Changes in sea-surface temperature and atmospheric circulation patterns associated with reductions in Arctic sea ice cover in recent decades
<p>In recent decades, the Arctic sea ice has been declining at a rapid pace as the Arctic warms at a rate of twice the global average. The underlying physical mechanisms for the Arctic warming and accelerated sea ice retreat are not fully understood. In this study, we apply a relatively nov...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/14149/2018/acp-18-14149-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>In recent decades, the Arctic sea ice has been declining at a
rapid pace as the Arctic warms at a rate of twice the global average. The
underlying physical mechanisms for the Arctic warming and accelerated sea ice
retreat are not fully understood. In this study, we apply a relatively novel
statistical method called self-organizing maps (SOM) along with composite
analysis to examine the trend and variability of autumn Arctic sea ice in the
past three decades and their relationships to large-scale atmospheric
circulation changes. Our statistical results show that the anomalous autumn
Arctic dipole (AD) (Node 1) and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) (Node 9) could
explain in a statistical sense as much as 50 % of autumn sea ice decline
between 1979 and 2016. The Arctic atmospheric circulation anomalies
associated with anomalous sea-surface temperature (SST) patterns over the North
Pacific and North Atlantic influence Arctic sea ice primarily through
anomalous temperature and water vapor advection and associated radiative
feedback.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |