Cyclone impact on sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean: a statistical study
This study investigates the impact of cyclones on the Arctic Ocean sea ice for the first time in a statistical manner. We apply the coupled ice–ocean model NAOSIM which is forced by the ECMWF analyses for the period 2006–2008. Cyclone position and radius detected in the ECMWF data are used to extrac...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014-02-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/303/2014/tc-8-303-2014.pdf |
| Summary: | This study investigates the impact of cyclones on the Arctic Ocean sea ice
for the first time in a statistical manner. We apply the coupled ice–ocean
model NAOSIM which is forced by the ECMWF analyses for the period 2006–2008.
Cyclone position and radius detected in the ECMWF data are used to extract
fields of wind, ice drift, and concentration from the ice–ocean model.
Composite fields around the cyclone centre are calculated for different
cyclone intensities, the four seasons, and different sub-regions of the
Arctic Ocean. In total about 3500 cyclone events are analyzed. In general,
cyclones reduce the ice concentration in the order of a few percent
increasing towards the cyclone centre. This is confirmed by independent
AMSR-E satellite data. The reduction increases with cyclone intensity and is
most pronounced in summer and on the Siberian side of the Arctic Ocean. For
the Arctic ice cover the cumulative impact of cyclones has climatologic
consequences. In winter, the cyclone-induced openings refreeze so that the
ice mass is increased. In summer, the openings remain open and the ice melt
is accelerated via the positive albedo feedback. Strong summer storms on the
Siberian side of the Arctic Ocean may have been important contributions to
the recent ice extent minima in 2007 and 2012. |
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| ISSN: | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |