Arctic Ocean sea ice cover during the penultimate glacial and the last interglacial.
Stein, Ruediger; Fahl, Kirsten; Gierz, Paul; Niessen, Frank; Lohmann, Gerrit
2017-08-29
Coinciding with global warming, Arctic sea ice has rapidly decreased during the last four decades and climate scenarios suggest that sea ice may completely disappear during summer within the next about 50-100 years. Here we produce Arctic sea ice biomarker proxy records for the penultimate glacial (Marine Isotope Stage 6) and the subsequent last interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5e). The latter is a time interval when the high latitudes were significantly warmer than today. We document that even under such warmer climate conditions, sea ice existed in the central Arctic Ocean during summer, whereas sea ice was significantly reduced along the Barents Sea continental margin influenced by Atlantic Water inflow. Our proxy reconstruction of the last interglacial sea ice cover is supported by climate simulations, although some proxy data/model inconsistencies still exist. During late Marine Isotope Stage 6, polynya-type conditions occurred off the major ice sheets along the northern Barents and East Siberian continental margins, contradicting a giant Marine Isotope Stage 6 ice shelf that covered the entire Arctic Ocean.Coinciding with global warming, Arctic sea ice has rapidly decreased during the last four decades. Here, using biomarker records, the authors show that permanent sea ice was still present in the central Arctic Ocean during the last interglacial, when high latitudes were warmer than present.
Evidence for an ice shelf covering the central Arctic Ocean during the penultimate glaciation
Jakobsson, Martin; Nilsson, Johan; Anderson, Leif G.; Backman, Jan; Bjork, Goran; Cronin, Thomas M.; Kirchner, Nina; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Mayer, Larry; Noormets, Riko; O'Regan, Matthew; Stranne, Christian; Ananiev, Roman; Macho, Natalia Barrientos; Cherniykh, Dennis; Coxall, Helen; Eriksson, Bjorn; Floden, Tom; Gemery, Laura; Gustafsson, Orjan; Jerram, Kevin; Johansson, Carina; Khortov, Alexey; Mohammad, Rezwan; Semiletov, Igor
2016-01-01
The hypothesis of a km-thick ice shelf covering the entire Arctic Ocean during peak glacial conditions was proposed nearly half a century ago. Floating ice shelves preserve few direct traces after their disappearance, making reconstructions difficult. Seafloor imprints of ice shelves should, however, exist where ice grounded along their flow paths. Here we present new evidence of ice-shelf groundings on bathymetric highs in the central Arctic Ocean, resurrecting the concept of an ice shelf extending over the entire central Arctic Ocean during at least one previous ice age. New and previously mapped glacial landforms together reveal flow of a spatially coherent, in some regions >1-km thick, central Arctic Ocean ice shelf dated to marine isotope stage 6 (~140 ka). Bathymetric highs were likely critical in the ice-shelf development by acting as pinning points where stabilizing ice rises formed, thereby providing sufficient back stress to allow ice shelf thickening.
Evidence for an ice shelf covering the central Arctic Ocean during the penultimate glaciation
Jakobsson, Martin; Nilsson, Johan; Anderson, Leif; Backman, Jan; Björk, Göran; Cronin, Thomas M.; Kirchner, Nina; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Mayer, Larry; Noormets, Riko; O'Regan, Matthew; Stranne, Christian; Ananiev, Roman; Barrientos Macho, Natalia; Cherniykh, Denis; Coxall, Helen; Eriksson, Björn; Flodén, Tom; Gemery, Laura; Gustafsson, Örjan; Jerram, Kevin; Johansson, Carina; Khortov, Alexey; Mohammad, Rezwan; Semiletov, Igor
2016-01-01
The hypothesis of a km-thick ice shelf covering the entire Arctic Ocean during peak glacial conditions was proposed nearly half a century ago. Floating ice shelves preserve few direct traces after their disappearance, making reconstructions difficult. Seafloor imprints of ice shelves should, however, exist where ice grounded along their flow paths. Here we present new evidence of ice-shelf groundings on bathymetric highs in the central Arctic Ocean, resurrecting the concept of an ice shelf extending over the entire central Arctic Ocean during at least one previous ice age. New and previously mapped glacial landforms together reveal flow of a spatially coherent, in some regions >1-km thick, central Arctic Ocean ice shelf dated to marine isotope stage 6 (∼140 ka). Bathymetric highs were likely critical in the ice-shelf development by acting as pinning points where stabilizing ice rises formed, thereby providing sufficient back stress to allow ice shelf thickening. PMID:26778247
The emergence of modern sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean.
Knies, Jochen; Cabedo-Sanz, Patricia; Belt, Simon T; Baranwal, Soma; Fietz, Susanne; Rosell-Melé, Antoni
2014-11-28
Arctic sea ice coverage is shrinking in response to global climate change and summer ice-free conditions in the Arctic Ocean are predicted by the end of the century. The validity of this prediction could potentially be tested through the reconstruction of the climate of the Pliocene epoch (5.33-2.58 million years ago), an analogue of a future warmer Earth. Here we show that, in the Eurasian sector of the Arctic Ocean, ice-free conditions prevailed in the early Pliocene until sea ice expanded from the central Arctic Ocean for the first time ca. 4 million years ago. Amplified by a rise in topography in several regions of the Arctic and enhanced freshening of the Arctic Ocean, sea ice expanded progressively in response to positive ice-albedo feedback mechanisms. Sea ice reached its modern winter maximum extension for the first time during the culmination of the Northern Hemisphere glaciation, ca. 2.6 million years ago.
Leads in Arctic pack ice enable early phytoplankton blooms below snow-covered sea ice
Assmy, Philipp; Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Duarte, Pedro; Meyer, Amelie; Randelhoff, Achim; Mundy, Christopher J.; Olsen, Lasse M.; Kauko, Hanna M.; Bailey, Allison; Chierici, Melissa; Cohen, Lana; Doulgeris, Anthony P.; Ehn, Jens K.; Fransson, Agneta; Gerland, Sebastian; Hop, Haakon; Hudson, Stephen R.; Hughes, Nick; Itkin, Polona; Johnsen, Geir; King, Jennifer A.; Koch, Boris P.; Koenig, Zoe; Kwasniewski, Slawomir; Laney, Samuel R.; Nicolaus, Marcel; Pavlov, Alexey K.; Polashenski, Christopher M.; Provost, Christine; Rösel, Anja; Sandbu, Marthe; Spreen, Gunnar; Smedsrud, Lars H.; Sundfjord, Arild; Taskjelle, Torbjørn; Tatarek, Agnieszka; Wiktor, Jozef; Wagner, Penelope M.; Wold, Anette; Steen, Harald; Granskog, Mats A.
2017-01-01
The Arctic icescape is rapidly transforming from a thicker multiyear ice cover to a thinner and largely seasonal first-year ice cover with significant consequences for Arctic primary production. One critical challenge is to understand how productivity will change within the next decades. Recent studies have reported extensive phytoplankton blooms beneath ponded sea ice during summer, indicating that satellite-based Arctic annual primary production estimates may be significantly underestimated. Here we present a unique time-series of a phytoplankton spring bloom observed beneath snow-covered Arctic pack ice. The bloom, dominated by the haptophyte algae Phaeocystis pouchetii, caused near depletion of the surface nitrate inventory and a decline in dissolved inorganic carbon by 16 ± 6 g C m−2. Ocean circulation characteristics in the area indicated that the bloom developed in situ despite the snow-covered sea ice. Leads in the dynamic ice cover provided added sunlight necessary to initiate and sustain the bloom. Phytoplankton blooms beneath snow-covered ice might become more common and widespread in the future Arctic Ocean with frequent lead formation due to thinner and more dynamic sea ice despite projected increases in high-Arctic snowfall. This could alter productivity, marine food webs and carbon sequestration in the Arctic Ocean. PMID:28102329
Evidence for ice-ocean albedo feedback in the Arctic Ocean shifting to a seasonal ice zone.
Kashiwase, Haruhiko; Ohshima, Kay I; Nihashi, Sohey; Eicken, Hajo
2017-08-15
Ice-albedo feedback due to the albedo contrast between water and ice is a major factor in seasonal sea ice retreat, and has received increasing attention with the Arctic Ocean shifting to a seasonal ice cover. However, quantitative evaluation of such feedbacks is still insufficient. Here we provide quantitative evidence that heat input through the open water fraction is the primary driver of seasonal and interannual variations in Arctic sea ice retreat. Analyses of satellite data (1979-2014) and a simplified ice-upper ocean coupled model reveal that divergent ice motion in the early melt season triggers large-scale feedback which subsequently amplifies summer sea ice anomalies. The magnitude of divergence controlling the feedback has doubled since 2000 due to a more mobile ice cover, which can partly explain the recent drastic ice reduction in the Arctic Ocean.
Retention of ice-associated amphipods: possible consequences for an ice-free Arctic Ocean.
Berge, J; Varpe, O; Moline, M A; Wold, A; Renaud, P E; Daase, M; Falk-Petersen, S
2012-12-23
Recent studies predict that the Arctic Ocean will have ice-free summers within the next 30 years. This poses a significant challenge for the marine organisms associated with the Arctic sea ice, such as marine mammals and, not least, the ice-associated crustaceans generally considered to spend their entire life on the underside of the Arctic sea ice. Based upon unique samples collected within the Arctic Ocean during the polar night, we provide a new conceptual understanding of an intimate connection between these under-ice crustaceans and the deep Arctic Ocean currents. We suggest that downwards vertical migrations, followed by polewards transport in deep ocean currents, are an adaptive trait of ice fauna that both increases survival during ice-free periods of the year and enables re-colonization of sea ice when they ascend within the Arctic Ocean. From an evolutionary perspective, this may have been an adaptation allowing success in a seasonally ice-covered Arctic. Our findings may ultimately change the perception of ice fauna as a biota imminently threatened by the predicted disappearance of perennial sea ice.
The frequency and extent of sub-ice phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic Ocean
Horvat, Christopher; Jones, David Rees; Iams, Sarah; Schroeder, David; Flocco, Daniela; Feltham, Daniel
2017-01-01
In July 2011, the observation of a massive phytoplankton bloom underneath a sea ice–covered region of the Chukchi Sea shifted the scientific consensus that regions of the Arctic Ocean covered by sea ice were inhospitable to photosynthetic life. Although the impact of widespread phytoplankton blooms under sea ice on Arctic Ocean ecology and carbon fixation is potentially marked, the prevalence of these events in the modern Arctic and in the recent past is, to date, unknown. We investigate the timing, frequency, and evolution of these events over the past 30 years. Although sea ice strongly attenuates solar radiation, it has thinned significantly over the past 30 years. The thinner summertime Arctic sea ice is increasingly covered in melt ponds, which permit more light penetration than bare or snow-covered ice. Our model results indicate that the recent thinning of Arctic sea ice is the main cause of a marked increase in the prevalence of light conditions conducive to sub-ice blooms. We find that as little as 20 years ago, the conditions required for sub-ice blooms may have been uncommon, but their frequency has increased to the point that nearly 30% of the ice-covered Arctic Ocean in July permits sub-ice blooms. Recent climate change may have markedly altered the ecology of the Arctic Ocean. PMID:28435859
The Relationship Between Arctic Sea Ice Albedo and the Geophysical Parameters of the Ice Cover
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Riihelä, A.
2015-12-01
The Arctic sea ice cover is thinning and retreating. Remote sensing observations have also shown that the mean albedo of the remaining ice cover is decreasing on decadal time scales, albeit with significant annual variability (Riihelä et al., 2013, Pistone et al., 2014). Attribution of the albedo decrease between its different drivers, such as decreasing ice concentration and enhanced surface melt of the ice, remains an important research question for the forecasting of future conditions of the ice cover. A necessary step towards this goal is understanding the relationships between Arctic sea ice albedo and the geophysical parameters of the ice cover. Particularly the question of the relationship between sea ice albedo and ice age is both interesting and not widely studied. The recent changes in the Arctic sea ice zone have led to a substantial decrease of its multi-year sea ice, as old ice melts and is replaced by first-year ice during the next freezing season. It is generally known that younger sea ice tends to have a lower albedo than older ice because of several reasons, such as wetter snow cover and enhanced melt ponding. However, the quantitative correlation between sea ice age and sea ice albedo has not been extensively studied to date, excepting in-situ measurement based studies which are, by necessity, focused on a limited area of the Arctic Ocean (Perovich and Polashenski, 2012).In this study, I analyze the dependencies of Arctic sea ice albedo relative to the geophysical parameters of the ice field. I use remote sensing datasets such as the CM SAF CLARA-A1 (Karlsson et al., 2013) and the NASA MeaSUREs (Anderson et al., 2014) as data sources for the analysis. The studied period is 1982-2009. The datasets are spatiotemporally collocated and analysed. The changes in sea ice albedo as a function of sea ice age are presented for the whole Arctic Ocean and for potentially interesting marginal sea cases. This allows us to see if the the albedo of the older sea
One hundred years of Arctic ice cover variations as simulated by a one-dimensional, ice-ocean model
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hakkinen, S.; Mellor, G. L.
1990-09-01
A one-dimensional ice-ocean model consisting of a second moment, turbulent closure, mixed layer model and a three-layer snow-ice model has been applied to the simulation of Arctic ice mass and mixed layer properties. The results for the climatological seasonal cycle are discussed first and include the salt and heat balance in the upper ocean. The coupled model is then applied to the period 1880-1985, using the surface air temperature fluctuations from Hansen et al. (1983) and from Wigley et al. (1981). The analysis of the simulated large variations of the Arctic ice mass during this period (with similar changes in the mixed layer salinity) shows that the variability in the summer melt determines to a high degree the variability in the average ice thickness. The annual oceanic heat flux from the deep ocean and the maximum freezing rate and associated nearly constant minimum surface salinity flux did not vary significantly interannually. This also implies that the oceanic influence on the Arctic ice mass is minimal for the range of atmospheric variability tested.
[Spectral features analysis of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean].
Ke, Chang-qing; Xie, Hong-jie; Lei, Rui-bo; Li, Qun; Sun, Bo
2012-04-01
Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean plays an important role in the global climate change, and its quick change and impact are the scientists' focus all over the world. The spectra of different kinds of sea ice were measured with portable ASD FieldSpec 3 spectrometer during the long-term ice station of the 4th Chinese national Arctic Expedition in 2010, and the spectral features were analyzed systematically. The results indicated that the reflectance of sea ice covered by snow is the highest one, naked sea ice the second, and melted sea ice the lowest. Peak and valley characteristics of spectrum curves of sea ice covered by thick snow, thin snow, wet snow and snow crystal are very significant, and the reflectance basically decreases with the wavelength increasing. The rules of reflectance change with wavelength of natural sea ice, white ice and blue ice are basically same, the reflectance of them is medium, and that of grey ice is far lower than natural sea ice, white ice and blue ice. It is very significant for scientific research to analyze the spectral features of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and to implement the quantitative remote sensing of sea ice, and to further analyze its response to the global warming.
Implications of fractured Arctic perennial ice cover on thermodynamic and dynamic sea ice processes
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Asplin, Matthew G.; Scharien, Randall; Else, Brent; Howell, Stephen; Barber, David G.; Papakyriakou, Tim; Prinsenberg, Simon
2014-04-01
Decline of the Arctic summer minimum sea ice extent is characterized by large expanses of open water in the Siberian, Laptev, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas, and introduces large fetch distances in the Arctic Ocean. Long waves can propagate deep into the pack ice, thereby causing flexural swell and failure of the sea ice. This process shifts the floe size diameter distribution smaller, increases floe surface area, and thereby affects sea ice dynamic and thermodynamic processes. The results of Radarsat-2 imagery analysis show that a flexural fracture event which occurred in the Beaufort Sea region on 6 September 2009 affected ˜40,000 km2. Open water fractional area in the area affected initially decreased from 3.7% to 2.7%, but later increased to ˜20% following wind-forced divergence of the ice pack. Energy available for lateral melting was assessed by estimating the change in energy entrainment from longwave and shortwave radiation in the mixed-layer of the ocean following flexural fracture. 11.54 MJ m-2 of additional energy for lateral melting of ice floes was identified in affected areas. The impact of this process in future Arctic sea ice melt seasons was assessed using estimations of earlier occurrences of fracture during the melt season, and is discussed in context with ocean heat fluxes, atmospheric mixing of the ocean mixed layer, and declining sea ice cover. We conclude that this process is an important positive feedback to Arctic sea ice loss, and timing of initiation is critical in how it affects sea ice thermodynamic and dynamic processes.
Assessing, understanding, and conveying the state of the Arctic sea ice cover
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Perovich, D. K.; Richter-Menge, J. A.; Rigor, I.; Parkinson, C. L.; Weatherly, J. W.; Nghiem, S. V.; Proshutinsky, A.; Overland, J. E.
2003-12-01
Recent studies indicate that the Arctic sea ice cover is undergoing significant climate-induced changes, affecting both its extent and thickness. Satellite-derived estimates of Arctic sea ice extent suggest a reduction of about 3% per decade since 1978. Ice thickness data from submarines suggest a net thinning of the sea ice cover since 1958. Changes (including oscillatory changes) in atmospheric circulation and the thermohaline properties of the upper ocean have also been observed. These changes impact not only the Arctic, but the global climate system and are likely accelerated by such processes as the ice-albedo feedback. It is important to continue and expand long-term observations of these changes to (a) improve the fundamental understanding of the role of the sea ice cover in the global climate system and (b) use the changes in the sea ice cover as an early indicator of climate change. This is a formidable task that spans a range of temporal and spatial scales. Fortunately, there are numerous tools that can be brought to bear on this task, including satellite remote sensing, autonomous buoys, ocean moorings, field campaigns and numerical models. We suggest the integrated and coordinated use of these tools during the International Polar Year to monitor the state of the Arctic sea ice cover and investigate its governing processes. For example, satellite remote sensing provides the large-scale snapshots of such basic parameters as ice distribution, melt zone, and cloud fraction at intervals of half a day to a week. Buoys and moorings can contribute high temporal resolution and can measure parameters currently unavailable from space including ice thickness, internal ice temperature, and ocean temperature and salinity. Field campaigns can be used to explore, in detail, the processes that govern the ice cover. Numerical models can be used to assess the character of the changes in the ice cover and predict their impacts on the rest of the climate system. This work
Loss of sea ice in the Arctic.
Perovich, Donald K; Richter-Menge, Jacqueline A
2009-01-01
The Arctic sea ice cover is in decline. The areal extent of the ice cover has been decreasing for the past few decades at an accelerating rate. Evidence also points to a decrease in sea ice thickness and a reduction in the amount of thicker perennial sea ice. A general global warming trend has made the ice cover more vulnerable to natural fluctuations in atmospheric and oceanic forcing. The observed reduction in Arctic sea ice is a consequence of both thermodynamic and dynamic processes, including such factors as preconditioning of the ice cover, overall warming trends, changes in cloud coverage, shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns, increased export of older ice out of the Arctic, advection of ocean heat from the Pacific and North Atlantic, enhanced solar heating of the ocean, and the ice-albedo feedback. The diminishing Arctic sea ice is creating social, political, economic, and ecological challenges.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.; Zukor, Dorothy J. (Technical Monitor)
2000-01-01
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the Earth's four major oceans, covering 14x10(exp 6) sq km located entirely within the Arctic Circle (66 deg 33 min N). It is a major player in the climate of the north polar region and has a variable sea ice cover that tends to increase its sensitivity to climate change. Its temperature, salinity, and ice cover have all undergone changes in the past several decades, although it is uncertain whether these predominantly reflect long-term trends, oscillations within the system, or natural variability. Major changes include a warming and expansion of the Atlantic layer, at depths of 200-900 m, a warming of the upper ocean in the Beaufort Sea, a considerable thinning (perhaps as high as 40%) of the sea ice cover, a lesser and uneven retreat of the ice cover (averaging approximately 3% per decade), and a mixed pattern of salinity increases and decreases.
The Rapidly Diminishing Arctic ice Cover and its Potential Impact on Navy Operational Considerations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Muench, R. D.; Conlon, D.; Lamb, D.
2001-12-01
Observations made from U.S. Navy Fleet submarines during the 1990s have revealed a dramatic decrease in thickness, when compared to historical values, of the central Arctic Ocean pack ice cover. Estimates of this decrease have been as high as 40%. Remote sensing observations have shown a coincident decrease in the areal extent of the pack. The areal decrease has been especially apparent during winter. The overall loss of ice appears to have accelerated over the past decade, raising the possibility that the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route may become seasonally navigable on a regular basis in the coming decade. The ice loss has been most evident in the peripheral seas and continental shelf areas. For example, during winter 2000-2001 the Bering Sea was effectively ice-free, with strong and immediate impacts on the surrounding indigenous populations. Lessening of the peripheral pack ice cover will presumably, lead to accelerated development of the resource-rich regions that surround the deep, central Arctic Ocean basin. This raises potential issues with respect to national security and commercial interests, and has implicit strategic concerns for the Navy. The timeline for a significantly navigable Arctic may extend decades into the future; however, operational requirements must be identified in the nearer term to ensure that the necessary capabilities exist when future Arctic missions do present themselves. A first step is to improve the understanding of the coupled atmosphere/ice/ocean system. Current environmental measurement and prediction, including Arctic weather and ice prediction, shallow water acoustic performance prediction, dynamic ocean environmental changes and data to support navigation is inadequate to support sustained naval operations in the Arctic. A new focus on data collection is required in order to measure, map, monitor and model Arctic weather, ice and oceanographic conditions.
A Changing Arctic Sea Ice Cover and the Partitioning of Solar Radiation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Perovich, D. K.; Light, B.; Polashenski, C.; Nghiem, S. V.
2010-12-01
Certain recent changes in the Arctic sea ice cover are well established. There has been a reduction in sea ice extent, an overall thinning of the ice cover, reduced prevalence of perennial ice with accompanying increases in seasonal ice, and a lengthening of the summer melt season. Here we explore the effects of these changes on the partitioning of solar energy between reflection to the atmosphere, absorption within the ice, and transmission to the ocean. The physical changes in the ice cover result in less light reflected and more light absorbed in the ice and transmitted to the ocean. These changes directly affect the heat and mass balance of the ice as well as the amount of light available for photosynthesis within and beneath the ice cover. The central driver is that seasonal ice covers tend to have lower albedo than perennial ice throughout the melt season, permitting more light to penetrate into the ice and ocean. The enhanced light penetration increases the amount of internal melting of the ice and the heat content of the upper ocean. The physical changes in the ice cover mentioned above have affected both the amount and the timing of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmitted into the ice and ocean, increasing transmitted PAR, particularly in the spring. A comparison of the partitioning of solar irradiance and PAR for both historical and recent ice conditions will be presented.
Impacts of ocean albedo alteration on Arctic sea ice restoration and Northern Hemisphere climate
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Cvijanovic, Ivana; Caldeira, Ken; MacMartin, Douglas G.
The Arctic Ocean is expected to transition into a seasonally ice-free state by mid-century, enhancing Arctic warming and leading to substantial ecological and socio-economic challenges across the Arctic region. It has been proposed that artificially increasing high latitude ocean albedo could restore sea ice, but the climate impacts of such a strategy have not been previously explored. Motivated by this, we investigate the impacts of idealized high latitude ocean albedo changes on Arctic sea ice restoration and climate. In our simulated 4xCO₂ climate, imposing surface albedo alterations over the Arctic Ocean leads to partial sea ice recovery and a modestmore » reduction in Arctic warming. With the most extreme ocean albedo changes, imposed over the area 70°–90°N, September sea ice cover stabilizes at ~40% of its preindustrial value (compared to ~3% without imposed albedo modifications). This is accompanied by an annual mean Arctic surface temperature decrease of ~2 °C but no substantial global mean temperature decrease. Imposed albedo changes and sea ice recovery alter climate outside the Arctic region too, affecting precipitation distribution over parts of the continental United States and Northeastern Pacific. For example, following sea ice recovery, wetter and milder winter conditions are present in the Southwest United States while the East Coast experiences cooling. We conclude that although ocean albedo alteration could lead to some sea ice recovery, it does not appear to be an effective way of offsetting the overall effects of CO₂ induced global warming.« less
Impacts of ocean albedo alteration on Arctic sea ice restoration and Northern Hemisphere climate
Cvijanovic, Ivana; Caldeira, Ken; MacMartin, Douglas G.
2015-04-01
The Arctic Ocean is expected to transition into a seasonally ice-free state by mid-century, enhancing Arctic warming and leading to substantial ecological and socio-economic challenges across the Arctic region. It has been proposed that artificially increasing high latitude ocean albedo could restore sea ice, but the climate impacts of such a strategy have not been previously explored. Motivated by this, we investigate the impacts of idealized high latitude ocean albedo changes on Arctic sea ice restoration and climate. In our simulated 4xCO₂ climate, imposing surface albedo alterations over the Arctic Ocean leads to partial sea ice recovery and a modestmore » reduction in Arctic warming. With the most extreme ocean albedo changes, imposed over the area 70°–90°N, September sea ice cover stabilizes at ~40% of its preindustrial value (compared to ~3% without imposed albedo modifications). This is accompanied by an annual mean Arctic surface temperature decrease of ~2 °C but no substantial global mean temperature decrease. Imposed albedo changes and sea ice recovery alter climate outside the Arctic region too, affecting precipitation distribution over parts of the continental United States and Northeastern Pacific. For example, following sea ice recovery, wetter and milder winter conditions are present in the Southwest United States while the East Coast experiences cooling. We conclude that although ocean albedo alteration could lead to some sea ice recovery, it does not appear to be an effective way of offsetting the overall effects of CO₂ induced global warming.« less
Research Spotlight: No tipping point for Arctic Ocean ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schultz, Colin
2011-03-01
Declines in the summer sea ice extent have led to concerns within the scientific community that the Arctic Ocean may be nearing a tipping point, beyond which the sea ice cap could not recover. In such a scenario, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap outgoing radiation, and as the Sun beats down 24 hours a day during the Arctic summer, temperatures rise and melt what remains of the polar sea ice cap. The Arctic Ocean, now less reflective, would absorb more of the Sun’s warmth, a feedback loop that would keep the ocean ice free. However, new research by Tietsche et al. suggests that even if the Arctic Ocean sees an ice-free summer, it would not lead to catastrophic runaway ice melt. The researchers, using a general circulation model of the global ocean and the atmosphere, found that Arctic sea ice recovers within 2 years of an imposed ice-free summer to the conditions dictated by general climate conditions during that time. Furthermore, they found that this quick recovery occurs whether the ice-free summer is triggered in 2000 or in 2060, when global temperatures are predicted to be 2°C warmer. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL045698, 2011)
The Effect of Seasonal Variability of Atlantic Water on the Arctic Sea Ice Cover
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ivanov, V. V.; Repina, I. A.
2018-01-01
Under the influence of global warming, the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean (AO) is expected to reduce with a transition toward a seasonal ice cover by the end of this century. A comparison of climate-model predictions with measurements shows that the actual rate of ice cover decay in the AO is higher than the predicted one. This paper argues that the rapid shrinking of the Arctic summer ice cover is due to its increased seasonality, while seasonal oscillations of the Atlantic origin water temperature create favorable conditions for the formation of negative anomalies in the ice-cover area in winter. The basis for this hypothesis is the fundamental possibility of the activation of positive feedback provided by a specific feature of the seasonal cycle of the inflowing Atlantic origin water and the peaking of temperature in the Nansen Basin in midwinter. The recently accelerated reduction in the summer ice cover in the AO leads to an increased accumulation of heat in the upper ocean layer during the summer season. The extra heat content of the upper ocean layer favors prerequisite conditions for winter thermohaline convection and the transfer of heat from the Atlantic water (AW) layer to the ice cover. This, in turn, contributes to further ice thinning and a decrease in ice concentration, accelerated melting in summer, and a greater accumulation of heat in the ocean by the end of the following summer. An important role is played by the seasonal variability of the temperature of AW, which forms on the border between the North European and Arctic basins. The phase of seasonal oscillation changes while the AW is moving through the Nansen Basin. As a result, the timing of temperature peak shifts from summer to winter, additionally contributing to enhanced ice melting in winter. The formulated theoretical concept is substantiated by a simplified mathematical model and comparison with observations.
Extensive under-ice turbulence microstructure measurements in the central Arctic Ocean in 2015
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rabe, Benjamin; Janout, Markus; Graupner, Rainer; Hoelemann, Jens; Hampe, Hendrik; Hoppmann, Mario; Horn, Myriel; Juhls, Bennet; Korhonen, Meri; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Pisarev, Sergey; Randelhoff, Achim; Savy, John-Philippe; Villacieros, Nicolas
2016-04-01
The Arctic Ocean is a strongly stratified low-energy environment, where tides are weak and the upper ocean is protected by an ice cover during much of the year. Interior mixing processes are dominated by double diffusion. The upper Arctic Ocean features a cold surface mixed layer, which, separated by a sharp halocline, protects the sea ice from the warmer underlying Atlantic- and Pacific-derived water masses. These water masses carry nutrients that are important for the Arctic ecosystem. Hence vertical fluxes of heat, salt, and nutrients are crucial components in understanding the Arctic ecosystem. Yet, direct flux measurements are difficult to obtain and hence sparse. In 2015, two multidisciplinary R/V Polarstern expeditions to the Arctic Ocean resulted in a series of under-ice turbulence microstructure measurements. These cover different locations across the Eurasian and Makarov Basins, during the melt season in spring and early summer as well as during freeze-up in late summer. Sampling was carried out from ice floes with repeated profiles resulting in 4-24 hour-long time series. 2015 featured anomalously warm atmospheric conditions during summer followed by unusually low temperatures in September. Our measurements show elevated dissipation rates at the base of the mixed layer throughout all stations, with significantly higher levels above the Eurasian continental slope when compared with the Arctic Basin. Additional peaks were found between the mixed layer and the halocline, in particular at stations where Pacific Summer water was present. This contribution provides first flux estimates and presents first conclusions regarding the impact of atmospheric and sea ice conditions on vertical mixing in 2015.
The Arctic's sea ice cover: trends, variability, predictability, and comparisons to the Antarctic.
Serreze, Mark C; Meier, Walter N
2018-05-28
As assessed over the period of satellite observations, October 1978 to present, there are downward linear trends in Arctic sea ice extent for all months, largest at the end of the melt season in September. The ice cover is also thinning. Downward trends in extent and thickness have been accompanied by pronounced interannual and multiyear variability, forced by both the atmosphere and ocean. As the ice thins, its response to atmospheric and oceanic forcing may be changing. In support of a busier Arctic, there is a growing need to predict ice conditions on a variety of time and space scales. A major challenge to providing seasonal scale predictions is the 7-10 days limit of numerical weather prediction. While a seasonally ice-free Arctic Ocean is likely well within this century, there is much uncertainty in the timing. This reflects differences in climate model structure, the unknown evolution of anthropogenic forcing, and natural climate variability. In sharp contrast to the Arctic, Antarctic sea ice extent, while highly variable, has increased slightly over the period of satellite observations. The reasons for this different behavior remain to be resolved, but responses to changing atmospheric circulation patterns appear to play a strong role. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.
The Arctic sea ice cover of 2016: a year of record-low highs and higher-than-expected lows
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Petty, Alek A.; Stroeve, Julienne C.; Holland, Paul R.; Boisvert, Linette N.; Bliss, Angela C.; Kimura, Noriaki; Meier, Walter N.
2018-02-01
The Arctic sea ice cover of 2016 was highly noteworthy, as it featured record low monthly sea ice extents at the start of the year but a summer (September) extent that was higher than expected by most seasonal forecasts. Here we explore the 2016 Arctic sea ice state in terms of its monthly sea ice cover, placing this in the context of the sea ice conditions observed since 2000. We demonstrate the sensitivity of monthly Arctic sea ice extent and area estimates, in terms of their magnitude and annual rankings, to the ice concentration input data (using two widely used datasets) and to the averaging methodology used to convert concentration to extent (daily or monthly extent calculations). We use estimates of sea ice area over sea ice extent to analyse the relative "compactness" of the Arctic sea ice cover, highlighting anomalously low compactness in the summer of 2016 which contributed to the higher-than-expected September ice extent. Two cyclones that entered the Arctic Ocean during August appear to have driven this low-concentration/compactness ice cover but were not sufficient to cause more widespread melt-out and a new record-low September ice extent. We use concentration budgets to explore the regions and processes (thermodynamics/dynamics) contributing to the monthly 2016 extent/area estimates highlighting, amongst other things, rapid ice intensification across the central eastern Arctic through September. Two different products show significant early melt onset across the Arctic Ocean in 2016, including record-early melt onset in the North Atlantic sector of the Arctic. Our results also show record-late 2016 freeze-up in the central Arctic, North Atlantic and the Alaskan Arctic sector in particular, associated with strong sea surface temperature anomalies that appeared shortly after the 2016 minimum (October onwards). We explore the implications of this low summer ice compactness for seasonal forecasting, suggesting that sea ice area could be a more reliable
Modeling seasonality of ice and ocean carbon production in the Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jin, M.; Deal, C. M.; Ji, R.
2011-12-01
In the Arctic Ocean, both phytoplankton and sea ice algae are important contributors to the primary production and the arctic food web. Copepod in the arctic regions have developed their feeding habit depending on the timing between the ice algal bloom and the subsequent phytoplankton bloom. A mismatch of the timing due to climate changes could have dramatic consequences on the food web as shown by some regional observations. In this study, a global coupled ice-ocean-ecosystem model was used to assess the seasonality of the ice algal and phytoplankton blooms in the arctic. The ice-ocean ecosystem modules are fully coupled in the physical model POP-CICE (Parallel Ocean Program- Los Alamos Sea Ice Model). The model results are compared with various observations. The modeled ice and ocean carbon production were analyzed by regions and their linkage to the physical environment changes (such as changes of ice concentration and water temperature, and light intensity etc.) between low- and high-ice years.
Influences of Ocean Thermohaline Stratification on Arctic Sea Ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Toole, J. M.; Timmermans, M.-L.; Perovich, D. K.; Krishfield, R. A.; Proshutinsky, A.; Richter-Menge, J. A.
2009-04-01
The Arctic Ocean's surface mixed layer constitutes the dynamical and thermodynamical link between the sea ice and the underlying waters. Wind stress, acting directly on the surface mixed layer or via wind-forced ice motion, produce surface currents that can in turn drive deep ocean flow. Mixed layer temperature is intimately related to basal sea ice growth and melting. Heat fluxes into or out of the surface mixed layer can occur at both its upper and lower interfaces: the former via air-sea exchange at leads and conduction through the ice, the latter via turbulent mixing and entrainment at the layer base. Variations in Arctic Ocean mixed layer properties are documented based on more than 16,000 temperature and salinity profiles acquired by Ice-Tethered Profilers since summer 2004 and analyzed in conjunction with sea ice observations from Ice Mass Balance Buoys and atmospheric heat flux estimates. Guidance interpreting the observations is provided by a one-dimensional ocean mixed layer model. The study focuses attention on the very strong density stratification about the mixed layer base in the Arctic that, in regions of sea ice melting, is increasing with time. The intense stratification greatly impedes mixed layer deepening by vertical convection and shear mixing, and thus limits the flux of deep ocean heat to the surface that could influence sea ice growth/decay. Consistent with previous work, this study demonstrates that the Arctic sea ice is most sensitive to changes in ocean mixed layer heat resulting from fluxes across its upper (air-sea and/or ice-water) interface.
Evidence for ice-free summers in the late Miocene central Arctic Ocean
Stein, Ruediger; Fahl, Kirsten; Schreck, Michael; Knorr, Gregor; Niessen, Frank; Forwick, Matthias; Gebhardt, Catalina; Jensen, Laura; Kaminski, Michael; Kopf, Achim; Matthiessen, Jens; Jokat, Wilfried; Lohmann, Gerrit
2016-01-01
Although the permanently to seasonally ice-covered Arctic Ocean is a unique and sensitive component in the Earth's climate system, the knowledge of its long-term climate history remains very limited due to the restricted number of pre-Quaternary sedimentary records. During Polarstern Expedition PS87/2014, we discovered multiple submarine landslides along Lomonosov Ridge. Removal of younger sediments from steep headwalls has led to exhumation of Miocene sediments close to the seafloor. Here we document the presence of IP25 as a proxy for spring sea-ice cover and alkenone-based summer sea-surface temperatures >4 °C that support a seasonal sea-ice cover with an ice-free summer season being predominant during the late Miocene in the central Arctic Ocean. A comparison of our proxy data with Miocene climate simulations seems to favour either relatively high late Miocene atmospheric CO2 concentrations and/or a weak sensitivity of the model to simulate the magnitude of high-latitude warming in a warmer than modern climate. PMID:27041737
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Eicken, H.; Lovecraft, A. L.
2012-12-01
A thinner, less extensive and more mobile summer sea-ice cover is a major element and driver of Arctic Ocean change. Declining summer sea ice presents Arctic stakeholders with substantial challenges and opportunities from the perspective of sustainable ocean use and derivation of sea-ice or ecosystem services. Sea-ice use by people and wildlife as well as its role as a major environmental hazard focuses the interests and concerns of indigenous hunters and Arctic coastal communities, resource managers and the maritime industry. In particular, rapid sea-ice change and intensifying offshore industrial activities have raised fundamental questions as to how best to plan for and manage multiple and increasingly overlapping ocean and sea ice uses. The western North American Arctic - a region that has seen some of the greatest changes in ice and ocean conditions in the past three decades anywhere in the North - is the focus of our study. Specifically, we examine the important role that relevant and actionable sea-ice information can play in allowing stakeholders to evaluate risks and reconcile overlapping and potentially competing interests. Our work in coastal Alaska suggests that important prerequisites to address such challenges are common values, complementary bodies of expertise (e.g., local or indigenous knowledge, engineering expertise, environmental science) and a forum for the implementation and evaluation of a sea-ice data and information framework. Alongside the International Polar Year 2007-08 and an associated boost in Arctic Ocean observation programs and platforms, there has been a movement towards new governance bodies that have these qualities and can play a central role in guiding the design and optimization of Arctic observing systems. To help further the development of such forums an evaluation of the density and spatial distribution of institutions, i.e., rule sets that govern ocean use, as well as the use of scenario planning and analysis can serve as
Towards an Ice-Free Arctic Ocean in Summertime
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gascard, Jean Claude
2014-05-01
Dividing the Arctic Ocean in two parts, the so-called Atlantic versus the Pacific sector, two distinct modes of variability appear for characterizing the Arctic sea-ice extent from 70°N up to 80°N in both sectors. The Atlantic sector seasonal sea-ice extent is characterized by a longer time scale than the Pacific sector with a break up melting season starting in May and reaching a peak in June-July, one month earlier than the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean revealing a faster time evolution and a larger spatial amplitude than the Atlantic sector. During recent years like 2007, sea-ice extent with sea-ice concentration above 15% retreated from 4 millions km2 to about 1 million km2 in the Arctic Pacific sector between 70° and 80°N except for 2012 when most of sea-ice melted away in this region. That explained most of the differences between the two extreme years 2007 and 2012. In the Atlantic sector, Arctic sea-ice retreated from 2 millions km2 to nearly 0 during recent years including 2007 and 2012. The Atlantic inflow North of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land is more likely responsible for a northward retreat of the ice edge in that region. The important factor is not only that the Arctic summer sea-ice minimum extent decreased by 3 or 4 millions km2 over the past 10 years but also that the melting period was steadily increasing by one to two days every year during that period. An important factor concerns the strength of the freezing that can be quantified in terms of Freezing Degree Days FDD accumulated during the winter-spring season and the strength of the melting (MDD) that can be accumulated during the summer season. FDD and MDD have been calculated for the past 30 years all over the Arctic Ocean using ERA Interim Reanalysis surface temperature at 2m height in the atmosphere. It is clear that FDD decreased significantly by more than 2000 FDD between 1980 and 2012 which is equivalent to the sensible heat flux corresponding to more than a meter of sea-ice
Determination of a Critical Sea Ice Thickness Threshold for the Central Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ford, V.; Frauenfeld, O. W.; Nowotarski, C. J.
2017-12-01
While sea ice extent is readily measurable from satellite observations and can be used to assess the overall survivability of the Arctic sea ice pack, determining the spatial variability of sea ice thickness remains a challenge. Turbulent and conductive heat fluxes are extremely sensitive to ice thickness but are dominated by the sensible heat flux, with energy exchange expected to increase with thinner ice cover. Fluxes over open water are strongest and have the greatest influence on the atmosphere, while fluxes over thick sea ice are minimal as heat conduction from the ocean through thick ice cannot reach the atmosphere. We know that turbulent energy fluxes are strongest over open ocean, but is there a "critical thickness of ice" where fluxes are considered non-negligible? Through polar-optimized Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations, this study assesses how the wintertime Arctic surface boundary layer, via sensible heat flux exchange and surface air temperature, responds to sea ice thinning. The region immediately north of Franz Josef Land is characterized by a thickness gradient where sea ice transitions from the thickest multi-year ice to the very thin marginal ice seas. This provides an ideal location to simulate how the diminishing Arctic sea ice interacts with a warming atmosphere. Scenarios include both fixed sea surface temperature domains for idealized thickness variability, and fixed ice fields to detect changes in the ocean-ice-atmosphere energy exchange. Results indicate that a critical thickness threshold exists below 1 meter. The threshold is between 0.4-1 meters thinner than the critical thickness for melt season survival - the difference between first year and multi-year ice. Turbulent heat fluxes and surface air temperature increase as sea ice thickness transitions from perennial ice to seasonal ice. While models predict a sea ice free Arctic at the end of the warm season in future decades, sea ice will continue to transform
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kurtz, N. T.; Markus, T.; Farrell, S. L.; Worthen, D. L.; Boisvert, L. N.
2011-01-01
Using recently developed techniques we estimate snow and sea ice thickness distributions for the Arctic basin through the combination of freeboard data from the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and a snow depth model. These data are used with meteorological data and a thermodynamic sea ice model to calculate ocean-atmosphere heat exchange and ice volume production during the 2003-2008 fall and winter seasons. The calculated heat fluxes and ice growth rates are in agreement with previous observations over multiyear ice. In this study, we calculate heat fluxes and ice growth rates for the full distribution of ice thicknesses covering the Arctic basin and determine the impact of ice thickness change on the calculated values. Thinning of the sea ice is observed which greatly increases the 2005-2007 fall period ocean-atmosphere heat fluxes compared to those observed in 2003. Although there was also a decline in sea ice thickness for the winter periods, the winter time heat flux was found to be less impacted by the observed changes in ice thickness. A large increase in the net Arctic ocean-atmosphere heat output is also observed in the fall periods due to changes in the areal coverage of sea ice. The anomalously low sea ice coverage in 2007 led to a net ocean-atmosphere heat output approximately 3 times greater than was observed in previous years and suggests that sea ice losses are now playing a role in increasing surface air temperatures in the Arctic.
Variability and trends in the Arctic Sea ice cover: Results from different techniques
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Comiso, Josefino C.; Meier, Walter N.; Gersten, Robert
2017-08-01
Variability and trend studies of sea ice in the Arctic have been conducted using products derived from the same raw passive microwave data but by different groups using different algorithms. This study provides consistency assessment of four of the leading products, namely, Goddard Bootstrap (SB2), Goddard NASA Team (NT1), EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI-SAF 1.2), and Hadley HadISST 2.2 data in evaluating variability and trends in the Arctic sea ice cover. All four provide generally similar ice patterns but significant disagreements in ice concentration distributions especially in the marginal ice zone and adjacent regions in winter and meltponded areas in summer. The discrepancies are primarily due to different ways the four techniques account for occurrences of new ice and meltponding. However, results show that the different products generally provide consistent and similar representation of the state of the Arctic sea ice cover. Hadley and NT1 data usually provide the highest and lowest monthly ice extents, respectively. The Hadley data also show the lowest trends in ice extent and ice area at -3.88%/decade and -4.37%/decade, respectively, compared to an average of -4.36%/decade and -4.57%/decade for all four. Trend maps also show similar spatial distribution for all four with the largest negative trends occurring at the Kara/Barents Sea and Beaufort Sea regions, where sea ice has been retreating the fastest. The good agreement of the trends especially with updated data provides strong confidence in the quantification of the rate of decline in the Arctic sea ice cover.
Integrating Observations and Models to Better Understand a Changing Arctic Sea Ice Cover
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stroeve, J. C.
2017-12-01
TThe loss of the Arctic sea ice cover has captured the world's attention. While much attention has been paid to the summer ice loss, changes are not limited to summer. The last few winters have seen record low sea ice extents, with 2017 marking the 3rdyear in a row with a new record low for the winter maximum extent. More surprising is the number of consecutive months between January 2016 through April 2017 with ice extent anomalies more than 2 standard deviations below the 1981-2010 mean. Additionally, October 2016 through April 2017 saw 7 consecutive months with record low extents, something that had not happened before in the last 4 decades of satellite observations. As larger parts of the Arctic Ocean become ice-free in summer, regional seas gradually transition from a perennial to a seasonal ice cover. The Barents Sea is already only seasonally ice covered, whereas the Kara Sea has recently lost most of its summer ice and is thereby starting to become a seasonally ice covered region. These changes serve as harbinger for what's to come for other Arctic seas. Given the rapid pace of change, there is an urgent need to improve our understanding of the drivers behind Arctic sea ice loss, the implications of this ice loss and to predict future changes to better inform policy makers. Climate models play a fundamental role in helping us synthesize the complex elements of the Arctic sea ice system yet generally fail to simulate key features of the sea ice system and the pace of sea ice loss. Nevertheless, modeling advances continue to provide better means of diagnosing sea ice change, and new insights are likely to be gained with model output from the 6th phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The CMIP6 Sea-Ice Model Intercomparison Project (SIMIP) aim is to better understand biases and errors in sea ice simulations so that we can improve our understanding of the likely future evolution of the sea ice cover and its impacts on global climate. To
Arctic multiyear ice classification and summer ice cover using passive microwave satellite data
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, J. C.
1990-01-01
Passive microwave data collected by Nimbus 7 were used to classify and monitor the Arctic multilayer sea ice cover. Sea ice concentration maps during several summer minima are analyzed to obtain estimates of ice floes that survived summer, and the results are compared with multiyear-ice concentrations derived from these data by using an algorithm that assumes a certain emissivity for multiyear ice. The multiyear ice cover inferred from the winter data was found to be about 25 to 40 percent less than the summer ice-cover minimum, indicating that the multiyear ice cover in winter is inadequately represented by the passive microwave winter data and that a significant fraction of the Arctic multiyear ice floes exhibits a first-year ice signature.
Variability and Trends in the Arctic Sea Ice Cover: Results from Different Techniques
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, Josefino C.; Meier, Walter N.; Gersten, Robert
2017-01-01
Variability and trend studies of sea ice in the Arctic have been conducted using products derived from the same raw passive microwave data but by different groups using different algorithms. This study provides consistency assessment of four of the leading products, namely, Goddard Bootstrap (SB2), Goddard NASA Team (NT1), EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI-SAF 1.2), and Hadley HadISST 2.2 data in evaluating variability and trends in the Arctic sea ice cover. All four provide generally similar ice patterns but significant disagreements in ice concentration distributions especially in the marginal ice zone and adjacent regions in winter and meltponded areas in summer. The discrepancies are primarily due to different ways the four techniques account for occurrences of new ice and meltponding. However, results show that the different products generally provide consistent and similar representation of the state of the Arctic sea ice cover. Hadley and NT1 data usually provide the highest and lowest monthly ice extents, respectively. The Hadley data also show the lowest trends in ice extent and ice area at negative 3.88 percent decade and negative 4.37 percent decade, respectively, compared to an average of negative 4.36 percent decade and negative 4.57 percent decade for all four. Trend maps also show similar spatial distribution for all four with the largest negative trends occurring at the Kara/Barents Sea and Beaufort Sea regions, where sea ice has been retreating the fastest. The good agreement of the trends especially with updated data provides strong confidence in the quantification of the rate of decline in the Arctic sea ice cover.
Atmospheric moisture transport: the bridge between ocean evaporation and Arctic ice melting
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gimeno, L.; Vázquez, M.; Nieto, R.; Trigo, R. M.
2015-09-01
Changes in the atmospheric moisture transport have been proposed as a vehicle for interpreting some of the most significant changes in the Arctic region. The increasing moisture over the Arctic during the last decades is not strongly associated with the evaporation that takes place within the Arctic area itself, despite the fact that the sea ice cover is decreasing. Such an increment is consistent and is more dependent on the transport of moisture from the extratropical regions to the Arctic that has increased in recent decades and is expected to increase within a warming climate. This increase could be due either to changes in circulation patterns which have altered the moisture sources, or to changes in the intensity of the moisture sources because of enhanced evaporation, or a combination of these two mechanisms. In this short communication we focus on the more objective assessment of the strong link between ocean evaporation trends and Arctic Sea ice melting. We will critically analyse several recent results suggesting links between moisture transport and the extent of sea ice in the Arctic, this being one of the most distinct indicators of continuous climate change both in the Arctic and on a global scale. To do this we will use a sophisticated Lagrangian approach to develop a more robust framework on some of these previous disconnecting results, using new information and insights. Results reached in this study stress the connection between two climate change indicators, namely an increase in evaporation over source regions (mainly the Mediterranean Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean in the paths of the global western boundary currents and their extensions) and Arctic ice melting precursors.
Arctic multiyear ice classification and summer ice cover using passive microwave satellite data
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Comiso, J. C.
1990-08-01
The ability to classify and monitor Arctic multiyear sea ice cover using multispectral passive microwave data is studied. Sea ice concentration maps during several summer minima have been analyzed to obtain estimates of ice surviving the summer. The results are compared with multiyear ice concentrations derived from data the following winter, using an algorithm that assumes a certain emissivity for multiyear ice. The multiyear ice cover inferred from the winter data is approximately 25 to 40% less than the summer ice cover minimum, suggesting that even during winter when the emissivity of sea ice is most stable, passive microwave data may account for only a fraction of the total multiyear ice cover. The difference of about 2×106 km2 is considerably more than estimates of advection through Fram Strait during the intervening period. It appears that as in the Antarctic, some multiyear ice floes in the Arctic, especially those near the summer marginal ice zone, have first-year ice or intermediate signatures in the subsequent winter. A likely mechanism for this is the intrusion of seawater into the snow-ice interface, which often occurs near the marginal ice zone or in areas where snow load is heavy. Spatial variations in melt and melt ponding effects also contribute to the complexity of the microwave emissivity of multiyear ice. Hence the multiyear ice data should be studied in conjunction with the previous summer ice data to obtain a more complete characterization of the state of the Arctic ice cover. The total extent and actual areas of the summertime Arctic pack ice were estimated to be 8.4×106 km2 and 6.2×106 km2, respectively, and exhibit small interannual variability during the years 1979 through 1985, suggesting a relatively stable ice cover.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hakkinen, Sirpa
1993-01-01
The paper employs a fully prognostic Arctic ice-ocean model to study the interannual variability of sea ice during the period 1955-1975 and to explain the large variability of the ice extent in the Greenland and Iceland seas during the late 1960s. The model is used to test the contention of Aagaard and Carmack (1989) that the Great Salinity Anomaly (GSA) was a consequence of the anomalously large ice export in 1968. The high-latitude ice-ocean circulation changes due to wind field changes are explored. The ice export event of 1968 was the largest in the simulation, being about twice as large as the average and corresponding to 1600 cu km of excess fresh water. The simulations suggest that, besides the above average ice export to the Greenland Sea, there was also fresh water export to support the larger than average ice cover. The model results show the origin of the GSA to be in the Arctic, and support the view that the Arctic may play an active role in climate change.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hoppmann, Mario; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; Wenzhöfer, Frank; Katlein, Christian; Scholz, Daniel
2016-04-01
The Arctic Ocean has been in the focus of many studies during recent years, investigating the state, the causes and the implications of the observed rapid transition towards a thinner and younger sea-ice cover. However, consistent observational datasets of sea ice, ocean and atmosphere are still sparse due to the limited accessibility and harsh environmental conditions. One important tool to fill this gap has become more and more feasible during recent years: autonomous, ice-tethered measurement platforms (buoys). These drifting instruments independently transmit their data via satellites, and enable observations over larger areas and over longer time periods than manned expeditions, even throughout the winter. One aim of the newly established FRAM (FRontiers in Arctic marine Monitoring) infrastructure program at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute is to realize and maintain an interdisciplinary network of buoys in the Arctic Ocean, contributing to an integrated, Arctic-wide observatory. The additional buoy infrastructure, ship-time, and developments provided by FRAM are critical elements in the ongoing international effort to fill the large data gaps in a rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Our focus is the particularly underrepresented Eurasian Basin. Types of instruments range from snow depth beacons and ice mass balance buoys for monitoring ice growth and snow accumulation, over radiation and weather stations for energy budget estimates, to ice-tethered profiling systems for upper ocean monitoring. Further, development of new bio-optical and biogeochemical buoys is expected to enhance our understanding of bio-physical processes associated with Arctic sea ice. The first set of FRAM buoys was deployed in September 2015 from RV Polarstern. All datasets are publicly available on dedicated web portals. Near real time data are reported into international initiatives, such as the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP). The
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hoppmann, Mario; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; Wenzhöfer, Frank; Katlein, Christian; Scholz, Daniel; Valcic, Lovro
2017-04-01
To understand the current evolution of the Arctic Ocean towards a less extensive, thinner and younger sea ice cover is one of the biggest challenges in climate research. Especially the lack of simultaneous in-situ observations of sea ice, ocean and atmospheric properties leads to significant knowledge gaps in their complex interactions, and how the associated processes impact the polar marine ecosystem. Here we present a concept for the implementation of a long-term strategy to monitor the most essential climate- and ecosystem parameters in the central Arctic Ocean, year round and synchronously. The basis of this strategy is the development and enhancement of a number of innovative autonomous observational platforms, such as rugged weather stations, ice mass balance buoys, ice-tethered bio-optical buoys and upper ocean profilers. The deployment of those complementing platforms in a distributed network enables the simultaneous collection of physical and biogeochemical in-situ data on basin scales and year round, including the largely undersampled winter periods. A key advantage over other observatory systems is that the data is sent via satellite in near-real time, contributing to numerical weather predictions through the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and to the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP). The first instruments were installed on ice floes in the Eurasian Basin in spring 2015 and 2016, yielding exceptional records of essential climate- and ecosystem-relevant parameters in one of the most inaccessible regions of this planet. Over the next 4 years, and including the observational periods of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP, 2017-2019) and the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC, 2020), the distributed observatory will be maintained by deployment of additional instruments in the central Arctic each year, benefitting from international logistical efforts.
Effects of sea ice cover on satellite-detected primary production in the Arctic Ocean
Lee, Zhongping; Mitchell, B. Greg; Nevison, Cynthia D.
2016-01-01
The influence of decreasing Arctic sea ice on net primary production (NPP) in the Arctic Ocean has been considered in multiple publications but is not well constrained owing to the potentially large errors in satellite algorithms. In particular, the Arctic Ocean is rich in coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) that interferes in the detection of chlorophyll a concentration of the standard algorithm, which is the primary input to NPP models. We used the quasi-analytic algorithm (Lee et al. 2002 Appl. Opti. 41, 5755−5772. (doi:10.1364/AO.41.005755)) that separates absorption by phytoplankton from absorption by CDOM and detrital matter. We merged satellite data from multiple satellite sensors and created a 19 year time series (1997–2015) of NPP. During this period, both the estimated annual total and the summer monthly maximum pan-Arctic NPP increased by about 47%. Positive monthly anomalies in NPP are highly correlated with positive anomalies in open water area during the summer months. Following the earlier ice retreat, the start of the high-productivity season has become earlier, e.g. at a mean rate of −3.0 d yr−1 in the northern Barents Sea, and the length of the high-productivity period has increased from 15 days in 1998 to 62 days in 2015. While in some areas, the termination of the productive season has been extended, owing to delayed ice formation, the termination has also become earlier in other areas, likely owing to limited nutrients. PMID:27881759
Effects of sea ice cover on satellite-detected primary production in the Arctic Ocean.
Kahru, Mati; Lee, Zhongping; Mitchell, B Greg; Nevison, Cynthia D
2016-11-01
The influence of decreasing Arctic sea ice on net primary production (NPP) in the Arctic Ocean has been considered in multiple publications but is not well constrained owing to the potentially large errors in satellite algorithms. In particular, the Arctic Ocean is rich in coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) that interferes in the detection of chlorophyll a concentration of the standard algorithm, which is the primary input to NPP models. We used the quasi-analytic algorithm (Lee et al 2002 Appl. Opti. 41, 5755-5772. (doi:10.1364/AO.41.005755)) that separates absorption by phytoplankton from absorption by CDOM and detrital matter. We merged satellite data from multiple satellite sensors and created a 19 year time series (1997-2015) of NPP. During this period, both the estimated annual total and the summer monthly maximum pan-Arctic NPP increased by about 47%. Positive monthly anomalies in NPP are highly correlated with positive anomalies in open water area during the summer months. Following the earlier ice retreat, the start of the high-productivity season has become earlier, e.g. at a mean rate of -3.0 d yr -1 in the northern Barents Sea, and the length of the high-productivity period has increased from 15 days in 1998 to 62 days in 2015. While in some areas, the termination of the productive season has been extended, owing to delayed ice formation, the termination has also become earlier in other areas, likely owing to limited nutrients. © 2016 The Author(s).
Arctic ice cover, ice thickness and tipping points.
Wadhams, Peter
2012-02-01
We summarize the latest results on the rapid changes that are occurring to Arctic sea ice thickness and extent, the reasons for them, and the methods being used to monitor the changing ice thickness. Arctic sea ice extent had been shrinking at a relatively modest rate of 3-4% per decade (annually averaged) but after 1996 this speeded up to 10% per decade and in summer 2007 there was a massive collapse of ice extent to a new record minimum of only 4.1 million km(2). Thickness has been falling at a more rapid rate (43% in the 25 years from the early 1970s to late 1990s) with a specially rapid loss of mass from pressure ridges. The summer 2007 event may have arisen from an interaction between the long-term retreat and more rapid thinning rates. We review thickness monitoring techniques that show the greatest promise on different spatial and temporal scales, and for different purposes. We show results from some recent work from submarines, and speculate that the trends towards retreat and thinning will inevitably lead to an eventual loss of all ice in summer, which can be described as a 'tipping point' in that the former situation, of an Arctic covered with mainly multi-year ice, cannot be retrieved.
Nudging the Arctic Ocean to quantify Arctic sea ice feedbacks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dekker, Evelien; Severijns, Camiel; Bintanja, Richard
2017-04-01
It is well-established that the Arctic is warming 2 to 3 time faster than rest of the planet. One of the great uncertainties in climate research is related to what extent sea ice feedbacks amplify this (seasonally varying) Arctic warming. Earlier studies have analyzed existing climate model output using correlations and energy budget considerations in order to quantify sea ice feedbacks through indirect methods. From these analyses it is regularly inferred that sea ice likely plays an important role, but details remain obscure. Here we will take a different and a more direct approach: we will keep the sea ice constant in a sensitivity simulation, using a state-of -the-art climate model (EC-Earth), applying a technique that has never been attempted before. This experimental technique involves nudging the temperature and salinity of the ocean surface (and possibly some layers below to maintain the vertical structure and mixing) to a predefined prescribed state. When strongly nudged to existing (seasonally-varying) sea surface temperatures, ocean salinity and temperature, we force the sea ice to remain in regions/seasons where it is located in the prescribed state, despite the changing climate. Once we obtain fixed' sea ice, we will run a future scenario, for instance 2 x CO2 with and without prescribed sea ice, with the difference between these runs providing a measure as to what extent sea ice contributes to Arctic warming, including the seasonal and geographical imprint of the effects.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Johnson, Mark; Proshuntinsky, Andrew; Aksenov, Yevgeny; Nguyen, An T.; Lindsay, Ron; Haas, Christian; Zhang, Jinlun; Diansky, Nikolay; Kwok, Ron; Maslowski, Wieslaw;
2012-01-01
Six Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project model simulations are compared with estimates of sea ice thickness derived from pan-Arctic satellite freeboard measurements (2004-2008); airborne electromagnetic measurements (2001-2009); ice draft data from moored instruments in Fram Strait, the Greenland Sea, and the Beaufort Sea (1992-2008) and from submarines (1975-2000); and drill hole data from the Arctic basin, Laptev, and East Siberian marginal seas (1982-1986) and coastal stations (1998-2009). Despite an assessment of six models that differ in numerical methods, resolution, domain, forcing, and boundary conditions, the models generally overestimate the thickness of measured ice thinner than approximately 2 mand underestimate the thickness of ice measured thicker than about approximately 2m. In the regions of flat immobile landfast ice (shallow Siberian Seas with depths less than 25-30 m), the models generally overestimate both the total observed sea ice thickness and rates of September and October ice growth from observations by more than 4 times and more than one standard deviation, respectively. The models do not reproduce conditions of fast ice formation and growth. Instead, the modeled fast ice is replaced with pack ice which drifts, generating ridges of increasing ice thickness, in addition to thermodynamic ice growth. Considering all observational data sets, the better correlations and smaller differences from observations are from the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, Phase II and Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System models.
Nonlinear threshold behavior during the loss of Arctic sea ice.
Eisenman, I; Wettlaufer, J S
2009-01-06
In light of the rapid recent retreat of Arctic sea ice, a number of studies have discussed the possibility of a critical threshold (or "tipping point") beyond which the ice-albedo feedback causes the ice cover to melt away in an irreversible process. The focus has typically been centered on the annual minimum (September) ice cover, which is often seen as particularly susceptible to destabilization by the ice-albedo feedback. Here, we examine the central physical processes associated with the transition from ice-covered to ice-free Arctic Ocean conditions. We show that although the ice-albedo feedback promotes the existence of multiple ice-cover states, the stabilizing thermodynamic effects of sea ice mitigate this when the Arctic Ocean is ice covered during a sufficiently large fraction of the year. These results suggest that critical threshold behavior is unlikely during the approach from current perennial sea-ice conditions to seasonally ice-free conditions. In a further warmed climate, however, we find that a critical threshold associated with the sudden loss of the remaining wintertime-only sea ice cover may be likely.
Methane excess in Arctic surface water-triggered by sea ice formation and melting.
Damm, E; Rudels, B; Schauer, U; Mau, S; Dieckmann, G
2015-11-10
Arctic amplification of global warming has led to increased summer sea ice retreat, which influences gas exchange between the Arctic Ocean and the atmosphere where sea ice previously acted as a physical barrier. Indeed, recently observed enhanced atmospheric methane concentrations in Arctic regions with fractional sea-ice cover point to unexpected feedbacks in cycling of methane. We report on methane excess in sea ice-influenced water masses in the interior Arctic Ocean and provide evidence that sea ice is a potential source. We show that methane release from sea ice into the ocean occurs via brine drainage during freezing and melting i.e. in winter and spring. In summer under a fractional sea ice cover, reduced turbulence restricts gas transfer, then seawater acts as buffer in which methane remains entrained. However, in autumn and winter surface convection initiates pronounced efflux of methane from the ice covered ocean to the atmosphere. Our results demonstrate that sea ice-sourced methane cycles seasonally between sea ice, sea-ice-influenced seawater and the atmosphere, while the deeper ocean remains decoupled. Freshening due to summer sea ice retreat will enhance this decoupling, which restricts the capacity of the deeper Arctic Ocean to act as a sink for this greenhouse gas.
Increasing transnational sea-ice exchange in a changing Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Newton, Robert; Pfirman, Stephanie; Tremblay, Bruno; DeRepentigny, Patricia
2017-06-01
The changing Arctic sea-ice cover is likely to impact the trans-border exchange of sea ice between the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Arctic nations, affecting the risk of ice-rafted contamination. We apply the Lagrangian Ice Tracking System (LITS) to identify sea-ice formation events and track sea ice to its melt locations. Most ice (52%) melts within 100 km of where it is formed; ca. 21% escapes from its EEZ. Thus, most contaminants will be released within an ice parcel's originating EEZ, while material carried by over 1 00,000 km2 of ice—an area larger than France and Germany combined—will be released to other nations' waters. Between the periods 1988-1999 and 2000-2014, sea-ice formation increased by ˜17% (roughly 6 million km2 vs. 5 million km2 annually). Melting peaks earlier; freeze-up begins later; and the central Arctic Ocean is more prominent in both formation and melt in the later period. The total area of ice transported between EEZs increased, while transit times decreased: for example, Russian ice reached melt locations in other nations' EEZs an average of 46% faster while North American ice reached destinations in Eurasian waters an average of 37% faster. Increased trans-border exchange is mainly a result of increased speed (˜14% per decade), allowing first-year ice to escape the summer melt front, even as the front extends further north. Increased trans-border exchange over shorter times is bringing the EEZs of the Arctic nations closer together, which should be taken into account in policy development—including establishment of marine-protected areas.
Sunlight, Sea Ice, and the Ice Albedo Feedback in a Changing Arctic Sea Ice Cover
2013-09-30
Sea Ice , and the Ice Albedo Feedback in a...COVERED 00-00-2013 to 00-00-2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Sunlight, Sea Ice , and the Ice Albedo Feedback in a Changing Arctic Sea Ice Cover 5a...during a period when incident solar irradiance is large increasing solar heat input to the ice . Seasonal sea ice typically has a smaller albedo
Is Ice-Rafted Sediment in a North Pole Marine Record Evidence for Perennial Sea-ice Cover?
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Tremblay, L.B.; Schmidt, G.A.; Pfirman, S.; Newton, R.; DeRepentigny, P.
2015-01-01
Ice-rafted sediments of Eurasian and North American origin are found consistently in the upper part (13 Ma BP to present) of the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) ocean core from the Lomonosov Ridge, near the North Pole (approximately 88 degrees N). Based on modern sea-ice drift trajectories and speeds, this has been taken as evidence of the presence of a perennial sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean from the middle Miocene onwards. However, other high latitude land and marine records indicate a long-term trend towards cooling broken by periods of extensive warming suggestive of a seasonally ice-free Arctic between the Miocene and the present. We use a coupled sea-ice slab-ocean model including sediment transport tracers to map the spatial distribution of ice-rafted deposits in the Arctic Ocean. We use 6 hourly wind forcing and surface heat fluxes for two different climates: one with a perennial sea-ice cover similar to that of the present day and one with seasonally ice-free conditions, similar to that simulated in future projections. Model results confirm that in the present-day climate, sea ice takes more than 1 year to transport sediment from all its peripheral seas to the North Pole. However, in a warmer climate, sea-ice speeds are significantly faster (for the same wind forcing) and can deposit sediments of Laptev, East Siberian and perhaps also Beaufort Sea origin at the North Pole. This is primarily because of the fact that sea-ice interactions are much weaker with a thinner ice cover and there is less resistance to drift. We conclude that the presence of ice-rafted sediment of Eurasian and North American origin at the North Pole does not imply a perennial sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, reconciling the ACEX ocean core data with other land and marine records.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Granskog, Mats A.; Fer, Ilker; Rinke, Annette; Steen, Harald
2018-03-01
Arctic sea ice has been in rapid decline the last decade and the Norwegian young sea ICE (N-ICE2015) expedition sought to investigate key processes in a thin Arctic sea ice regime, with emphasis on atmosphere-snow-ice-ocean dynamics and sea ice associated ecosystem. The main findings from a half-year long campaign are collected into this special section spanning the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, and Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences and provide a basis for a better understanding of processes in a thin sea ice regime in the high Arctic. All data from the campaign are made freely available to the research community.
The impact of lower sea-ice extent on Arctic greenhouse-gas exchange
Parmentier, Frans-Jan W.; Christensen, Torben R.; Sørensen, Lise Lotte; Rysgaard, Søren; McGuire, A. David; Miller, Paul A.; Walker, Donald A.
2013-01-01
In September 2012, Arctic sea-ice extent plummeted to a new record low: two times lower than the 1979–2000 average. Often, record lows in sea-ice cover are hailed as an example of climate change impacts in the Arctic. Less apparent, however, are the implications of reduced sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean for marine–atmosphere CO2 exchange. Sea-ice decline has been connected to increasing air temperatures at high latitudes. Temperature is a key controlling factor in the terrestrial exchange of CO2 and methane, and therefore the greenhouse-gas balance of the Arctic. Despite the large potential for feedbacks, many studies do not connect the diminishing sea-ice extent with changes in the interaction of the marine and terrestrial Arctic with the atmosphere. In this Review, we assess how current understanding of the Arctic Ocean and high-latitude ecosystems can be used to predict the impact of a lower sea-ice cover on Arctic greenhouse-gas exchange.
Fresh Water Content Variability in the Arctic Ocean
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hakkinen, Sirpa; Proshutinsky, Andrey
2003-01-01
Arctic Ocean model simulations have revealed that the Arctic Ocean has a basin wide oscillation with cyclonic and anticyclonic circulation anomalies (Arctic Ocean Oscillation; AOO) which has a prominent decadal variability. This study explores how the simulated AOO affects the Arctic Ocean stratification and its relationship to the sea ice cover variations. The simulation uses the Princeton Ocean Model coupled to sea ice. The surface forcing is based on NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis and its climatology, of which the latter is used to force the model spin-up phase. Our focus is to investigate the competition between ocean dynamics and ice formation/melt on the Arctic basin-wide fresh water balance. We find that changes in the Atlantic water inflow can explain almost all of the simulated fresh water anomalies in the main Arctic basin. The Atlantic water inflow anomalies are an essential part of AOO, which is the wind driven barotropic response to the Arctic Oscillation (AO). The baroclinic response to AO, such as Ekman pumping in the Beaufort Gyre, and ice meldfreeze anomalies in response to AO are less significant considering the whole Arctic fresh water balance.
Rolling the dice on the ice; New modes for underway data acquisition in the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Coakley, B.; Dove, D.
2012-12-01
Exploration of the Arctic Ocean has always depended on the sea ice. It has been a platform supporting drifting ice stations and an obstacle to be over come by force (icebreakers) or finesse (US Navy fast attack submarines). Reduced seasonal sea ice cover has made it possible to work more freely in the peripheral Arctic Ocean, opening relatively unknown regions to scientific exploration and study. In September 2011, the RV Marcus G. Langseth set sail from Dutch Harbor, Alaska bound through Bering Strait for the Arctic Ocean. This was the first Arctic Ocean trip for MGG data acquisition by a US academic research vessel since 1994, when the RV Maurice Ewing collected a 2-D MCS profile across the Bering Shelf, through the Strait and along the Beaufort Shelf, stopping near Barrow, Alaska. RV Langseth arrived on the mid-Chukchi shelf and streamed gear just south of the "Crackerjack" well, drilled by Shell Exploration in the late eighties. The ship sailed north, crossing the "Popcorn" well and then set a course to the NW, setting the baseline for the survey parallel to the Beaufort Shelf edge. Sailing through almost entirely ice-free waters, approximately 5300 km of multi-channel seismic reflection data were acquired on a NW-SE oriented grid, which straddled the transition from Chukchi Shelf to the Chukchi Borderland. It would not have been possible for Langseth, which is not ice reinforced, to acquire these data prior to 2007. The dramatic expansion of late Summer open water in the western Arctic Ocean made it possible to use this ship effectively across a broad swath of the shelf and the periphery of the deep central basin. While the survey region was almost entirely ice free during this cruise, which straddled the ice minimum for 2011, it was not possible to predict this a priori, despite expectations set by the previous five years of ice edge retreat. For this reason, the Canadian Ice Service was engaged to provide interpreted ice imagery, multiple times per day
Nonlinear threshold behavior during the loss of Arctic sea ice
Eisenman, I.; Wettlaufer, J. S.
2009-01-01
In light of the rapid recent retreat of Arctic sea ice, a number of studies have discussed the possibility of a critical threshold (or “tipping point”) beyond which the ice–albedo feedback causes the ice cover to melt away in an irreversible process. The focus has typically been centered on the annual minimum (September) ice cover, which is often seen as particularly susceptible to destabilization by the ice–albedo feedback. Here, we examine the central physical processes associated with the transition from ice-covered to ice-free Arctic Ocean conditions. We show that although the ice–albedo feedback promotes the existence of multiple ice-cover states, the stabilizing thermodynamic effects of sea ice mitigate this when the Arctic Ocean is ice covered during a sufficiently large fraction of the year. These results suggest that critical threshold behavior is unlikely during the approach from current perennial sea-ice conditions to seasonally ice-free conditions. In a further warmed climate, however, we find that a critical threshold associated with the sudden loss of the remaining wintertime-only sea ice cover may be likely. PMID:19109440
Large Decadal Decline of the Arctic Multiyear Ice Cover
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, Josefino C.
2012-01-01
The perennial ice area was drastically reduced to 38% of its climatological average in 2007 but recovered slightly in 2008, 2009, and 2010 with the areas being 10%, 24%, and 11% higher than in 2007, respectively. However, trends in extent and area remained strongly negative at -12.2% and -13.5% decade (sup -1), respectively. The thick component of the perennial ice, called multiyear ice, as detected by satellite data during the winters of 1979-2011 was studied, and results reveal that the multiyear ice extent and area are declining at an even more rapid rate of -15.1% and -17.2% decade(sup -1), respectively, with a record low value in 2008 followed by higher values in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Such a high rate in the decline of the thick component of the Arctic ice cover means a reduction in the average ice thickness and an even more vulnerable perennial ice cover. The decline of the multiyear ice area from 2007 to 2008 was not as strong as that of the perennial ice area from 2006 to 2007, suggesting a strong role of second-year ice melt in the latter. The sea ice cover is shown to be strongly correlated with surface temperature, which is increasing at about 3 times the global average in the Arctic but appears weakly correlated with the Arctic Oscillation (AO), which controls the atmospheric circulation in the region. An 8-9-yr cycle is apparent in the multiyear ice record, which could explain, in part, the slight recovery in the last 3 yr.
Abrupt Decline in the Arctic Winter Sea Ice Cover
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, Josefino C.
2007-01-01
Maximum ice extents in the Arctic in 2005 and 2006 have been observed to be significantly lower (by about 6%) than the average of those of previous years starting in 1979. Since the winter maxima had been relatively stable with the trend being only about -1.5% per decade (compared to about -10% per decade for the perennial ice area), this is a significant development since signals from greenhouse warming are expected to be most prominent in winter. Negative ice anomalies are shown to be dominant in 2005 and 2006 especially in the Arctic basin and correlated with winds and surface temperature anomalies during the same period. Progressively increasing winter temperatures in the central Arctic starting in 1997 is observed with significantly higher rates of increase in 2005 and 2006. The Atlantic Oscillation (AO) indices correlate weakly with the sea ice and surface temperature anomaly data but may explain the recent shift in the perennial ice cover towards the western region. Results suggest that the trend in winter ice is finally in the process of catching up with that of the summer ice cover.
Comparative Views of Arctic Sea Ice Growth
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2000-01-01
NASA researchers have new insights into the mysteries of Arctic sea ice, thanks to the unique abilities of Canada's Radarsat satellite. The Arctic is the smallest of the world's four oceans, but it may play a large role in helping scientists monitor Earth's climate shifts.
Using Radarsat's special sensors to take images at night and to peer through clouds, NASA researchers can now see the complete ice cover of the Arctic. This allows tracking of any shifts and changes, in unprecedented detail, over the course of an entire winter. The radar-generated, high-resolution images are up to 100 times better than those taken by previous satellites.The two images above are separated by nine days (earlier image on the left). Both images represent an area (approximately 96 by 128 kilometers; 60 by 80 miles)located in the Baufort Sea, north of the Alaskan coast. The brighter features are older thicker ice and the darker areas show young, recently formed ice. Within the nine-day span, large and extensive cracks in the ice cover have formed due to ice movement. These cracks expose the open ocean to the cold, frigid atmosphere where sea ice grows rapidly and thickens.Using this new information, scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., can generate comprehensive maps of Arctic sea ice thickness for the first time. 'Before we knew only the extent of the ice cover,' said Dr. Ronald Kwok, JPL principal investigator of a project called Sea Ice Thickness Derived From High Resolution Radar Imagery. 'We also knew that the sea ice extent had decreased over the last 20 years, but we knew very little about ice thickness.''Since sea ice is very thin, about 3 meters (10 feet) or less,'Kwok explained, 'it is very sensitive to climate change.'Until now, observations of polar sea ice thickness have been available for specific areas, but not for the entire polar region.The new radar mapping technique has also given scientists a close look atPhysical characteristics of summer sea ice across the Arctic Ocean
Tucker, W. B.; Gow, A.J.; Meese, D.A.; Bosworth, H.W.; Reimnitz, E.
1999-01-01
Sea ice characteristics were investigated during July and August on the 1994 transect across the Arctic Ocean. Properties examined from ice cores included salinity, temperature, and ice structure. Salinities measured near zero at the surface, increasing to 3-4??? at the ice-water interface. Ice crystal texture was dominated by columnar ice, comprising 90% of the ice sampled. Surface albedos of various ice types, measured with radiometers, showed integrated shortwave albedos of 0.1 to 0.3 for melt ponds, 0.5 for bare, discolored ice, and 0.6 to 0.8 for a deteriorated surface or snow-covered ice. Aerial photography was utilized to document the distribution of open melt ponds, which decreased from 12% coverage of the ice surface in late July at 76??N to almost none in mid-August at 88??N. Most melt ponds were shallow, and depth bore no relationship to size. Sediment was pervasive from the southern Chukchi Sea to the north pole, occurring in bands or patches. It was absent in the Eurasian Arctic, where it had been observed on earlier expeditions. Calculations of reverse trajectories of the sediment-bearing floes suggest that the southernmost sediment was entrained during ice formation in the Beaufort Sea while more northerly samples probably originated in the East Siberian Sea, some as far west as the New Siberian Islands.
Aragonite undersaturation in the Arctic Ocean: effects of ocean acidification and sea ice melt.
Yamamoto-Kawai, Michiyo; McLaughlin, Fiona A; Carmack, Eddy C; Nishino, Shigeto; Shimada, Koji
2009-11-20
The increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and attendant increase in ocean acidification and sea ice melt act together to decrease the saturation state of calcium carbonate in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean. In 2008, surface waters were undersaturated with respect to aragonite, a relatively soluble form of calcium carbonate found in plankton and invertebrates. Undersaturation was found to be a direct consequence of the recent extensive melting of sea ice in the Canada Basin. In addition, the retreat of the ice edge well past the shelf-break has produced conditions favorable to enhanced upwelling of subsurface, aragonite-undersaturated water onto the Arctic continental shelf. Undersaturation will affect both planktonic and benthic calcifying biota and therefore the composition of the Arctic ecosystem.
The possibility of a tipping point in the Arctic sea ice cover, and associated early-warning signals
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jastamin Steene, Rebekka
2017-04-01
As the Arctic sea ice has become one of the primer indicators of global climate change, with a seemingly accelerated loss in both ice extent and volume the latest decades, the existence of a tipping point related to the Arctic sea ice cover has been widely debated. Several observed and potential abrupt transitions in the climate system may be interpreted as bifurcations in randomly driven dynamical systems. This means that a system approaching a bifurcation point shifts from one stable state to another, and we say that the system is subject to a critical transition. As the equilibrium states become unstable in the vicinity of a bifurcation point the characteristic relaxation times increases, and the system is said to experience a "critical slowing down". This makes it plausible to observe so called early-warning signals (EWS) when approaching a critical transition. In the Arctic non-linear mechanisms like the temperature response of the ice-albedo feedback can potentially cause a sudden shift to an ice-free Arctic Ocean. Using bifurcation theory and potential analyses we examine time series of observational data of the Arctic sea ice, investigating the possibility of multiple states in the behavior of the ice cover. We further debate whether a shift between states is irreversible, and whether it can be preluded by early-warning signals.
Arctic Ocean Gravity Field Derived From ERS-1 Satellite Altimetry.
Laxon, S; McAdoo, D
1994-07-29
The derivation of a marine gravity field from satellite altimetry over permanently ice-covered regions of the Arctic Ocean provides much new geophysical information about the structure and development of the Arctic sea floor. The Arctic Ocean, because of its remote location and perpetual ice cover, remains from a tectonic point of view the most poorly understood ocean basin on Earth. A gravity field has been derived with data from the ERS-1 radar altimeter, including permanently ice-covered regions. The gravity field described here clearly delineates sections of the Arctic Basin margin along with the tips of the Lomonosov and Arctic mid-ocean ridges. Several important tectonic features of the Amerasia Basin are clearly expressed in this gravity field. These include the Mendeleev Ridge; the Northwind Ridge; details of the Chukchi Borderland; and a north-south trending, linear feature in the middle of the Canada Basin that apparently represents an extinct spreading center that "died" in the Mesozoic. Some tectonic models of the Canada Basin have proposed such a failed spreading center, but its actual existence and location were heretofore unknown.
Precipitation Impacts of a Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice Cover
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stroeve, J. C.; Frei, A.; Gong, G.; Ghatak, D.; Robinson, D. A.; Kindig, D.
2009-12-01
Since the beginning of the modern satellite record in October 1978, the extent of Arctic sea ice has declined in all months, with the strongest downward trend at the end of the melt season in September. Recently the September trends have accelerated. Through 2001, the extent of September sea ice was decreasing at a rate of -7 per cent per decade. By 2006, the rate of decrease had risen to -8.9 per cent per decade. In September 2007, Arctic sea ice extent fell to its lowest level recorded, 23 per cent below the previous record set in 2005, boosting the downward trend to -10.7 per cent per decade. Ice extent in September 2008 was the second lowest in the satellite record. Including 2008, the trend in September sea ice extent stands at -11.8 percent per decade. Compared to the 1970s, September ice extent has retreated by 40 per cent. Summer 2009 looks to repeat the anomalously low ice conditions that characterized the last couple of years. Scientists have long expected that a shrinking Arctic sea ice cover will lead to strong warming of the overlying atmosphere, and as a result, affect atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns. Recent results show clear evidence of Arctic warming linked to declining ice extent, yet observational evidence for responses of atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns is just beginning to emerge. Rising air temperatures should lead to an increase in the moisture holding capacity of the atmosphere, with the potential to impact autumn precipitation. Although climate models predict a hemispheric wide decrease in snow cover as atmospheric concentrations of GHGs increase, increased precipitation, particular in autumn and winter may result as the Arctic transitions towards a seasonally ice free state. In this study we use atmospheric reanalysis data and a cyclone tracking algorithm to investigate the influence of recent extreme ice loss years on precipitation patterns in the Arctic and the Northern Hemisphere. Results show
Global View of the Arctic Ocean
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2000-01-01
NASA researchers have new insights into the mysteries of Arctic sea ice, thanks to the unique abilities of Canada's Radarsat satellite. The Arctic is the smallest of the world's four oceans, but it may play a large role in helping scientists monitor Earth's climate shifts.
