Atmospheric Rivers over the Arctic: Lagrangian Characterisation of Their Moisture Sources

In recent years, the Arctic has become a subject of special interest due to the drastic effect of climate change over the region. Despite that there are several mechanisms that influence the Arctic region; some recent studies have suggested significant influences of moisture transport over the observed loss of sea ice. Moisture transport can affect the region in different ways: direct precipitation over the region, radiative effect from the cloud cover and through the release of latent heat. Atmospheric rivers (ARs) represent one of the main events involved in moisture transport from the tropics to the mid-latitudes and despite having been shown especially relevant on the northward advection, their effect over the Arctic has not been deeply investigated. The aim of this work was to establish the groundwork for future studies about the effect of ARs linked to moisture transport over the Arctic region. For this purpose, an automated algorithm was used to identify regions of maximum AR occurrence over the Arctic. This was done by analysing the number of AR detections every month over a band of 10° of latitude centred on 60° N. The Lagrangian model FLEXPART was used to find the areas where the ARs take their moisture to the Arctic. Using this model, the anomalous moisture contribution to these baroclinic structures was analysed taking into account only the dates of AR occurrence. From the results, it appears that the main moisture sources for AR events extend over the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans; moreover, the local input of moisture over the region of maximum AR occurrence seems to be especially relevant. In general terms, moisture comes from major evaporative areas over the western part of the oceanic regions in the band between 30° and 40° N for most months in the year, showing a continental origin in the summer months. This behaviour agrees with the climatological moisture transport into the Arctic determined in previous studies. However, in special association with AR events, an intensification of local moisture uptake is observed over the area of maximum AR activity and nearby. The study of the origin of this moisture and associated anomalies for Arctic ARs is an important step in the analysis of the effect of these structures on the Arctic environment.

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The role of moisture transport for precipitation in the inter-annual and inter-daily fluctuations of the Arctic sea ice extension

Earth System Dynamics ◽

10.5194/esd-10-121-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 121-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Luis Gimeno-Sotelo ◽

Raquel Nieto ◽

Marta Vázquez ◽

Luis Gimeno

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Moisture Transport ◽

Arctic Region ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Ice Melting ◽

Sea Ice Extent ◽

Moisture Sources ◽

Arctic Sea

Abstract. By considering the moisture transport for precipitation (MTP) for a target region to be the moisture that arrives in this region from its major moisture sources and which then results in precipitation in that region, we explore (i) whether the MTP from the main moisture sources for the Arctic region is linked with inter-annual fluctuations in the extent of Arctic sea ice superimposed on its decline and (ii) the role of extreme MTP events in the inter-daily change in the Arctic sea ice extent (SIE) when extreme MTP simultaneously arrives from the four main moisture regions that supply it. The results suggest (1) that ice melting at the scale of inter-annual fluctuations against the trend is favoured by an increase in moisture transport in summer, autumn, and winter and a decrease in spring and, (2) on a daily basis, extreme humidity transport increases the formation of ice in winter and decreases it in spring, summer, and autumn; in these three seasons extreme humidity transport therefore contributes to Arctic sea ice melting. These patterns differ sharply from that linked to the decline on a long-range scale, especially in summer when the opposite trend applies, as ice melt is favoured by a decrease in moisture transport for this season at this scale.

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Cultural Identities in Sustaining Religious Communities in the Arctic Region: An Ethnographic Analysis of Religiosity from the Northern Viewpoint

Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics ◽

10.1515/jef-2017-0013 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 51-67

Author(s):

Nafisa Yeasmin

Keyword(s):

Arctic Region ◽

Religious Communities ◽

The Arctic ◽

Minority Community ◽

The North ◽

Muslim Minority ◽

European Arctic ◽

Secular Society ◽

Ethnographic Analysis ◽

The Arctic Region

AbstractNorthern countries are facing the challenges of declining human capital, and admitting immigrants, many of whom belong to religious minorities, to satisfy the demand for labour. If northern societies accept multiculturalism and immigrants, they should not disregard the cultures and religious practices (for example, ritual slaughter) of immigrants, as they need to survive and integrate as a minority community in a secular society. However, there is clash between secularism and religions permitting animal slaughter, which is prohibited by some and allowed by other European countries. Community viability and sustainability depend partly on the exercise of community beliefs and ideology that support identity behaviour. This study will present an ethnographic analysis of the religiosity related to ritual slaughter and Muslim cultural identity in the European Arctic region and explore how religious relativism and practice sustain the community and support the overall integration of the Muslim minority in the North.

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The Arctic Five: search for a balance of power in the region

Post-Soviet Issues ◽

10.24975/2313-8920-2020-7-3-276-287 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 276-287

Author(s):

I. S. Doroshenko

Keyword(s):

Development Strategy ◽

Arctic Region ◽

Balance Of Power ◽

The Arctic ◽

The North ◽

Northern Latitudes ◽

The Development Strategy ◽

Northern Territories ◽

The Arctic Region

Due to climate change, the Arctic region becomes a place of geopolitical rivalry of both Arctic and non-Arctic states. Traditional formats for determining the agenda in the region are effective, but with the advent of the interest of an increasing number of international actors, these formats are transforming, which may affect the balance of power in the region. The growing activity of Asian countries in the Arctic, primarily China, is forcing regional states to make adjustments to the development strategy of the region. The rapid renewal of its potential in the northern territories of Russia caused a negative reaction from the western countries, especially after 2014.Such aspirations have emerged as the internationalization of the region by Northern Europe and China, the desire to draw clear boundaries on the part of Russia and Canada, and the buildup of US influence on its colleagues in the North Atlantic bloc. This situation may cause an uncontrolled increase in tension in the region, especially if new alliances between the Arctic and non-Arctic countries are created. The author considers the current approaches of the countries of the Arctic five, analyzes the true motives of internationalization and the role of the format of the Arctic five in maintaining a balance of power and stability in the northern latitudes.

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SEISMICITY of the ARCTIC in 2015

Zemletriaseniia Severnoi Evrazii [Earthquakes in Northern Eurasia] ◽

10.35540/1818-6254.2021.24.20 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 210-216

Author(s):

A. Morozov ◽

G. Avetisov ◽

G. Antonovskaya ◽

V. Asming ◽

S. Baranov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seismic Station ◽

Arctic Region ◽

The Arctic ◽

Earthquake Catalog ◽

Svalbard Archipelago ◽

Ocean Ridges ◽

The North ◽

Franz Josef Land ◽

Barents And Kara Seas ◽

The Arctic Region

The article provides an overview and analysis of seismicity within the boundaries of the Arctic region for 2015, a description of seismic station networks, and processing methods. The catalog of earthquakes in the Arctic region was compiled on the basis of catalogs of several organizations and seismological centers. In total, 334 earthquakes are included in the earthquake catalog. Most of the earthquakes that occurred in 2015, including all the strongest earthquakes, were located within the mid-ocean ridges of Mon, Knipovich and Gakkel. In the offshore territories, most of the earthquakes were confined to the Svalbard archipelago, in particular, to the seismically active zone in the Sturfjord strait. The renewal of instrumental seismological observations in 2011 (station ZFI) on Alexandra Land Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago made it possible to record weak earthquakes in the north of the shelf of the Barents and Kara Seas. For twelve earthquakes, the focal mechanism parameters are presented according to the Global CMT catalog.

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Moisture origin, transport pathways, and driving processes of intense wintertime moisture transport into the Arctic

10.5194/wcd-2021-57 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lukas Papritz ◽

David Hauswirth ◽

Katharina Hartmuth

Keyword(s):

