature and in the newer CCSM4 version of the model, lending confidence to the results. Atmospheric teleconnection patterns in CCSM3 suggest that the tropical Pacific modulates Arctic sea ice variability via the aforementioned Rossby wave train. Large ensembles with other coupled models are needed to corroborate these CCSM3-based findings.

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