Using Radarsat's special sensors to take images at night and to peer through clouds, NASA researchers can now see the complete ice cover of the Arctic. This allows tracking of any shifts and changes, in unprecedented detail, over the course of an entire winter. The radar-generated, high-resolution images are up to 100 times better than those taken by previous satellites.Using this new information, scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., can generate comprehensive maps of Arctic sea ice thickness for the first time. 'Before we knew only the extent of the ice cover,' said Dr. Ronald Kwok, JPL principal investigator of a project called Sea Ice Thickness Derived From High Resolution Radar Imagery. 'We also knew that the sea ice extent had decreased over the last 20 years, but we knew very little about ice thickness.''Since sea ice is very thin, about 3 meters (10 feet) or less,'Kwok explained, 'it is very sensitive to climate change.'Until now, observations of polar sea ice thickness have been available for specific areas, but not for the entire polar region.The new radar mapping technique has also given scientists a close look at how the sea ice cover grows and contorts over time. 'Using this new data set, we have the first estimates of how much ice has been produced and where it formed during the winter. We have never been able to do this before, ' said Kwok. 'Through our radar maps of the Arctic Ocean, we can actually see ice breaking apart and thin ice growth in the new openings. 'RADARSAT gives researchers a piece of the overall puzzle every three days by creating a complete image of the Arctic. NASA scientists then put those puzzle piecesCorrelated declines in Pacific arctic snow and sea ice cover
Stone, Robert P.; Douglas, David C.; Belchansky, Gennady I.; Drobot, Sheldon
2005-01-01
Simulations of future climate suggest that global warming will reduce Arctic snow and ice cover, resulting in decreased surface albedo (reflectivity). Lowering of the surface albedo leads to further warming by increasing solar absorption at the surface. This phenomenon is referred to as “temperature–albedo feedback.” Anticipation of such a feedback is one reason why scientists look to the Arctic for early indications of global warming. Much of the Arctic has warmed significantly. Northern Hemisphere snow cover has decreased, and sea ice has diminished in area and thickness. As reported in the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment in 2004, the trends are considered to be outside the range of natural variability, implicating global warming as an underlying cause. Changing climatic conditions in the high northern latitudes have influenced biogeochemical cycles on a broad scale. Warming has already affected the sea ice, the tundra, the plants, the animals, and the indigenous populations that depend on them. Changing annual cycles of snow and sea ice also affect sources and sinks of important greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane), further complicating feedbacks involving the global budgets of these important constituents. For instance, thawing permafrost increases the extent of tundra wetlands and lakes, releasing greater amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Variable sea ice cover may affect the hemispheric carbon budget by altering the ocean–atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide. There is growing concern that amplification of global warming in the Arctic will have far-reaching effects on lower latitude climate through these feedback mechanisms. Despite the diverse and convincing observational evidence that the Arctic environment is changing, it remains unclear whether these changes are anthropogenically forced or result from natural variations of the climate system. A better understanding of what controls the seasonal distributions of snow and ice
Greater role for Atlantic inflows on sea-ice loss in the Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Polyakov, Igor V.; Pnyushkov, Andrey V.; Alkire, Matthew B.; Ashik, Igor M.; Baumann, Till M.; Carmack, Eddy C.; Goszczko, Ilona; Guthrie, John; Ivanov, Vladimir V.; Kanzow, Torsten; Krishfield, Richard; Kwok, Ronald; Sundfjord, Arild; Morison, James; Rember, Robert; Yulin, Alexander
2017-04-01
Arctic sea-ice loss is a leading indicator of climate change and can be attributed, in large part, to atmospheric forcing. Here, we show that recent ice reductions, weakening of the halocline, and shoaling of the intermediate-depth Atlantic Water layer in the eastern Eurasian Basin have increased winter ventilation in the ocean interior, making this region structurally similar to that of the western Eurasian Basin. The associated enhanced release of oceanic heat has reduced winter sea-ice formation at a rate now comparable to losses from atmospheric thermodynamic forcing, thus explaining the recent reduction in sea-ice cover in the eastern Eurasian Basin. This encroaching “atlantification” of the Eurasian Basin represents an essential step toward a new Arctic climate state, with a substantially greater role for Atlantic inflows.
Is ice-rafted sediment in a North Pole marine record evidence for perennial sea-ice cover?
Tremblay, L B; Schmidt, G A; Pfirman, S; Newton, R; DeRepentigny, P
2015-10-13
Ice-rafted sediments of Eurasian and North American origin are found consistently in the upper part (13 Ma BP to present) of the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) ocean core from the Lomonosov Ridge, near the North Pole (≈88° N). Based on modern sea-ice drift trajectories and speeds, this has been taken as evidence of the presence of a perennial sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean from the middle Miocene onwards (Krylov et al. 2008 Paleoceanography 23, PA1S06. (doi:10.1029/2007PA001497); Darby 2008 Paleoceanography 23, PA1S07. (doi:10.1029/2007PA001479)). However, other high latitude land and marine records indicate a long-term trend towards cooling broken by periods of extensive warming suggestive of a seasonally ice-free Arctic between the Miocene and the present (Polyak et al. 2010 Quaternary Science Reviews 29, 1757-1778. (doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.02.010)). We use a coupled sea-ice slab-ocean model including sediment transport tracers to map the spatial distribution of ice-rafted deposits in the Arctic Ocean. We use 6 hourly wind forcing and surface heat fluxes for two different climates: one with a perennial sea-ice cover similar to that of the present day and one with seasonally ice-free conditions, similar to that simulated in future projections. Model results confirm that in the present-day climate, sea ice takes more than 1 year to transport sediment from all its peripheral seas to the North Pole. However, in a warmer climate, sea-ice speeds are significantly faster (for the same wind forcing) and can deposit sediments of Laptev, East Siberian and perhaps also Beaufort Sea origin at the North Pole. This is primarily because of the fact that sea-ice interactions are much weaker with a thinner ice cover and there is less resistance to drift. We conclude that the presence of ice-rafted sediment of Eurasian and North American origin at the North Pole does not imply a perennial sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, reconciling the ACEX ocean core data with
Sea surface height and dynamic topography of the ice-covered oceans from CryoSat-2: 2011-2014
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kwok, Ron; Morison, James
2016-01-01
We examine 4 years (2011-2014) of sea surface heights (SSH) from CryoSat-2 (CS-2) over the ice-covered Arctic and Southern Oceans. Results are from a procedure that identifies and determines the heights of sea surface returns. Along 25 km segments of satellite ground tracks, variability in the retrieved SSHs is between ˜2 and 3 cm (standard deviation) in the Arctic and is slightly higher (˜3 cm) in the summer and the Southern Ocean. Average sea surface tilts (along these 25 km segments) are 0.01 ± 3.8 cm/10 km in the Arctic, and slightly lower (0.01 ± 2.0 cm/10 km) in the Southern Ocean. Intra-seasonal variability of CS-2 dynamic ocean topography (DOT) in the ice-covered Arctic is nearly twice as high as that of the Southern Ocean. In the Arctic, we find a correlation of 0.92 between 3 years of DOT and dynamic heights (DH) from hydrographic stations. Further, correlation of 4 years of area-averaged CS-2 DOT near the North Pole with time-variable ocean-bottom pressure from a pressure gauge and from GRACE, yields coefficients of 0.83 and 0.77, with corresponding differences of <3 cm (RMS). These comparisons contrast the length scale of baroclinic and barotropic features and reveal the smaller amplitude barotropic signals in the Arctic Ocean. Broadly, the mean DOT from CS-2 for both poles compares well with those from the ICESat campaigns and the DOT2008A and DTU13MDT fields. Short length scale topographic variations, due to oceanographic signals and geoid residuals, are especially prominent in the Arctic Basin but less so in the Southern Ocean.
Sea ice thermohaline dynamics and biogeochemistry in the Arctic Ocean: Empirical and model results
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Duarte, Pedro; Meyer, Amelie; Olsen, Lasse M.
Here, large changes in the sea ice regime of the Arctic Ocean have occurred over the last decades justifying the development of models to forecast sea ice physics and biogeochemistry. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the performance of the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE) to simulate physical and biogeochemical properties at time scales of a few weeks and to use the model to analyze ice algal bloom dynamics in different types of ice. Ocean and atmospheric forcing data and observations of the evolution of the sea ice properties collected from 18 April to 4 Junemore » 2015, during the Norwegian young sea ICE expedition, were used to test the CICE model. Our results show the following: (i) model performance is reasonable for sea ice thickness and bulk salinity; good for vertically resolved temperature, vertically averaged Chl a concentrations, and standing stocks; and poor for vertically resolved Chl a concentrations. (ii) Improving current knowledge about nutrient exchanges, ice algal recruitment, and motion is critical to improve sea ice biogeochemical modeling. (iii) Ice algae may bloom despite some degree of basal melting. (iv) Ice algal motility driven by gradients in limiting factors is a plausible mechanism to explain their vertical distribution. (v) Different ice algal bloom and net primary production (NPP) patterns were identified in the ice types studied, suggesting that ice algal maximal growth rates will increase, while sea ice vertically integrated NPP and biomass will decrease as a result of the predictable increase in the area covered by refrozen leads in the Arctic Ocean.« less
Sea ice thermohaline dynamics and biogeochemistry in the Arctic Ocean: Empirical and model results
Duarte, Pedro; Meyer, Amelie; Olsen, Lasse M.; ...
2017-06-08
Here, large changes in the sea ice regime of the Arctic Ocean have occurred over the last decades justifying the development of models to forecast sea ice physics and biogeochemistry. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the performance of the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE) to simulate physical and biogeochemical properties at time scales of a few weeks and to use the model to analyze ice algal bloom dynamics in different types of ice. Ocean and atmospheric forcing data and observations of the evolution of the sea ice properties collected from 18 April to 4 Junemore » 2015, during the Norwegian young sea ICE expedition, were used to test the CICE model. Our results show the following: (i) model performance is reasonable for sea ice thickness and bulk salinity; good for vertically resolved temperature, vertically averaged Chl a concentrations, and standing stocks; and poor for vertically resolved Chl a concentrations. (ii) Improving current knowledge about nutrient exchanges, ice algal recruitment, and motion is critical to improve sea ice biogeochemical modeling. (iii) Ice algae may bloom despite some degree of basal melting. (iv) Ice algal motility driven by gradients in limiting factors is a plausible mechanism to explain their vertical distribution. (v) Different ice algal bloom and net primary production (NPP) patterns were identified in the ice types studied, suggesting that ice algal maximal growth rates will increase, while sea ice vertically integrated NPP and biomass will decrease as a result of the predictable increase in the area covered by refrozen leads in the Arctic Ocean.« less
Sea ice thermohaline dynamics and biogeochemistry in the Arctic Ocean: Empirical and model results
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Duarte, Pedro; Meyer, Amelie; Olsen, Lasse M.; Kauko, Hanna M.; Assmy, Philipp; Rösel, Anja; Itkin, Polona; Hudson, Stephen R.; Granskog, Mats A.; Gerland, Sebastian; Sundfjord, Arild; Steen, Harald; Hop, Haakon; Cohen, Lana; Peterson, Algot K.; Jeffery, Nicole; Elliott, Scott M.; Hunke, Elizabeth C.; Turner, Adrian K.
2017-07-01
Large changes in the sea ice regime of the Arctic Ocean have occurred over the last decades justifying the development of models to forecast sea ice physics and biogeochemistry. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the performance of the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE) to simulate physical and biogeochemical properties at time scales of a few weeks and to use the model to analyze ice algal bloom dynamics in different types of ice. Ocean and atmospheric forcing data and observations of the evolution of the sea ice properties collected from 18 April to 4 June 2015, during the Norwegian young sea ICE expedition, were used to test the CICE model. Our results show the following: (i) model performance is reasonable for sea ice thickness and bulk salinity; good for vertically resolved temperature, vertically averaged Chl a concentrations, and standing stocks; and poor for vertically resolved Chl a concentrations. (ii) Improving current knowledge about nutrient exchanges, ice algal recruitment, and motion is critical to improve sea ice biogeochemical modeling. (iii) Ice algae may bloom despite some degree of basal melting. (iv) Ice algal motility driven by gradients in limiting factors is a plausible mechanism to explain their vertical distribution. (v) Different ice algal bloom and net primary production (NPP) patterns were identified in the ice types studied, suggesting that ice algal maximal growth rates will increase, while sea ice vertically integrated NPP and biomass will decrease as a result of the predictable increase in the area covered by refrozen leads in the Arctic Ocean.
Impact of wave mixing on the sea ice cover
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rynders, Stefanie; Aksenov, Yevgeny; Madec, Gurvan; Nurser, George; Feltham, Daniel
2017-04-01
As information on surface waves in ice-covered regions becomes available in ice-ocean models, there is an opportunity to model wave-related processes more accurate. Breaking waves cause mixing of the upper water column and present mixing schemes in ocean models take this into account through surface roughness. A commonly used approach is to calculate surface roughness from significant wave height, parameterised from wind speed. We present results from simulations using modelled significant wave height instead, which accounts for the presence of sea ice and the effect of swell. The simulations use the NEMO ocean model coupled to the CICE sea ice model, with wave information from the ECWAM model of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The new waves-in-ice module allows waves to propagate in sea ice and attenuates waves according to multiple scattering and non-elastic losses. It is found that in the simulations with wave mixing the mixed layer depth (MLD) under ice cover is reduced, since the parameterisation from wind speed overestimates wave height in the ice-covered regions. The MLD change, in turn, affects sea ice concentration and ice thickness. In the Arctic, reduced MLD in winter translates into increased ice thicknesses overall, with higher increases in the Western Arctic and decreases along the Siberian coast. In summer, shallowing of the mixed layer results in more heat accumulating in the surface ocean, increasing ice melting. In the Southern Ocean the meridional gradient in ice thickness and concentration is increased. We argue that coupling waves with sea ice - ocean models can reduce negative biases in sea ice cover, affecting the distribution of nutrients and, thus, biological productivity and ecosystems. This coupling will become more important in the future, when wave heights in a large part of the Arctic are expected to increase due to sea ice retreat and a larger wave fetch. Therefore, wave mixing constitutes a possible
Arctic Sea Ice Basal Melt Onset Variability and Associated Ocean Surface Heating
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Merrick, R. A.; Hutchings, J. K.
2015-12-01
The interannual and regional variability in Arctic sea ice melt has previously been characterized only in terms of surface melting. A focus on the variability in the onset of basal melt is additionally required to understand Arctic melt patterns. Monitoring basal melt provides a glimpse into the importance of ocean heating to sea ice melt. This warming is predominantly through seawater exposure due to lead opening and the associated solar warming at the ocean's surface. We present the temporal variability in basal melt onset observed by ice mass balance buoys throughout the Arctic Ocean since 2003, providing a different perspective than the satellite microwave data used to measure the onset of surface melt. We found that melt onset varies greatly, even for buoys deployed within 100km of each other. Therefore large volumes of data are necessary to accurately estimate the variability of basal melt onset. Once the variability of basal melt onset has been identified, we can investigate how this range has been changing as a response to atmospheric and oceanic warming, changes in ice morphology as well as the intensification of the ice albedo feedback.
Impact of aerosol emission controls on future Arctic sea ice cover
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gagné, M.-Ã..; Gillett, N. P.; Fyfe, J. C.
2015-10-01
We examine the response of Arctic sea ice to projected aerosol and aerosol precursor emission changes under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios in simulations of the Canadian Earth System Model. The overall decrease in aerosol loading causes a warming, largest over the Arctic, which leads to an annual mean reduction in sea ice extent of approximately 1 million km2 over the 21st century in all RCP scenarios. This accounts for approximately 25% of the simulated reduction in sea ice extent in RCP 4.5, and 40% of the reduction in RCP 2.5. In RCP 4.5, the Arctic ocean is projected to become ice-free during summertime in 2045, but it does not become ice-free until 2057 in simulations with aerosol precursor emissions held fixed at 2000 values. Thus, while reductions in aerosol emissions have significant health and environmental benefits, their substantial contribution to projected Arctic climate change should not be overlooked.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nishino, S.; Shimada, K.; Itoh, M.; Yamamoto-Kawai, M.; Chiba, S.
2009-12-01
Since the late 1990s, catastrophic sea-ice reduction during summer has been observed in the western Arctic Ocean. Regions of decreasing sea ice might be associated with increased biological production compared to ice-covered ocean areas due to light intensification in the water column. The R/V Mirai field experiments in summer 2004 revealed that the algal biomass (chlorophyll a) in the open water region of the western Canada Basin increased from that observed in summer 1994, when the sea ice covered that area. Under the euphotic zone of the increased algal biomass area, evidence of diatom detritus decomposition was found, while such evidence was not observed in 1994, suggesting an enhancement of biological pump (see figure). The increase of algal biomass was not found throughout the sea-ice reduction region; rather, it was observed western Canada Basin where nutrients are effectively supplied from shelf regions. Further west from the Canada Basin, Russian river water with relatively high nutrients may play an important role in the biogeochemical cycles. Monthly sea-ice concentrations (white = 100%, black = 0%) in September of (a) 1994 and (b) 2004 (National Ice Center), and (c) vertical profiles of silicate obtained from the field experiments of Arctic Ocean Section 94 in 1994 (○) and Mirai04 in 2004 (■). The positions where the profiles were obtained are depicted by dots in (a) and (b), respectively.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feng, Zhixuan; Ji, Rubao; Campbell, Robert G.; Ashjian, Carin J.; Zhang, Jinlun
2016-08-01
Early ice retreat and ocean warming are changing various facets of the Arctic marine ecosystem, including the biogeographic distribution of marine organisms. Here an endemic copepod species, Calanus glacialis, was used as a model organism, to understand how and why Arctic marine environmental changes may induce biogeographic boundary shifts. A copepod individual-based model was coupled to an ice-ocean-ecosystem model to simulate temperature- and food-dependent copepod life history development. Numerical experiments were conducted for two contrasting years: a relatively cold and normal sea ice year (2001) and a well-known warm year with early ice retreat (2007). Model results agreed with commonly known biogeographic distributions of C. glacialis, which is a shelf/slope species and cannot colonize the vast majority of the central Arctic basins. Individuals along the northern boundaries of this species' distribution were most susceptible to reproduction timing and early food availability (released sea ice algae). In the Beaufort, Chukchi, East Siberian, and Laptev Seas where severe ocean warming and loss of sea ice occurred in summer 2007, relatively early ice retreat, elevated ocean temperature (about 1-2°C higher than 2001), increased phytoplankton food, and prolonged growth season created favorable conditions for C. glacialis development and caused a remarkable poleward expansion of its distribution. From a pan-Arctic perspective, despite the great heterogeneity in the temperature and food regimes, common biogeographic zones were identified from model simulations, thus allowing a better characterization of habitats and prediction of potential future biogeographic boundary shifts.
Impacts of the Variability of Ice Types on the Decline of the Arctic Perennial Sea Ice Cover
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, Josefino C.
2005-01-01
The observed rapid decline in the Arctic perennial ice cover is one of the most remarkable signal of change in the Arctic region. Updated data now show an even higher rate of decline of 9.8% per decade than the previous report of 8.9% per decade mainly because of abnormally low values in the last 4 years. To gain insights into this decline, the variability of the second year ice, which is the relatively thin component of the perennial ice cover, and other ice types is studied. The perennial ice cover in the 1990s was observed to be highly variable which might have led to higher production of second year ice and may in part explain the observed ice thinning during the period and triggered further decline. The passive microwave signature of second year ice is also studied and results show that while the signature is different from that of the older multiyear ice, it is surprisingly more similar to that of first year ice. This in part explains why previous estimates of the area of multiyear ice during the winter period are considerably lower than the area of the perennial ice cover during the preceding summer. Four distinct clusters representing radiometrically different types have been identified using multi-channel cluster analysis of passive microwave data. Data from two of these clusters, postulated to come from second year and older multiyear ice regions are also shown to have average thicknesses of 2.4 and 4.1 m, respectively, indicating that the passive microwave data may contain some ice thickness information that can be utilized for mass balance studies. The yearly anomaly maps indicate high gains of first year ice cover in the Arctic during the last decade which means higher production of second year ice and fraction of this type in the declining perennial ice cover. While not the only cause, the rapid decline in the perennial ice cover is in part caused by the increasing fractional component of the thinner second year ice cover that is very vulnerable to
Regular network model for the sea ice-albedo feedback in the Arctic.
Müller-Stoffels, Marc; Wackerbauer, Renate
2011-03-01
The Arctic Ocean and sea ice form a feedback system that plays an important role in the global climate. The complexity of highly parameterized global circulation (climate) models makes it very difficult to assess feedback processes in climate without the concurrent use of simple models where the physics is understood. We introduce a two-dimensional energy-based regular network model to investigate feedback processes in an Arctic ice-ocean layer. The model includes the nonlinear aspect of the ice-water phase transition, a nonlinear diffusive energy transport within a heterogeneous ice-ocean lattice, and spatiotemporal atmospheric and oceanic forcing at the surfaces. First results for a horizontally homogeneous ice-ocean layer show bistability and related hysteresis between perennial ice and perennial open water for varying atmospheric heat influx. Seasonal ice cover exists as a transient phenomenon. We also find that ocean heat fluxes are more efficient than atmospheric heat fluxes to melt Arctic sea ice.
Large Decadal Decline of the Arctic Multiyear Ice Cover
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, Josefino C.
2011-01-01
The perennial ice area was drastically reduced to 38% of its climatological average in 2007 but recovered somewhat in 2008, 2009 and 2010 with the areas being 10%, 24%, and 11% higher than in 2007, respectively. However, the trends in the extent and area remain strongly negative at -12.2% and -13.5 %/decade, respectively. The thick component of the perennial ice, called multiyear ice, as detected by satellite data in the winters of 1979 to 2011 was studied and results reveal that the multiyear ice extent and area are declining at an even more rapid rate of -15.1% and -17.2 % per decade, respectively, with record low value in 2008 followed by higher values in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Such high rate in the decline of the thick component of the Arctic ice cover means a reduction in average ice thickness and an even more vulnerable perennial ice cover. The decline of the multiyear ice area from 2007 to 2008 was not as strong as that of the perennial ice area from 2006 to 2007 suggesting a strong role of second year ice melt in the latter. The sea ice cover is shown to be strongly correlated with surface temperature which is increasing at about three times global average in the Arctic but appears weakly correlated with the AO which controls the dynamics of the region. An 8 to 9-year cycle is apparent in the multiyear ice record which could explain in part the slight recovery in the last three years.
Late Quaternary sea-ice history of northern Fram Strait/Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kremer, Anne; Stein, Rüdiger; Fahl, Kirsten; Matthießen, Jens; Forwick, Matthias; O'Regan, Matt
2016-04-01
One of the main characteristics of the Arctic Ocean is its seasonal to perennial sea-ice cover. Variations of sea-ice conditions affect the Earth's albedo, primary production, rate of deep-water etc.. During the last decades, a drastic decrease in sea ice has been recorded, and the causes of which, i.e., natural vs. anthropogenic forcings, and their relevance within the global climate system, are subject of intense scientific and societal debate. In this context, records of past sea-ice conditions going beyond instrumental records are of major significance. These records may help to better understand the processes controlling natural sea-ice variability and to improve models for forecasts of future climatic conditions. During RV Polarstern Cruise PS92 in summer 2015, a 860 cm long sediment core (PS92/039-2) was recovered from the eastern flank of Yermak Plateau north of the Svalbard archipelago (Peeken, 2015). Based on a preliminary age model, this sediment core probably represents the time interval from MIS 6 to MIS 1. This core, located close to the modern summer ice edge, has been selected for reconstruction of past Arctic sea-ice variability based on specific biomarkers. In this context, we have determined the ice-algae-derived sea-ice proxy IP25 (Belt et al., 2007), in combination with other biomarkers indicative for open-water conditions (cf., Müller et al., 2009, 2011). Furthermore, organic carbon fluxes were differentiated using specific biomarkers indicative for marine primary production (brassicasterol, dinosterol) and terrigenous input (campesterol, β-sitosterol). In this poster, preliminary results of our organic-geochemical and sedimentological investigations are presented. Distinct fluctuations of these biomarkers indicate several major, partly abrupt changes in sea-ice cover in the Yermak Plateau area during the late Quaternary. These changes are probably linked to changes in the inflow of Atlantic Water along the western coastline of Svalbard into
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Hutchings, Jennifer; Joseph, Renu
2013-09-14
The goal of this project is to develop an eddy resolving ocean model (POP) with tides coupled to a sea ice model (CICE) within the Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) to investigate the importance of ocean tides and mesoscale eddies in arctic climate simulations and quantify biases associated with these processes and how their relative contribution may improve decadal to centennial arctic climate predictions. Ocean, sea ice and coupled arctic climate response to these small scale processes will be evaluated with regard to their influence on mass, momentum and property exchange between oceans, shelf-basin, ice-ocean, and ocean-atmosphere. The project willmore » facilitate the future routine inclusion of polar tides and eddies in Earth System Models when computing power allows. As such, the proposed research addresses the science in support of the BER’s Climate and Environmental Sciences Division Long Term Measure as it will improve the ocean and sea ice model components as well as the fully coupled RASM and Community Earth System Model (CESM) and it will make them more accurate and computationally efficient.« less
Optical properties of melting first-year Arctic sea ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Light, Bonnie; Perovich, Donald K.; Webster, Melinda A.; Polashenski, Christopher; Dadic, Ruzica
2015-11-01
The albedo and transmittance of melting, first-year Arctic sea ice were measured during two cruises of the Impacts of Climate on the Eco-Systems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment (ICESCAPE) project during the summers of 2010 and 2011. Spectral measurements were made for both bare and ponded ice types at a total of 19 ice stations in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. These data, along with irradiance profiles taken within boreholes, laboratory measurements of the optical properties of core samples, ice physical property observations, and radiative transfer model simulations are employed to describe representative optical properties for melting first-year Arctic sea ice. Ponded ice was found to transmit roughly 4.4 times more total energy into the ocean, relative to nearby bare ice. The ubiquitous surface-scattering layer and drained layer present on bare, melting sea ice are responsible for its relatively high albedo and relatively low transmittance. Light transmittance through ponded ice depends on the physical thickness of the ice and the magnitude of the scattering coefficient in the ice interior. Bare ice reflects nearly three-quarters of the incident sunlight, enhancing its resiliency to absorption by solar insolation. In contrast, ponded ice absorbs or transmits to the ocean more than three-quarters of the incident sunlight. Characterization of the heat balance of a summertime ice cover is largely dictated by its pond coverage, and light transmittance through ponded ice shows strong contrast between first-year and multiyear Arctic ice covers.
Atlantic Water Advection and Ice Sheet-Ocean Feedbacks in the Arctic Ocean During the Last 200 ky
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Spielhagen, R. F.; Mackensen, A.; Stein, R. H.
2016-12-01
Earlier work on Arctic deep-sea cores from the eastern Lomonosov Ridge and the Morris Jesup Rise had revealed that large-scale Eurasian ice sheet growth was initiated at times with seasonally open waters in the Arctic Ocean, indicating a role for the ocean in nearby ice sheet development in the last 200 ky. Here we present microfossil and geochemical data from new sediment cores obtained from the western and easternmost Lomonosov Ridge during the PS87 expedition (2014) of RV Polarstern, amended by data from refined analyses of the older cores. They allow to investigate in more detail the feedbacks between Atlantic Water (AW) advection, sea ice, and ice sheets. In all cores, high microfossil abundances are found just below layers rich in iceberg-rafted detritus, supporting the hypothesis of Arctic Ocean moisture supply for the growth of Eurasian ice sheets. On the other hand, the new microfaunal results suggest that the decay of the ice sheets and the enhanced freshwater discharge to the Arctic may have influenced the routing of subsurface AW in the Arctic Ocean, at least during marine isotope (sub)stages (MIS) 5a and 5e. In the early part of these relatively mild climatic intervals, faunal and isotopic data suggest a noticable advection of Atlantic Water, yet of rather low temperature and likely at depths comparable to the modern distribution (i.e., below 150 m) or even deeper. This may be explained by a more southerly position of AW cooling and submergence than today, caused by a thick layer of low saline waters near the surface which stemmed from the slow melting of ice sheet remnants on the Eurasian continent and shelves. In the second half of both MIS 5a and 5e, AW advection was significantly stronger and may have occurred at shallower depths, as indicated by unusually large amounts of small subpolar planktic foraminifers in central Arctic sediments. AW was apparently diverted northward from the Fram Strait and spread eastward along the Lomonosov Ridge. A
First scientific dives of the Nereid Under Ice hybrid ROV in the Arctic Ocean.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
German, C. R.; Boetius, A.; Whitcomb, L. L.; Jakuba, M.; Bailey, J.; Judge, C.; McFarland, C.; Suman, S.; Elliott, S.; Katlein, C.; Arndt, S.; Bowen, A.; Yoerger, D.; Kinsey, J. C.; Mayer, L.; Nicolaus, M.; Laney, S.; Singh, H.; Maksym, T. L.
2014-12-01
The first scientific dives of the new Nereid Under Ice (NUI) hybrid ROV were conducted in the Arctic Ocean in July 2014 on RV Polarstern cruise PS86, a German-US collaboration. NUI is the latest in a family of vehicles derived from the Nereus prototype, using a single optical fiber to provide real-time telemetry to and from a battery-powered vehicle allowing much greater lateral maneuverability relative to its support ship than a conventional ROV. During PS86, dives conducted in the Arctic Ocean (typical water depths ~4000m) were completed in >80% ice cover beneath multi-year ice that was typically 2-4m thick (increasing to depths of up to 20m beneath ridges). Dives extended up to 800m away from the ship and, over dive durations of approximately 5 hours each, covered survey tracklines of up to 3.7km at depths varying from "landing" on the underside of the sea-ice to maximum depths of 45m to conduct upward looking multibeam sonar mapping. Ultimately, the vehicle will be capable of both AUV and ROV mode operations at ranges of 10-20km away from the support ship and at up to 2000m water depth (including seafloor as well as under ice operations). During the current cruise, the following major science suites were utilized to prove a range of scientific capabilities of the vehicle in ice-covered oceans: multibeam mapping of rugged topography beneath multi-year sea-ice; video- and digital still photography of the under side of the ice, biota associated with the ice-water interface (algal material) and abundant fauna in the immediately underlying water column (ctenophores, larvaceans, copepods were all notable for their abundance in our study site over the Gakkel Ridge near 83N, 6W). Other scientific activities included: vertical profiles combining CTD data with a suite of biosensors to investigate the structure of primary productivity and biogeochemical cycling in minimally distrubed areas of the sunlit under-ice water column, revealing high stratification associated with
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Science Teacher, 2005
2005-01-01
The current warming trends in the Arctic may shove the Arctic system into a seasonally ice-free state not seen for more than one million years, according to a new report. The melting is accelerating, and researchers were unable to identify any natural processes that might slow the deicing of the Arctic. "What really makes the Arctic different…
Active cycling of organic carbon in the central Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wheeler, Patricia A.; Gosselin, Michel; Sherr, Evelyn; Thibaultc, Delphine; Kirchman, David L.; Benner, Ronald; Whitledge, Terry E.
1996-04-01
THE notion of a barren central Arctic Ocean has been accepted since English's pioneering work1 on drifting ice-islands. The year-round presence of ice, a short photosynthetic season and low temperatures were thought to severely limit biological production1,2, although the paucity of data was often noted. Because primary production appeared to be low1,2, subsequent studies assumed that most organic carbon was either derived from river inputs or imported from adjacent continental-shelf regions3,4. Here we present shipboard measurements of biological produc-tion, biomass and organic carbon standing-stocks made during a cruise through the ice covering the central Arctic Ocean. Our results indicate that the central Arctic region is not a biological desert. Although it is less productive than oligotrophic ocean regions not covered by ice, it supports an active biological community which contributes to the cycling of organic carbon through dissolved and particulate pools.
Future sea ice conditions and weather forecasts in the Arctic: Implications for Arctic shipping.
Gascard, Jean-Claude; Riemann-Campe, Kathrin; Gerdes, Rüdiger; Schyberg, Harald; Randriamampianina, Roger; Karcher, Michael; Zhang, Jinlun; Rafizadeh, Mehrad
2017-12-01
The ability to forecast sea ice (both extent and thickness) and weather conditions are the major factors when it comes to safe marine transportation in the Arctic Ocean. This paper presents findings focusing on sea ice and weather prediction in the Arctic Ocean for navigation purposes, in particular along the Northeast Passage. Based on comparison with the observed sea ice concentrations for validation, the best performing Earth system models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) program (CMIP5-Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5) were selected to provide ranges of potential future sea ice conditions. Our results showed that, despite a general tendency toward less sea ice cover in summer, internal variability will still be large and shipping along the Northeast Passage might still be hampered by sea ice blocking narrow passages. This will make sea ice forecasts on shorter time and space scales and Arctic weather prediction even more important.
Quaternary Sea-ice history in the Arctic Ocean based on a new Ostracode sea-ice proxy
Cronin, T. M.; Gemery, L.; Briggs, W.M.; Jakobsson, M.; Polyak, L.; Brouwers, E.M.
2010-01-01
Paleo-sea-ice history in the Arctic Ocean was reconstructed using the sea-ice dwelling ostracode Acetabulastoma arcticum from late Quaternary sediments from the Mendeleyev, Lomonosov, and Gakkel Ridges, the Morris Jesup Rise and the Yermak Plateau. Results suggest intermittently high levels of perennial sea ice in the central Arctic Ocean during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (25-45 ka), minimal sea ice during the last deglacial (16-11 ka) and early Holocene thermal maximum (11-5 ka) and increasing sea ice during the mid-to-late Holocene (5-0 ka). Sediment core records from the Iceland and Rockall Plateaus show that perennial sea ice existed in these regions only during glacial intervals MIS 2, 4, and 6. These results show that sea ice exhibits complex temporal and spatial variability during different climatic regimes and that the development of modern perennial sea ice may be a relatively recent phenomenon. ?? 2010.
Sediments in Arctic sea ice: Implications for entrainment, transport and release
Nurnberg, D.; Wollenburg, I.; Dethleff, D.; Eicken, H.; Kassens, H.; Letzig, T.; Reimnitz, E.; Thiede, Jorn
1994-01-01
Despite the Arctic sea ice cover's recognized sensitivity to environmental change, the role of sediment inclusions in lowering ice albedo and affecting ice ablation is poorly understood. Sea ice sediment inclusions were studied in the central Arctic Ocean during the Arctic 91 expedition and in the Laptev Sea (East Siberian Arctic Region Expedition 1992). Results from these investigations are here combined with previous studies performed in major areas of ice ablation and the southern central Arctic Ocean. This study documents the regional distribution and composition of particle-laden ice, investigates and evaluates processes by which sediment is incorporated into the ice cover, and identifies transport paths and probable depositional centers for the released sediment. In April 1992, sea ice in the Laptev Sea was relatively clean. The sediment occasionally observed was distributed diffusely over the entire ice column, forming turbid ice. Observations indicate that frazil and anchor ice formation occurring in a large coastal polynya provide a main mechanism for sediment entrainment. In the central Arctic Ocean sediments are concentrated in layers within or at the surface of ice floes due to melting and refreezing processes. The surface sediment accumulation in central Arctic multi-year sea ice exceeds by far the amounts observed in first-year ice from the Laptev Sea in April 1992. Sea ice sediments are generally fine grained, although coarse sediments and stones up to 5 cm in diameter are observed. Component analysis indicates that quartz and clay minerals are the main terrigenous sediment particles. The biogenous components, namely shells of pelecypods and benthic foraminiferal tests, point to a shallow, benthic, marine source area. Apparently, sediment inclusions were resuspended from shelf areas before and incorporated into the sea ice by suspension freezing. Clay mineralogy of ice-rafted sediments provides information on potential source areas. A smectite
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hörner, Tanja; Stein, Rüdiger; Fahl, Kirsten
2017-10-01
The Holocene is characterized by the late Holocene cooling trend as well as by internal short-term centennial fluctuations. Because Arctic sea ice acts as a significant component (amplifier) within the climate system, investigating its past long- and short-term variability and controlling processes is beneficial for future climate predictions. This study presents the first biomarker-based (IP25 and PIP25) sea ice reconstruction from the Kara Sea (core BP00-07/7), covering the last 8 ka. These biomarker proxies reflect conspicuous short-term sea ice variability during the last 6.5 ka that is identified unprecedentedly in the source region of Arctic sea ice by means of a direct sea ice indicator. Prominent peaks of extensive sea ice cover occurred at 3, 2, 1.3 and 0.3 ka. Spectral analysis of the IP25 record revealed 400- and 950-year cycles. These periodicities may be related to the Arctic/North Atlantic Oscillation, but probably also to internal climate system fluctuations. This demonstrates that sea ice belongs to a complex system that more likely depends on multiple internal forcing.
Changes in Arctic Sea Ice Thickness and Floe Size
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhang, J.; Schweiger, A. J. B.; Stern, H. L., III; Steele, M.
2016-12-01
A thickness, floe size, and enthalpy distribution sea ice model was implemented into the Pan-arctic Ice-Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS) by coupling the Zhang et al. [2015] sea ice floe size distribution (FSD) theory with the Thorndike et al. [1975] ice thickness distribution (ITD) theory in order to explicitly simulate multicategory FSD and ITD simultaneously. A range of ice thickness and floe size observations were used for model calibration and validation. The expanded, validated PIOMAS was used to study sea ice response to atmospheric and oceanic changes in the Arctic, focusing on the interannual variability and trends of ice thickness and floe size over the period 1979-2015. It is found that over the study period both ice thickness and floe size have been decreasing steadily in the Arctic. The simulated ice thickness shows considerable spatiotemporal variability in recent years. As the ice cover becomes thinner and weaker, the model simulates an increasing number of small floes (at the low end of the FSD), which affects sea ice properties, particularly in the marginal ice zone.
Annual Cycles of Multiyear Sea Ice Coverage of the Arctic Ocean: 1999-2003
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kwok, R.
2004-01-01
For the years 1999-2003, we estimate the time-varying perennial ice zone (PIZ) coverage and construct the annual cycles of multiyear (MY, including second year) ice coverage of the Arctic Ocean using QuikSCAT backscatter, MY fractions from RADARSAT, and the record of ice export from satellite passive microwave observations. An area balance approach extends the winter MY coverage from QuikSCAT to the remainder of the year. From these estimates, the coverage of MY ice at the beginning of each year is 3774 x 10(exp 3) sq km (2000), 3896 x 10(exp 3) sq km (2001), 4475 x 10(exp 3) sq km (2002), and 4122 x 10(exp 3) sq km (2003). Uncertainties in coverage are approx.150 x 10(exp 3) sq km. In the mean, on 1 January, MY ice covers approx.60% of the Arctic Ocean. Ice export reduces this coverage to approx.55% by 1 May. From the multiple annual cycles, the area of first-year (FY) ice that survives the intervening summers are 1192 x 10(exp 3) sq km (2000), 1509 x 10(exp 3) sq km (2001), and 582 x 10(exp 3) sq km (2002). In order for the MY coverage to remain constant from year to year, these replenishment areas must balance the overall area export and melt during the summer. The effect of the record minimum in Arctic sea ice area during the summer of 2002 is seen in the lowest area of surviving FY ice of the three summers. In addition to the spatial coverage, the location of the PIZ is important. One consequence of the unusual location of the PIZ at the end of the summer of 2002 is the preconditioning for enhanced export of MY ice into the Barents and Kara seas. Differences between the minimums in summer sea ice coverage from our estimates and passive microwave observations are discussed.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Asahi, H.; Nam, S. I.; Stein, R. H.; Mackensen, A.; Son, Y. J.
2017-12-01
The usability of planktic foraminiferal census data in Arctic paleoceanography is limited by the predominance of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral). Though a potential usability of their morphological variation has been suggested by recent studies, its application is restricted to the central part of the Arctic Ocean. Here we present their regional distribution, using 80 surface sediment samples from the central and the western Arctic Ocean. Among seven morphological variations encountered, distinct presence of "large-sized" N. pachyderma morphotypes at the summer sea-ice edge in the western Arctic demonstrates its strong potential as sea-ice distribution indicator. Based on their regional patterns, we further developed planktic foraminifer (PF)-based transfer functions (TFs) to reconstruct summer surface-water temperature, salinity and sea-ice concentration in the western and central Arctic. The comparison of sea-ice reconstructions by PF-based TF to other pre-existed approaches showed their recognizable advantages/disadvantages: the PF-based approach in the nearby/within heavily ice-covered region, the dinocyst-based approach in the extensively seasonal ice retreat region, and the IP25-based approach with overall reflection over a wide range of sea-ice coverage, which is likely attributed to their (a) taphonomical information-loss, (b) different seasonal production patterns or combination of both. The application of these TFs on a sediment core from Northwind Ridge suggests general warming, freshening, and sea-ice reduction after 6.0 ka. This generally agrees with PF stable isotope records and sea-ice reconstructions from dinocyst-based TF at proximal locations, indicating that the sea-ice behavior at the Northwind Ridge is notably different from the IP25-based sea-ice reconstructions reported from elsewhere in the Arctic Ocean. Lack of regional coverage of PF-based reconstructions hampers further discussion whether the observed inconsistency is simply
Arctic sea-ice variability and its implication to the path of pollutants under a changing climate
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Castro-Morales, K.; Gerdes, R.; Riemann-Campe, K.; Köberle, C.; Losch, M.