North Atlantic ◽

Moisture Transport ◽

Large Scale ◽

The Arctic ◽

Polar Cap ◽

Transport Pathways ◽

Moisture Sources ◽

The North ◽

Total Transport ◽

Air Streams

Abstract. Poleward moisture transport occurs in episodic, high-amplitude events with strong impacts on the Arctic and its climate system components such as sea ice. This study focuses on the origin of such events and examines the moisture sources, moisture transport pathways, and their linkage to the large-scale circulation. For that purpose, 597 events of intense zonal mean poleward moisture transport at 70° N (exceeding the 90th anomaly percentile) are identified and kinematic backward trajectories from 70° N are computed to pinpoint the moisture sources and characterize the air-streams accomplishing the transport. The bulk of the moisture transported into the polar cap during these events originates in the eastern North Atlantic with an uptake maximum poleward of 50° N. This asymmetry between ocean basins is a direct consequence of the fact that most of the moisture transport into the polar cap occurs in this sector. As a result of the fairly high-latitude origin of the moisture, the median time moisture spends in the atmosphere prior to reaching 70° N amounts to about 2.5 days. Trajectories further reveal an inverse relationship between moisture uptake latitude and the level at which moisture is injected into the polar cap, consistent with ascent of poleward flowing air in a baroclinic atmosphere. Focusing on events for which 75 % of the zonal mean moisture transport takes place in the North Atlantic east of Greenland (424 events) reveals that lower tropospheric moisture transport results predominantly from two types of air-streams: (i) cold, polar air advected from the Canadian Arctic over the North Atlantic and around Greenland, whereby the air is warmed and moistened by surface fluxes, and (ii) air subsiding from the mid-troposphere into the boundary layer. Both air-streams contribute about 36 % each to the total transport. The former dominates the moisture transport during events associated with an anomalously high frequency of cyclones east of Greenland (218 events), whereas the latter is more important in the presence of atmospheric blocking over Scandinavia and the Ural (145 events). A substantial portion of the moisture sources associated with both types of air-streams are located between Iceland, the British Isles, and Norway. Long-range moisture transport, accounting for 17 % of the total transport, is the dominant type of air-stream during events with weak forcing by baroclinic weather systems (64 events). Finally, mid-tropospheric moisture transport is invariably associated with (diabatically) ascending air and moisture origin in the central and western North Atlantic, including the Gulf Stream front, accounting for roughly 10 % of the total transport. In summary, our study reveals that moisture injections into the polar atmosphere are not primarily caused by the poleward transport of warm and humid air from low latitudes – a conclusion that applies in particular to cases where the transport is driven by baroclinic weather systems such as extratropical cyclones. Instead, it results from a combination of air-streams with pre-dominantly high-latitude or high-altitude origin and their interplay with large-scale weather systems (e.g., cyclones, blocks).

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The specificity of Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023

Конфликтология / nota bene ◽

10.7256/2454-0617.2021.4.37096 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Sofia Khusainova

Keyword(s):

Russian Federation ◽

Political Action ◽

Arctic Region ◽

The Arctic ◽

Arctic Council ◽

National Interests ◽

The North ◽

Leading Role ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

The Arctic Region

The subject of this research is the policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic. The object is Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023. The author meticulously analyzes the positions of the state, taking into account national interests and peculiarities of the current international situation in the region. The article examines the domestic legislative acts adopted for regulation of the Arctic Region, as well as international documents aimed at sustainable development of the North. The conditions of collective security dictate moderate and clearly defined policy in the Arctic, which is the central arena for political action with the leading role of the Russian Federation until 2023. The conclusion is drawn that the Arctic Region is currently the most relevant vector of the policy of northern states. Chairmanship of the Russian Federation imposes enormous responsibility on the country, as despite the overall state of security in the region, there remains a range of unresolved issues. The attempts of institutionalization of the Arctic Council may become an implicit threat for the Russian Federation; this is why the systematization of domestic legislation and foreign policy actions on maintaining the health of ecosystem, cultural heritage, and environmental policy have become the priority vectors in the first year of Russia’s chairmanship. The overall responsibility of the leading actor the Arctic does not exclude the existence of classic threats to the security of state’s sovereignty, which requires accurate planning in subsequent years of the chairmanship.

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An Environmentally Literate Explorer

Sibirica ◽

10.3167/sib.2018.170203 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 13-40

Author(s):

Seija A. Niemi

Keyword(s):

Arctic Region ◽

Environmental Literacy ◽

The Arctic ◽

The North ◽

Trade Route ◽

The Arctic Region

Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (1832–1901), a Finnish Swedish scientist and explorer, made three expeditions to the North Asian coast between 1875 and 1879. He completed ten expeditions to the Arctic region between 1858 and 1883. The unifying goal of the North Asian expeditions was to open a trade route between Europe and Siberia. As a scientist, Nordenskiöld also studied the flora, fauna, geology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, ethnology, and history, and produced charts of this unfamiliar territory. This article argues that Nordenskiöld used his skills of environmental literacy when he combined the commercial and scientific goals of his expeditions. He also had the ability to deal with the environment in practical and rational terms, which I argue is also one expression of environmental literacy.

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Inuit Governance and Contemporary Challenges: New Questions for Arctic Governance

The Yearbook of Polar Law Online ◽

10.1163/22116427-91000089 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 155-188

Author(s):

Cécile Pelaudeix

Keyword(s):

Political Institutions ◽

International Institutions ◽

Arctic Region ◽

Self Determination ◽

The Arctic ◽

International Level ◽

The North ◽

The Right ◽

Ownership Of Land ◽

The Arctic Region

Abstract This article explores the concept of governance, primarily in terms of policy rather than law, and examines current Inuit governance in light of recent economic and political changes in the Arctic region at the national and international level, with criteria of procedure (effficiency) and substance (equity). It points out that striking diffferences exist between Inuit regions in terms of governance and political institutions. Regarding procedure, it is shown that the main impediments are the fragmentation of administrative institutions and the implementations of provisions of agreements. In terms of equity, in some cases the right to self-determination is not guaranteed or efffective, and the ownership of land, sub-surface rights, except in Greenland is not operative. On the international stage, the equity criteria is not met. Completed with an approach in terms of politics, according to which the weigh of actors, such as Inuit actors, included in the process of governance, should be related to their political representativeness, the approach in terms of governance shows that Inuit governance has reached a stage that requires new balances of power between regional, national and international institutions, therefore a renewed reflection on centre and periphery to re-imagine the place the South could have in the North.

