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...

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Main Authors: A. Kriegsmann, B. Brümmer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2014-02-01
Series:The Cryosphere
Online Access:http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/303/2014/tc-8-303-2014.pdf
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spelling doaj-ab9b828a67134077acdaf6b1d35100912020-11-24T23:14:48ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242014-02-018130331710.5194/tc-8-303-2014Cyclone impact on sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean: a statistical studyA. Kriegsmann0B. Brümmer1Meteorological Institute, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyMeteorological Institute, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyThis 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.http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/303/2014/tc-8-303-2014.pdf
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author A. Kriegsmann
B. Brümmer
spellingShingle A. Kriegsmann
B. Brümmer
Cyclone impact on sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean: a statistical study
The Cryosphere
author_facet A. Kriegsmann
B. Brümmer
author_sort A. Kriegsmann
title Cyclone impact on sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean: a statistical study
title_short Cyclone impact on sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean: a statistical study
title_full Cyclone impact on sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean: a statistical study
title_fullStr Cyclone impact on sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean: a statistical study
title_full_unstemmed Cyclone impact on sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean: a statistical study
title_sort cyclone impact on sea ice in the central arctic ocean: a statistical study
publisher Copernicus Publications
series The Cryosphere
issn 1994-0416
1994-0424
publishDate 2014-02-01
description 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.
url http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/303/2014/tc-8-303-2014.pdf
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