2012-04-01
The increasing concentration of pollutants from anthropogenic origin in the Arctic atmosphere, water, sediments and biota has been evident during the last decade. The sea-ice is an important vehicle for pollutants in the Arctic Ocean. Pollutants are taken up by precipitation and dry atmospheric deposition over the snow and ice cover during winter and released to the ocean during melting. Recent changes in the sea-ice cover of the Arctic Ocean affect the fresh water balance and the oceanic circulation, and with it, the fate of pollutants in the system. The Arctic Ocean is characterized by complex dynamics and strong stratification. Thus, to evaluate the current and future changes in the Arctic circulation high-resolution models are needed. As part of the EU FP7 project ArcRisk (under the scope of the IPY), we use a high resolution regional sea-ice-ocean coupled model covering the Arctic Ocean and the subpolar North Atlantic based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - circulation model (MITgcm). Under realistic atmospheric forcing we obtain hindcast results of circulation patterns for the period 1990 - 2010 for validation of the model. We evaluate possible consequences on the pathways and transport of contaminants by downscaling future climate scenario runs available in the coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP3) for the following fifty years. Particular interest is set in the Barents Sea. In this shallow region strong river runoff, sea-ice delivered from the interior of the Arctic Ocean and warm waters from the North Atlantic current are main sources of contaminants. Under a changing climate, a higher input of contaminants delivered to surface waters is expected, remaining in the interior of the Arctic Ocean in a strongly stratified water column remaining.
Arctic sea ice in the global eddy-permitting ocean reanalysis ORAP5
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tietsche, Steffen; Balmaseda, Magdalena A.; Zuo, Hao; Mogensen, Kristian
2017-08-01
We discuss the state of Arctic sea ice in the global eddy-permitting ocean reanalysis Ocean ReAnalysis Pilot 5 (ORAP5). Among other innovations, ORAP5 now assimilates observations of sea ice concentration using a univariate 3DVar-FGAT scheme. We focus on the period 1993-2012 and emphasize the evaluation of model performance with respect to recent observations of sea ice thickness. We find that sea ice concentration in ORAP5 is close to assimilated observations, with root mean square analysis residuals of less than 5 % in most regions. However, larger discrepancies exist for the Labrador Sea and east of Greenland during winter owing to biases in the free-running model. Sea ice thickness is evaluated against three different observational data sets that have sufficient spatial and temporal coverage: ICESat, IceBridge and SMOSIce. Large-scale features like the gradient between the thickest ice in the Canadian Arctic and thinner ice in the Siberian Arctic are simulated well by ORAP5. However, some biases remain. Of special note is the model's tendency to accumulate too thick ice in the Beaufort Gyre. The root mean square error of ORAP5 sea ice thickness with respect to ICESat observations is 1.0 m, which is on par with the well-established PIOMAS model sea ice reconstruction. Interannual variability and trend of sea ice volume in ORAP5 also compare well with PIOMAS and ICESat estimates. We conclude that, notwithstanding a relatively simple sea ice data assimilation scheme, the overall state of Arctic sea ice in ORAP5 is in good agreement with observations and will provide useful initial conditions for predictions.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Graham, R. M.; Itkin, P.; Granskog, M. A.; Assmy, P.; Cohen, L.; Duarte, P.; Doble, M. J.; Fransson, A.; Fer, I.; Fernandez Mendez, M.; Frey, M. M.; Gerland, S.; Haapala, J. J.; Hudson, S. R.; Liston, G. E.; Merkouriadi, I.; Meyer, A.; Muilwijk, M.; Peterson, A.; Provost, C.; Randelhoff, A.; Rösel, A.; Spreen, G.; Steen, H.; Smedsrud, L. H.; Sundfjord, A.
2017-12-01
To study the thinner and younger sea ice that now dominates the Arctic the Norwegian Young Sea ICE expedition (N-ICE2015) was launched in the ice-covered region north of Svalbard, from January to June 2015. During this time, eight local and remote storms affected the region and rare direct observations of the atmosphere, snow, ice and ocean were conducted. Six of these winter storms passed directly over the expedition and resulted in air temperatures rising from below -30oC to near 0oC, followed by abrupt cooling. Substantial snowfall prior to the campaign had already formed a snow pack of approximately 50 cm, to which the February storms contributed an additional 6 cm. The deep snow layer effectively isolated the ice cover and prevented bottom ice growth resulting in low brine fluxes. Peak wind speeds during winter storms exceeded 20 m/s, causing strong snow re-distribution, release of sea salt aerosol and sea ice deformation. The heavy snow load caused widespread negative freeboard; during sea ice deformation events, level ice floes were flooded by sea water, and at least 6-10 cm snow-ice layer was formed. Elevated deformation rates during the most powerful winter storms damaged the ice cover permanently such that the response to wind forcing increased by 60 %. As a result of a remote storm in April deformation processes opened about 4 % of the total area into leads with open water, while a similar amount of ice was deformed into pressure ridges. The strong winds also enhanced ocean mixing and increased ocean heat fluxes three-fold in the pycnocline from 4 to 12 W/m2. Ocean heat fluxes were extremely large (over 300 W/m2) during storms in regions where the warm Atlantic inflow is located close to surface over shallow topography. This resulted in very large (5-25 cm/day) bottom ice melt and in cases flooding due to heavy snow load. Storm events increased the carbon dioxide exchange between the atmosphere and ocean but also affected the pCO2 in surface waters
Calcareous microfossil-based orbital cyclostratigraphy in the Arctic Ocean
Marzen, Rachel; DeNinno, Lauren H.; Cronin, Thomas M.
2016-01-01
Microfaunal and geochemical proxies from marine sediment records from central Arctic Ocean (CAO) submarine ridges suggest a close relationship over the last 550 thousand years (kyr) between orbital-scale climatic oscillations, sea-ice cover, marine biological productivity and other parameters. Multiple paleoclimate proxies record glacial to interglacial cycles. To understand the climate-cryosphere-productivity relationship, we examined the cyclostratigraphy of calcareous microfossils and constructed a composite Arctic Paleoclimate Index (API) "stack" from benthic foraminiferal and ostracode density from 14 sediment cores. Following the hypothesis that API is driven mainly by changes in sea-ice related productivity, the API stack shows the Arctic experienced a series of highly productive interglacials and interstadials every ∼20 kyr. These periods signify minimal ice shelf and sea-ice cover and maximum marine productivity. Rapid transitions in productivity are seen during shifts from interglacial to glacial climate states. Discrepancies between the Arctic API curves and various global climatic, sea-level and ice-volume curves suggest abrupt growth and decay of Arctic ice shelves related to climatic and sea level oscillations.
Modeling ocean wave propagation under sea ice covers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhao, Xin; Shen, Hayley H.; Cheng, Sukun
2015-02-01
Operational ocean wave models need to work globally, yet current ocean wave models can only treat ice-covered regions crudely. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of ice effects on wave propagation and different research methodology used in studying these effects. Based on its proximity to land or sea, sea ice can be classified as: landfast ice zone, shear zone, and the marginal ice zone. All ice covers attenuate wave energy. Only long swells can penetrate deep into an ice cover. Being closest to open water, wave propagation in the marginal ice zone is the most complex to model. The physical appearance of sea ice in the marginal ice zone varies. Grease ice, pancake ice, brash ice, floe aggregates, and continuous ice sheet may be found in this zone at different times and locations. These types of ice are formed under different thermal-mechanical forcing. There are three classic models that describe wave propagation through an idealized ice cover: mass loading, thin elastic plate, and viscous layer models. From physical arguments we may conjecture that mass loading model is suitable for disjoint aggregates of ice floes much smaller than the wavelength, thin elastic plate model is suitable for a continuous ice sheet, and the viscous layer model is suitable for grease ice. For different sea ice types we may need different wave ice interaction models. A recently proposed viscoelastic model is able to synthesize all three classic models into one. Under suitable limiting conditions it converges to the three previous models. The complete theoretical framework for evaluating wave propagation through various ice covers need to be implemented in the operational ocean wave models. In this review, we introduce the sea ice types, previous wave ice interaction models, wave attenuation mechanisms, the methods to calculate wave reflection and transmission between different ice covers, and the effect of ice floe breaking on shaping the sea ice morphology
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stein, R. H.; Hörner, T.; Fahl, K.
2014-12-01
Here, we provide a high-resolution reconstruction of sea-ice cover variations in the western Laptev Sea, a crucial area in terms of sea-ice production in the Arctic Ocean and a region characterized by huge river discharge. Furthermore, the shallow Laptev Sea was strongly influenced by the post-glacial sea-level rise that should also be reflected in the sedimentary records. The sea Ice Proxy IP25 (Highly-branched mono-isoprenoid produced by sea-ice algae; Belt et al., 2007) was measured in two sediment cores from the western Laptev Sea (PS51/154, PS51/159) that offer a high-resolution composite record over the last 18 ka. In addition, sterols are applied as indicator for marine productivity (brassicasterol, dinosterol) and input of terrigenous organic matter by river discharge into the ocean (campesterol, ß-sitosterol). The sea-ice cover varies distinctly during the whole time period and shows a general increase in the Late Holocene. A maximum in IP25 concentration can be found during the Younger Dryas. This sharp increase can be observed in the whole circumarctic realm (Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, Fram Strait and Laptev Sea). Interestingly, there is no correlation between elevated numbers of ice-rafted debris (IRD) interpreted as local ice-cap expansions (Taldenkova et al. 2010), and sea ice cover distribution. The transgression and flooding of the shelf sea that occurred over the last 16 ka in this region, is reflected by decreasing terrigenous (riverine) input, reflected in the strong decrease in sterol (ß-sitosterol and campesterol) concentrations. ReferencesBelt, S.T., Massé, G., Rowland, S.J., Poulin, M., Michel, C., LeBlanc, B., 2007. A novel chemical fossil of palaeo sea ice: IP25. Organic Geochemistry 38 (1), 16e27. Taldenkova, E., Bauch, H.A., Gottschalk, J., Nikolaev, S., Rostovtseva, Yu., Pogodina, I., Ya, Ovsepyan, Kandiano, E., 2010. History of ice-rafting and water mass evolution at the northern Siberian continental margin (Laptev Sea) during Late
Shallow methylmercury production in the marginal sea ice zone of the central Arctic Ocean
Heimbürger, Lars-Eric; Sonke, Jeroen E.; Cossa, Daniel; Point, David; Lagane, Christelle; Laffont, Laure; Galfond, Benjamin T.; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; van der Loeff, Michiel Rutgers
2015-01-01
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxic compound that threatens wildlife and human health across the Arctic region. Though much is known about the source and dynamics of its inorganic mercury (Hg) precursor, the exact origin of the high MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota remains uncertain. Arctic coastal sediments, coastal marine waters and surface snow are known sites for MeHg production. Observations on marine Hg dynamics, however, have been restricted to the Canadian Archipelago and the Beaufort Sea (<79°N). Here we present the first central Arctic Ocean (79–90°N) profiles for total mercury (tHg) and MeHg. We find elevated tHg and MeHg concentrations in the marginal sea ice zone (81–85°N). Similar to other open ocean basins, Arctic MeHg concentration maxima also occur in the pycnocline waters, but at much shallower depths (150–200 m). The shallow MeHg maxima just below the productive surface layer possibly result in enhanced biological uptake at the base of the Arctic marine food web and may explain the elevated MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota. We suggest that Arctic warming, through thinning sea ice, extension of the seasonal sea ice zone, intensified surface ocean stratification and shifts in plankton ecodynamics, will likely lead to higher marine MeHg production. PMID:25993348
Shallow methylmercury production in the marginal sea ice zone of the central Arctic Ocean.
Heimbürger, Lars-Eric; Sonke, Jeroen E; Cossa, Daniel; Point, David; Lagane, Christelle; Laffont, Laure; Galfond, Benjamin T; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; van der Loeff, Michiel Rutgers
2015-05-20
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxic compound that threatens wildlife and human health across the Arctic region. Though much is known about the source and dynamics of its inorganic mercury (Hg) precursor, the exact origin of the high MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota remains uncertain. Arctic coastal sediments, coastal marine waters and surface snow are known sites for MeHg production. Observations on marine Hg dynamics, however, have been restricted to the Canadian Archipelago and the Beaufort Sea (<79 °N). Here we present the first central Arctic Ocean (79-90 °N) profiles for total mercury (tHg) and MeHg. We find elevated tHg and MeHg concentrations in the marginal sea ice zone (81-85 °N). Similar to other open ocean basins, Arctic MeHg concentration maxima also occur in the pycnocline waters, but at much shallower depths (150-200 m). The shallow MeHg maxima just below the productive surface layer possibly result in enhanced biological uptake at the base of the Arctic marine food web and may explain the elevated MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota. We suggest that Arctic warming, through thinning sea ice, extension of the seasonal sea ice zone, intensified surface ocean stratification and shifts in plankton ecodynamics, will likely lead to higher marine MeHg production.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Livsey, C.; Spero, H. J.; Kozdon, R.
2016-12-01
The impacts of sea ice decrease and consequent hydrologic changes in the Arctic Ocean will be experienced globally as ocean and atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, though it is not evident to what extent. Understanding the structure of the Arctic water column during the early/mid Holocene sea ice minimum ( 6-10 kya), a post-glacial analogue of a seasonally ice-free Arctic, will help us to predict what the changes we can expect as the Earth warms over the next century. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral; Nps) is a species of planktonic foraminifera that dominates assemblages in the polar oceans. This species grows its chambers (ontogenetic calcite) in the surface waters and subsequently descends through the water column to below the mixed layer where it quickly adds a thick crust of calcite (Kohfeld et al., 1996). Therefore, geochemical signals from both the surface waters and sub-mixed layer depths are captured within single Nps shells. We were able to target <5 μm - sized domains for δ18O using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), therefore capturing signals from both the ontogenetic and crust calcite in single Nps shells. This data was combined with laser ablation- inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) Mg/Ca profiles of trace metals through the two layers of calcite of the same shells, to determine the thermal structure of the water column. Combining δ18O, temperature, and salinity gradients from locations across the Arctic basin allow us to reconstruct the hydrography of the early Holocene Arctic sea ice minimum. These results will be compared with modern Arctic water column characteristics in order to develop a conceptual model of Arctic Ocean oceanographic change due to global warming. Kohfeld, K.E., Fairbanks, R.G., Smith, S.L., Walsh, I.D., 1996. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma(sinistral coiling) as paleoceanographic tracers in polar oceans: Evidence from northeast water polynya plankton tows, sediment traps, and surface sediments
Acquiring Marine Data in the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hutchinson, Deborah R.; Jackson, H. Ruth; Shimeld, John W.; Chapman, C. Borden; Childs, Jonathan R.; Funck, Thomas; Rowland, Robert W.
2009-06-01
Despite the record minimum ice extent in the Arctic Ocean for the past 2 years, collecting geophysical data with towed sensors in ice-covered regions continues to pose enormous challenges. Significant parts of the Canada Basin in the western Arctic Ocean have remained largely unmapped because thick multiyear ice has limited access even by research vessels strengthened against ice [Jackson et al., 1990]. Because of the resulting paucity of data, the western Arctic Ocean is one of the few areas of ocean in the world where major controversies still exist with respect to its origin and tectonic evolution [Grantz et al., 1990; Lawver and Scotese, 1990; Lane, 1997; Miller et al., 2006]. This article describes the logistical challenges and initial data sets from geophysical seismic reflection, seismic refraction, and hydrographic surveys in the Canada Basin conducted by scientists with U.S. and Canadian government agencies (Figure 1a) to fulfill the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to determine sediment thickness, geological origin, and basin evolution in this unexplored part of the world. Some of these data were collected using a single ship, but the heaviest ice conditions necessitated using two icebreakers, similar to other recent Arctic surveys [e.g., Jokat, 2003].
Under-ice melt ponds in the Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Smith, Naomi; Flocco, Daniela; Feltham, Daniel
2017-04-01
In the summer months, melt water from the surface of the Arctic sea ice can percolate down through the ice and flow out of its base. This water is relatively warm and fresh compared to the ocean water beneath it, and so it floats between the ice and the oceanic mixed layer, forming pools of melt water called under-ice melt ponds. Double diffusion can lead to the formation of a sheet of ice, which is called a false bottom, at the interface between the fresh water and the ocean. These false bottoms isolate under-ice melt ponds from the ocean below, trapping the fresh water against the sea ice. These ponds and false bottoms have been estimated to cover between 5 and 40% of the base of the sea ice. [Notz et al. Journal of Geophysical Research 2003] We have developed a one-dimensional thermodynamic model of sea ice underlain by an under-ice melt pond and false bottom. Not only has this allowed us to simulate the evolution of under-ice melt ponds over time, identifying an alternative outcome than previously observed in the field, but sensitivity studies have helped us to estimate the impact that these pools of fresh water have on the mass-balance sea ice. We have also found evidence of a possible positive feedback cycle whereby increasingly less ice growth is seen due to the presence of under-ice melt ponds as the Arctic warms. Since the rate of basal ablation is affected by these phenomena, their presence alters the salt and freshwater fluxes from the sea ice into the ocean. We have coupled our under-ice melt pond model to a simple model of the oceanic mixed layer to determine how this affects mixed layer properties such as temperature, salinity, and depth. In turn, this changes the oceanic forcing reaching the sea ice.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Loose, B.; Kelly, R. P.; Bigdeli, A.; Moran, S. B.
2014-12-01
The polar sea ice zones are regions of high primary productivity and interior water mass formation. Consequently, the seasonal sea ice cycle appears important to both the solubility and biological carbon pumps. To estimate net CO2 transfer in the sea ice zone, we require accurate estimates of the air-sea gas transfer velocity. In the open ocean, the gas transfer velocity is driven by wind, waves and bubbles - all of which are strongly altered by the presence of sea ice, making it difficult to translate open ocean estimates of gas transfer to the ice zone. In this study, we present profiles of 222Rn and 226Ra throughout the mixed-layer and euphotic zone. Profiles were collected spanning a range of sea ice cover conditions from 40 to 100%. The profiles of Rn/Ra can be used to estimate the gas transfer velocity, but the 3.8 day half-life of 222Rn implies that mixed layer radon will have a memory of the past ~20 days of gas exchange forcing, which may include a range of sea ice cover conditions. Here, we compare individual estimates of the gas transfer velocity to the turbulent forcing conditions constrained from shipboard and regional reanalysis data to more appropriately capture the time history upper ocean Rn/Ra.
Diminishing sea ice in the western Arctic Ocean
Stone, R.S.; Belchansky, G.I.; Drobot, Sheldon; Douglas, David C.; Levinson, D.H.; Waple, A.M.
2004-01-01
Since the advent of satellite passive microwave radiometry (1978), variations in sea ice extent and concentration have been carefully monitored from space. An estimated 7.4% decrease in sea ice extent has occurred in the last 25 yr (Johannessen et al. 2004), with recent record minima (e.g., Maslanik et al. 1999; Serreze et al. 2003) accounting for much of the decline. Comparisons between the time series of Arctic sea ice melt dynamics and snowmelt dates at the NOAA–CMDL Barrow Observatory (BRW) reveal intriguing correlations.Melt-onset dates over sea ice (Drobot and Anderson 2001) were cross correlated with the melt-date time series from BRW, and a prominent region of high correlation between snowmelt onset over sea ice and the BRW record of melt dates was approximately aligned with the climatological center of the Beaufort Sea Anticyclone (BSA). The BSA induces anticyclonic ice motion in the region, effectively forcing the Beaufort gyre. A weak gyre caused by a breakdown of the BSA diminishes transport of multiyear ice into this region (Drobot and Maslanik 2003). Similarly, the annual snow cycle at BRW varies with the position and intensity of the BSA (Stone et al. 2002, their Fig. 6). Thus, variations in the BSA appear to have far-reaching effects on the annual accumulation and subsequent melt of snow over a large region of the western Arctic.A dramatic increase in melt season duration (Belchansky et al. 2004) was also observed within the same region of high correlation between onset of melt over the ice pack and snowmelt at BRW (Fig. 5.7). By inference, this suggests linkages between factors that modulate the annual cycle of snow on land and processes that influence melting of snow and ice in the western Arctic Ocean.
Examining Differences in Arctic and Antarctic Sea Ice Change
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nghiem, S. V.; Rigor, I. G.; Clemente-Colon, P.; Neumann, G.; Li, P.
2015-12-01
The paradox of the rapid reduction of Arctic sea ice versus the stability (or slight increase) of Antarctic sea ice remains a challenge in the cryospheric science research community. Here we start by reviewing a number of explanations that have been suggested by different researchers and authors. One suggestion is that stratospheric ozone depletion may affect atmospheric circulation and wind patterns such as the Southern Annular Mode, and thereby sustaining the Antarctic sea ice cover. The reduction of salinity and density in the near-surface layer may weaken the convective mixing of cold and warmer waters, and thus maintaining regions of no warming around the Antarctic. A decrease in sea ice growth may reduce salt rejection and upper-ocean density to enhance thermohalocline stratification, and thus supporting Antarctic sea ice production. Melt water from Antarctic ice shelves collects in a cool and fresh surface layer to shield the surface ocean from the warmer deeper waters, and thus leading to an expansion of Antarctic sea ice. Also, wind effects may positively contribute to Antarctic sea ice growth. Moreover, Antarctica lacks of additional heat sources such as warm river discharge to melt sea ice as opposed to the case in the Arctic. Despite of these suggested explanations, factors that can consistently and persistently maintains the stability of sea ice still need to be identified for the Antarctic, which are opposed to factors that help accelerate sea ice loss in the Arctic. In this respect, using decadal observations from multiple satellite datasets, we examine differences in sea ice properties and distributions, together with dynamic and thermodynamic processes and interactions with land, ocean, and atmosphere, causing differences in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice change to contribute to resolving the Arctic-Antarctic sea ice paradox.
Springtime atmospheric transport controls Arctic summer sea-ice extent
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kapsch, Marie; Graversen, Rune; Tjernström, Michael
2013-04-01
The sea-ice extent in the Arctic has been steadily decreasing during the satellite remote sensing era, 1979 to present, with the highest rate of retreat found in September. Contributing factors causing the ice retreat are among others: changes in surface air temperature (SAT; Lindsay and Zhang, 2005), ice circulation in response to winds/pressure patterns (Overland et al., 2008) and ocean currents (Comiso et al., 2008), as well as changes in radiative fluxes (e.g. due to changes in cloud cover; Francis and Hunter, 2006; Maksimovich and Vihma, 2012) and ocean conditions. However, large interannual variability is superimposed onto the declining trend - the ice extent by the end of the summer varies by several million square kilometer between successive years (Serreze et al., 2007). But what are the processes causing the year-to-year ice variability? A comparison of years with an anomalously large September sea-ice extent (HIYs - high ice years) with years showing an anomalously small ice extent (LIYs - low ice years) reveals that the ice variability is most pronounced in the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia (which became almost entirely ice free in September of 2007 and 2012). Significant ice-concentration anomalies of up to 30% are observed for LIYs and HIYs in this area. Focusing on this area we find that the greenhouse effect associated with clouds and water-vapor in spring is crucial for the development of the sea ice during the subsequent months. In years where the end-of-summer sea-ice extent is well below normal, a significantly enhanced transport of humid air is evident during spring into the region where the ice retreat is encountered. The anomalous convergence of humidity increases the cloudiness, resulting in an enhancement of the greenhouse effect. As a result, downward longwave radiation at the surface is larger than usual. In mid May, when the ice anomaly begins to appear and the surface albedo therefore becomes anomalously low, the net shortwave radiation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rabe, Benjamin; Janout, Markus; Graupner, Rainer; Hoelemann, Jens; Hampe, Hendrik; Hoppmann, Mario; Horn, Myriel; Juhls, Bennet; Korhonen, Meri; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Pisarev, Sergey; Randelhoff, Achim; Savy, Jean-Philippe; Villacieros Robineau, Nicolas
2017-04-01
The Arctic Ocean is generally assumed to be fairly quiescent when compared to many other oceans. The sea-ice cover, a strong halocline and a shallow, cold mixed-layer prevents much of the ocean to be affected by atmospheric conditions and properties of the ocean mixed-layer. In turn, the mixed-layer and the sea-ice is largely isolated from the warm layer of Atlantic origin below by the lower halocline. Yet, the content of heat, freshwater and biologically important nutrients differs strongly between these different layers. Hence, it is crucial to be able to estimate vertical fluxes of salt, heat and nutrients to understand variability in the upper Arctic Ocean and the sea-ice, including the ecosystem. Yet, it is difficult to obtain direct flux measurements, and estimates are sparse. We present several sets of under-ice turbulent microstructure profiles in the Eurasian and Makarov Basin of the Arctic Ocean from two expeditions, in 2015. These cover melt during late spring north of Svalbard and freeze-up during late summer / autumn across the Eurasian and Makarov basins. Our results are presented against a background of the anomalously warm atmospheric conditions during summer 2015 followed by unusually low temperatures in September. 4 - 24 h averages of the measurements generally show elevated dissipation rates at the base of the mixed-layer. We found highest levels of dissipation near the Eurasian continental slope and smaller peaks in the profiles where Bering Sea Summer Water (sBSW) lead to additional stratification within the upper halocline in the Makarov Basin. The elevated levels of dissipation associated with sBSW and the base of the mixed-layer were associated with the relatively low levels of vertical eddy diffusivity. We discuss these findings in the light of the anomalous conditions in the upper ocean, sea-ice and the atmosphere during 2015 and present estimates of vertical fluxes of heat, salt and other dissolved substances measured in water samples.
Mitigation implications of an ice-free summer in the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
González-Eguino, Mikel; Neumann, Marc B.; Arto, Iñaki; Capellán-Perez, Iñigo; Faria, Sérgio H.
2017-01-01
The rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic is one of the most striking manifestations of climate change. As sea ice melts, more open water is exposed to solar radiation, absorbing heat and generating a sea-ice-albedo feedback that reinforces Arctic warming. Recent studies stress the significance of this feedback mechanism and suggest that ice-free summer conditions in the Arctic Ocean may occur faster than previously expected, even under low-emissions pathways. Here we use an integrated assessment model to explore the implications of a potentially rapid sea-ice-loss process. We consider a scenario leading to a full month free of sea ice in September 2050, followed by three potential trajectories afterward: partial recovery, stabilization, and continued loss of sea ice. We analyze how these scenarios affect the efforts to keep global temperature increase below 2°C. Our results show that sea-ice melting in the Arctic requires more stringent mitigation efforts globally. We find that global CO2 emissions would need to reach zero levels 5-15 years earlier and that the carbon budget would need to be reduced by 20%-51% to offset this additional source of warming. The extra mitigation effort would imply an 18%-59% higher mitigation cost to society. Our results also show that to achieve the 1.5°C target in the presence of ice-free summers negative emissions would be needed. This study highlights the need for a better understanding of how the rapid changes observed in the Arctic may impact our society.
Biological response to climate change in the Arctic Ocean: The view from the past
Cronin, Thomas M.; Cronin, Matthew A.
2017-01-01
The Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid climatic changes including higher ocean temperatures, reduced sea ice, glacier and Greenland Ice Sheet melting, greater marine productivity, and altered carbon cycling. Until recently, the relationship between climate and Arctic biological systems was poorly known, but this has changed substantially as advances in paleoclimatology, micropaleontology, vertebrate paleontology, and molecular genetics show that Arctic ecosystem history reflects global and regional climatic changes over all timescales and climate states (103–107 years). Arctic climatic extremes include 25°C hyperthermal periods during the Paleocene-Eocene (56–46 million years ago, Ma), Quaternary glacial periods when thick ice shelves and sea ice cover rendered the Arctic Ocean nearly uninhabitable, seasonally sea-ice-free interglacials and abrupt climate reversals. Climate-driven biological impacts included large changes in species diversity, primary productivity, species’ geographic range shifts into and out of the Arctic, community restructuring, and possible hybridization, but evidence is not sufficient to determine whether or when major episodes of extinction occurred.
Global View of the Arctic Ocean
2000-09-20
NASA researchers have new [sic] insights into the mysteries of Arctic sea ice, thanks to the unique abilities of Canada's Radarsat satellite. The Arctic is the smallest of the world's four oceans, but it may play a large role in helping scientists monitor Earth's climate shifts. Using Radarsat's special sensors to take images at night and to peer through clouds, NASA researchers can now see the complete ice cover of the Arctic. This allows tracking of any shifts and changes, in unprecedented detail, over the course of an entire winter. The radar-generated, high-resolution images are up to 100 times better than those taken by previous satellites. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02970
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sackinger, W.M.; Jeffries, M.O.; Lu, M.C.
1988-01-01
The development of offshore oil and gas resources in the Arctic waters of Alaska requires offshore structures which successfully resist the lateral forces due to moving, drifting ice. Ice islands are floating, a tabular icebergs, up to 60 meters thick, of solid ice throughout their thickness. The ice islands are thus regarded as the strongest ice features in the Arctic; fixed offshore structures which can directly withstand the impact of ice islands are possible but in some locations may be so expensive as to make oilfield development uneconomic. The resolution of the ice island problem requires two research steps: (1)more » calculation of the probability of interaction between an ice island and an offshore structure in a given region; and (2) if the probability if sufficiently large, then the study of possible interactions between ice island and structure, to discover mitigative measures to deal with the moving ice island. The ice island research conducted during the 1983-1988 interval, which is summarized in this report, was concerned with the first step. Monte Carlo simulations of ice island generation and movement suggest that ice island lifetimes range from 0 to 70 years, and that 85% of the lifetimes are less then 35 years. The simulation shows a mean value of 18 ice islands present at any time in the Arctic Ocean, with a 90% probability of less than 30 ice islands. At this time, approximately 34 ice islands are known, from observations, to exist in the Arctic Ocean, not including the 10-meter thick class of ice islands. Return interval plots from the simulation show that coastal zones of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, already leased for oil development, have ice island recurrences of 10 to 100 years. This implies that the ice island hazard must be considered thoroughly, and appropriate safety measures adopted, when offshore oil production plans are formulated for the Alaskan Arctic offshore. 132 refs., 161 figs., 17 tabs.« less
Predicting the Arctic Ocean Environment in the 21st century
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Aksenov, Yevgeny; Popova, Ekaterina; Yool, Andrew; Nurser, George
2015-04-01
Recent environmental changes in the Arctic have clearly demonstrated that climate change is faster and more vigorously in the Polar Regions than anywhere else. Significantly, change in the Arctic Ocean (AO) environment presents a variety of impacts, from ecological to social-economic and political. Mitigation of this change and adaptation to it requires detailed and robust environmental predictions. Here we present a detailed projection of ocean circulation and sea ice from the present until 2099, based on an eddy-permitting high-resolution global simulation of the NEMO ¼ degree ocean model. The model is forced at the surface with HadGEM2-ES atmosphere model output from the UK Met. Office IPCC Assessment Report 5 (AR5) Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. The HadGEM2-ES simulations span 1860-2099 and are one of an ensemble of runs performed for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) and IPCC AR5. Between 2000-2009 and 2090-2099 the AO experiences a significant warming, with sea surface temperature increasing on average by about 4° C, particularly in the Barents and Kara Seas, and in the Greenland Sea and Hudson Bay. By the end of the simulation, Arctic sea ice has an average annual thickness of less than 10 cm in the central AO, and less than 0.5 m in the East-Siberian Sea and Canadian Archipelago, and disappears entirely during the Arctic summer. In summer, opening of large areas of the Arctic Ocean to the wind and surface waves leads to the Arctic pack ice cover evolving into the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ). In winter, sea ice persists until the 2030s; then it sharply declines and disappears from the Central Arctic Ocean by the end of the 21st century, with MIZ provinces remaining in winter along the Siberian, Alaskan coasts and in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Analysis of the AO circulation reveals evidence of (i) the reversal of the Arctic boundary currents in the Canadian Basin, from a weak cyclonic current in 2040-2049 to
2007-09-01
ARCTIC SEA ICE RESEARCH The effects of global warming on the Arctic Ocean finally gained the American public’s full attention in early 2007 with the...Arctic (Brass, 2002). The observed global warming trend is most pronounced in the higher latitudes due to an effect known as the snow/ice-albedo...due to increased melting thus exposing greater areas of lower albedo land and open water areas. The effect of global warming will result in a
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Eucker, W.; McGillivary, P. A.
2012-12-01
traffic and ice conditions concurrently, but also to demonstrate a new method of ocean monitoring based on daily assimilation, data fusion, and integrated visualization of satellite ice remote sensing data and S-AIS ship data. In the future, as Arctic ship traffic and cryosphere sea ice cover variability are both expected to increase, this method can provide near real-time physical data on global climate change and human dimensions of ocean use of to guide policies addressing arctic resource management, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, oil spill response, and issues such as ship noise impacts on marine mammals, and whale-ship collision avoidance. An internationally agreed implementation of this methodology would benefit ships operating in the Arctic and advance sustainable use of the Arctic Ocean.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dukhovskoy, D. S.; Chassignet, E. P.; Hogan, P. J.; Metzger, E. J.; Posey, P.; Smedstad, O. M.; Stefanova, L. B.; Wallcraft, A. J.
2016-12-01
The great potential of numerical models to provide a high-resolution continuous picture of the environmental characteristics of the Arctic system is related to the problem of reliability and accuracy of the simulations. Recent Arctic Ocean model intercomparison projects have identified substantial disagreements in water mass distribution and circulation among the models over the last two decades. In situ and satellite observations cannot yield enough continuous in time and space information to interpret the observed changes in the Arctic system. Observations combined with Arctic Ocean models via data assimilation provide perhaps the most complete knowledge about the state of the Arctic system. We use outputs from the US Navy Global Ocean Forecast System (20-year reanalysis + analysis) to investigate several hypotheses that have been put forward regarding the current state and recent changes in the Arctic Ocean. The system is based on the 0.08-degree HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and can be run with two-way coupling to the Los Alamos Community Ice CodE (CICE) or with an energy-loan ice model. Observations are assimilated by the Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation (NCODA) algorithm. HYCOM temperature and salinity fields are shown to be in good agreement with observational data in the Arctic and North Atlantic. The model reproduces changes in the freshwater budget in the Arctic as reported in other studies. The modeled freshwater fluxes between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic are analyzed to document and discuss the interaction between the two regions over the last two decades.
A 600-ka Arctic sea-ice record from Mendeleev Ridge based on ostracodes
Cronin, Thomas M.; Polyak, L.V.; Reed, D.; Kandiano, E. S.; Marzen, R. E.; Council, E. A.
2013-01-01
Arctic paleoceanography and sea-ice history were reconstructed from epipelagic and benthic ostracodes from a sediment core (HLY0503-06JPC, 800 m water depth) located on the Mendeleev Ridge, Western Arctic Ocean. The calcareous microfaunal record (ostracodes and foraminifers) covers several glacial/interglacial cycles back to estimated Marine Isotope Stage 13 (MIS 13, ∼500 ka) with an average sedimentation rate of ∼0.5 cm/ka for most of the stratigraphy (MIS 5–13). Results based on ostracode assemblages and an unusual planktic foraminiferal assemblage in MIS 11 dominated by a temperate-water species Turborotalita egelida show that extreme interglacial warmth, high surface ocean productivity, and possibly open ocean convection characterized MIS 11 and MIS 13 (∼400 and 500 ka, respectively). A major shift in western Arctic Ocean environments toward perennial sea ice occurred after MIS 11 based on the distribution of an ice-dwelling ostracode Acetabulastoma arcticum. Spectral analyses of the ostracode assemblages indicate sea ice and mid-depth ocean circulation in western Arctic Ocean varied primarily at precessional (∼22 ka) and obliquity (∼40 ka) frequencies.
Influence of sea ice on Arctic coasts
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barnhart, K. R.; Kay, J. E.; Overeem, I.; Anderson, R. S.
2017-12-01
Coasts form the dynamic interface between the terrestrial and oceanic systems. In the Arctic, and in much of the world, the coast is a focal point for population, infrastructure, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. A key difference between Arctic and temperate coasts is the presence of sea ice. Changes in sea ice cover can influence the coast because (1) the length of the sea ice-free season controls the time over which nearshore water can interact with the land, and (2) the location of the sea ice edge controls the fetch over which storm winds can interact with open ocean water, which in turn governs nearshore water level and wave field. We first focus on the interaction of sea ice and ice-rich coasts. We combine satellite records of sea ice with a model for wind-driven storm surge and waves to estimate how changes in the sea ice-free season have impacted the nearshore hydrodynamic environment along Alaska's Beaufort Sea Coast for the period 1979-2012. This region has experienced some of the greatest changes in both sea ice cover and coastal erosion rates in the Arctic: the median length of the open-water season has expanded by 90 percent, while coastal erosion rates have more than doubled from 8.7 to 19 m yr-1. At Drew Point, NW winds increase shoreline water levels that control the incision of a submarine notch, the rate-limiting step of coastal retreat. The maximum water-level setup at Drew Point has increased consistently with increasing fetch. We extend our analysis to the entire Arctic using both satellite-based observations and global coupled climate model output from the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble (CESM-LE) project. This 30-member ensemble employs a 1-degree version of the CESM-CAM5 historical forcing for the period 1920-2005, and RCP 8.5 forcing from 2005-2100. A control model run with constant pre-industrial (1850) forcing characterizes internal variability in a constant climate. Finally, we compare observations and model results to
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stein, Ruediger; Fahl, Kirsten; Schreck, Michael; Knorr, Gregor; Forwick, Matthias; Lohmann, Gerrit; Niessen, Frank
2016-04-01
During Polarstern Expedition PS87/2014, we discovered multiple submarine landslides over a distance of >350 km along Lomonosov Ridge between about 81°N and 84°N (Stein, 2015). The load and erosional behaviour of an extended ice sheet/shelf that probably occurred during major Quaternary glaciations, may have caused physical conditions that triggered these landslides and major down-slope transport of sediments at this part of Lomonosov Ridge (Stein et al., 2016 and further references therein). The removal of younger sediments from steep headwalls has led to exhumation of Miocene to early Quaternary sediments close to the seafloor, allowing the retrieval of such old sediments by gravity coring and multi-proxy studies of theses sediments. Within one of these studies (Stein et al., 2016), we used for the first time the sea-ice biomarker IP25 (for background of approach see Belt et al., 2007; Müller et al., 2009, 2011) together with alkenone-based sea-surface temperatures (SST) to reconstruct upper Miocene Arctic Ocean sea-ice and SST conditions. The presence of IP25 as proxy for spring sea-ice cover and alkenone-based relatively warm summer SST of >4 °C support a seasonal sea-ice cover with an ice-free summer season being dominant during (most of) the late Miocene central Arctic Ocean. A comparison of our proxy data with Miocene climate simulations seems to favour either relatively high late Miocene atmospheric CO2 concentrations and/or an overly weak sensitivity of the model to simulate the magnitude of high-latitude warming in a warmer than modern climate. References: Belt, S.T., Massé, G., Rowland, S.J., Poulin, M., Michel, and C., LeBlanc, B., 2007. A novel chemical fossil of palaeo sea ice: IP25, Organic Geochemistry 38, 16-27. Müller, J., Massé, G., Stein, R., and Belt, S., 2009. Extreme variations in sea ice cover for Fram Strait during the past 30 ka. Nature Geoscience, DOI: 10.1038/NGEO665. Müller, J., Wagner, A., Fahl, K., Stein, R., Prange, M., and
Arctic Ocean Pathways in the 21st century
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Aksenov, Yevgeny; van Gennip, Simon J.; Kelly, Stephen J.; Popova, Ekaterina E.; Yool, Andrew
2017-04-01
In the last three decades, changes in the Arctic environment have been occurring at an increasing rate. The opening up of large areas of previously sea ice-covered ocean affects the marine environment with potential impacts on Arctic ecosystems, including through changes in Arctic access, industries and societies. Changes to sea ice and surface winds result in large-scale shifts in ocean circulation and oceanic pathways. This study presents a high-resolution analysis of the projected ocean circulation and pathways of the Arctic water masses across the 21st century. The analysis is based on an eddy-permitting high-resolution global simulation of the ocean general circulation model NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean) at the 1/4-degree horizontal resolution. The atmospheric forcing is from HadGEM2-ES model output from IPCC Assessment Report 5 (AR5) simulations performed for Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5), and follow the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. During the 21st century the AO experiences a significant warming, with sea surface temperature increased by in excess of 4 deg. C. Annual mean Arctic sea ice thickness drops to less than 0.5m, and the Arctic Ocean is ice-free in summer from the mid-century. We use an off-line tracer technique to investigate Arctic pathways of the Atlantic and Pacific waters (AW and PW respectively) under this future climate. The AW tracers have been released in the eastern Fram Strait and in the western Barents Sea, whereas the PW tracer has been seeded in the Bering Strait. In the second half of the century the upper 1000 m ocean circulation shows a reduction in the eastward AW flow along the continental slopes towards the Makarov and Canada basins and a deviation of the PW flow away from the Beaufort Sea towards the Siberian coast. Strengthening of Arctic boundary current and intensification of the cyclonic gyre in the Nansen basin of the Arctic Ocean is accompanied by
Variability of Arctic Sea Ice as Viewed from Space
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.
1998-01-01
Over the past 20 years, satellite passive-microwave radiometry has provided a marvelous means for obtaining information about the variability of the Arctic sea ice cover and particularly about sea ice concentrations (% areal coverages) and from them ice extents and the lengths of the sea ice season. This ability derives from the sharp contrast between the microwave emissions of sea ice versus liquid water and allows routine monitoring of the vast Arctic sea ice cover, which typically varies in extent from a minimum of about 8,000,000 sq km in September to a maximum of about 15,000,000 sq km in March, the latter value being over 1.5 times the area of either the United States or Canada. The vast Arctic ice cover has many impacts, including hindering heat, mass, and y momentum exchanges between the oceans and the atmosphere, reducing the amount of solar radiation absorbed at the Earth's surface, affecting freshwater transports and ocean circulation, and serving as a vital surface for many species of polar animals. These direct impacts also lead to indirect impacts, including effects on local and perhaps global atmospheric temperatures, effects that are being examined in general circulation modeling studies, where preliminary results indicate that changes on the order of a few percent sea ice concentration can lead to temperature changes of 1 K or greater even in local areas outside of the sea ice region. Satellite passive-microwave data for November 1978 through December 1996 reveal marked regional and interannual variabilities in both the ice extents and the lengths of the sea ice season, as well as some statistically significant trends. For the north polar ice cover as a whole, maximum ice extents varied over a range of 14,700,000 - 15,900,000 km(2), while individual regions showed much greater percentage variations, e.g., with the Greenland Sea experiencing a range of 740,000 - 1,1110,000 km(2) in its yearly maximum ice coverage. Although variations from year to
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stern, H. L.; Laidre, K. L.
2013-12-01
The Arctic is widely recognized as the front line of climate change. Arctic air temperature is rising at twice the global average rate, and the sea-ice cover is shrinking and thinning, with total disappearance of summer sea ice projected to occur in a matter of decades. Arctic marine mammals such as polar bears, seals, walruses, belugas, narwhals, and bowhead whales depend on the sea-ice cover as an integral part of their existence. While the downward trend in sea-ice extent in a given month is an often-used metric for quantifying physical changes in the ice cover, it is not the most relevant measure for characterizing changes in the sea-ice habitat of marine mammals. Species that depend on sea ice are behaviorally tied to the annual retreat of sea ice in the spring and advance in the fall. Changes in the timing of the spring retreat and the fall advance are more relevant to Arctic marine species than changes in the areal sea-ice coverage in a particular month of the year. Many ecologically important regions of the Arctic are essentially ice-covered in winter and ice-free in summer, and will probably remain so for a long time into the future. But the dates of sea-ice retreat in spring and advance in fall are key indicators of climate change for ice-dependent marine mammals. We use daily sea-ice concentration data derived from satellite passive microwave sensors to calculate the dates of sea-ice retreat in spring and advance in fall in 12 regions of the Arctic for each year from 1979 through 2013. The regions include the peripheral seas around the Arctic Ocean (Beaufort, Chukchi, East Siberian, Laptev, Kara, Barents), the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and the marginal seas (Okhotsk, Bering, East Greenland, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay). We find that in 11 of the 12 regions (all except the Bering Sea), sea ice is retreating earlier in spring and advancing later in fall. Rates of spring retreat range from -5 to -8 days/decade, and rates of fall advance range from +5 to +9
Influence of Sea Ice on the Thermohaline Circulation in the Arctic-North Atlantic Ocean
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mauritzen, Cecilie; Haekkinen, Sirpa
1997-01-01
A fully prognostic coupled ocean-ice model is used to study the sensitivity of the overturning cell of the Arctic-North-Atlantic system to sea ice forcing. The strength of the thermohaline cell will be shown to depend on the amount of sea ice transported from the Arctic to the Greenland Sea and further to the subpolar gyre. The model produces a 2-3 Sv increase of the meridional circulation cell at 25N (at the simulation year 15) corresponding to a decrease of 800 cu km in the sea ice export from the Arctic. Previous modeling studies suggest that interannual and decadal variability in sea ice export of this magnitude is realistic, implying that sea ice induced variability in the overturning cell can reach 5-6 Sv from peak to peak.
The impact of 21st Century sea ice decline on the hydrological budget of the Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Day, J. J.; Bamber, J. L.; Valdes, P. J.; Kohler, J.
2009-12-01
The Arctic is a region particularly susceptible to rapid climate change. GCMs suggest a polar amplification of any global warming signal by about 1.5 due, largely, to sea ice feedbacks. The dramatic recent decline in multi-year ice cover lies outside the standard deviation of the ensemble GCM predictions and has lead to the suggestion that the Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer as soon as ~2014. Sea ice acts as a barrier between cold air and warmer oceans during winter, as well as inhibiting evaporation from the water below during the summer. An ice free Arctic would likely have an altered hydrological cycle with more evaporation from the ocean surface leading to changes in precipitation distribution and amount. For example, changes in sea ice cover are thought to have caused changes in the mass balance of Europe’s largest ice cap, Austfona, Svalbard, by increasing accumulation. Using the U.K. Met Office Regional Climate Model (RCM), HadRM3, the atmospheric effects of the observed and projected reduction in Arctic sea ice are investigated. The RCM is driven by the atmosphere only general circulation model HadAM3. Both models are forced with sea surface temperature and sea ice obtained by extrapolating recent changes into the future using bootstrapping based on the HadISST climatology. Here we use an RCM at 25km resolution over the Arctic which captures well the present-day pattern of precipitation and provides a detailed picture of the projected changes in the behaviour of the oceanic-atmosphere moisture fluxes and how they affect precipitation.
High interannual variability of sea ice thickness in the Arctic region.
Laxon, Seymour; Peacock, Neil; Smith, Doug
2003-10-30
Possible future changes in Arctic sea ice cover and thickness, and consequent changes in the ice-albedo feedback, represent one of the largest uncertainties in the prediction of future temperature rise. Knowledge of the natural variability of sea ice thickness is therefore critical for its representation in global climate models. Numerical simulations suggest that Arctic ice thickness varies primarily on decadal timescales owing to changes in wind and ocean stresses on the ice, but observations have been unable to provide a synoptic view of sea ice thickness, which is required to validate the model results. Here we use an eight-year time-series of Arctic ice thickness, derived from satellite altimeter measurements of ice freeboard, to determine the mean thickness field and its variability from 65 degrees N to 81.5 degrees N. Our data reveal a high-frequency interannual variability in mean Arctic ice thickness that is dominated by changes in the amount of summer melt, rather than by changes in circulation. Our results suggest that a continued increase in melt season length would lead to further thinning of Arctic sea ice.
Land Ice Freshwater Budget of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans: 1. Data, Methods, and Results
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bamber, J. L.; Tedstone, A. J.; King, M. D.; Howat, I. M.; Enderlin, E. M.; van den Broeke, M. R.; Noel, B.
2018-03-01
The freshwater budget of the Arctic and sub-polar North Atlantic Oceans has been changing due, primarily, to increased river runoff, declining sea ice and enhanced melting of Arctic land ice. Since the mid-1990s this latter component has experienced a pronounced increase. We use a combination of satellite observations of glacier flow speed and regional climate modeling to reconstruct the land ice freshwater flux from the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic glaciers and ice caps for the period 1958-2016. The cumulative freshwater flux anomaly exceeded 6,300 ± 316 km3 by 2016. This is roughly twice the estimate of a previous analysis that did not include glaciers and ice caps outside of Greenland and which extended only to 2010. From 2010 onward, the total freshwater flux is about 1,300 km3/yr, equivalent to 0.04 Sv, which is roughly 40% of the estimated total runoff to the Arctic for the same time period. Not all of this flux will reach areas of deep convection or Arctic and Sub-Arctic seas. We note, however, that the largest freshwater flux anomalies, grouped by ocean basin, are located in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. The land ice freshwater flux displays a strong seasonal cycle with summer time values typically around five times larger than the annual mean. This will be important for understanding the impact of these fluxes on fjord circulation, stratification, and the biogeochemistry of, and nutrient delivery to, coastal waters.
Arctic Ocean sea ice drift origin derived from artificial radionuclides.
Cámara-Mor, P; Masqué, P; Garcia-Orellana, J; Cochran, J K; Mas, J L; Chamizo, E; Hanfland, C
2010-07-15
Since the 1950s, nuclear weapon testing and releases from the nuclear industry have introduced anthropogenic radionuclides into the sea, and in many instances their ultimate fate are the bottom sediments. The Arctic Ocean is one of the most polluted in this respect, because, in addition to global fallout, it is impacted by regional fallout from nuclear weapon testing, and indirectly by releases from nuclear reprocessing facilities and nuclear accidents. Sea-ice formed in the shallow continental shelves incorporate sediments with variable concentrations of anthropogenic radionuclides that are transported through the Arctic Ocean and are finally released in the melting areas. In this work, we present the results of anthropogenic radionuclide analyses of sea-ice sediments (SIS) collected on five cruises from different Arctic regions and combine them with a database including prior measurements of these radionuclides in SIS. The distribution of (137)Cs and (239,240)Pu activities and the (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio in SIS showed geographical differences, in agreement with the two main sea ice drift patterns derived from the mean field of sea-ice motion, the Transpolar Drift and Beaufort Gyre, with the Fram Strait as the main ablation area. A direct comparison of data measured in SIS samples against those reported for the potential source regions permits identification of the regions from which sea ice incorporates sediments. The (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio in SIS may be used to discern the origin of sea ice from the Kara-Laptev Sea and the Alaskan shelf. However, if the (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio is similar to global fallout, it does not provide a unique diagnostic indicator of the source area, and in such cases, the source of SIS can be constrained with a combination of the (137)Cs and (239,240)Pu activities. Therefore, these anthropogenic radionuclides can be used in many instances to determine the geographical source area of sea-ice. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Perovich, Donald K.; Nghiem, Son V.; Markus, Thorsten; Schwieger, Axel
2007-01-01
The melt season of the Arctic sea ice cover is greatly affected by the partitioning of the incident solar radiation between reflection to the atmosphere and absorption in the ice and ocean. This partitioning exhibits a strong seasonal cycle and significant interannual variability. Data in the period 1998, 2000-2004 were analyzed in this study. Observations made during the 1997-1998 SHEBA (Surface HEat Budget of the Arctic Ocean) field experiment showed a strong seasonal dependence of the partitioning, dominated by a five-phase albedo evolution. QuikSCAT scatterometer data from the SHEBA region in 1999-2004 were used to further investigate solar partitioning in summer. The time series of scatterometer data were used to determine the onset of melt and the beginning of freezeup. This information was combined with SSM/I-derived ice concentration, TOVS-based estimates of incident solar irradiance, and SHEBA results to estimate the amount of solar energy absorbed in the ice-ocean system for these years. The average total solar energy absorbed in the ice-ocean system from April through September was 900 MJ m(sup -2). There was considerable interannual variability, with a range of 826 to 1044 MJ m(sup -2). The total amount of solar energy absorbed by the ice and ocean was strongly related to the date of melt onset, but only weakly related to the total duration of the melt season or the onset of freezeup. The timing of melt onset is significant because the incident solar energy is large and a change at this time propagates through the entire melt season, affecting the albedo every day throughout melt and freezeup.
Fragmentation and melting of the seasonal sea ice cover
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feltham, D. L.; Bateson, A.; Schroeder, D.; Ridley, J. K.; Aksenov, Y.
2017-12-01
Recent years have seen a rapid reduction in the summer extent of Arctic sea ice. This trend has implications for navigation, oil exploration, wildlife, and local communities. Furthermore the Arctic sea ice cover impacts the exchange of heat and momentum between the ocean and atmosphere with significant teleconnections across the climate system, particularly mid to low latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. The treatment of melting and break-up processes of the seasonal sea ice cover within climate models is currently limited. In particular floes are assumed to have a uniform size which does not evolve with time. Observations suggest however that floe sizes can be modelled as truncated power law distributions, with different exponents for smaller and larger floes. This study aims to examine factors controlling the floe size distribution in the seasonal and marginal ice zone. This includes lateral melting, wave induced break-up of floes, and the feedback between floe size and the mixed ocean layer. These results are then used to quantify the proximate mechanisms of seasonal sea ice reduction in a sea ice—ocean mixed layer model. Observations are used to assess and calibrate the model. The impacts of introducing these processes to the model will be discussed and the preliminary results of sensitivity and feedback studies will also be presented.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Porter, David F.; Cassano, John J.; Serreze, Mark C.
2012-06-01
The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is used to explore the sensitivity of the large-scale atmospheric energy and moisture budgets to prescribed changes in Arctic sea ice and sea surface temperatures (SSTs). Observed sea ice fractions and SSTs from 1996 and 2007, representing years of high and low sea ice extent, are used as lower boundary conditions. A pan-Arctic domain extending into the North Pacific and Atlantic Oceans is used. ERA-Interim reanalysis data from 1994 to 2008 are employed as initial and lateral forcing data for each high and low sea ice simulation. The addition of a third ensemble, with a mixed SST field between years 1996 and 2007 (using 2007 SSTs above 66°N and 1996 values below), results in a total of three 15-member ensembles. Results of the simulations show both local and remote responses to reduced sea ice. The local polar cap averaged response is largest in October and November, dominated by increased turbulent heat fluxes resulting in vertically deep heating and moistening of the Arctic atmosphere. This warmer and moister atmosphere is associated with an increase in cloud cover, affecting the surface and atmospheric energy budgets. There is an enhancement of the hydrologic cycle, with increased evaporation in areas of sea ice loss paired with increased precipitation. Most of the Arctic climate response results from within-Arctic changes, although some changes in the hydrologic cycle reflect circulation responses to midlatitude SST forcing, highlighting the general sensitivity of the Arctic climate.
Is there a see-saw over an ice-free Arctic Ocean?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stendel, Martin; Yang, Shuting; Langen, Peter; Rodehacke, Christian; Mottram, Ruth; Hesselbjerg Christensen, Jens
2017-04-01
The "see-saw" in winter temperatures between western Greenland and the Canadian Arctic on one side and northern Europe on the other has been described by Loewe already in 1937, but actually this behaviour was at least known since the Danish colonization of Greenland in the early 18th century. The see-saw is associated with pressure anomalies not only near the region of interest, but as remote as the Mediterranean and the North Pacific. Recent research has pointed out the role of sea ice in maintaining the see-saw in either its warm or its cold phase over extended periods, which strongly affects European winter temperatures. What would happen to the seesaw if Arctic sea ice were to disappear suddenly? In the framework of the FP7-funded project ice2ice, we try to answer this and related questions. We have conducted a very long global simulation with a global climate model interactively coupled to a Greenland ice sheet component, covering the period 1850-3250 at a horizontal resolution of approximately 125 km. Up to 2005, the forcing is from observed greenhouse gas concentrations, and from 2006 onward it follows the extended RCP8.5 scenario, in which greenhouse gas concentrations continue to increase and eventually level out around 2250. With such a strong forcing, all Arctic sea ice has completely disappeared by roughly the same time, and the surface mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet becomes strongly negative. We investigate how the see-saw behaves in such an ice-free world and which implications circulation changes have in the Arctic and over Europe. To further elucidate the role of sea ice distribution on the atmospheric flow and the role of surface fluxes in maintaining the Greenland-European see-saw, we intend at a later time to expand our analysis to include a contrasting simulation with both western Greenland and northern Europe covered by ice during the Last Glacier Maximum.
Arctic Sea Ice Classification and Mapping for Surface Albedo Parameterization in Sea Ice Modeling
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nghiem, S. V.; Clemente-Colón, P.; Perovich, D. K.; Polashenski, C.; Simpson, W. R.; Rigor, I. G.; Woods, J. E.; Nguyen, D. T.; Neumann, G.
2016-12-01
A regime shift of Arctic sea ice from predominantly perennial sea ice (multi-year ice or MYI) to seasonal sea ice (first-year ice or FYI) has occurred in recent decades. This shift has profoundly altered the proportional composition of different sea ice classes and the surface albedo distribution pertaining to each sea ice class. Such changes impacts physical, chemical, and biological processes in the Arctic atmosphere-ice-ocean system. The drastic changes upset the traditional geophysical representation of surface albedo of the Arctic sea ice cover in current models. A critical science issue is that these profound changes must be rigorously and systematically observed and characterized to enable a transformative re-parameterization of key model inputs, such as ice surface albedo, to ice-ocean-atmosphere climate modeling in order to obtain re-analyses that accurately reproduce Arctic changes and also to improve sea ice and weather forecast models. Addressing this challenge is a strategy identified by the National Research Council study on "Seasonal to Decadal Predictions of Arctic Sea Ice - Challenges and Strategies" to replicate the new Arctic reality. We review results of albedo characteristics associated with different sea ice classes such as FYI and MYI. Then we demonstrate the capability for sea ice classification and mapping using algorithms developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and by the U.S. National Ice Center for use with multi-sourced satellite radar data at L, C, and Ku bands. Results obtained with independent algorithms for different radar frequencies consistently identify sea ice classes and thereby cross-verify the sea ice classification methods. Moreover, field observations obtained from buoy webcams and along an extensive trek across Elson Lagoon and a sector of the Beaufort Sea during the BRomine, Ozone, and Mercury EXperiment (BROMEX) in March 2012 are used to validate satellite products of sea ice classes. This research enables the mapping
Altimeter Observations of Wave Climate in the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Babanin, A. V.; Liu, Q.; Zieger, S.
2016-02-01
Wind waves are a new physical phenomenon to the Arctic Seas, which in the past were covered with ice. Now, over summer months, ice coverage retreats up to high latitudes and waves are generated. The marginal open seas provide new opportunities and new problems. Navigation and other maritime activities become possible, but wave heights, storm surges and coastal erosion will likely increase. Air-sea interactions enter a completely new regime, with momentum, energy, heat, gas and moisture fluxes being moderated or produced by the waves, and impacting on upper-ocean mixing. All these issues require knowledge of the wave climate. We will report results of investigation of wave climate and its trends by means of satellite altimetry. This is a challenging, but important topic. On one hand, no statistical approach is possible since in the past for most of the Arctic Ocean there was limited wave activity. Extrapolations of the current observations into the future are not feasible, because ice cover and wind patterns in the Arctic are changing. On the other hand, information on the mean and extreme wave properties, such as wave height, period, direction, on the frequency of occurrence and duration of the storms is of great importance for oceanographic, meteorological, climate, naval and maritime applications in the Arctic Seas.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fujisaki-Manome, A.; Wang, J.
2016-12-01
Arctic summer sea ice has been declining at the rate that is much faster than any climate models predict. While the accelerated sea ice melting in the recent few decades could be attributed to several mechanisms such as the Arctic temperature amplification and the ice-albedo feedback, this does not necessarily explain why climate models underestimate the observed rate of summer sea ice loss. Clearly, an improved understanding is needed in what processes could be missed in climate models and could play roles in unprecedented loss of sea ice. This study evaluates contributions of sub-mesoscale processes in the ice edge (i.e. the boundary region between open water and ice covered area), which include eddies, ice bands, and the vertical mixing associated with ice bands, to the melting of sea ice and how they explain the underestimation of sea ice loss in the current state-of-art climate models. The focus area is in the pacific side of the Arctic Ocean. First, several oceanic re-analysis products including NCEP-Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) are evaluated in comparison with the in-situ observations from the Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic (RUSALCA) project. Second, the downscaled ice-ocean simulations are conducted for the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas with initial and open boundary conditions provided from a selected oceanic re-analysis product.
Changes in the Areal Extent of Arctic Sea Ice: Observations from Satellites
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.
2000-01-01
Wintertime sea ice covers 15 million square kilometers of the north polar region, an area exceeding one and a half times the area of the U. S. Even at the end of the summer melt season, sea ice still covers 7 million square kilometers. This vast ice cover is an integral component of the climate system, being moved around by winds and waves, restricting heat and other exchanges between the ocean and atmosphere, reflecting most of the solar radiation incident on it, transporting cold, relatively fresh water equatorward, and affecting the overturning of ocean waters underneath, with impacts that can be felt worldwide. Sea ice also is a major factor in the Arctic ecosystem, affecting life forms ranging from minute organisms living within the ice, sometimes to the tune of millions in a single ice floe, to large marine mammals like walruses that rely on sea ice as a platform for resting, foraging, social interaction, and breeding. Since 1978, satellite technology has allowed the monitoring of the vast Arctic sea ice cover on a routine basis. The satellite observations reveal that, overall, the areal extent of Arctic sea ice has been decreasing since 1978, at an average rate of 2.7% per decade through the end of 1998. Through 1998, the greatest rates of decrease occurred in the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan and the Kara and Barents Seas, with most other regions of the Arctic also experiencing ice extent decreases. The two regions experiencing ice extent increases over this time period were the Bering Sea and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Furthermore, the satellite data reveal that the sea ice season shortened by over 25 days per decade in the central Sea of Okhotsk and the eastern Barents Sea, and by lesser amounts throughout much of the rest of the Arctic seasonal sea ice region, although not in the Bering Sea or the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Concern has been raised that if the trends toward shortened sea ice seasons and lesser sea ice coverage continue, this could entail major
The Navy's First Seasonal Ice Forecasts using the Navy's Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Preller, Ruth
2013-04-01
As conditions in the Arctic continue to change, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed an interest in longer-term seasonal ice extent forecasts. The Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System (ACNFS), developed by the Oceanography Division of NRL, was run in forward model mode, without assimilation, to estimate the minimum sea ice extent for September 2012. The model was initialized with varying assimilative ACNFS analysis fields (June 1, July 1, August 1 and September 1, 2012) and run forward for nine simulations using the archived Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) atmospheric forcing fields from 2003-2011. The mean ice extent in September, averaged across all ensemble members was the projected summer ice extent. These results were submitted to the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Sea Ice Outlook project (http://www.arcus.org/search/seaiceoutlook). The ACNFS is a ~3.5 km coupled ice-ocean model that produces 5 day forecasts of the Arctic sea ice state in all ice covered areas in the northern hemisphere (poleward of 40° N). The ocean component is the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and is coupled to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Community Ice CodE (CICE) via the Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF). The ocean and ice models are run in an assimilative cycle with the Navy's Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation (NCODA) system. Currently the ACNFS is being transitioned to operations at the Naval Oceanographic Office.
Arctic Sea ice, 1973-1976: Satellite passive-microwave observations
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.; Comiso, Josefino C.; Zwally, H. Jay; Cavalieri, Donald J.; Gloersen, Per; Campbell, William J.
1987-01-01
The Arctic region plays a key role in the climate of the earth. The sea ice cover affects the radiative balance of the earth and radically changes the fluxes of heat between the atmosphere and the ocean. The observations of the Arctic made by the Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) on board the Nimbus 5 research satellite are summarized for the period 1973 through 1976.
There goes the sea ice: following Arctic sea ice parcels and their properties.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tschudi, M. A.; Tooth, M.; Meier, W.; Stewart, S.
2017-12-01
Arctic sea ice distribution has changed considerably over the last couple of decades. Sea ice extent record minimums have been observed in recent years, the distribution of ice age now heavily favors younger ice, and sea ice is likely thinning. This new state of the Arctic sea ice cover has several impacts, including effects on marine life, feedback on the warming of the ocean and atmosphere, and on the future evolution of the ice pack. The shift in the state of the ice cover, from a pack dominated by older ice, to the current state of a pack with mostly young ice, impacts specific properties of the ice pack, and consequently the pack's response to the changing Arctic climate. For example, younger ice typically contains more numerous melt ponds during the melt season, resulting in a lower albedo. First-year ice is typically thinner and more fragile than multi-year ice, making it more susceptible to dynamic and thermodynamic forcing. To investigate the response of the ice pack to climate forcing during summertime melt, we have developed a database that tracks individual Arctic sea ice parcels along with associated properties as these parcels advect during the summer. Our database tracks parcels in the Beaufort Sea, from 1985 - present, along with variables such as ice surface temperature, albedo, ice concentration, and convergence. We are using this database to deduce how these thousands of tracked parcels fare during summer melt, i.e. what fraction of the parcels advect through the Beaufort, and what fraction melts out? The tracked variables describe the thermodynamic and dynamic forcing on these parcels during their journey. This database will also be made available to all interested investigators, after it is published in the near future. The attached image shows the ice surface temperature of all parcels (right) that advected through the Beaufort Sea region (left) in 2014.
Monier, Adam; Findlay, Helen S.; Charvet, Sophie; Lovejoy, Connie
2014-01-01
Polar Oceans are natural CO2 sinks because of the enhanced solubility of CO2 in cold water. The Arctic Ocean is at additional risk of accelerated ocean acidification (OA) because of freshwater inputs from sea ice and rivers, which influence the carbonate system. Winter conditions in the Arctic are of interest because of both cold temperatures and limited CO2 venting to the atmosphere when sea ice is present. Earlier OA experiments on Arctic microbial communities conducted in the absence of ice cover, hinted at shifts in taxa dominance and diversity under lowered pH. The Catlin Arctic Survey provided an opportunity to conduct in situ, under-ice, OA experiments during late Arctic winter. Seawater was collected from under the sea ice off Ellef Ringnes Island, and communities were exposed to three CO2 levels for 6 days. Phylogenetic diversity was greater in the attached fraction compared to the free-living fraction in situ, in the controls and in the treatments. The dominant taxa in all cases were Gammaproteobacteria but acidification had little effect compared to the effects of containment. Phylogenetic net relatedness indices suggested that acidification may have decreased the diversity within some bacterial orders, but overall there was no clear trend. Within the experimental communities, alkalinity best explained the variance among samples and replicates, suggesting subtle changes in the carbonate system need to be considered in such experiments. We conclude that under ice communities have the capacity to respond either by selection or phenotypic plasticity to heightened CO2 levels over the short term. PMID:25324832
Physical basis for a thick ice shelf in the Arctic Basin during the penultimate glacial maximum
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gasson, E.; DeConto, R.; Pollard, D.; Clark, C.
2017-12-01
A thick ice shelf covering the Arctic Ocean during glacial stages was discussed in a number of publications in the 1970s. Although this hypothesis has received intermittent attention, the emergence of new geophysical evidence for ice grounding in water depths of up to 1 km in the central Arctic Basin has renewed interest into the physical plausibility and significance of an Arctic ice shelf. Various ice shelf configurations have been proposed, from an ice shelf restricted to the Amerasian Basin (the `minimum model') to a complete ice shelf cover in the Arctic. Attempts to simulate an Arctic ice shelf have been limited. Here we use a hybrid ice sheet / shelf model that has been widely applied to the Antarctic ice sheet to explore the potential for thick ice shelves forming in the Arctic Basin. We use a climate forcing appropriate for MIS6, the penultimate glacial maximum. We perform a number of experiments testing different ice sheet / shelf configurations and compare the model results with ice grounding locations and inferred flow directions. Finally, we comment on the potential significance of an Arctic ice shelf to the global glacial climate system.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
German, C. R.; Boetius, A.
2017-12-01
We present results from two recent cruises, using the new Nereid Under Ice (NUI) vehicle aboard the FS Polarstern, in which we investigated biogeochemical fluxes from the deep seafloor of the Gakkel Ridge, an ultraslow spreading ridge that spans the ice-covered Arctic Ocean, and the mechanisms by which biogeochemical signals might be transferred from within the underlying ocean to the overlying Arctic ice. The scientific advances for this work progress hand in hand with technological capability. During a first cruise in 2014, our NUI-based investigations focused on photosynthetically-driven biogeochemical cycling in the uppermost water column and how to study such processes using in situ sensing immediately at and beneath the rough topography of the overlying ice-cover. For that work we relied entirely upon human-in-the-loop control of the vehicle via a single optical fiber light tether than provided real-time monitoring and control of the vehicle as it ranged laterally out under the ice up to 1km distant from the ship, conducting physical, geochemical and biological surveys. Instrumentation used for that work included multibeam mapping and imaging (digital still photographs and HD video), in situ spectroscopy to study light transmission through the ice and biogeochemical mapping of the ocean water column using a combination of CTD sensing, fluorometry and an in situ nitrate analyzer. Returning to the Arctic in 2016 we extended our exploration modes with NUI further, investigating for seafloor fluid flow at a shallow setting on the flanks of the Gakkel Ridge where the seabed rises from >4000m to <600m depth. In AUV mode, NUI conducted water column sensing using CTD, optical backscatter and Eh sensors and seafloor surveys using high resolution multibeam bathymetry and stereoscopic seafloor imaging. In subsequent ROV operations, NUI was used to conduct detailed investigation of seabed biological communities. This included targeted sampling of individual organisms and
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Morrison, A. L.; Kay, J. E.; Chepfer, H.; Guzman, R.; Yettella, V.
2018-01-01
While the radiative influence of clouds on Arctic sea ice is known, the influence of sea ice cover on Arctic clouds is challenging to detect, separate from atmospheric circulation, and attribute to human activities. Providing observational constraints on the two-way relationship between sea ice cover and Arctic clouds is important for predicting the rate of future sea ice loss. Here we use 8 years of CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) spaceborne lidar observations from 2008 to 2015 to analyze Arctic cloud profiles over sea ice and over open water. Using a novel surface mask to restrict our analysis to where sea ice concentration varies, we isolate the influence of sea ice cover on Arctic Ocean clouds. The study focuses on clouds containing liquid water because liquid-containing clouds are the most important cloud type for radiative fluxes and therefore for sea ice melt and growth. Summer is the only season with no observed cloud response to sea ice cover variability: liquid cloud profiles are nearly identical over sea ice and over open water. These results suggest that shortwave summer cloud feedbacks do not slow long-term summer sea ice loss. In contrast, more liquid clouds are observed over open water than over sea ice in the winter, spring, and fall in the 8 year mean and in each individual year. Observed fall sea ice loss cannot be explained by natural variability alone, which suggests that observed increases in fall Arctic cloud cover over newly open water are linked to human activities.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stein, Ruediger; Fahl, Kirsten
2013-04-01
Recently, a novel and promising biomarker proxy for reconstruction of Arctic sea-ice conditions was developed and is based on the determination of a highly branched isoprenoid with 25 carbons (IP25; Belt et al., 2007). Following this pioneer IP25 study by Belt and colleagues, several IP25 studies of marine surface sediments and sediment cores as well as sediment trap samples from northpolar areas were carried out successfully and allowed detailed reconstruction of modern and late Quaternary sea ice variability in these regions (e.g., Massé et al., 2008; Müller et al., 2009, 2011; Vare et al., 2009; Belt et al., 2010; Fahl and Stein, 2012; for review see Stein et al., 2012). Here, we present new (low-resolution) biomarker records from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 911 and 912, representing the Pliocene-Pleistocene time interval (including the interval of major intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation near 2.7 Ma). These data indicate that sea ice of variable extent was present in the Fram Strait/southern Yermak Plateau area during most of the time period under investigation. In general, an increase in sea-ice cover seems to correlate with phases of extended late Pliocene-Pleistocene continental ice-sheets. At ODP Site 912, a significant increase in sea-ice extension occurred near 1.2 Ma (Stein and Fahl, 2012). Furthermore, our data support the idea that a combination of IP25 and open water, phytoplankton biomarker data ("PIP25 index"; Müller et al., 2011) may give more reliable and quantitative estimates of past sea-ice cover (at least for the study area). This study reveals that the novel IP25/PIP25 biomarker approach has potential for semi-quantitative paleo-sea ice studies covering the entire Quaternary and motivate to carry out further detailed high-resolution research on ODP/IODP material using this proxy. References Belt, S.T., Massé, G., Rowland, S.J., Poulin, M., Michel, C., LeBlanc, B., 2007. A novel chemical fossil of palaeo sea ice: IP25
Canadian Arctic sea ice reconstructed from bromine in the Greenland NEEM ice core.
Spolaor, Andrea; Vallelonga, Paul; Turetta, Clara; Maffezzoli, Niccolò; Cozzi, Giulio; Gabrieli, Jacopo; Barbante, Carlo; Goto-Azuma, Kumiko; Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso; Cuevas, Carlos A; Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe
2016-09-21
Reconstructing the past variability of Arctic sea ice provides an essential context for recent multi-year sea ice decline, although few quantitative reconstructions cover the Holocene period prior to the earliest historical records 1,200 years ago. Photochemical recycling of bromine is observed over first-year, or seasonal, sea ice in so-called "bromine explosions" and we employ a 1-D chemistry transport model to quantify processes of bromine enrichment over first-year sea ice and depositional transport over multi-year sea ice and land ice. We report bromine enrichment in the Northwest Greenland Eemian NEEM ice core since the end of the Eemian interglacial 120,000 years ago, finding the maximum extension of first-year sea ice occurred approximately 9,000 years ago during the Holocene climate optimum, when Greenland temperatures were 2 to 3 °C above present values. First-year sea ice extent was lowest during the glacial stadials suggesting complete coverage of the Arctic Ocean by multi-year sea ice. These findings demonstrate a clear relationship between temperature and first-year sea ice extent in the Arctic and suggest multi-year sea ice will continue to decline as polar amplification drives Arctic temperatures beyond the 2 °C global average warming target of the recent COP21 Paris climate agreement.
Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Turk-Kubo, Kendra A; Buttigieg, Pier L; Rapp, Josephine Z; Krumpen, Thomas; Zehr, Jonathan P; Boetius, Antje
2016-01-01
The Eurasian basin of the Central Arctic Ocean is nitrogen limited, but little is known about the presence and role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Recent studies have indicated the occurrence of diazotrophs in Arctic coastal waters potentially of riverine origin. Here, we investigated the presence of diazotrophs in ice and surface waters of the Central Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2012. We identified diverse communities of putative diazotrophs through targeted analysis of the nifH gene, which encodes the iron protein of the nitrogenase enzyme. We amplified 529 nifH sequences from 26 samples of Arctic melt ponds, sea ice and surface waters. These sequences resolved into 43 clusters at 92% amino acid sequence identity, most of which were non-cyanobacterial phylotypes from sea ice and water samples. One cyanobacterial phylotype related to Nodularia sp. was retrieved from sea ice, suggesting that this important functional group is rare in the Central Arctic Ocean. The diazotrophic community in sea-ice environments appear distinct from other cold-adapted diazotrophic communities, such as those present in the coastal Canadian Arctic, the Arctic tundra and glacial Antarctic lakes. Molecular fingerprinting of nifH and the intergenic spacer region of the rRNA operon revealed differences between the communities from river-influenced Laptev Sea waters and those from ice-related environments pointing toward a marine origin for sea-ice diazotrophs. Our results provide the first record of diazotrophs in the Central Arctic and suggest that microbial nitrogen fixation may occur north of 77°N. To assess the significance of nitrogen fixation for the nitrogen budget of the Arctic Ocean and to identify the active nitrogen fixers, further biogeochemical and molecular biological studies are needed.
Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Turk-Kubo, Kendra A.; Buttigieg, Pier L.; Rapp, Josephine Z.; Krumpen, Thomas; Zehr, Jonathan P.; Boetius, Antje
2016-01-01
The Eurasian basin of the Central Arctic Ocean is nitrogen limited, but little is known about the presence and role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Recent studies have indicated the occurrence of diazotrophs in Arctic coastal waters potentially of riverine origin. Here, we investigated the presence of diazotrophs in ice and surface waters of the Central Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2012. We identified diverse communities of putative diazotrophs through targeted analysis of the nifH gene, which encodes the iron protein of the nitrogenase enzyme. We amplified 529 nifH sequences from 26 samples of Arctic melt ponds, sea ice and surface waters. These sequences resolved into 43 clusters at 92% amino acid sequence identity, most of which were non-cyanobacterial phylotypes from sea ice and water samples. One cyanobacterial phylotype related to Nodularia sp. was retrieved from sea ice, suggesting that this important functional group is rare in the Central Arctic Ocean. The diazotrophic community in sea-ice environments appear distinct from other cold-adapted diazotrophic communities, such as those present in the coastal Canadian Arctic, the Arctic tundra and glacial Antarctic lakes. Molecular fingerprinting of nifH and the intergenic spacer region of the rRNA operon revealed differences between the communities from river-influenced Laptev Sea waters and those from ice-related environments pointing toward a marine origin for sea-ice diazotrophs. Our results provide the first record of diazotrophs in the Central Arctic and suggest that microbial nitrogen fixation may occur north of 77°N. To assess the significance of nitrogen fixation for the nitrogen budget of the Arctic Ocean and to identify the active nitrogen fixers, further biogeochemical and molecular biological studies are needed. PMID:27933047
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Young, Gillian; Jones, Hazel M.; Crosier, Jonathan; Bower, Keith N.; Darbyshire, Eoghan; Taylor, Jonathan W.; Liu, Dantong; Allan, James D.; Williams, Paul I.; Gallagher, Martin W.; Choularton, Thomas W.
2016-04-01
The Arctic sea-ice is intricately coupled to the atmosphere[1]. The decreasing sea-ice extent with the changing climate raises questions about how Arctic cloud structure will respond. Any effort to answer these questions is hindered by the scarcity of atmospheric observations in this region. Comprehensive cloud and aerosol measurements could allow for an improved understanding of the relationship between surface conditions and cloud structure; knowledge which could be key in validating weather model forecasts. Previous studies[2] have shown via remote sensing that cloudiness increases over the marginal ice zone (MIZ) and ocean with comparison to the sea-ice; however, to our knowledge, detailed in-situ data of this transition have not been previously presented. In 2013, the Aerosol-Cloud Coupling and Climate Interactions in the Arctic (ACCACIA) campaign was carried out in the vicinity of Svalbard, Norway to collect in-situ observations of the Arctic atmosphere and investigate this issue. Fitted with a suite of remote sensing, cloud and aerosol instrumentation, the FAAM BAe-146 aircraft was used during the spring segment of the campaign (Mar-Apr 2013). One case study (23rd Mar 2013) produced excellent coverage of the atmospheric changes when transitioning from sea-ice, through the MIZ, to the open ocean. Clear microphysical changes were observed, with the cloud liquid-water content increasing by almost four times over the transition. Cloud base, depth and droplet number also increased, whilst ice number concentrations decreased slightly. The surface warmed by ~13 K from sea-ice to ocean, with minor differences in aerosol particle number (of sizes corresponding to Cloud Condensation Nuclei or Ice Nucleating Particles) observed, suggesting that the primary driver of these microphysical changes was the increased heat fluxes and induced turbulence from the warm ocean surface as expected. References: [1] Kapsch, M.L., Graversen, R.G. and Tjernström, M. Springtime
High Resolution Simulations of Arctic Sea Ice, 1979-1993
2003-01-01
William H. Lipscomb * PO[ARISSP To evaluate improvements in modelling Arctic sea ice, we compare results from two regional models at 1/120 horizontal...resolution. The first is a coupled ice-ocean model of the Arctic Ocean, consisting of an ocean model (adapted from the Parallel Ocean Program, Los...Alamos National Laboratory [LANL]) and the "old" sea ice model . The second model uses the same grid but consists of an improved "new" sea ice model (LANL
NASA IceBridge: Scientific Insights from Airborne Surveys of the Polar Sea Ice Covers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Richter-Menge, J.; Farrell, S. L.
2015-12-01
The NASA Operation IceBridge (OIB) airborne sea ice surveys are designed to continue a valuable series of sea ice thickness measurements by bridging the gap between NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), which operated from 2003 to 2009, and ICESat-2, which is scheduled for launch in 2017. Initiated in 2009, OIB has conducted campaigns over the western Arctic Ocean (March/April) and Southern Oceans (October/November) on an annual basis when the thickness of sea ice cover is nearing its maximum. More recently, a series of Arctic surveys have also collected observations in the late summer, at the end of the melt season. The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) laser altimeter is one of OIB's primary sensors, in combination with the Digital Mapping System digital camera, a Ku-band radar altimeter, a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) snow radar, and a KT-19 infrared radiation pyrometer. Data from the campaigns are available to the research community at: http://nsidc.org/data/icebridge/. This presentation will summarize the spatial and temporal extent of the OIB campaigns and their complementary role in linking in situ and satellite measurements, advancing observations of sea ice processes across all length scales. Key scientific insights gained on the state of the sea ice cover will be highlighted, including snow depth, ice thickness, surface roughness and morphology, and melt pond evolution.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhang, Y.; Chen, C.; Beardsley, R. C.; Gao, G.; Qi, J.; Lin, H.
2016-02-01
A high-resolution (up to 2 km), unstructured-grid, fully ice-sea coupled Arctic Ocean Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (AO-FVCOM) was used to simulate the Arctic sea ice over the period 1978-2014. Good agreements were found between simulated and observed sea ice extent, concentration, drift velocity and thickness, indicating that the AO-FVCOM captured not only the seasonal and interannual variability but also the spatial distribution of the sea ice in the Arctic in the past 37 years. Compared with other six Arctic Ocean models (ECCO2, GSFC, INMOM, ORCA, NAME and UW), the AO-FVCOM-simulated ice thickness showed a higher correlation coefficient and a smaller difference with observations. An effort was also made to examine the physical processes attributing to the model-produced bias in the sea ice simulation. The error in the direction of the ice drift velocity was sensitive to the wind turning angle; smaller when the wind was stronger, but larger when the wind was weaker. This error could lead to the bias in the near-surface current in the fully or partially ice-covered zone where the ice-sea interfacial stress was a major driving force.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hörner, Tanja; Stein, Ruediger; Fahl, Kirsten
2015-04-01
Here, we provide a high-resolution reconstruction of sea-ice cover variations in the western Laptev Sea, a crucial area in terms of sea-ice production in the Arctic Ocean and a region characterized by huge river discharge. Furthermore, the shallow Laptev Sea was strongly influenced by the post-glacial sea-level rise that should also be reflected in the sedimentary records. The sea Ice Proxy IP25 (Highly-branched mono-isoprenoid produced by sea-ice algae; Belt et al., 2007) was measured in two sediment cores from the western Laptev Sea (PS51/154, PS51/159) that offer a high-resolution composite record over the last 18 ka. In addition, sterols are applied as indicator for marine productivity (brassicasterol, dinosterol) and input of terrigenous organic matter by river discharge into the ocean (campesterol, ß-sitosterol). The sea-ice cover varies distinctly during the whole time period and shows a general increase in the Late Holocene. A maximum in IP25 concentration can be found during the Younger Dryas. This sharp increase can be observed in the whole circumarctic realm (Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, Fram Strait and Laptev Sea). Interestingly, there is no correlation between elevated numbers of ice-rafted debris (IRD) interpreted as local ice-cap expansions (Taldenkova et al. 2010), and sea ice cover distribution. The transgression and flooding of the shelf sea that occurred over the last 16 ka in this region, is reflected by decreasing terrigenous (riverine) input, reflected in the strong decrease in sterol (ß-sitosterol and campesterol) concentrations. References Belt, S.T., Massé, G., Rowland, S.J., Poulin, M., Michel, C., LeBlanc, B., 2007. A novel chemical fossil of palaeo sea ice: IP25. Organic Geochemistry 38 (1), 16e27. Taldenkova, E., Bauch, H.A., Gottschalk, J., Nikolaev, S., Rostovtseva, Yu., Pogodina, I., Ya, Ovsepyan, Kandiano, E., 2010. History of ice-rafting and water mass evolution at the northern Siberian continental margin (Laptev Sea) during Late
Geophysical Investigations of Habitability in Ice-Covered Ocean Worlds
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vance, Steven D.; Panning, Mark P.; Stähler, Simon; Cammarano, Fabio; Bills, Bruce G.; Tobie, Gabriel; Kamata, Shunichi; Kedar, Sharon; Sotin, Christophe; Pike, William T.; Lorenz, Ralph; Huang, Hsin-Hua; Jackson, Jennifer M.; Banerdt, Bruce
2018-01-01
Geophysical measurements can reveal the structures and thermal states of icy ocean worlds. The interior density, temperature, sound speed, and electrical conductivity thus characterize their habitability. We explore the variability and correlation of these parameters using 1-D internal structure models. We invoke thermodynamic consistency using available thermodynamics of aqueous MgSO4, NaCl (as seawater), and NH3; pure water ice phases I, II, III, V, and VI; silicates; and any metallic core that may be present. Model results suggest, for Europa, that combinations of geophysical parameters might be used to distinguish an oxidized ocean dominated by MgSO4 from a more reduced ocean dominated by NaCl. In contrast with Jupiter's icy ocean moons, Titan and Enceladus have low-density rocky interiors, with minimal or no metallic core. The low-density rocky core of Enceladus may comprise hydrated minerals or anhydrous minerals with high porosity.
Phillips, R.L.; Grantz, A.
2001-01-01
The composition and distribution of ice-rafted glacial erratics in late Quaternary sediments define the major current systems of the Arctic Ocean and identify two distinct continental sources for the erratics. In the southern Amerasia basin up to 70% of the erratics are dolostones and limestones (the Amerasia suite) that originated in the carbonate-rich Paleozoic terranes of the Canadian Arctic Islands. These clasts reached the Arctic Ocean in glaciers and were ice-rafted to the core sites in the clockwise Beaufort Gyre. The concentration of erratics decreases northward by 98% along the trend of the gyre from southeastern Canada basin to Makarov basin. The concentration of erratics then triples across the Makarov basin flank of Lomonosov Ridge and siltstone, sandstone and siliceous clasts become dominant in cores from the ridge and the Eurasia basin (the Eurasia suite). The bedrock source for the siltstone and sandstone clasts is uncertain, but bedrock distribution and the distribution of glaciation in northern Eurasia suggest the Taymyr Peninsula-Kara Sea regions. The pattern of clast distribution in the Arctic Ocean sediments and the sharp northward decrease in concentration of clasts of Canadian Arctic Island provenance in the Amerasia basin support the conclusion that the modem circulation pattern of the Arctic Ocean, with the Beaufort Gyre dominant in the Amerasia basin and the Transpolar drift dominant in the Eurasia basin, has controlled both sea-ice and glacial iceberg drift in the Arctic Ocean during interglacial intervals since at least the late Pleistocene. The abruptness of the change in both clast composition and concentration on the Makarov basin flank of Lomonosov Ridge also suggests that the boundary between the Beaufort Gyre and the Transpolar Drift has been relatively stable during interglacials since that time. Because the Beaufort Gyre is wind-driven our data, in conjunction with the westerly directed orientation of sand dunes that formed during
Studying ocean acidification in the Arctic Ocean
Robbins, Lisa
2012-01-01
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard Ice Breaker Healey and its United Nations Convention Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) cruises has produced new synoptic data from samples collected in the Arctic Ocean and insights into the patterns and extent of ocean acidification. This framework of foundational geochemical information will help inform our understanding of potential risks to Arctic resources due to ocean acidification.
Impact Studies of a 2 C Global Warming on the Arctic Sea Ice Cover
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, Josefino C.
2004-01-01
The possible impact of an increase in global temperatures of about 2 C, as may be caused by a doubling of atmospheric CO2, is studied using historical satellite records of surface temperatures and sea ice from late 1970s to 2003. Updated satellite data indicate that the perennial ice continued to decline at an even faster rate of 9.2 % per decade than previously reported while concurrently, the surface temperatures have steadily been going up in most places except for some parts of northern Russia. Surface temperature is shown to be highly correlated with sea ice concentration in the seasonal sea ice regions. Results of regression analysis indicates that for every 1 C increase in temperature, the perennial ice area decreases by about 1.48 x 10(exp 6) square kilometers with the correlation coefficient being significant but only -0.57. Arctic warming is estimated to be about 0.46 C per decade on average in the Arctic but is shown to be off center with respect to the North Pole, and is prominent mainly in the Western Arctic and North America. The length of melt has been increasing by 13 days per decade over sea ice covered areas suggesting a thinning in the ice cover. The length of melt also increased by 5 days per decade over Greenland, 7 days per decade over the permafrost areas of North America but practically no change in Eurasia. Statistically derived projections indicate that the perennial sea ice cover would decline considerably in 2025, 2035, and 2060 when temperatures are predicted by models to reach the 2 C global increase.
Western Arctic Ocean temperature variability during the last 8000 years
Farmer, Jesse R.; Cronin, Thomas M.; De Vernal, Anne; Dwyer, Gary S.; Keigwin, Loyd D.; Thunell, Robert C.
2011-01-01
We reconstructed subsurface (∼200–400 m) ocean temperature and sea-ice cover in the Canada Basin, western Arctic Ocean from foraminiferal δ18O, ostracode Mg/Ca ratios, and dinocyst assemblages from two sediment core records covering the last 8000 years. Results show mean temperature varied from −1 to 0.5°C and −0.5 to 1.5°C at 203 and 369 m water depths, respectively. Centennial-scale warm periods in subsurface temperature records correspond to reductions in summer sea-ice cover inferred from dinocyst assemblages around 6.5 ka, 3.5 ka, 1.8 ka and during the 15th century Common Era. These changes may reflect centennial changes in the temperature and/or strength of inflowing Atlantic Layer water originating in the eastern Arctic Ocean. By comparison, the 0.5 to 0.7°C warm temperature anomaly identified in oceanographic records from the Atlantic Layer of the Canada Basin exceeded reconstructed Atlantic Layer temperatures for the last 1200 years by about 0.5°C.
Future scientific drilling in the Arctic Ocean: Key objectives, areas, and strategies
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stein, R.; Coakley, B.; Mikkelsen, N.; O'Regan, M.; Ruppel, C.
2012-04-01
In spite of the critical role of the Arctic Ocean in climate evolution, our understanding of the short- and long-term paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic history through late Mesozoic-Cenozoic times, as well as its plate-tectonic evolution, remains behind that from the other world's oceans. This lack of knowledge is mainly caused by the major technological/logistic problems in reaching this permanently ice-covered region with normal research vessels and in retrieving long and undisturbed sediment cores. With the Arctic Coring Expedition - ACEX (or IODP Expedition 302), the first Mission Specific Platform (MSP) expedition within IODP, a new era in Arctic research began (Backman, Moran, Mayer, McInroy et al., 2006). ACEX proved that, with an intensive ice-management strategy, successful scientific drilling in the permanently ice-covered central Arctic Ocean is possible. ACEX is certainly a milestone in Arctic Ocean research, but - of course - further drilling activities are needed in this poorly studied ocean. Furthermore, despite the success of ACEX fundamental questions related to the long- and short-term climate history of the Arctic Ocean during Mesozoic-Cenozoic times remain unanswered. This is partly due to poor core recovery during ACEX and, especially, because of a major mid-Cenozoic hiatus in this single record. Since ACEX, a series of workshops were held to develop a scientific drilling strategy for investigating the tectonic and paleoceanographic history of the Arctic Ocean and its role in influencing the global climate system: - "Arctic Ocean History: From Speculation to Reality" (Bremerhaven/Germany, November 2008); - "Overcoming barriers to Arctic Ocean scientific drilling: the site survey challenge" (Copenhagen/Denmark, November 2011); - Circum-Arctic shelf/upper continental slope scientific drilling workshop on "Catching Climate Change in Progress" (San Francisco/USA, December 2011); - "Coordinated Scientific Drilling in the Beaufort Sea: Addressing
Arctic Ocean Sedimentary Cover Structure, Based on 2D MCS Seismic Data.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kireev, A.; Kaminsky, V.; Poselov, V.; Poselova, L.; Kaminsky, D.
2016-12-01
In 2016 the Russian Federation has submitted its partial revised Submission for establishment of the OLCS (outer limit of the continental shelf) in the Arctic Ocean. In order to prepare the Submission, in 2005 - 2014 the Russian organizations carried out a wide range of geological and geophysical studies, so that today over 23000 km of MCS lines and 4000 km of deep seismic sounding are accomplished. For correct time/depth conversion of seismic sections obtained with a short streamer in difficult ice conditions wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic sonobuoy soundings were used. All of these seismic data were used to refine the stratigraphy model, to identify sedimentary complexes and to estimate the total thickness of the sedimentary cover. Seismic stratigraphy model was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the sedimentary section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by boreholes. Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge for Amerasia basin and by correlation of onlap contacts onto oceanic crust with defined magnetic anomalies for Eurasia basin. Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on tracing major unconformities from boreholes on the Chukchi shelf (Crackerjack, Klondike, Popcorn) to the North-Chuckchi Trough and further to the Mendeleev Rise as well as to the Vilkitsky Trough and the adjacent Podvodnikov Basin. Six main unconformities were traced: regional unconformity (RU), Eocene unconformity (EoU) (for Eurasia basin only), post-Campanian unconformity (pCU), Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit). The final step in our research was to generalize all seismic surveys (top of acoustic basement correlation data) and bathymetry data in the sedimentary cover thickness map
Under-ice melt ponds and the oceanic mixed layer
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Flocco, D.; Smith, N.; Feltham, D. L.
2017-12-01
Under-ice melt ponds are pools of freshwater beneath the Arctic sea ice that form when melt from the surface of the sea ice percolates down through the porous sea ice. Through double diffusion, a sheet of ice can form at the interface between the ocean and the under-ice melt pond, completely isolating the pond from the mixed layer below and forming a false bottom to the sea ice. As such, they insulate the sea ice from the ocean below. It has been estimated that these ponds could cover between 5 and 40 % of the base of the Arctic sea ice, and so could have a notable impact on the mass balance of the sea ice. We have developed a one-dimensional model to calculate the thickness and thermodynamic properties of a slab of sea ice, an under-ice melt pond, and a false bottom, as these layers evolve. Through carrying out sensitivity studies, we have identified a number of interesting ways that under-ice melt ponds affect the ice above them and the rate of basal ablation. We found that they result in thicker sea ice above them, due to their insulation of the ice, and have found a possible positive feedback cycle in which less ice will be gained due to under-ice melt ponds as the Arctic becomes warmer. More recently, we have coupled this model to a simple Kraus-Turner type model of the oceanic mixed layer to investigate how these ponds affect the ocean water beneath them. Through altering basal ablation rates and ice thickness, they change the fresh water and salt fluxes into the mixed layer, as well as incoming radiation. Multi-year simulations have, in particular, shown how these effects work on longer time-scales.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Logvinova, Christie L.; Frey, Karen E.; Mann, Paul J.; Stubbins, Aron; Spencer, Robert G. M.
2015-11-01
A warming and shifting climate in the Arctic has led to significant declines in sea ice over the last several decades. Although these changes in sea ice cover are well documented, large uncertainties remain in how associated increases in solar radiation transmitted to the underlying ocean water column will impact heating, biological, and biogeochemical processes in the Arctic Ocean. In this study, six under-ice marine, two ice-free marine, and two ice-free terrestrially influenced water samples were irradiated using a solar simulator for 72 h (representing ~10 days of ambient sunlight) to investigate dissolved organic matter (DOM) dynamics from the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Solar irradiation caused chromophoric DOM (CDOM) light absorption at 254 nm to decrease by 48 to 63%. An overall loss in total DOM fluorescence intensity was also observed at the end of all experiments, and each of six components identified by parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis was shown to be photoreactive in at least one experiment. Fluorescent DOM (FDOM) also indicated that the majority of DOM in under-ice and ice-free marine waters was likely algal-derived. Measurable changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were only observed for sites influenced by riverine runoff. Losses of CDOM absorbance at shorter wavelengths suggest that the beneficial UV protection currently received by marine organisms may decline with the increased light transmittance associated with sea ice melt ponding and overall reductions of sea ice. Our FDOM analyses demonstrate that DOM irrespective of source was susceptible to photobleaching. Additionally, our findings suggest that photodegradation of CDOM in under-ice waters is not currently a significant source of carbon dioxide (CO2) (i.e., we did not observe systematic DOC loss). However, increases in primary production and terrestrial freshwater export expected under future climate change scenarios may cause an increase in CDOM quantity and shift in quality
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pavlov, A. K.; Granskog, M. A.; Hudson, S. R.; Taskjelle, T.; Kauko, H.; Hamre, B.; Assmy, P.; Mundy, C. J.; Nicolaus, M.; Kowalczuk, P.; Stedmon, C. A.; Fernandez Mendez, M.
2016-02-01
A thinner and younger Arctic sea-ice cover has led to an increase in solar light transmission into the surface ocean, especially during late spring and summer. A description of the seasonal evolution of polar surface water optical properties is essential, in order to understand how changes are affecting light availability for photosynthetic organisms and the surface ocean energy budget. The development of the bio-optical properties of Arctic surface waters under predominantly first-year sea ice in the southern Nansen Basin were studied from January to June 2015 during the Norwegian Young Sea Ice Cruise (N-ICE2015). Observations included inherent optical properties, absorption by colored dissolved organic matter and particles, as well as radiometric measurements. We documented a rapid transition from relatively clear and transparent waters in winter to turbid waters in late May and June. This transition was associated with a strong under-ice phytoplankton bloom detected first under the compact ice pack and then monitored during drift across the marginal ice zone. We discuss potential implications of underwater light availability for photosynthesis, heat redistribution in the upper ocean layer, and energy budget of the sea-ice - ocean system.
The melting sea ice of Arctic polar cap in the summer solstice month and the role of ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, S.; Yi, Y.
2014-12-01
The Arctic sea ice is becoming smaller and thinner than climatological standard normal and more fragmented in the early summer. We investigated the widely changing Arctic sea ice using the daily sea ice concentration data. Sea ice data is generated from brightness temperature data derived from the sensors: Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)-F13 Special Sensor Microwave/Imagers (SSM/Is), the DMSP-F17 Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) instrument on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua satellite. We tried to figure out appearance of arctic sea ice melting region of polar cap from the data of passive microwave sensors. It is hard to explain polar sea ice melting only by atmosphere effects like surface air temperature or wind. Thus, our hypothesis explaining this phenomenon is that the heat from deep undersea in Arctic Ocean ridges and the hydrothermal vents might be contributing to the melting of Arctic sea ice.
Multi-decadal Arctic sea ice roughness.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tsamados, M.; Stroeve, J.; Kharbouche, S.; Muller, J. P., , Prof; Nolin, A. W.; Petty, A.; Haas, C.; Girard-Ardhuin, F.; Landy, J.
2017-12-01
The transformation of Arctic sea ice from mainly perennial, multi-year ice to a seasonal, first-year ice is believed to have been accompanied by a reduction of the roughness of the ice cover surface. This smoothening effect has been shown to (i) modify the momentum and heat transfer between the atmosphere and ocean, (ii) to alter the ice thickness distribution which in turn controls the snow and melt pond repartition over the ice cover, and (iii) to bias airborne and satellite remote sensing measurements that depend on the scattering and reflective characteristics over the sea ice surface topography. We will review existing and novel remote sensing methodologies proposed to estimate sea ice roughness, ranging from airborne LIDAR measurement (ie Operation IceBridge), to backscatter coefficients from scatterometers (ASCAT, QUICKSCAT), to multi angle maging spectroradiometer (MISR), and to laser (Icesat) and radar altimeters (Envisat, Cryosat, Altika, Sentinel-3). We will show that by comparing and cross-calibrating these different products we can offer a consistent multi-mission, multi-decadal view of the declining sea ice roughness. Implications for sea ice physics, climate and remote sensing will also be discussed.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hayashida, Hakase; Steiner, Nadja; Monahan, Adam; Galindo, Virginie; Lizotte, Martine; Levasseur, Maurice
2017-06-01
Sea ice represents an additional oceanic source of the climatically active gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS) for the Arctic atmosphere. To what extent this source contributes to the dynamics of summertime Arctic clouds is, however, not known due to scarcity of field measurements. In this study, we developed a coupled sea ice-ocean ecosystem-sulfur cycle model to investigate the potential impact of bottom-ice DMS and its precursor dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) on the oceanic production and emissions of DMS in the Arctic. The results of the 1-D model simulation were compared with field data collected during May and June of 2010 in Resolute Passage. Our results reproduced the accumulation of DMS and DMSP in the bottom ice during the development of an ice algal bloom. The release of these sulfur species took place predominantly during the earlier phase of the melt period, resulting in an increase of DMS and DMSP in the underlying water column prior to the onset of an under-ice phytoplankton bloom. Production and removal rates of processes considered in the model are analyzed to identify the processes dominating the budgets of DMS and DMSP both in the bottom ice and the underlying water column. When openings in the ice were taken into account, the simulated sea-air DMS flux during the melt period was dominated by episodic spikes of up to 8.1 µmol m-2 d-1. Further model simulations were conducted to assess the effects of the incorporation of sea-ice biogeochemistry on DMS production and emissions, as well as the sensitivity of our results to changes of uncertain model parameters of the sea-ice sulfur cycle. The results highlight the importance of taking into account both the sea-ice sulfur cycle and ecosystem in the flux estimates of oceanic DMS near the ice margins and identify key uncertainties in processes and rates that should be better constrained by new observations.
Remote sensing of ocean color in the Arctic
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Maynard, N. G.
1988-01-01
The main objectives of the research are: to increase the understanding of biological production (and carbon fluxes) along the ice edge, in frontal regions, and in open water areas of the Arctic and the physical factors controlling that production through the use of satellite and aircraft remote sensing techniques; and to develop relationships between measured radiances from the Multichannel Aircraft Radiometer System (MARS) and the bio-optical properties of the water in the Arctic and adjacent seas. Several recent Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) studies in the Arctic have shown that, despite constraints imposed by cloud cover, satellite ocean color is a useful means of studying mesoscale physical and biological oceanographic phenomena at high latitudes. The imagery has provided detailed information on ice edge and frontal processes such as spring breakup and retreat of the ice edge, influence of ice on ice effects of stratification on phytoplankton production, river sediment transport, effects of spring runoff, water mass boundaries, circulation patterns, and eddy formation in Icelandic waters and in the Greenland, Barents, Norwegian, and Bering Seas.
Regional variability in sea ice melt in a changing Arctic
Perovich, Donald K.; Richter-Menge, Jacqueline A.
2015-01-01
In recent years, the Arctic sea ice cover has undergone a precipitous decline in summer extent. The sea ice mass balance integrates heat and provides insight on atmospheric and oceanic forcing. The amount of surface melt and bottom melt that occurs during the summer melt season was measured at 41 sites over the time period 1957 to 2014. There are large regional and temporal variations in both surface and bottom melting. Combined surface and bottom melt ranged from 16 to 294 cm, with a mean of 101 cm. The mean ice equivalent surface melt was 48 cm and the mean bottom melt was 53 cm. On average, surface melting decreases moving northward from the Beaufort Sea towards the North Pole; however interannual differences in atmospheric forcing can overwhelm the influence of latitude. Substantial increases in bottom melting are a major contributor to ice losses in the Beaufort Sea, due to decreases in ice concentration. In the central Arctic, surface and bottom melting demonstrate interannual variability, but show no strong temporal trends from 2000 to 2014. This suggests that under current conditions, summer melting in the central Arctic is not large enough to completely remove the sea ice cover. PMID:26032323
Regional variability in sea ice melt in a changing Arctic.
Perovich, Donald K; Richter-Menge, Jacqueline A
2015-07-13
In recent years, the Arctic sea ice cover has undergone a precipitous decline in summer extent. The sea ice mass balance integrates heat and provides insight on atmospheric and oceanic forcing. The amount of surface melt and bottom melt that occurs during the summer melt season was measured at 41 sites over the time period 1957 to 2014. There are large regional and temporal variations in both surface and bottom melting. Combined surface and bottom melt ranged from 16 to 294 cm, with a mean of 101 cm. The mean ice equivalent surface melt was 48 cm and the mean bottom melt was 53 cm. On average, surface melting decreases moving northward from the Beaufort Sea towards the North Pole; however interannual differences in atmospheric forcing can overwhelm the influence of latitude. Substantial increases in bottom melting are a major contributor to ice losses in the Beaufort Sea, due to decreases in ice concentration. In the central Arctic, surface and bottom melting demonstrate interannual variability, but show no strong temporal trends from 2000 to 2014. This suggests that under current conditions, summer melting in the central Arctic is not large enough to completely remove the sea ice cover. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Heimbach, P.; Losch, M.; Menemenlis, D.; Campin, J.; Hill, C.
2008-12-01
The sensitivity of sea-ice export through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), measured in terms of its solid freshwater export through Lancaster Sound, to changes in various elements of the ocean and sea-ice state, and to elements of the atmospheric forcing fields through time and space is assessed by means of a coupled ocean/sea-ice adjoint model. The adjoint model furnishes full spatial sensitivity maps (also known as Lagrange multipliers) of the export metric to a variety of model variables at any chosen point in time, providing the unique capability to quantify major drivers of sea-ice export variability. The underlying model is the MIT ocean general circulation model (MITgcm), which is coupled to a Hibler-type dynamic/thermodynamic sea-ice model. The configuration is based on the Arctic face of the ECCO3 high-resolution cubed-sphere model, but coarsened to 36-km horizontal grid spacing. The adjoint of the coupled system has been derived by means of automatic differentiation using the software tool TAF. Finite perturbation simulations are performed to check the information provided by the adjoint. The sea-ice model's performance in the presence of narrow straits is assessed with different sea-ice lateral boundary conditions. The adjoint sensitivity clearly exposes the role of the model trajectory and the transient nature of the problem. The complex interplay between forcing, dynamics, and boundary condition is demonstrated in the comparison between the different calculations. The study is a step towards fully coupled adjoint-based ocean/sea-ice state estimation at basin to global scales as part of the ECCO efforts.
Changes in evaporation and potential hazards associated with ice accretion in a "New Arctic"
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Boisvert, L.
2016-12-01
The Arctic sea ice acts as a barrier between the ocean and atmosphere inhibiting the exchange of heat, momentum, and moisture. Recently, the Arctic has seen unprecedented declines in the summer sea ice area, changing to a "New Arctic" climate system, one that is dominated by processes affected by large ice-free areas for the majority of the year as the melt season lengthens. Using atmospheric data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument, we found that accompanying this loss of sea ice, the Arctic is becoming warmer and wetter. Evaporation, which plays an important role in the Arctic energy budget, water vapor feedback, and Arctic amplification, is also changing. The largest increases seen in evaporation are in the Arctic coastal seas during the spring and fall where there has been a reduction in sea ice cover and an increase in sea surface temperatures. Increases in evaporation also correspond to increases in low-level clouds. In this "New Arctic" transportation and shipping throughout the Arctic Ocean is becoming a more viable option as the areas in which ships can travel and the time period for ship travel continue to increase. There are various hazards associated with Arctic shipping, one being ice accretion. Ice accretion is the build up of ice on the surface of ships as they travel through regions of specific meteorological conditions unique to high-latitude environments. Besides reduced visibility, this build up of ice can cause ships to sink or capsize (by altering the ships center of gravity) depending on the severity and/or the location of ice build-up. With these changing atmospheric conditions in the Arctic, we expect there have been increases in the ice accretion potential over recent years, and an increase in the likelihood of high, and potentially dangerous ice accretion rates. Improved understanding of how this rapid loss of sea ice affects the "New Arctic" climate system, how evaporation is changing and how ice accretion could change
Scaling properties of the Arctic sea ice Deformation from Buoy Dispersion Analysis
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Weiss, J.; Rampal, P.; Marsan, D.; Lindsay, R.; Stern, H.
2007-12-01
A temporal and spatial scaling analysis of Arctic sea ice deformation is performed over time scales from 3 hours to 3 months and over spatial scales from 300 m to 300 km. The deformation is derived from the dispersion of pairs of drifting buoys, using the IABP (International Arctic Buoy Program) buoy data sets. This study characterizes the deformation of a very large solid plate -the Arctic sea ice cover- stressed by heterogeneous forcing terms like winds and ocean currents. It shows that the sea ice deformation rate depends on the scales of observation following specific space and time scaling laws. These scaling properties share similarities with those observed for turbulent fluids, especially for the ocean and the atmosphere. However, in our case, the time scaling exponent depends on the spatial scale, and the spatial exponent on the temporal scale, which implies a time/space coupling. An analysis of the exponent values shows that Arctic sea ice deformation is very heterogeneous and intermittent whatever the scales, i.e. it cannot be considered as viscous-like, even at very large time and/or spatial scales. Instead, it suggests a deformation accommodated by a multi-scale fracturing/faulting processes.
Phillips, R.L.; Grantz, A.
1997-01-01
The 19 middle-early Pleistocene to Holocene bipartite lithostratigraphic cycles observed in high-resolution piston cores from Northwind Ridge in the Amerasia Basin of the Arctic Ocean, provide a detailed record of alternating glacial and interglacial climatic and oceanographic conditions and of correlative changes in the character and thickness of the sea-ice cover in the Amerasia Basin. Glacial conditions in each cycle are represented by gray pelagic muds that are suboxic, laminated, and essentially lacking in microfossils, macrofossils, trace fossils, and generally in glacial erratics. Interglacial conditions are represented by ochre pelagic muds that are oxic and bioturbated and contain rare to abundant microfossils and abundant glacial erratics. The synglacial laminated gray muds were deposited when the central Amerasia Basin was covered by a floating sheet of sea ice of sufficient thickness and continuity to reduce downwelling solar irradiance and oxygen to levels that precluded photosynthesis, maintenance of a biota, and strong oxidation of the pelagic sediment. Except during the early part of 3 of the 19 synglacial episodes, when it was periodically breached by erratic-bearing glacial icebergs, the floating Arctic Ocean sea-ice sheet was sufficiently thick to block the circulation of icebergs over Northwind Ridge and presumably other areas of the central Arctic Ocean. Interglacial conditions were initiated by abrupt thinning and breakup of the floating sea-ice sheet at the close of glacial time, which permitted surges of glacial erratic-laden ice-bergs to reach Northwind Ridge and the central Arctic Ocean, where they circulated freely and deposited numerous, and relatively thick, erratic clast-rich beds. Breakup of the successive synglacial sea-ice sheets initiated deposition of the interglacial ochre mud units under conditions that allowed sunlight and increased amounts of oxygen to enter the water column, resulting in photosynthesis and biologic
Changes and variations in the turning angle of Arctic sea ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ukita, J.; Honda, M.; Ishizuka, S.
2012-12-01
The motion of sea ice is under influences of forcing from winds and currents and of sea ice properties. In facing rapidly changing Arctic climate we are interested in whether we observe and quantify changes in sea ice conditions reflected in its velocity field. Theoretical consideration on the freedrift model predicts a change in the sea ice turning angle with respect to the direction of forcing wind in association with thinning sea ice thickness. Possible changes in atmospheric and ocean boundary layer conditions may be reflected in the sea ice turning angle through modification of both atmospheric and oceanic Ekman spirals. With these in mind this study examines statistical properties of the turning angle of the Arctic sea ice and compares them with atmospheric/ice/ocean conditions for the period of 1979-2010 on the basis of IABP buoy data. Preliminary results indicate that over this period the turning angle has varying trends depending on different seasons. We found weakly significant (>90% level) changes in the turning angle from August to October with the maximum trend in October. The direction of trends is counter-clockwise with respect to the geostrophic wind direction, which is consistent with the thinning of sea ice. The interannual variability of the turning angle for this peak season of the reduced sea ice cover is not the same as that of the Arctic SIE. However, in recent years the turning angle appears to covary with the surface air temperature, providing supporting evidence for the relationship between the angle and sea ice thickness. In the presentation we will provide results on the relationships between the turning angle and atmospheric and oceanic variables and further discuss their implications.
Transport of contaminants by Arctic sea ice and surface ocean currents
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Pfirman, S.
1995-12-31
Sea ice and ocean currents transport contaminants in the Arctic from source areas on the shelves, to biologically active regions often more than a thousand kilometers away. Coastal regions along the Siberian margin are polluted by discharges of agricultural, industrial and military wastes in river runoff, from atmospheric deposition and ocean dumping. The Kara Sea is of particular concern because of deliberate dumping of radioactive waste, as well as the large input of polluted river water. Contaminants are incorporated in ice during suspension freezing on the shelves, and by atmospheric deposition during drift. Ice releases its contaminant load through brinemore » drainage, surface runoff of snow and meltwater, and when the floe disintegrates. The marginal ice zone, a region of intense biological activity, may also be the site of major contaminant release. Potentially contaminated ice from the Kara Sea is likely to influence the marginal ice zones of the Barents and Greenland seas. From studies conducted to date it appears that sea ice from the Kara Sea does not typically enter the Beaufort Gyre, and thus is unlikely to affect the northern Canadian and Alaskan margins.« less
The interaction of ultraviolet light with Arctic sea ice during SHEBA
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Perovich, Donald K.
The reflection, absorption and transmission of ultraviolet light by a sea-ice cover strongly impacts primary productivity, higher trophic components of the food web, and humans. Measurements of the incident irradiance at 305, 320, 340 and 380 nm and of the photosynthetically active radiation were made from April through September 1998 as part of the SHEBA (Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean program) field experiment in the Arctic Ocean. In addition, observations of snow depth and ice thickness were made at more than 100 sites encompassing a comprehensive range of conditions. The thickness observations were combined with a radiative transfer model to compute a time series of the ultraviolet light transmitted by the ice cover from April through September. Peak values of incident ultraviolet irradiance occurred in mid-June. Peak transmittance was later in the summer at the end of the melt season when the snow cover had completely melted, the ice had thinned and pond coverage was extensive. The fraction of the incident ultraviolet irradiance transmitted through the ice increased by several orders of magnitude as the melt season progressed. Ultraviolet transmittance was approximately a factor of ten greater for melt ponds than bare ice. Climate change has the potential to alter the amplitude and timing of the annual albedo cycle of sea ice. If the onset of melt occurs at increasingly earlier dates, ultraviolet transmittance will be significantly enhanced, with potentially deleterious biological impacts.
Arctic sea ice variability during the last deglaciation: a biomarker approach
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Müller, J.; Stein, R. H.
2014-12-01
The last transition from full glacial to current interglacial conditions was accompanied by distinct short-term climate fluctuations caused by changes in the global ocean circulation system. Most palaeoceanographic studies focus on the documentation of the behaviour of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) during the last deglaciation in response to freshwater forcing events. In this respect, the role of Arctic sea ice remained relatively unconsidered - primarily because of the difficulty of its reconstruction. Here we present new proxy data on late glacial (including the Last Glacial Maximum; LGM) and deglacial sea ice variability in the Arctic Ocean and its main gateway - the Fram Strait - and how these changes in sea ice coverage contributed to AMOC perturbations observed during Heinrich Event 1 and the Younger Dryas. Recurrent short-term advances and retreats of sea ice in Fram Strait, prior and during the LGM, are in line with a variable (or intermittent) North Atlantic heat flow along the eastern corridor of the Nordic Seas. Possibly in direct response to the initial freshwater discharge from melting continental ice-sheets, a permanent sea ice cover established only at about 19 ka BP (i.e. post-LGM) and lasted until 17.6 ka BP, when an abrupt break-up of this thick ice cover and a sudden discharge of huge amounts of sea ice and icebergs through Fram Strait coincided with the weakening of the AMOC during Heinrich Event 1. Similarly, another sea ice maximum at about 12.8 ka BP is associated with the slowdown of the AMOC during the Younger Dryas. The new data sets clearly highlight the important role of Arctic sea ice for the re-organisation of the oceanographic setting in the North Atlantic during the last deglaciation. Further studies and sensitivity experiments to identify crucial driving (and feedback) mechanisms within the High Latitude ice-ocean-atmosphere system will contribute the understanding of rapid climate changes.
Patterns and controlling factors of species diversity in the Arctic Ocean
Yasuhara, Moriaki; Hunt, Gene; van Dijken, Gert; Arrigo, Kevin R.; Cronin, Thomas M.; Wollenburg, Jutta E.
2012-01-01
Aim The Arctic Ocean is one of the last near-pristine regions on Earth, and, although human activities are expected to impact on Arctic ecosystems, we know very little about baseline patterns of Arctic Ocean biodiversity. This paper aims to describe Arctic Ocean-wide patterns of benthic biodiversity and to explore factors related to the large-scale species diversity patterns.Location Arctic Ocean.Methods We used large ostracode and foraminiferal datasets to describe the biodiversity patterns and applied comprehensive ecological modelling to test the degree to which these patterns are potentially governed by environmental factors, such as temperature, productivity, seasonality, ice cover and others. To test environmental control of the observed diversity patterns, subsets of samples for which all environmental parameters were available were analysed with multiple regression and model averaging.Results Well-known negative latitudinal species diversity gradients (LSDGs) were found in metazoan Ostracoda, but the LSDGs were unimodal with an intermediate maximum with respect to latitude in protozoan foraminifera. Depth species diversity gradients were unimodal, with peaks in diversity shallower than those in other oceans. Our modelling results showed that several factors are significant predictors of diversity, but the significant predictors were different among shallow marine ostracodes, deep-sea ostracodes and deep-sea foraminifera.Main conclusions On the basis of these Arctic Ocean-wide comprehensive datasets, we document large-scale diversity patterns with respect to latitude and depth. Our modelling results suggest that the underlying mechanisms causing these species diversity patterns are unexpectedly complex. The environmental parameters of temperature, surface productivity, seasonality of productivity, salinity and ice cover can all play a role in shaping large-scale diversity patterns, but their relative importance may depend on the ecological
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Finstad, A. G.; Palm Helland, I.; Jonsson, B.; Forseth, T.; Foldvik, A.; Hessen, D. O.; Hendrichsen, D. K.; Berg, O. K.; Ulvan, E.; Ugedal, O.
2011-12-01
There has been a growing recognition that single species responses to climate change often mainly are driven by interaction with other organisms and single species studies therefore not are sufficient to recognize and project ecological climate change impacts. Here, we study how performance, relative abundance and the distribution of two common Arctic and sub-Arctic freshwater fishes (brown trout and Arctic char) are driven by competitive interactions. The interactions are modified both by direct climatic effects on temperature and ice-cover, and indirectly through climate forcing of terrestrial vegetation pattern and associated carbon and nutrient run-off. We first use laboratory studies to show that Arctic char, which is the world's most northernmost distributed freshwater fish, outperform trout under low light levels and also have comparable higher growth efficiency. Corresponding to this, a combination of time series and time-for-space analyses show that ice-cover duration and carbon and nutrient load mediated by catchment vegetation properties strongly affected the outcome of the competition and likely drive the species distribution pattern through competitive exclusion. In brief, while shorter ice-cover period and decreased carbon load favored brown trout, increased ice-cover period and increased carbon load favored Arctic char. Length of ice-covered period and export of allochthonous material from catchments are major, but contrasting, climatic drivers of competitive interaction between these two freshwater lake top-predators. While projected climate change lead to decreased ice-cover, corresponding increase in forest and shrub cover amplify carbon and nutrient run-off. Although a likely outcome of future Arctic and sub-arctic climate scenarios are retractions of the Arctic char distribution area caused by competitive exclusion, the main drivers will act on different time scales. While ice-cover will change instantaneously with increasing temperature
Sea Ice Pressure Ridge Height Distributions for the Arctic Ocean in Winter, Just Prior to Melt
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Duncan, K.; Farrell, S. L.; Richter-Menge, J.; Hutchings, J.; Dominguez, R.; Connor, L. N.
2016-12-01
Pressure ridges are one of the most dominant morphological features of the Arctic sea ice pack. An impediment to navigation, pressure ridges are also of climatological interest since they impact the mass, energy and momentum transfer budgets for the Arctic Ocean. Understanding the regional and seasonal distributions of ridge sail heights, and their variability, is important for quantifying total sea ice mass, and for improved treatment of sea ice dynamics in high-resolution numerical models. Observations of sail heights from airborne and ship-based platforms have been documented in previous studies, however studies with both high spatial and temporal resolution, across multiple regions of the Arctic, are only recently possible with the advent of dedicated airborne surveys of the Arctic Ocean. In this study we present results from the high-resolution Digital Mapping System (DMS), flown as part of NASA's Operation IceBridge missions. We use DMS imagery to calculate ridge sail heights, derived from the shadows they cast combined with the solar elevation angle and the known pixel size of each image. Our analyses describe sea ice conditions at the end of winter, during the months of March and April, over a period spanning seven years, from 2010 to 2016. The high spatial resolution (0.1m) and temporal extent (seven years) of the DMS data set provides, for the first time, the full sail-height distributions of both first-year and multi-year sea ice. We present the inter-annual variability in sail height distributions for both the Central Arctic and the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. We validate our results via comparison with spatially coincident high-resolution SAR imagery and airborne laser altimeter elevations.
An ice-ocean coupled model for the Northern Hemisphere
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cheng, Abe; Preller, Ruth
1992-01-01
The Hibler ice model has been modified and adapted to a domain that includes most of the sea ice-covered areas in the Northern Hemisphere. This model, joined with the Cox ocean model, is developed as an enhancement to the U.S. Navy's sea ice forecasting, PIPS, and is termed PIPS2.0. Generally, the modeled ice edge is consistent with the Navy-NOAA Joint Ice Center weekly analysis, and the modeled ice thickness distribution agrees with submarine sonar data in the central Arctic basin.
An updated 26-year (1991-2017) sea level record from the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kildegaard Rose, Stine; Baltazar Andersen, Ole; Passaro, Marcello; Benveniste, Jerome
2017-04-01
In recent years, there has been a large focus of the Arctic due the rapid changes of the region. The sea level of the Arctic Ocean is an important climate indicator. The Arctic sea ice is decreasing and has since 1997 experienced a steepening in the decrease. The Arctic sea level determination is challenging due to the seasonal to permanent sea ice cover, the lack of regional coverage of satellites, the satellite instruments ability to measure ice, insufficient geophysical models, residual orbit errors, challenging retracking of satellite altimeter data. We present the DTU/TUM 26-year sea level record based on satellite altimetry data in the Arctic Ocean from the ERS1 (1991) to CryoSat-2 (present) satellites. The sea level record is compared with several tide gauges and other available partial sea level records contributing to the ESA CCI Sea level initiative. We use updated geophysical corrections and a combination of altimeter data: REAPER (ERS1), ALES+ retracker (ERS2, Envisat), combined Rads and DTUs in-house retracker LARS (CryoSat-2). The ALES+ is an upgraded version of the Adaptive Leading Edge Subwaveform Retracker that has been developed to improve data quality and quantity in the coastal ocean, without degrading the results in the open ocean. ALES+ aims at retracking peaky waveforms typical of lead reflections without modifying the fitting model used in the open ocean.
Interactions of arctic clouds, radiation, and sea ice in present-day and future climates
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Burt, Melissa Ann
The Arctic climate system involves complex interactions among the atmosphere, land surface, and the sea-ice-covered Arctic Ocean. Observed changes in the Arctic have emerged and projected climate trends are of significant concern. Surface warming over the last few decades is nearly double that of the entire Earth. Reduced sea-ice extent and volume, changes to ecosystems, and melting permafrost are some examples of noticeable changes in the region. This work is aimed at improving our understanding of how Arctic clouds interact with, and influence, the surface budget, how clouds influence the distribution of sea ice, and the role of downwelling longwave radiation (DLR) in climate change. In the first half of this study, we explore the roles of sea-ice thickness and downwelling longwave radiation in Arctic amplification. As the Arctic sea ice thins and ultimately disappears in a warming climate, its insulating power decreases. This causes the surface air temperature to approach the temperature of the relatively warm ocean water below the ice. The resulting increases in air temperature, water vapor and cloudiness lead to an increase in the surface downwelling longwave radiation, which enables a further thinning of the ice. This positive ice-insulation feedback operates mainly in the autumn and winter. A climate-change simulation with the Community Earth System Model shows that, averaged over the year, the increase in Arctic DLR is three times stronger than the increase in Arctic absorbed solar radiation at the surface. The warming of the surface air over the Arctic Ocean during fall and winter creates a strong thermal contrast with the colder surrounding continents. Sea-level pressure falls over the Arctic Ocean and the high-latitude circulation reorganizes into a shallow "winter monsoon." The resulting increase in surface wind speed promotes stronger surface evaporation and higher humidity over portions of the Arctic Ocean, thus reinforcing the ice-insulation feedback
The role of declining summer sea ice extent in increasing Arctic winter precipitation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hamman, J.; Roberts, A.; Cassano, J. J.; Nijssen, B.