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Problems Of Operation Of Elastomer Materials In The Arctic Region

KnE Materials Science ◽

10.18502/kms.v1i1.574 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 129

Author(s):

N.N. Petrova ◽

V.V. Portnyagina ◽

V.V. Mukhin ◽

E.S. Kyzmina

Keyword(s):

Frost Resistance ◽

Arctic Region ◽

Resistance Coefficient ◽

Full Scale ◽

Cold Climate ◽

The Arctic ◽

Stable Set ◽

The North ◽

Significant Temperature ◽

The Arctic Region

The operability of frost-resistant industrial sealing rubbers on the basis of full-scale exposure of rubber samples in the environment of oil in cold climate has been investigated. It is found that interaction of rubbers with oil media (fuel, lubricants) causes diffusion of a plasticizer from the elastomer material into the contacting medium and decrease of frost resistance coefficient. Choosing the material for production of different seals for the conditions of the North one must use rubbers with significant temperature range of operation, for example propylen-oxide elastomer, which is highly frost resistant and has a stable set of operational properties.

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Forty-year climatology and variability of atmospheric rivers in the Arctic using MERRA-2 reanalysis from 1980 to 2020

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-14554 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carolina Viceto ◽

Irina Gorodetskaya ◽

Annette Rinke ◽

Alfredo Rocha ◽

Susanne Crewell

Keyword(s):

Moisture Transport ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Arctic Region ◽

Gulf Of Alaska ◽

Water Vapor Transport ◽

The Arctic ◽

Research Centre ◽

Historical Period ◽

Transport Pathways ◽

Atmospheric Rivers

A significant increase in the atmospheric moisture content over the Arctic region has been recently documented, that might be caused by the enhanced poleward moisture flux which is expected to continuously increase in the future. This change can be attributed to different causes, in which increasing moisture transport intensity is included. In this study we focus on events with anomalous moisture transport confined to long, narrow and transient corridors, known as atmospheric rivers (ARs), which are expected to have a strong influence on Arctic mass and energy budget.This study is based on MERRA-2 reanalysis (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2) extending from an historical period until present (1980-2020). ARs are identified using the tracking algorithms by Gorodetskaya et al. (2020) and Guan et al. (2018). We explored the frequency of ARs focusing on annual, seasonal and monthly values. Spatial patterns were analysed for the Arctic latitudes, covering both Atlantic and Pacific moisture transport pathways, and showing the importance of the Siberian moisture pathway during summer. Furthermore, we include a more detailed analysis performed at different sites north of the Arctic circle. Specific attention is given to the ARs characteristics during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition from September 2019 to October 2020, as compared to the forty-year climatology and variability of the ARs in the Arctic.Preliminary results show a higher frequency of ARs over the Norwegian and Barents Sea (Atlantic pathway), mainly during autumn and winter, although during May and June there is a high frequency of ARs over Western Siberia and Barents Sea. In contrast, the Canadian Artic has a lower frequency of ARs regardless the season, which is explained by a steep decrease of ARs frequency in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea that block their progression to further north latitudes.&#160;References: Gorodetskaya, I. V., Silva, T., Schmith&#252;sen, H., and Hirasawa, N., 2020: Atmospheric River Signatures in Radiosonde Profiles and Reanalyses at the Dronning Maud Land Coast, East Antarctica. Adv. Atmos. Sci.,&#160;https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-020-9221-8.Guan, B., Waliser, D. E. and Ralph, F. M., 2018: An Intercomparison between Reanalysis and Dropsonde Observations of the Total Water Vapor Transport in Individual Atmospheric Rivers. J. Hydrometeorol., 19, 321&#8211;337, https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-17-0114.1.&#160;Acknowledgments: This work is supported by FCT PhD Grant SFRH/BD/129154/2017 and developed in collaboration with Transregional Collaborative Research Centre (AC)3, AWI and U. Cologne.

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