2016-12-01
In the past three decades, the Arctic has experienced large declines in summer sea ice cover, permafrost extent, and spring snow cover, and increases in winter precipitation. This study explores the relationship between declining Arctic sea ice extent (IE) and winter precipitation (WP) across the Arctic land masses. The first part of this presentation presents the observed relationship between IE and WP. Using satellite estimates of IE and WP data based on a combination of in-situ observations and global reanalyses, we show that WP is negatively correlated with summer IE and that this relationship is strongest before the year 2000. After 2000, around the time IE minima began to decline most rapidly, the relationship between IE and WP degenerates. This indicates that other processes are driving changes in IE and WP. We hypothesize that positive anomalies in poleward moisture transport have historically driven anomalously low IE and high WP, and that since the significant decline in IE, moisture divergence from the central Arctic has been a larger contributor to WP over land. To better understand the physical mechanisms driving the observed changes in the Arctic climate system and the sensitivity of the Arctic climate system to declining sea ice, we have used the fully-coupled Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) to simulate two distinct sea ice climates. The first climate represents normal IE, while the second includes reduced summer IE. The second portion of this presentation analyzes these two RASM simulations, in conjunction with our observation-based analysis, to understand the coupled relationship between poleward moisture transport, IE, evaporation from the Arctic Ocean, and precipitation. We will present the RASM-simulated Arctic water budget and demonstrate the role of IE in driving WP anomalies. Finally, a spatial correlation analysis identifies characteristic patterns in IE, ocean evaporation, and polar cap convergence that contribute to anomalies in WP.
Increased fluxes of shelf-derived materials to the central Arctic Ocean
Kipp, Lauren E.; Charette, Matthew A.; Moore, Willard S.; Henderson, Paul B.; Rigor, Ignatius G.
2018-01-01
Rising temperatures in the Arctic Ocean region are responsible for changes such as reduced ice cover, permafrost thawing, and increased river discharge, which, together, alter nutrient and carbon cycles over the vast Arctic continental shelf. We show that the concentration of radium-228, sourced to seawater through sediment-water exchange processes, has increased substantially in surface waters of the central Arctic Ocean over the past decade. A mass balance model for 228Ra suggests that this increase is due to an intensification of shelf-derived material inputs to the central basin, a source that would also carry elevated concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nutrients. Therefore, we suggest that significant changes in the nutrient, carbon, and trace metal balances of the Arctic Ocean are underway, with the potential to affect biological productivity and species assemblages in Arctic surface waters. PMID:29326980
Cloud Response to Arctic Sea Ice Loss and Implications for Feedbacks in the CESM1 Climate Model
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Morrison, A.; Kay, J. E.; Chepfer, H.; Guzman, R.; Bonazzola, M.
2017-12-01
Clouds have the potential to accelerate or slow the rate of Arctic sea ice loss through their radiative influence on the surface. Cloud feedbacks can therefore play into Arctic warming as clouds respond to changes in sea ice cover. As the Arctic moves toward an ice-free state, understanding how cloud - sea ice relationships change in response to sea ice loss is critical for predicting the future climate trajectory. From satellite observations we know the effect of present-day sea ice cover on clouds, but how will clouds respond to sea ice loss as the Arctic transitions to a seasonally open water state? In this study we use a lidar simulator to first evaluate cloud - sea ice relationships in the Community Earth System Model (CESM1) against present-day observations (2006-2015). In the current climate, the cloud response to sea ice is well-represented in CESM1: we see no summer cloud response to changes in sea ice cover, but more fall clouds over open water than over sea ice. Since CESM1 is credible for the current Arctic climate, we next assess if our process-based understanding of Arctic cloud feedbacks related to sea ice loss is relevant for understanding future Arctic clouds. In the future Arctic, summer cloud structure continues to be insensitive to surface conditions. As the Arctic warms in the fall, however, the boundary layer deepens and cloud fraction increases over open ocean during each consecutive decade from 2020 - 2100. This study will also explore seasonal changes in cloud properties such as opacity and liquid water path. Results thus far suggest that a positive fall cloud - sea ice feedback exists in the present-day and future Arctic climate.
Arctic Sea Ice Predictability and the Sea Ice Prediction Network
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wiggins, H. V.; Stroeve, J. C.
2014-12-01
Drastic reductions in Arctic sea ice cover have increased the demand for Arctic sea ice predictions by a range of stakeholders, including local communities, resource managers, industry and the public. The science of sea-ice prediction has been challenged to keep up with these developments. Efforts such as the SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook (SIO; http://www.arcus.org/sipn/sea-ice-outlook) and the Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook have provided a forum for the international sea-ice prediction and observing community to explore and compare different approaches. The SIO, originally organized by the Study of Environmental Change (SEARCH), is now managed by the new Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN), which is building a collaborative network of scientists and stakeholders to improve arctic sea ice prediction. The SIO synthesizes predictions from a variety of methods, including heuristic and from a statistical and/or dynamical model. In a recent study, SIO data from 2008 to 2013 were analyzed. The analysis revealed that in some years the predictions were very successful, in other years they were not. Years that were anomalous compared to the long-term trend have proven more difficult to predict, regardless of which method was employed. This year, in response to feedback from users and contributors to the SIO, several enhancements have been made to the SIO reports. One is to encourage contributors to provide spatial probability maps of sea ice cover in September and the first day each location becomes ice-free; these are an example of subseasonal to seasonal, local-scale predictions. Another enhancement is a separate analysis of the modeling contributions. In the June 2014 SIO report, 10 of 28 outlooks were produced from models that explicitly simulate sea ice from dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice models. Half of the models included fully-coupled (atmosphere, ice, and ocean) models that additionally employ data assimilation. Both of these subsets (models and coupled models with data
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Peeken, I.; Hardge, K.; Krumpen, T.; Metfies, K.; Nöthig, E. M.; Rabe, B.; von Appen, W. J.; Vernet, M.
2016-02-01
The Arctic Ocean is currently one of the key regions where the effect of climate change is most pronounced. Sea ice is an important interface in this region by representing a unique habitat for many organisms. Massive reduction of sea ice thickness and extent, which have been recorded over the last twenty years, is anticipated to cause large cascading changes in the entire Arctic ecosystem. Most sea ice is formed on the Eurasian shelves and transported via the Transpolardrift to the western Fram Strait and out of the Arctic Ocean with the cold East Greenland Current (EGC). Warm Atlantic water enters the Arctic Ocean with the West Spitsbergen Current (WSC) via eastern Fram Strait. Here, we focus on the spatial spreading of protists from the Atlantic water masses, and their occurrences over the deep basins of the Central Arctic and the relationship amongst them in water and sea ice. Communities were analyzed by using pigments, flow cytometer and ARISA fingerprints during several cruises with the RV Polarstern to the Fram Strait, the Greenland Sea and the Central Arctic Ocean. By comparing these data sets we are able to demonstrate that the origin of the studied sea ice floes is more important for the biodiversity found in the sea ice communities then the respective underlying water mass. In contrast, biodiversity in the water column is mainly governed by the occurring water masses and the presence or absence of sea ice. However, overall the development of standing stocks in both biomes was governed by the availability of nutrients. To get a temporal perspective of the recent results, the study will be embedded in a long-term data set of phytoplankton biomass obtained during several cruises over the last twenty years.
An Array of Ice-Based Observatories for Arctic Studies
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Plueddemann, A.; Proshutinsky, A.; Toole, J.; Ashjian, C.; Krishfield, R.; Carmack, E.; Dethloff, K.; Fahrbach, E.; Gascard, J.; Perovich, D.; Pryamikov, S.
2004-12-01
The Arctic Ocean's role in global climate - while now widely appreciated - remains poorly understood. Lack of information about key processes within the oceanic, cryospheric, biologic, atmospheric and geologic disciplines will continue to impede physical understanding, model validation, and climate prediction until a practical observing system is designed and implemented. Requirements, challenges and recommendations for Ice-Based Observatories (IBO?s) for the Arctic Ocean were formulated by workshop participants of an international workshop entitled "Arctic Observing Based on Ice-Tethered Platforms" held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA, June 28-30, 2004. The principal conclusion from the workshop was that practical, cost-effective and proven IBO designs presently exist, can be readily extended to provide interdisciplinary observations, and should be implemented expeditiously as part of a coordinated Arctic observing system. Ice-based instrument systems are a proven means of acquiring unattended high quality air, ice, and ocean data from the central Arctic during all seasons. Arctic Change is ongoing and measurements need to begin now. An array of approximately 25-30 IBO units maintained throughout the Arctic Ocean is envisioned to observe the annual and interannual variations of the polar atmosphere-ice-ocean environment. An international body will be required to coordinate the various national programs (eliminate overlap, insure no data holes) and insure compatibility of data and their widespread distribution. A long-term, internationally coordinated logistics plan should be implemented as an essential complement to scientific and technical plans for an IBO array. The 25 years of IABP drift trajectories, existing data climatologies and available numerical simulations should be exploited to derive insight to optimal array design, deployment strategies, sampling intervals, and expected performance of an IBO array. IBO
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Meyer, A.; Duarte, P.; Mork Olsen, L.; Kauko, H.; Assmy, P.; Rösel, A.; Itkin, P.; Hudson, S. R.; Granskog, M. A.; Gerland, S.; Sundfjord, A.; Steen, H.; Jeffery, N.; Hunke, E. C.; Elliott, S.; Turner, A. K.
2016-12-01
Changes in the sea ice regime of the Arctic Ocean over the last decades from a thick perennial multiyear ice to a first year ice have been well documented. These changes in the sea ice regime will affect feedback mechanisms between the sea ice, atmosphere and ocean. Here we evaluate the performance of the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE), a state of the art sea ice model, to predict sea ice physical and biogeochemical properties at time scales of a few weeks. We also identify the most problematic prognostic variables and what is necessary to improve their forecast. The availability of a complete data set of forcing collected during the Norwegian Young sea Ice (N-ICE-2015) expedition north of Svalbard opens the possibility to properly test CICE. Oceanographic, atmospheric, sea ice, snow, and biological data were collected above, on, and below the ice using R/V Lance as the base for the ice camps that were drifting south towards the Fram Strait. Over six months, four different drifts took place, from the Nansen Basin, through the marginal ice zone, to the open ocean. Obtained results from the model show a good performance regarding ice thickness, salinity and temperature. Nutrients and sea ice algae are however not modelled as accurately. We hypothesize that improvements in biogeochemical modeling may be achieved by complementing brine drainage with a diffusion parameterization and biogeochemical modeling with the introduction of an explicit formulation to forecast chlorophyll and regulate photosynthetic efficiency.
Large eddy simulation of heat entrainment under Arctic sea ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ramudu, Eshwan; Gelderloos, Renske; Yang, Di; Meneveau, Charles; Gnanadesikan, Anand
2017-11-01
Sea ice cover in the Arctic has declined rapidly in recent decades. To better understand ice loss through bottom melting, we choose to study the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean, which is characterized by a perennial anomalously warm Pacific Summer Water (PSW) layer residing at the base of the mixed layer and a summertime Near-Surface Temperature Maximum (NSTM) layer trapping heat from solar radiation. The interaction of these warm layers with a moving ice basal surface is investigated using large eddy simulation. We find that the presence of the NSTM enhances heat entrainment from the mixed layer. Another conclusion from our work is that there is no heat entrained from the PSW layer, even at the largest ice-drift velocity of 0.3 m s-1 considered. We propose a scaling law for the heat flux at the ice basal surface which depends on the initial temperature anomaly in the NSTM layer and the ice-drift velocity. A case study of `The Great Arctic Cyclone of 2012' gives a turbulent heat flux from the mixed layer that is approximately 70% of the total ocean-to-ice heat flux estimated from the PIOMAS model often used for short-term predictions. Present results highlight the need for large-scale climate models to account for the NSTM layer. We acknowledge funding from NOAA Grant NA15OAR4310172, the NSF, and the University of Houston start-up fund.
Arctic sea ice decline contributes to thinning lake ice trend in northern Alaska
Alexeev, Vladimir; Arp, Christopher D.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Cai, Lei
2016-01-01
Field measurements, satellite observations, and models document a thinning trend in seasonal Arctic lake ice growth, causing a shift from bedfast to floating ice conditions. September sea ice concentrations in the Arctic Ocean since 1991 correlate well (r = +0.69,p < 0.001) to this lake regime shift. To understand how and to what extent sea ice affects lakes, we conducted model experiments to simulate winters with years of high (1991/92) and low (2007/08) sea ice extent for which we also had field measurements and satellite imagery characterizing lake ice conditions. A lake ice growth model forced with Weather Research and Forecasting model output produced a 7% decrease in lake ice growth when 2007/08 sea ice was imposed on 1991/92 climatology and a 9% increase in lake ice growth for the opposing experiment. Here, we clearly link early winter 'ocean-effect' snowfall and warming to reduced lake ice growth. Future reductions in sea ice extent will alter hydrological, biogeochemical, and habitat functioning of Arctic lakes and cause sub-lake permafrost thaw.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jin, Meibing; Deal, Clara; Maslowski, Wieslaw; Matrai, Patricia; Roberts, Andrew; Osinski, Robert; Lee, Younjoo J.; Frants, Marina; Elliott, Scott; Jeffery, Nicole; Hunke, Elizabeth; Wang, Shanlin
2018-01-01
The current coarse-resolution global Community Earth System Model (CESM) can reproduce major and large-scale patterns but is still missing some key biogeochemical features in the Arctic Ocean, e.g., low surface nutrients in the Canada Basin. We incorporated the CESM Version 1 ocean biogeochemical code into the Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) and coupled it with a sea-ice algal module to investigate model limitations. Four ice-ocean hindcast cases are compared with various observations: two in a global 1° (40˜60 km in the Arctic) grid: G1deg and G1deg-OLD with/without new sea-ice processes incorporated; two on RASM's 1/12° (˜9 km) grid R9km and R9km-NB with/without a subgrid scale brine rejection parameterization which improves ocean vertical mixing under sea ice. Higher-resolution and new sea-ice processes contributed to lower model errors in sea-ice extent, ice thickness, and ice algae. In the Bering Sea shelf, only higher resolution contributed to lower model errors in salinity, nitrate (NO3), and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). In the Arctic Basin, model errors in mixed layer depth (MLD) were reduced 36% by brine rejection parameterization, 20% by new sea-ice processes, and 6% by higher resolution. The NO3 concentration biases were caused by both MLD bias and coarse resolution, because of excessive horizontal mixing of high NO3 from the Chukchi Sea into the Canada Basin in coarse resolution models. R9km showed improvements over G1deg on NO3, but not on Chl-a, likely due to light limitation under snow and ice cover in the Arctic Basin.
On the 2012 Record Low Arctic Sea Ice Cover: Combined Impact of Preconditioning and an August Storm
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.; Comiso, Josefino C.
2013-01-01
A new record low Arctic sea ice extent for the satellite era, 3.4 x 10(exp 6) square kilometers, was reached on 13 September 2012; and a new record low sea ice area, 3.01 x 10(exp 6) square kilometers was reached on the same date. Preconditioning through decades of overall ice reductions made the ice pack more vulnerable to a strong storm that entered the central Arctic in early August 2012. The storm caused the separation of an expanse of 0.4 x 10(exp 6) square kilometers of ice that melted in total, while its removal left the main pack more exposed to wind and waves, facilitating the main pack's further decay. Future summer storms could lead to a further acceleration of the decline in the Arctic sea ice cover and should be carefully monitored.
Arctic Ocean Paleoceanography and Future IODP Drilling
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stein, Ruediger
2015-04-01
Although the Arctic Ocean is a major player in the global climate/earth system, this region is one of the last major physiographic provinces on Earth where the short- and long-term geological history is still poorly known. This lack in knowledge is mainly due to the major technological/logistical problems in operating within the permanently ice-covered Arctic region which makes it difficult to retrieve long and undisturbed sediment cores. Prior to 2004, in the central Arctic Ocean piston and gravity coring was mainly restricted to obtaining near-surface sediments, i.e., only the upper 15 m could be sampled. Thus, all studies were restricted to the late Pliocene/Quaternary time interval, with a few exceptions. These include the four short cores obtained by gravity coring from drifting ice floes over the Alpha Ridge, where older pre-Neogene organic-carbon-rich muds and laminated biosiliceous oozes were sampled. Continuous central Arctic Ocean sedimentary records, allowing a development of chronologic sequences of climate and environmental change through Cenozoic times and a comparison with global climate records, however, were missing prior to the IODP Expedition 302 (Arctic Ocean Coring Expedition - ACEX), the first scientific drilling in the central Arctic Ocean. By studying the unique ACEX sequence, a large number of scientific discoveries that describe previously unknown Arctic paleoenvironments, were obtained during the last decade (for most recent review and references see Stein et al., 2014). While these results from ACEX were unprecedented, key questions related to the climate history of the Arctic Ocean remain unanswered, in part because of poor core recovery, and in part because of the possible presence of a major mid-Cenozoic hiatus or interval of starved sedimentation within the ACEX record. In order to fill this gap in knowledge, international, multidisciplinary expeditions and projects for scientific drilling/coring in the Arctic Ocean are needed. Key
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shi, Xiaoxu; Lohmann, Gerrit
2017-09-01
A coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice model is applied to investigate to what degree the area-thickness distribution of new ice formed in open water affects the ice and ocean properties. Two sensitivity experiments are performed which modify the horizontal-to-vertical aspect ratio of open-water ice growth. The resulting changes in the Arctic sea-ice concentration strongly affect the surface albedo, the ocean heat release to the atmosphere, and the sea-ice production. The changes are further amplified through a positive feedback mechanism among the Arctic sea ice, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and the surface air temperature in the Arctic, as the Fram Strait sea ice import influences the freshwater budget in the North Atlantic Ocean. Anomalies in sea-ice transport lead to changes in sea surface properties of the North Atlantic and the strength of AMOC. For the Southern Ocean, the most pronounced change is a warming along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), owing to the interhemispheric bipolar seasaw linked to AMOC weakening. Another insight of this study lies on the improvement of our climate model. The ocean component FESOM is a newly developed ocean-sea ice model with an unstructured mesh and multi-resolution. We find that the subpolar sea-ice boundary in the Northern Hemisphere can be improved by tuning the process of open-water ice growth, which strongly influences the sea ice concentration in the marginal ice zone, the North Atlantic circulation, salinity and Arctic sea ice volume. Since the distribution of new ice on open water relies on many uncertain parameters and the knowledge of the detailed processes is currently too crude, it is a challenge to implement the processes realistically into models. Based on our sensitivity experiments, we conclude a pronounced uncertainty related to open-water sea ice growth which could significantly affect the climate system sensitivity.
Belchansky, G.I.; Douglas, David C.; Eremeev, V.A.; Platonov, Nikita G.
2005-01-01
A 26-year (1979-2004) observational record of January multiyear sea ice distributions, derived from neural network analysis of SMMR-SSM/I passive microwave satellite data, reveals dense and persistent cover in the central Arctic basin surrounded by expansive regions of highly fluctuating interannual cover. Following a decade of quasi equilibrium, precipitous declines in multiyear ice area commenced in 1989 when the Arctic Oscillation shifted to a pronounced positive phase. Although extensive survival of first-year ice during autumn 1996 fully replenished the area of multiyear ice, a subsequent and accelerated decline returned the depletion to record lows. The most dramatic multiyear sea ice declines occurred in the East Siberian, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas.
Measurement of Arctic sea-ice thickness by submarine 5 years after SCICEX
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hughes, Nicholas E.; Wadhams, Peter
In April 2004 the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless became the first UK submarine to conduct environmental monitoring in the Arctic Ocean since 1996. As the last US SCICEX (Scientific Ice Expeditions) cruise was in 2000, this has been the only opportunity for a civilian scientist to carry out measurement of ice draft and oceanography over a wide area of the Arctic. This paper presents preliminary results and compares them with similar investigations in the 1970s-90s. The route of Tireless covered a large area of the European sector of the Arctic from 5° E to 62° W. Transects were carried out from the marginal ice zone in Fram Strait up to the North Pole and along the 85° N parallel north of Greenland. As part of work for the European Commission IRIS project, image intensity from the advanced synthetic aperture radar instrument on the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite has been compared with ice draft from the submarine. The raw data were found to be highly variable, so a moving average was applied, producing a correlation of 0.79. Tireless carried a full oceanographic sensor suite and expendable probes for investigation into changes in the Arctic Ocean. The results from these show further erosion of the Arctic cold halocline layer by advancing Atlantic Water compared to previous climatologies and fieldwork expeditions. Preliminary ice-draft data from 85° N show deeper ice keels than those encountered by a submarine on the same route in 1987.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rossel, P. E.; Bienhold, C.; Boetius, A.; Dittmar, T.
2016-02-01
Marine organic matter (OM) that sinks from surface waters to the seafloor is the energy and carbon source for benthic communities. These communities produce dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the process of remineralization, enriching the sediment porewater with fresh DOM compounds. In the Arctic Ocean, primary production is limited by nutrients and light and is thus strongly influenced by sea ice cover. Ice cover is expected to further decrease due to global warming, which may have important consequences for primary production and the quantity and quality of OM exported to the seafloor. This study focused on: 1) the molecular composition of the DOM in sediment pore waters of the deep Eurasian Arctic basins, 2) whether there is any relation between Arctic Ocean ice cover and DOM composition and 3) whether the DOM composition correlates with microbial community structure. Molecular data, obtained via 15 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, were statistically correlated with environmental parameters. The productive ice margin stations showed higher abundances of molecular formulae of peptides, unsaturated aliphatics and saturated fatty acids. This molecular trend is indicative of fresh OM and phytodetritus deposition, compared to the northernmost, ice-covered stations which had stronger aromatic signals. Benthic bacterial community structure, as assessed with the fingerprinting method ARISA, was significantly correlated with DOM molecular composition. Further analyses using Illumina next-generation sequencing will enable the taxonomic identification of specific bacterial groups and their interdependence with DOM compounds. This study contributes to the understanding of the coupling between Arctic Ocean productivity and its depositional regime, and provides first insights into potential links between microbial community structure and DOM molecular composition in Arctic sediments
The Impact of a Lower Sea Ice Extent on Arctic Greenhouse Gas Exchange
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Parmentier, Frans-Jan W.; Christensen, Torben R.; Lotte Sørensen, Lise; Rysgaard, Søren; McGuire, A. David; Miller, Paul A.; Walker, Donald A.
2013-04-01
Arctic sea ice extent hit a new record low in September 2012, when it fell to a level about two times lower than the 1979-2000 average. Record low sea ice extents such as these are often hailed as an obvious example of the impact of climate change on the Arctic. Less obvious, however, are the further implications of a lower sea ice extent on Arctic greenhouse gas exchange. For example, a reduction in sea ice, in consort with a lower snow cover, has been connected to higher surface temperatures in the terrestrial part of the Arctic (Screen et al., 2012). These higher temperatures and longer growing seasons have the potential to alter the CO2 balance of Arctic tundra through enhanced photosynthesis and respiration, as well as the magnitude of methane emissions. In fact, large changes are already observed in terrestrial ecosystems (Post et al., 2009), and concerns have been raised of large releases of carbon through permafrost thaw (Schuur et al., 2011). While these changes in the greenhouse gas balance of the terrestrial Arctic are described in numerous studies, a connection with a decline in sea ice extent is nonetheless seldom made. In addition to these changes on land, a lower sea ice extent also has a direct effect on the exchange of greenhouse gases between the ocean and the atmosphere. For example, due to sea ice retreat, more ocean surface remains in contact with the atmosphere, and this has been suggested to increase the oceanic uptake of CO2 (Bates et al., 2006). However, the sustainability of this increased uptake is uncertain (Cai et al., 2010), and carbon fluxes related directly to the sea ice itself add much uncertainty to the oceanic uptake of CO2 (Nomura et al., 2006; Rysgaard et al., 2007). Furthermore, significant emissions of methane from the Arctic Ocean have been observed (Kort et al., 2012; Shakhova et al., 2010), but the consequence of a lower sea ice extent thereon is still unclear. Overall, the decline in sea ice that has been seen in recent
Does Arctic sea ice reduction foster shelf-basin exchange?
Ivanov, Vladimir; Watanabe, Eiji
2013-12-01
The recent shift in Arctic ice conditions from prevailing multi-year ice to first-year ice will presumably intensify fall-winter sea ice freezing and the associated salt flux to the underlying water column. Here, we conduct a dual modeling study whose results suggest that the predicted catastrophic consequences for the global thermohaline circulation (THC), as a result of the disappearance of Arctic sea ice, may not necessarily occur. In a warmer climate, the substantial fraction of dense water feeding the Greenland-Scotland overflow may form on Arctic shelves and cascade to the deep basin, thus replenishing dense water, which currently forms through open ocean convection in the sub-Arctic seas. We have used a simplified model for estimating how increased ice production influences shelf-basin exchange associated with dense water cascading. We have carried out case studies in two regions of the Arctic Ocean where cascading was observed in the past. The baseline range of buoyancy-forcing derived from the columnar ice formation was calculated as part of a 30-year experiment of the pan-Arctic coupled ice-ocean general circulation model (GCM). The GCM results indicate that mechanical sea ice divergence associated with lateral advection accounts for a significant part of the interannual variations in sea ice thermal production in the coastal polynya regions. This forcing was then rectified by taking into account sub-grid processes and used in a regional model with analytically prescribed bottom topography and vertical stratification in order to examine specific cascading conditions in the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Arctic Ocean. Our results demonstrate that the consequences of enhanced ice formation depend on geographical location and shelf-basin bathymetry. In the Pacific sector, strong density stratification in slope waters impedes noticeable deepening of shelf-origin water, even for the strongest forcing applied. In the Atlantic sector, a 1.5x increase of
30 years of Arctic sea ice thickness measurements by Royal Navy submarines
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wadhams, P.; Hughes, N.; Rodrigues, J. M.; Toberg, N.
2009-12-01
Royal Navy submarines fitted with upward-looking sonars have been collecting sea ice thickness data in the Arctic Ocean since the early 1970s. These data sets provide unique information on the Arctic sea ice thickness distribution and the way it has been changing in the past decades. In March 2007 HMS Tireless conducted a transect of the Arctic Ocean from Fram Strait to the western Beaufort Sea which gave the opportunity to measure the thickness of the sea ice cover during the winter immediately preceding the exceptional retreat of summer 2007. Three years earlier, in April 2004, a voyage by the same submarine took sea ice thickness data in the regions of Fram Strait, the Lincoln Sea and the North Pole. We report on the ice draft, pressure ridge and lead distributions obtained in these two cruises and analyse the evolution of the ice cover from 2004 to 2007 in areas of coincident tracks. In the region from north of Fram Strait to Ellesmere Island (about 85°N, 0-70°W) we find no change in mean drafts between 2004 and 2007 although there is a change in ice composition, with more ridging in 2007 and a slight reduction of modal draft. This agrees with the concept of young ice being driven towards Fram Strait. The region north of Ellesmere Island continues to be a "redoubt" of very thick deformed multiyear ice. In 2007 the submarine profiled extensively under the DAMOCLES ice camp at about 85°N 64°W and under the SEDNA ice camp at about 73°N 145°W. The latter is in the same location as the 1976 AIDJEX ice camp and a sonar survey done by a US submarine in April 1976. We found that a large decrease in mean draft had occurred (32%) over 31 years and that in 2007 the SEDNA region contained the thinnest ice of any part of the Arctic surveyed by the submarine. Under the DAMOCLES ice camp about 200km of topographic sea ice data were gathered with a Kongsberg EM3002 multibeam (MB) sonar, making this the largest continuous data set of its kind. The MB data produce high
The Greenland Ice Sheet's surface mass balance in a seasonally sea ice-free Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Day, J. J.; Bamber, J. L.; Valdes, P. J.
2013-09-01
General circulation models predict a rapid decrease in sea ice extent with concurrent increases in near-surface air temperature and precipitation in the Arctic over the 21st century. This has led to suggestions that some Arctic land ice masses may experience an increase in accumulation due to enhanced evaporation from a seasonally sea ice-free Arctic Ocean. To investigate the impact of this phenomenon on Greenland Ice Sheet climate and surface mass balance (SMB), a regional climate model, HadRM3, was used to force an insolation-temperature melt SMB model. A set of experiments designed to investigate the role of sea ice independently from sea surface temperature (SST) forcing are described. In the warmer and wetter SI + SST simulation, Greenland experiences a 23% increase in winter SMB but 65% reduced summer SMB, resulting in a net decrease in the annual value. This study shows that sea ice decline contributes to the increased winter balance, causing 25% of the increase in winter accumulation; this is largest in eastern Greenland as the result of increased evaporation in the Greenland Sea. These results indicate that the seasonal cycle of Greenland's SMB will increase dramatically as global temperatures increase, with the largest changes in temperature and precipitation occurring in winter. This demonstrates that the accurate prediction of changes in sea ice cover is important for predicting Greenland SMB and ice sheet evolution.
In situ observations of Arctic cloud properties across the Beaufort Sea marginal ice zone
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Corr, C.; Moore, R.; Winstead, E.; Thornhill, K. L., II; Crosbie, E.; Ziemba, L. D.; Beyersdorf, A. J.; Chen, G.; Martin, R.; Shook, M.; Corbett, J.; Smith, W. L., Jr.; Anderson, B. E.
2016-12-01
Clouds play an important role in Arctic climate. This is particularly true over the Arctic Ocean where feedbacks between clouds and sea-ice impact the surface radiation budget through modifications of sea-ice extent, ice thickness, cloud base height, and cloud cover. This work summarizes measurements of Arctic cloud properties made aboard the NASA C-130 aircraft over the Beaufort Sea during ARISE (Arctic Radiation - IceBridge Sea&Ice Experiment) in September 2014. The influence of surface-type on cloud properties is also investigated. Specifically, liquid water content (LWC), droplet concentrations, and droplet size distributions are compared for clouds sampled over three distinct regimes in the Beaufort Sea: 1) open water, 2) the marginal ice zone, and 3) sea-ice. Regardless of surface type, nearly all clouds intercepted during ARISE were liquid-phase clouds. However, differences in droplet size distributions and concentrations were evident for the surface types; clouds over the MIZ and sea-ice generally had fewer and larger droplets compared to those over open water. The potential implication these results have for understanding cloud-surface albedo climate feedbacks in Arctic are discussed.
CO2 flux over young and snow-covered Arctic pack ice in winter and spring
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nomura, Daiki; Granskog, Mats A.; Fransson, Agneta; Chierici, Melissa; Silyakova, Anna; Ohshima, Kay I.; Cohen, Lana; Delille, Bruno; Hudson, Stephen R.; Dieckmann, Gerhard S.
2018-06-01
Rare CO2 flux measurements from Arctic pack ice show that two types of ice contribute to the release of CO2 from the ice to the atmosphere during winter and spring: young, thin ice with a thin layer of snow and older (several weeks), thicker ice with thick snow cover. Young, thin sea ice is characterized by high salinity and high porosity, and snow-covered thick ice remains relatively warm ( > -7.5 °C) due to the insulating snow cover despite air temperatures as low as -40 °C. Therefore, brine volume fractions of these two ice types are high enough to provide favorable conditions for gas exchange between sea ice and the atmosphere even in mid-winter. Although the potential CO2 flux from sea ice decreased due to the presence of the snow, the snow surface is still a CO2 source to the atmosphere for low snow density and thin snow conditions. We found that young sea ice that is formed in leads without snow cover produces CO2 fluxes an order of magnitude higher than those in snow-covered older ice (+1.0 ± 0.6 mmol C m-2 day-1 for young ice and +0.2 ± 0.2 mmol C m-2 day-1 for older ice).
Possible connections of the opposite trends in Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice cover.
Yu, Lejiang; Zhong, Shiyuan; Winkler, Julie A; Zhou, Mingyu; Lenschow, Donald H; Li, Bingrui; Wang, Xianqiao; Yang, Qinghua
2017-04-05
Sea ice is an important component of the global climate system and a key indicator of climate change. A decreasing trend in Arctic sea-ice concentration is evident in recent years, whereas Antarctic sea-ice concentration exhibits a generally increasing trend. Various studies have investigated the underlying causes of the observed trends for each region, but possible linkages between the regional trends have not been studied. Here, we hypothesize that the opposite trends in Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice concentration may be linked, at least partially, through interdecadal variability of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Although evaluation of this hypothesis is constrained by the limitations of the sea-ice cover record, preliminary statistical analyses of one short-term and two long-term time series of observed and reanalysis sea-ice concentrations data suggest the possibility of the hypothesized linkages. For all three data sets, the leading mode of variability of global sea-ice concentration is positively correlated with the AMO and negatively correlated with the PDO. Two wave trains related to the PDO and the AMO appear to produce anomalous surface-air temperature and low-level wind fields in the two polar regions that contribute to the opposite changes in sea-ice concentration.
Possible connections of the opposite trends in Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice cover
Yu, Lejiang; Zhong, Shiyuan; Winkler, Julie A.; Zhou, Mingyu; Lenschow, Donald H.; Li, Bingrui; Wang, Xianqiao; Yang, Qinghua
2017-01-01
Sea ice is an important component of the global climate system and a key indicator of climate change. A decreasing trend in Arctic sea-ice concentration is evident in recent years, whereas Antarctic sea-ice concentration exhibits a generally increasing trend. Various studies have investigated the underlying causes of the observed trends for each region, but possible linkages between the regional trends have not been studied. Here, we hypothesize that the opposite trends in Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice concentration may be linked, at least partially, through interdecadal variability of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Although evaluation of this hypothesis is constrained by the limitations of the sea-ice cover record, preliminary statistical analyses of one short-term and two long-term time series of observed and reanalysis sea-ice concentrations data suggest the possibility of the hypothesized linkages. For all three data sets, the leading mode of variability of global sea-ice concentration is positively correlated with the AMO and negatively correlated with the PDO. Two wave trains related to the PDO and the AMO appear to produce anomalous surface-air temperature and low-level wind fields in the two polar regions that contribute to the opposite changes in sea-ice concentration. PMID:28378830
Upper Ocean Evolution Across the Beaufort Sea Marginal Ice Zone
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, C.; Rainville, L.; Gobat, J. I.; Perry, M. J.; Freitag, L. E.; Webster, S.
2016-12-01
The observed reduction of Arctic summertime sea ice extent and expansion of the marginal ice zone (MIZ) have profound impacts on the balance of processes controlling sea ice evolution, including the introduction of several positive feedback mechanisms that may act to accelerate melting. Examples of such feedbacks include increased upper ocean warming though absorption of solar radiation, elevated internal wave energy and mixing that may entrain heat stored in subsurface watermasses (e.g., the relatively warm Pacific Summer and Atlantic waters), and elevated surface wave energy that acts to deform and fracture sea ice. Spatial and temporal variability in ice properties and open water fraction impact these processes. To investigate how upper ocean structure varies with changing ice cover, how the balance of processes shift as a function of ice fraction and distance from open water, and how these processes impact sea ice evolution, a network of autonomous platforms sampled the atmosphere-ice-ocean system in the Beaufort, beginning in spring, well before the start of melt, and ending with the autumn freeze-up. Four long-endurance autonomous Seagliders occupied sections that extended from open water, through the marginal ice zone, deep into the pack during summer 2014 in the Beaufort Sea. Gliders penetrated up to 200 km into the ice pack, under complete ice cover for up to 10 consecutive days. Sections reveal strong fronts where cold, ice-covered waters meet waters that have been exposed to solar warming, and O(10 km) scale eddies near the ice edge. In the pack, Pacific Summer Water and a deep chlorophyll maximum form distinct layers at roughly 60 m and 80 m, respectively, which become increasingly diffuse late in the season as they progress through the MIZ and into open water. Stratification just above the Pacific Summer Water rapidly weakens near the ice edge and temperature variance increases, likely due to mixing or energetic vertical exchange associated with strong
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Loose, B.; Kelly, R. P.; Bigdeli, A.; Williams, W.; Krishfield, R.; Rutgers van der Loeff, M.; Moran, S. B.
2017-05-01
We present 34 profiles of radon-deficit from the ice-ocean boundary layer of the Beaufort Sea. Including these 34, there are presently 58 published radon-deficit estimates of air-sea gas transfer velocity (k) in the Arctic Ocean; 52 of these estimates were derived from water covered by 10% sea ice or more. The average value of k collected since 2011 is 4.0 ± 1.2 m d-1. This exceeds the quadratic wind speed prediction of weighted kws = 2.85 m d-1 with mean-weighted wind speed of 6.4 m s-1. We show how ice cover changes the mixed-layer radon budget, and yields an "effective gas transfer velocity." We use these 58 estimates to statistically evaluate the suitability of a wind speed parameterization for k, when the ocean surface is ice covered. Whereas the six profiles taken from the open ocean indicate a statistically good fit to wind speed parameterizations, the same parameterizations could not reproduce k from the sea ice zone. We conclude that techniques for estimating k in the open ocean cannot be similarly applied to determine k in the presence of sea ice. The magnitude of k through gaps in the ice may reach high values as ice cover increases, possibly as a result of focused turbulence dissipation at openings in the free surface. These 58 profiles are presently the most complete set of estimates of k across seasons and variable ice cover; as dissolved tracer budgets they reflect air-sea gas exchange with no impact from air-ice gas exchange.
Origin of ice-rafted debris: Pleistocene paleoceanography in the western Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bischof, Jens; Clark, David L.; Vincent, Jean-Serge
1996-12-01
The composition of Pleistocene ice-rafted debris (IRD) >250 µm was analyzed quantitatively by grain counting in five sediment cores from the western central Arctic Ocean and compared with the composition of till clasts from NW Canada in order to determine the dropstone origin and to reconstruct the Pleistocene ice driftways and surface currents. The IRD composition alternates repeatedly between carbonate- and quartz-dominated assemblages, along with metamorphic and igneous rocks, clastic rocks, and some chert. The highest quartz content is found on the Alpha Ridge, while carbonate percentages are highest on the Northwind Ridge (NWR) and the Chukchi Cap. The source for the carbonates is the area around Banks and Victoria Islands and parts of northern Canada. Quartz most likely originated from the central Queen Elizabeth Islands. IRD on the southeastern Alpha Ridge is dominated by mafic crystalline rocks from northern Ellesmere Island and northern Greenland. At least six major glacial intervals are identified within the last 1 million years, during which icebergs drifted toward the west in the Beaufort Sea, straight northward in the central Arctic Ocean, and northeastward on the SE Alpha Ridge.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.; Cavalieri, Donald J.; Zukor, Dorothy J. (Technical Monitor)
2001-01-01
Satellite passive-microwave data have been used to calculate sea ice extents over the period 1979-1999 for the north polar sea ice cover as a whole and for each of nine regions. Over this 21-year time period, the trend in yearly average ice extents for the ice cover as a whole is -32,900 +/- 6,100 sq km/yr (-2.7 +/- 0.5 %/decade), indicating a reduction in sea ice coverage that has decelerated from the earlier reported value of -34,000 +/- 8,300 sq km/yr (-2.8 +/- 0.7 %/decade) for the period 1979-1996. Regionally, the reductions are greatest in the Arctic Ocean, the Kara and Barents Seas, and the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan, whereas seasonally, the reductions are greatest in summer, for which season the 1979-1999 trend in ice extents is -41,600 +/- 12,900 sq km/ yr (-4.9 +/- 1.5 %/decade). On a monthly basis, the reductions are greatest in July and September for the north polar ice cover as a whole, in September for the Arctic Ocean, in June and July for the Kara and Barents Seas, and in April for the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan. Only two of the nine regions show overall ice extent increases, those being the Bering Sea and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.For neither of these two regions is the increase statistically significant, whereas the 1079 - 1999 ice extent decreases are statistically significant at the 99% confidence level for the north polar region as a whole, the Arctic Ocean, the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan, and Hudson Bay.
Observational determination of albedo decrease caused by vanishing Arctic sea ice
Pistone, Kristina; Eisenman, Ian; Ramanathan, V.
2014-01-01
The decline of Arctic sea ice has been documented in over 30 y of satellite passive microwave observations. The resulting darkening of the Arctic and its amplification of global warming was hypothesized almost 50 y ago but has yet to be verified with direct observations. This study uses satellite radiation budget measurements along with satellite microwave sea ice data to document the Arctic-wide decrease in planetary albedo and its amplifying effect on the warming. The analysis reveals a striking relationship between planetary albedo and sea ice cover, quantities inferred from two independent satellite instruments. We find that the Arctic planetary albedo has decreased from 0.52 to 0.48 between 1979 and 2011, corresponding to an additional 6.4 ± 0.9 W/m2 of solar energy input into the Arctic Ocean region since 1979. Averaged over the globe, this albedo decrease corresponds to a forcing that is 25% as large as that due to the change in CO2 during this period, considerably larger than expectations from models and other less direct recent estimates. Changes in cloudiness appear to play a negligible role in observed Arctic darkening, thus reducing the possibility of Arctic cloud albedo feedbacks mitigating future Arctic warming. PMID:24550469
Observational determination of albedo decrease caused by vanishing Arctic sea ice.
Pistone, Kristina; Eisenman, Ian; Ramanathan, V
2014-03-04
The decline of Arctic sea ice has been documented in over 30 y of satellite passive microwave observations. The resulting darkening of the Arctic and its amplification of global warming was hypothesized almost 50 y ago but has yet to be verified with direct observations. This study uses satellite radiation budget measurements along with satellite microwave sea ice data to document the Arctic-wide decrease in planetary albedo and its amplifying effect on the warming. The analysis reveals a striking relationship between planetary albedo and sea ice cover, quantities inferred from two independent satellite instruments. We find that the Arctic planetary albedo has decreased from 0.52 to 0.48 between 1979 and 2011, corresponding to an additional 6.4 ± 0.9 W/m(2) of solar energy input into the Arctic Ocean region since 1979. Averaged over the globe, this albedo decrease corresponds to a forcing that is 25% as large as that due to the change in CO2 during this period, considerably larger than expectations from models and other less direct recent estimates. Changes in cloudiness appear to play a negligible role in observed Arctic darkening, thus reducing the possibility of Arctic cloud albedo feedbacks mitigating future Arctic warming.
NASA Science Flights Target Melting Arctic Sea Ice
2017-12-08
This summer, with sea ice across the Arctic Ocean shrinking to below-average levels, a NASA airborne survey of polar ice just completed its first flights. Its target: aquamarine pools of melt water on the ice surface that may be accelerating the overall sea ice retreat. NASA’s Operation IceBridge completed the first research flight of its new 2016 Arctic summer campaign on July 13. The science flights, which continue through July 25, are collecting data on sea ice in a year following a record-warm winter in the Arctic. Read more: go.nasa.gov/29T6mxc Caption: A large pool of melt water over sea ice, as seen from an Operation IceBridge flight over the Beaufort Sea on July 14, 2016. During this summer campaign, IceBridge will map the extent, frequency and depth of melt ponds like these to help scientists forecast the Arctic sea ice yearly minimum extent in September. Credit: NASA/Operation IceBridge
Composition of Eocene Ice-Rafted Debris, Central Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ramstad, C.; St. John, K.
2007-12-01
IODP Expedition 302 drilled a 400-m sediment record which contains physical evidence of ice-rafting in the Eocene and Neogene in the Arctic (Backman et al., 2006; Moran et al., 2006, St. John, in press). An increase in the terrigenous sand abundance occurs above 246 mcd (~46 Ma), with a flux similar to that in the Neogene. Higher resolution sampling in an interval of good recovery from 246-236 mcd shows evidence of cyclic input of IRD and biogenic components that fits with Milankovitch forcing at the obliquity period (Sangiorgi et al., in press). The question remains - what areas of the Arctic were ice-covered at this early stage in the Cenozoic? To address this provenance issue the composition of the terrigenous sands (250 micron fraction) in cores 55-56X is being quantified. Grains in 75 samples are being point-counted and their compositions categorized. Quartz grains are the dominant component (greater than 10,000 grains per gram), with some being hematite-stained, and there are lesser amounts of mafic minerals. No carbonate grains are identified so far in this study. Possible sources areas for Eocene IRD are the Eastern European and Russian Arctic margins. Tracking compositional variations of the IRD over the interval of cyclic deposition, should indicate whether the cyclic IRD deposition was consistently derived from one source region or multiple regions during this time.
Composition, buoyancy regulation and fate of ice algal aggregates in the Central Arctic Ocean.
Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Wenzhöfer, Frank; Peeken, Ilka; Sørensen, Heidi L; Glud, Ronnie N; Boetius, Antje
2014-01-01
Sea-ice diatoms are known to accumulate in large aggregates in and under sea ice and in melt ponds. There is recent evidence from the Arctic that such aggregates can contribute substantially to particle export when sinking from the ice. The role and regulation of microbial aggregation in the highly seasonal, nutrient- and light-limited Arctic sea-ice ecosystem is not well understood. To elucidate the mechanisms controlling the formation and export of algal aggregates from sea ice, we investigated samples taken in late summer 2011 and 2012, during two cruises to the Eurasian Basin of the Central Arctic Ocean. Spherical aggregates densely packed with pennate diatoms, as well as filamentous aggregates formed by Melosira arctica showed sign of different stages of degradation and physiological stoichiometries, with carbon to chlorophyll a ratios ranging from 110 to 66700, and carbon to nitrogen molar ratios of 8-35 and 9-40, respectively. Sub-ice algal aggregate densities ranged between 1 and 17 aggregates m(-2), maintaining an estimated net primary production of 0.4-40 mg C m(-2) d(-1), and accounted for 3-80% of total phototrophic biomass and up to 94% of local net primary production. A potential factor controlling the buoyancy of the aggregates was light intensity, regulating photosynthetic oxygen production and the amount of gas bubbles trapped within the mucous matrix, even at low ambient nutrient concentrations. Our data-set was used to evaluate the distribution and importance of Arctic algal aggregates as carbon source for pelagic and benthic communities.
Composition, Buoyancy Regulation and Fate of Ice Algal Aggregates in the Central Arctic Ocean
Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Wenzhöfer, Frank; Peeken, Ilka; Sørensen, Heidi L.; Glud, Ronnie N.; Boetius, Antje
2014-01-01
Sea-ice diatoms are known to accumulate in large aggregates in and under sea ice and in melt ponds. There is recent evidence from the Arctic that such aggregates can contribute substantially to particle export when sinking from the ice. The role and regulation of microbial aggregation in the highly seasonal, nutrient- and light-limited Arctic sea-ice ecosystem is not well understood. To elucidate the mechanisms controlling the formation and export of algal aggregates from sea ice, we investigated samples taken in late summer 2011 and 2012, during two cruises to the Eurasian Basin of the Central Arctic Ocean. Spherical aggregates densely packed with pennate diatoms, as well as filamentous aggregates formed by Melosira arctica showed sign of different stages of degradation and physiological stoichiometries, with carbon to chlorophyll a ratios ranging from 110 to 66700, and carbon to nitrogen molar ratios of 8–35 and 9–40, respectively. Sub-ice algal aggregate densities ranged between 1 and 17 aggregates m−2, maintaining an estimated net primary production of 0.4–40 mg C m−2 d−1, and accounted for 3–80% of total phototrophic biomass and up to 94% of local net primary production. A potential factor controlling the buoyancy of the aggregates was light intensity, regulating photosynthetic oxygen production and the amount of gas bubbles trapped within the mucous matrix, even at low ambient nutrient concentrations. Our data-set was used to evaluate the distribution and importance of Arctic algal aggregates as carbon source for pelagic and benthic communities. PMID:25208058
Can Arctic Sea Ice Decline Weaken the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fedorov, A. V.; Sevellec, F.; Liu, W.
2017-12-01
The ongoing decline of Arctic sea ice exposes the ocean to anomalous surface heat and freshwater fluxes, resulting in positive buoyancy anomalies that can affect ocean circulation. In this study (detailed in Sevellec, Fedorov, Liu 2017, Nature Climate Change) we apply an optimal flux perturbation framework and comprehensive climate model simulations (using CESM) to estimate the sensitivity of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to such buoyancy forcing over the Arctic and globally, and more generally AMOC sensitivity to sea ice decline. We find that on decadal timescales flux anomalies over the subpolar North Atlantic have the largest impact on the AMOC; however, on multi-decadal timescales (longer than 20 years), anomalies in the Arctic become more important. These positive buoyancy anomalies from the Arctic spread to the North Atlantic, weakening the AMOC and its poleward heat transport after several decades. Therefore, the Arctic sea ice decline may explain the suggested slow-down of the AMOC and the "Warming Hole" persisting in the subpolar North Atlantic. Further, we discuss how the proposed connection, i.e. Arctic sea ice contraction would lead to an AMOC slow-down, varies across different earth system models. Overall, this study demonstrates that Arctic sea ice decline can play an active role in ocean and climate change.
Influence of ice thickness and surface properties on light transmission through Arctic sea ice.
Katlein, Christian; Arndt, Stefanie; Nicolaus, Marcel; Perovich, Donald K; Jakuba, Michael V; Suman, Stefano; Elliott, Stephen; Whitcomb, Louis L; McFarland, Christopher J; Gerdes, Rüdiger; Boetius, Antje; German, Christopher R
2015-09-01
The observed changes in physical properties of sea ice such as decreased thickness and increased melt pond cover severely impact the energy budget of Arctic sea ice. Increased light transmission leads to increased deposition of solar energy in the upper ocean and thus plays a crucial role for amount and timing of sea-ice-melt and under-ice primary production. Recent developments in underwater technology provide new opportunities to study light transmission below the largely inaccessible underside of sea ice. We measured spectral under-ice radiance and irradiance using the new Nereid Under-Ice (NUI) underwater robotic vehicle, during a cruise of the R/V Polarstern to 83°N 6°W in the Arctic Ocean in July 2014. NUI is a next generation hybrid remotely operated vehicle (H-ROV) designed for both remotely piloted and autonomous surveys underneath land-fast and moving sea ice. Here we present results from one of the first comprehensive scientific dives of NUI employing its interdisciplinary sensor suite. We combine under-ice optical measurements with three dimensional under-ice topography (multibeam sonar) and aerial images of the surface conditions. We investigate the influence of spatially varying ice-thickness and surface properties on the spatial variability of light transmittance during summer. Our results show that surface properties such as melt ponds dominate the spatial distribution of the under-ice light field on small scales (<1000 m 2 ), while sea ice-thickness is the most important predictor for light transmission on larger scales. In addition, we propose the use of an algorithm to obtain histograms of light transmission from distributions of sea ice thickness and surface albedo.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Matrai, P.
2016-02-01
Autonomous, sea ice-tethered O-Buoys have been deployed (2009-2016) across the Arctic sea ice for long-term atmospheric measurements (http://www.o-buoy.org). O-Buoys (15) provide in-situ concentrations of three sentinel atmospheric chemicals, ozone, CO2 and BrO, as well as meteorological parameters and imagery, over the frozen ocean. O-Buoys were designed to transmit daily data over a period of 2 years while deployed in sea ice, as part of automated ice-drifting stations that include snow/ice measurement systems (e.g. Ice Mass Balance buoys) and oceanographic measurements (e.g. Ice Tethered Profilers). Seasonal changes in Arctic atmospheric chemistry are influenced by changes in the characteristics and presence of the sea ice vs. open water as well as air mass trajectories, especially during the winter-spring and summer-fall transitions when sea ice is melting and freezing, respectively. The O-Buoy Chemical Network provides the unique opportunity to observe these transition periods in real-time with high temporal resolution, and to compare them with those collected on land-based monitoring stations located. Due to the logistical challenges of measurements over the Arctic Ocean region, most long term, in-situ observations of atmospheric chemistry have been made at coastal or island sites around the periphery of the Arctic Ocean, leaving large spatial and temporal gaps that O-Buoys overcome. Advances in floatation, communications, power management, and sensor hardware have been made to overcome the challenges of diminished Arctic sea ice. O-Buoy data provide insights into enhanced seasonal, interannual and spatial variability in atmospheric composition, atmospheric boundary layer control on the amount of halogen activation, enhancement of the atmospheric CO2 signal over the more variable and porous pack ice, and to develop an integrated picture of the coupled ocean/ice/atmosphere system. As part of the Arctic Observing Network, we provide data to the community (www.aoncadis.org).
Cronin, Thomas M.; DeNinno, Lauren H.; Polyak, L.V.; Caverly, Emma K.; Poore, Richard; Brenner, Alec R.; Rodriguez-Lazaro, J.; Marzen, R.E.
2014-01-01
The stratigraphic distributions of ostracodes and selected calcareous benthic and planktic foraminiferal species were studied in sediment cores from ~ 700 to 2700 m water depth on the Northwind, Mendeleev, and Lomonosov Ridges in the western Arctic Ocean. Microfaunal records in most cores cover mid- to late Quaternary sediments deposited in the last ~ 600 ka, with one record covering the last ~ 1.5 Ma. Results show a progressive faunal turnover during the mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT, ~ 1.2 to 0.7 Ma) and around the mid-Brunhes event (MBE, ~ 0.4 Ma) reflecting major changes in Arctic Ocean temperature, circulation and sea-ice cover. The observed MPT shift is characterized by the extinction of species that today inhabit the sea-ice free subpolar North Atlantic and/or seasonally sea-ice free Nordic Seas (Echinocythereis sp., Rockalliacf. enigmatica, Krithe cf. aquilonia, Pterygocythereis vannieuwenhuisei). After a very warm interglacial during marine isotope stage (MIS) 11 dominated by the temperate planktic foraminifer Turborotalita egelida, the MBE experienced a shift to polar assemblages characteristic of predominantly perennial Arctic sea-ice cover during the interglacial and interstadial periods of the last 300 ka. These include the planktic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, the sea-ice dwelling ostracodeAcetabulastoma arcticum and associated benthic taxa Pseudocythere caudata,Pedicythere neofluitans, and Polycope spp. Several species can be used as biostratigraphic markers of specific intervals such as ostracodes Rabilimis mirabilis — MIS 5 and P. vannieuwenhuisei extinction after MIS 11, and foraminiferal abundance zones Bulimina aculeata — late MIS 5 and Bolivina arctica — MIS 5-11.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Miller, James R.; Russell, Gary L.
1996-01-01
The annual flux of freshwater into the Arctic Ocean by the atmosphere and rivers is balanced by the export of sea ice and oceanic freshwater. Two 150-year simulations of a global climate model are used to examine how this balance might change if atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) increase. Relative to the control, the last 50-year period of the GHG experiment indicates that the total inflow of water from the atmosphere and rivers increases by 10% primarily due to an increase in river discharge, the annual sea-ice export decreases by about half, the oceanic liquid water export increases, salinity decreases, sea-ice cover decreases, and the total mass and sea-surface height of the Arctic Ocean increase. The closed, compact, and multi-phased nature of the hydrologic cycle in the Arctic Ocean makes it an ideal test of water budgets that could be included in model intercomparisons.
Arctic Sea ice studies with passive microwave satellite observations
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cavalieri, D. J.
1988-01-01
The objectives of this research are: (1) to improve sea ice concentration determinations from passive microwave space observations; (2) to study the role of Arctic polynyas in the production of sea ice and the associated salinization of Arctic shelf water; and (3) to study large scale sea ice variability in the polar oceans. The strategy is to analyze existing data sets and data acquired from both the DMSP SSM/I and recently completed aircraft underflights. Special attention will be given the high resolution 85.5 GHz SSM/I channels for application to thin ice algorithms and processes studies. Analysis of aircraft and satellite data sets is expected to provide a basis for determining the potential of the SSM/I high frequency channels for improving sea ice algorithms and for investigating oceanic processes. Improved sea ice algorithms will aid the study of Arctic coastal polynyas which in turn will provide a better understanding of the role of these polynyas in maintaining the Arctic watermass structure. Analysis of satellite and archived meteorological data sets will provide improved estimates of annual, seasonal and shorter-term sea ice variability.
Changing Arctic Ocean freshwater pathways.
Morison, James; Kwok, Ron; Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Alkire, Matt; Rigor, Ignatius; Andersen, Roger; Steele, Mike
2012-01-04
Freshening in the Canada basin of the Arctic Ocean began in the 1990s and continued to at least the end of 2008. By then, the Arctic Ocean might have gained four times as much fresh water as comprised the Great Salinity Anomaly of the 1970s, raising the spectre of slowing global ocean circulation. Freshening has been attributed to increased sea ice melting and contributions from runoff, but a leading explanation has been a strengthening of the Beaufort High--a characteristic peak in sea level atmospheric pressure--which tends to accelerate an anticyclonic (clockwise) wind pattern causing convergence of fresh surface water. Limited observations have made this explanation difficult to verify, and observations of increasing freshwater content under a weakened Beaufort High suggest that other factors must be affecting freshwater content. Here we use observations to show that during a time of record reductions in ice extent from 2005 to 2008, the dominant freshwater content changes were an increase in the Canada basin balanced by a decrease in the Eurasian basin. Observations are drawn from satellite data (sea surface height and ocean-bottom pressure) and in situ data. The freshwater changes were due to a cyclonic (anticlockwise) shift in the ocean pathway of Eurasian runoff forced by strengthening of the west-to-east Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation characterized by an increased Arctic Oscillation index. Our results confirm that runoff is an important influence on the Arctic Ocean and establish that the spatial and temporal manifestations of the runoff pathways are modulated by the Arctic Oscillation, rather than the strength of the wind-driven Beaufort Gyre circulation.
The phenology of Arctic Ocean surface warming.
Steele, Michael; Dickinson, Suzanne
2016-09-01
In this work, we explore the seasonal relationships (i.e., the phenology) between sea ice retreat, sea surface temperature (SST), and atmospheric heat fluxes in the Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean, using satellite and reanalysis data. We find that where ice retreats early in most years, maximum summertime SSTs are usually warmer, relative to areas with later retreat. For any particular year, we find that anomalously early ice retreat generally leads to anomalously warm SSTs. However, this relationship is weak in the Chukchi Sea, where ocean advection plays a large role. It is also weak where retreat in a particular year happens earlier than usual, but still relatively late in the season, primarily because atmospheric heat fluxes are weak at that time. This result helps to explain the very different ocean warming responses found in two recent years with extreme ice retreat, 2007 and 2012. We also find that the timing of ice retreat impacts the date of maximum SST, owing to a change in the ocean surface buoyancy and momentum forcing that occurs in early August that we term the Late Summer Transition (LST). After the LST, enhanced mixing of the upper ocean leads to cooling of the ocean surface even while atmospheric heat fluxes are still weakly downward. Our results indicate that in the near-term, earlier ice retreat is likely to cause enhanced ocean surface warming in much of the Arctic Ocean, although not where ice retreat still occurs late in the season.
Developing and Implementing Protocols for Arctic Sea Ice Observations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Perovich, Donald K.; Gerland, Sebastian
2009-05-01
Arctic Surface-Based Sea Ice Observations: Integrated Protocols and Coordinated Data Acquisition; Tromsø, Norway, 26-27 January 2009; The Arctic sea ice cover is diminishing. Over the past several years, not only has ice thinned but the extent of ice at the end of summer, and hence perennial ice, has declined markedly. These changes affect a wide range of issues and are important for a varied group of stakeholders, including Arctic coastal communities, policy makers, industry, the scientific community, and the public. Concerns range from the role of sea ice cover as an indicator and amplifier of climate change to marine transportation, resource extraction, and coastal erosion. To understand and respond to these ongoing changes, it is imperative to develop and implement consistent and robust observational protocols that can be used to describe the current state of the ice cover as well as future changes.
Introduction to special section on Annual Cycles on the Arctic Ocean Shelf
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fortier, Louis; Cochran, J. Kirk
2008-03-01
The perennial sea-ice cover of the Arctic Ocean is shrinking rapidly in response to the anthropogenic warming of Earth's lower atmosphere. From September 2002 to September 2004 the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES) logged over 14,500 scientist-days at sea to document the potential impacts of a shift in sea-ice regime on the ecosystem of the Mackenzie Shelf in the southeastern Beaufort Sea. In particular, teams from Canada, Denmark, Japan, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States totaling over 200 scientists took rotations on the CCS Amundsen to study all aspects of the ecosystem during a 385-day over-wintering expedition in the region from September 2003 to September 2004. The resulting wealth of information has revealed an unexpectedly active food web under the winter sea ice of the coastal Beaufort Sea. From the thermodynamics of snow to the reconstruction of local paleo-climate, this special section focuses on how sea-ice cover dynamics dictate biological processes and biogeochemical fluxes on and at the margin of the shallow Arctic continental shelf. The highly successful CASES program has initiated ongoing time series of key measurements of the response of the marine ecosystem to change that have been expanded to other Arctic regions through the ArcticNet project and the International Polar Year.
The Global Radiative Impact of the Sea-Ice-Albedo Feedback in the Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hudson, S. R.
2009-12-01
The sea-ice-albedo feedback is known to be an important element of climatic changes over and near regions of ocean with ice cover. It is one of several feedbacks that lead to the polar enhancement of observed and projected global warming. Many studies in the past have used climate models to look at the regional and global impact of the albedo feedback on specific climate variables, most often temperature. These studies generally report a strong regional effect, but also some global effects due to the feedback. Recent changes in Arctic sea ice have led to increased reference to the importance of the sea-ice-albedo feedback, but few studies have examined the global impact of the feedback specifically associated with changes to sea ice in the Arctic; most have included changes to sea ice in both hemispheres, and in many cases, also to snow. That reduced sea ice cover will have a local warming effect is clear from modeling studies. On the other hand, given the relatively small area of the globe that is covered by Arctic sea ice, and the relatively small amounts of sunlight incident on these areas annually, it should be investigated how important reductions in sea ice are to the global solar radiation budget. In this study I present calculations of the global radiative impact of the reduction in Earth’s albedo resulting from reduced sea-ice cover in the Arctic. The intended result is a number, in W m-2, that represents the total increase in absorbed solar radiation due to the reduction in Arctic sea-ice cover, averaged over the globe and over the year. This number is relevant to assessing the long-term, global importance of the sea-ice-albedo feedback to climate change, and can help put it into context by allowing a comparison of this radiative forcing with other forcings, such as those due to CO2 increases and to aerosols, as given in Figure SPM.2 from the IPCC AR4 WG1. Rather than try to determine this forcing with a model, in which the assumptions and
The Increase of the Ice-free Season as Further Indication of the Rapid Decline of the Arctic sea ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rodrigues, J.
2008-12-01
The unprecedented depletion of sea ice in large sectors of the Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2007 has been the subject of many publications which highlight the spectacular disappearance of the sea ice at the time of minimum ice cover or emphasise the losses at very high latitudes. However, minimum values can be strongly affected by specific circumstances occurring in a comparatively short time interval. The unusually clear skies and the presence of a particular wind pattern over the Arctic Ocean may partly explain the record minimum attained in September 2007. In this contribution, instead of limiting ourselves to the September minimum or the March maximum, we consider the ice conditions throughout the year, opting for a less used, and hopefully more convenient approach. We chose as variables to describe the evolution of the sea ice situation in the Arctic Ocean and peripheral seas in the 1979-2007 period the length of the ice- free season (LIFS) and the inverse sea ice index (ISII). The latter is a quantity that measures the degree of absence of sea ice in a year and varies between zero (when there is a perennial ice cover) and one (when there is open water all year round). We used sea ice concentration data obtained from passive microwave satellite imagery and processed with the Bootstrap algorithm for the SMMR and SSM/I periods, and with the Enhanced NASA Team algorithm for the AMSR-E period. From a linear fit of the observed data, we found that the average LIFS in the Arctic went from 118 days in the late 1970s to 148 days in 2006, which represents an average rate of increase of 1.1 days/year. In the period 2001-2007 the LIFS increased monotonically at an average rate of 5.5 days/year, in good agreement with the general consensus that the Arctic sea ice is currently in an accelerated decline. We also found that 2007 was the longest ice- free season on record (168 days). The ISII also reached a maximum in 2007 . We also investigated what happened at the regional
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Muenchow, A.; Falkner, K. K.; Melling, H.; Johnson, H. L.; Huntley, H. S.; Ryan, P.; Friends Of Petermann
2010-12-01
Petermann Glacier at 81 N latitude is a major outlet glacier adjacent to Nares Strait. It terminates in a long (70 km), narrow (16 km) and thin (50 m) floating tongue and has a grounding line more than 500 m below sea level. A calving event in 2010 reduced the floating area by 25% and produced a single 240 km2 ice island currently moving south in Nares Strait where it will likely interact with island to potentially create a temporary polynya in Nares Strait. The 2010 calving from Petermann Glacier contributes <10% to its mass balance as more than 80% is lost due to basal melting by the ocean. Hence the largely unexplored physics at the ice-ocean interface determine how a changing climate impacts this outlet glacier. Conducting exploratory surveys inside Petermann Fjord in 2003, 2007, and 2009, we find a 1100 m deep fjord connected to Nares Strait via a sill at 350-450 m depth. The fjord receives about 3 times the amount of heat required for the basal melt rates. Furthermore, limited data and analytical modeling suggests a 3-dimensional circulation over the upper 300-m of the water column with a coastally trapped buoyant outflow. We integrate these findings with more complete oceanic time series data from an array moored in Nares Strait from 2003 through 2009 near 80.5 N. In the past Nares Strait and Petermann Fjord were covered by land fast sea ice during the 9-10 month long winter season. Archeological and remotely sensed records indicate that an ice bridge formed regularly at the southern end of Nares Strait creating the North-Water polynya near 79 N latitude. Since 2006 this ice bridge has largely failed to form, leading, perhaps, to the occasional formation of a secondary ice bridge 300 km to the north where Nares Strait connects to the Arctic Ocean. However, this ice bridge appears to form for shorter periods only. Consequently Arctic sea ice can now exit the Arctic in winter via pathways to the west of Greenland all year. We speculate that this changed ocean
Trend analysis of Arctic sea ice extent
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Silva, M. E.; Barbosa, S. M.; Antunes, Luís; Rocha, Conceição
2009-04-01
The extent of Arctic sea ice is a fundamental parameter of Arctic climate variability. In the context of climate change, the area covered by ice in the Arctic is a particularly useful indicator of recent changes in the Arctic environment. Climate models are in near universal agreement that Arctic sea ice extent will decline through the 21st century as a consequence of global warming and many studies predict a ice free Arctic as soon as 2012. Time series of satellite passive microwave observations allow to assess the temporal changes in the extent of Arctic sea ice. Much of the analysis of the ice extent time series, as in most climate studies from observational data, have been focussed on the computation of deterministic linear trends by ordinary least squares. However, many different processes, including deterministic, unit root and long-range dependent processes can engender trend like features in a time series. Several parametric tests have been developed, mainly in econometrics, to discriminate between stationarity (no trend), deterministic trend and stochastic trends. Here, these tests are applied in the trend analysis of the sea ice extent time series available at National Snow and Ice Data Center. The parametric stationary tests, Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF), Phillips-Perron (PP) and the KPSS, do not support an overall deterministic trend in the time series of Arctic sea ice extent. Therefore, alternative parametrizations such as long-range dependence should be considered for characterising long-term Arctic sea ice variability.
The delivery of organic contaminants to the Arctic food web: why sea ice matters.
Pućko, Monika; Stern, Gary A; Macdonald, Robie W; Jantunen, Liisa M; Bidleman, Terry F; Wong, Fiona; Barber, David G; Rysgaard, Søren
2015-02-15
For decades sea ice has been perceived as a physical barrier for the loading of contaminants to the Arctic Ocean. We show that sea ice, in fact, facilitates the delivery of organic contaminants to the Arctic marine food web through processes that: 1) are independent of contaminant physical-chemical properties (e.g. 2-3-fold increase in exposure to brine-associated biota), and 2) depend on physical-chemical properties and, therefore, differentiate between contaminants (e.g. atmospheric loading of contaminants to melt ponds over the summer, and their subsequent leakage to the ocean). We estimate the concentrations of legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current-use pesticides (CUPs) in melt pond water in the Beaufort Sea, Canadian High Arctic, in 2008, at near-gas exchange equilibrium based on Henry's law constants (HLCs), air concentrations and exchange dynamics. CUPs currently present the highest risk of increased exposures through melt pond loading and drainage due to the high ratio of melt pond water to seawater concentration (Melt pond Enrichment Factor, MEF), which ranges from 2 for dacthal to 10 for endosulfan I. Melt pond contaminant enrichment can be perceived as a hypothetical 'pump' delivering contaminants from the atmosphere to the ocean under ice-covered conditions, with 2-10% of CUPs annually entering the Beaufort Sea via this input route compared to the standing stock in the Polar Mixed Layer of the ocean. The abovementioned processes are strongly favored in first-year ice compared to multi-year ice and, therefore, the dynamic balance between contaminant inventories and contaminant deposition to the surface ocean is being widely affected by the large-scale icescape transition taking place in the Arctic. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Climate drift of AMOC, North Atlantic salinity and arctic sea ice in CFSv2 decadal predictions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Huang, Bohua; Zhu, Jieshun; Marx, Lawrence; Wu, Xingren; Kumar, Arun; Hu, Zeng-Zhen; Balmaseda, Magdalena A.; Zhang, Shaoqing; Lu, Jian; Schneider, Edwin K.; Kinter, James L., III
2015-01-01
There are potential advantages to extending operational seasonal forecast models to predict decadal variability but major efforts are required to assess the model fidelity for this task. In this study, we examine the North Atlantic climate simulated by the NCEP Climate Forecast System, version 2 (CFSv2), using a set of ensemble decadal hindcasts and several 30-year simulations initialized from realistic ocean-atmosphere states. It is found that a substantial climate drift occurs in the first few years of the CFSv2 hindcasts, which represents a major systematic bias and may seriously affect the model's fidelity for decadal prediction. In particular, it is noted that a major reduction of the upper ocean salinity in the northern North Atlantic weakens the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) significantly. This freshening is likely caused by the excessive freshwater transport from the Arctic Ocean and weakened subtropical water transport by the North Atlantic Current. A potential source of the excessive freshwater is the quick melting of sea ice, which also causes unrealistically thin ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. Our sensitivity experiments with adjusted sea ice albedo parameters produce a sustainable ice cover with realistic thickness distribution. It also leads to a moderate increase of the AMOC strength. This study suggests that a realistic freshwater balance, including a proper sea ice feedback, is crucial for simulating the North Atlantic climate and its variability.
ICESat Observations of Arctic Sea Ice: A First Look
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kwok, Ron; Zwally, H. Jay; Yi, Dong-Hui
2004-01-01
Analysis of near-coincident ICESat and RADARSAT imagery shows that the retrieved elevations from the laser altimeter are sensitive to new openings (containing thin ice or open water) in the sea ice cover as well as to surface relief of old and first-year ice. The precision of the elevation estimates, measured over relatively flat sea ice, is approx. 2 cm Using the thickness of thin-ice in recent openings to estimate sea level references, we obtain the sea-ice free-board along the altimeter tracks. This step is necessitated by the large uncertainties in the time-varying sea surface topography compared to that required for accurate determination of free-board. Unknown snow depth introduces the largest uncertainty in the conversion of free-board to ice thickness. Surface roughness is also derived, for the first time, from the variability of successive elevation estimates along the altimeter track Overall, these ICESat measurements provide an unprecedented view of the Arctic Ocean ice cover at length scales at and above the spatial dimension of the altimeter footprint.
Influence of ice thickness and surface properties on light transmission through Arctic sea ice
Arndt, Stefanie; Nicolaus, Marcel; Perovich, Donald K.; Jakuba, Michael V.; Suman, Stefano; Elliott, Stephen; Whitcomb, Louis L.; McFarland, Christopher J.; Gerdes, Rüdiger; Boetius, Antje; German, Christopher R.
2015-01-01
Abstract The observed changes in physical properties of sea ice such as decreased thickness and increased melt pond cover severely impact the energy budget of Arctic sea ice. Increased light transmission leads to increased deposition of solar energy in the upper ocean and thus plays a crucial role for amount and timing of sea‐ice‐melt and under‐ice primary production. Recent developments in underwater technology provide new opportunities to study light transmission below the largely inaccessible underside of sea ice. We measured spectral under‐ice radiance and irradiance using the new Nereid Under‐Ice (NUI) underwater robotic vehicle, during a cruise of the R/V Polarstern to 83°N 6°W in the Arctic Ocean in July 2014. NUI is a next generation hybrid remotely operated vehicle (H‐ROV) designed for both remotely piloted and autonomous surveys underneath land‐fast and moving sea ice. Here we present results from one of the first comprehensive scientific dives of NUI employing its interdisciplinary sensor suite. We combine under‐ice optical measurements with three dimensional under‐ice topography (multibeam sonar) and aerial images of the surface conditions. We investigate the influence of spatially varying ice‐thickness and surface properties on the spatial variability of light transmittance during summer. Our results show that surface properties such as melt ponds dominate the spatial distribution of the under‐ice light field on small scales (<1000 m2), while sea ice‐thickness is the most important predictor for light transmission on larger scales. In addition, we propose the use of an algorithm to obtain histograms of light transmission from distributions of sea ice thickness and surface albedo. PMID:27660738
Fast Response of the Tropics to an Abrupt Loss of Arctic Sea Ice via Ocean Dynamics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Kun; Deser, Clara; Sun, Lantao; Tomas, Robert A.
2018-05-01
The role of ocean dynamics in the transient adjustment of the coupled climate system to an abrupt loss of Arctic sea ice is investigated using experiments with Community Climate System Model version 4 in two configurations: a thermodynamic slab mixed layer ocean and a full-depth ocean that includes both dynamics and thermodynamics. Ocean dynamics produce a distinct sea surface temperature warming maximum in the eastern equatorial Pacific, accompanied by an equatorward intensification of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and Hadley Circulation. These tropical responses are established within 25 years of ice loss and contrast markedly with the quasi-steady antisymmetric coupled response in the slab-ocean configuration. A heat budget analysis reveals the importance of anomalous vertical advection tied to a monotonic temperature increase below 200 m for the equatorial sea surface temperature warming maximum in the fully coupled model. Ocean dynamics also rapidly modify the midlatitude atmospheric response to sea ice loss.
Arctic Ice Management: an integrated approach to climate engineering
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Desch, S. J.; Hartnett, H. E.; Groppi, C. E.; Romaniello, S. J.
2017-12-01
The warming climate is having the most rapid and pronounced effects in the high Arctic. The loss of Arctic sea ice is not only changing the physical oceanography of the Arctic Ocean and its coastlines; it is also promoting new conversations about the dangers and benefits for trade, transportation, and industry in the Arctic. The rate of decrease of summer sea ice in the Arctic is currently -300 km3 yr-1, a rate that will lead to complete loss of end-summer sea ice as soon as 2030. Preventing the strong positive feedbacks and increased warming due to sea ice albedo loss must be an important component of climate mitigation strategies. Here, we explore a direct engineering approach we call Arctic Ice Management (AIM) to reduce the loss of Arctic sea ice. We predict that pumping seawater onto the ice surface during the Arctic winter using wind-powered pumps can thicken sea ice by up to 1 m per year, reversing the current loss rates and prolonging the time until the Arctic Ocean is ice-free. Thickening sea ice would not change CO2 levels, which are the underlying cause of ice loss, but it would prevent some of the strongest feedbacks and would buy time to develop the tools and governance systems necessary to achieve carbon-neutrality. We advocate exploration of AIM as a mitigation strategy employed in parallel with CO2 reduction efforts. The opportunity and risk profiles of AIM differ from other geoengineering proposals. While similar in principle to solar radiation management, AIM may present fewer large-scale environmental risks. AIM is separate from greenhouse gas emission reduction or sequestration, but might help prevent accelerated release of methane from thawing permafrost. Further, AIM might be usefully employed at regional and local scales to preserve Arctic ecosystems and possibly reduce the effects of ice-loss induced coastal erosion. Through presentation of the AIM concept, we hope to spark new conversations between scientists, stakeholders, and decision
Ice-cover is the principal driver of ecological change in High Arctic lakes and ponds
Griffiths, Katherine; Michelutti, Neal; Sugar, Madeline; Douglas, Marianne S. V.; Smol, John P.
2017-01-01
Recent climate change has been especially pronounced in the High Arctic, however, the responses of aquatic biota, such as diatoms, can be modified by site-specific environmental characteristics. To assess if climate-mediated ice cover changes affect the diatom response to climate, we used paleolimnological techniques to examine shifts in diatom assemblages from ten High Arctic lakes and ponds from Ellesmere Island and nearby Pim Island (Nunavut, Canada). The sites were divided a priori into four groups (“warm”, “cool”, “cold”, and “oasis”) based on local elevation and microclimatic differences that result in differing lengths of the ice-free season, as well as about three decades of personal observations. We characterized the species changes as a shift from Condition 1 (i.e. a generally low diversity, predominantly epipelic and epilithic diatom assemblage) to Condition 2 (i.e. a typically more diverse and ecologically complex assemblage with an increasing proportion of epiphytic species). This shift from Condition 1 to Condition 2 was a consistent pattern recorded across the sites that experienced a change in ice cover with warming. The “warm” sites are amongst the first to lose their ice covers in summer and recorded the earliest and highest magnitude changes. The “cool” sites also exhibited a shift from Condition 1 to Condition 2, but, as predicted, the timing of the response lagged the “warm” sites. Meanwhile some of the “cold” sites, which until recently still retained an ice raft in summer, only exhibited this shift in the upper-most sediments. The warmer “oasis” ponds likely supported aquatic vegetation throughout their records. Consequently, the diatoms of the “oasis” sites were characterized as high-diversity, Condition 2 assemblages throughout the record. Our results support the hypothesis that the length of the ice-free season is the principal driver of diatom assemblage responses to climate in the High Arctic
Ice-cover is the principal driver of ecological change in High Arctic lakes and ponds.
Griffiths, Katherine; Michelutti, Neal; Sugar, Madeline; Douglas, Marianne S V; Smol, John P
2017-01-01
Recent climate change has been especially pronounced in the High Arctic, however, the responses of aquatic biota, such as diatoms, can be modified by site-specific environmental characteristics. To assess if climate-mediated ice cover changes affect the diatom response to climate, we used paleolimnological techniques to examine shifts in diatom assemblages from ten High Arctic lakes and ponds from Ellesmere Island and nearby Pim Island (Nunavut, Canada). The sites were divided a priori into four groups ("warm", "cool", "cold", and "oasis") based on local elevation and microclimatic differences that result in differing lengths of the ice-free season, as well as about three decades of personal observations. We characterized the species changes as a shift from Condition 1 (i.e. a generally low diversity, predominantly epipelic and epilithic diatom assemblage) to Condition 2 (i.e. a typically more diverse and ecologically complex assemblage with an increasing proportion of epiphytic species). This shift from Condition 1 to Condition 2 was a consistent pattern recorded across the sites that experienced a change in ice cover with warming. The "warm" sites are amongst the first to lose their ice covers in summer and recorded the earliest and highest magnitude changes. The "cool" sites also exhibited a shift from Condition 1 to Condition 2, but, as predicted, the timing of the response lagged the "warm" sites. Meanwhile some of the "cold" sites, which until recently still retained an ice raft in summer, only exhibited this shift in the upper-most sediments. The warmer "oasis" ponds likely supported aquatic vegetation throughout their records. Consequently, the diatoms of the "oasis" sites were characterized as high-diversity, Condition 2 assemblages throughout the record. Our results support the hypothesis that the length of the ice-free season is the principal driver of diatom assemblage responses to climate in the High Arctic, largely driven by the establishment of new
Arctic sea ice variability in the context of recent atmospheric circulation trends
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Deser, C.; Walsh, J.E.; Timlin, M.S.
Sea ice is a sensitive component of the climate system, influenced by conditions in both the atmosphere and ocean. Variations in sea ice may in turn modulate climate by altering the surface albedo; the exchange of heat, moisture, and momentum between the atmosphere and ocean; and the upper ocean stratification in areas of deep water formation. The surface albedo effect is considered to be one of the dominant factors in the poleward amplification of global warming due to increased greenhouse gas concentrations simulated in many climate models. Forty years (1958--97) of reanalysis products and corresponding sea ice concentration data aremore » used to document Arctic sea ice variability and its association with surface air temperature (SAT) and sea level pressure (SLP) throughout the Northern Hemisphere extratropics. The dominant mode of winter (January-March) sea ice variability exhibits out-of-phase fluctuations between the western and eastern North Atlantic, together with a weaker dipole in the North Pacific. The time series of this mode has a high winter-to-winter autocorrelation (0.69) and is dominated by decadal-scale variations and a longer-term trend of diminishing ice cover east of Greenland and increasing ice cover west of Greenland. Associated with the dominant pattern of winter sea ice variability are large-scale changes in SAT and SLP that closely resemble the North Atlantic oscillation. The associated SAT and surface sensible and latent heat flux anomalies are largest over the portions of the marginal sea ice zone in which the trends of ice coverage have been greatest, although the well-documented warming of the northern continental regions is also apparent. the temporal and spatial relationships between the SLP and ice anomaly fields are consistent with the notion that atmospheric circulation anomalies force the sea ice variations. However, there appears to be a local response of the atmospheric circulation to the changing sea ice variations. However
ARCTIC SEA ICE EXTENT AND DRIFT, MODELED AS A VISCOUS FLUID.
Ling, Chi-Hai; Parkinson, Claire L.
1986-01-01
A dynamic/thermodynamic numerical model of sea ice has been used to calculate the yearly cycle of sea ice thicknesses, concentrations, and velocities in the Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas. The model combines the formulations of two previous models, taking the thermodynamics and momentum equations from the model of Parkinson and Washington and adding the constitutive equation and equation of state from the model of Ling, Rasmussen, and Campbell. Simulated annually averaged ice drift vectors compare well with observed ice drift from the Arctic Ocean Buoy Program.
How Will Aerosol-Cloud Interactions Change in an Ice-Free Arctic Summer?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gilgen, Anina; Katty Huang, Wan Ting; Ickes, Luisa; Lohmann, Ulrike
2016-04-01
Future temperatures in the Arctic are expected to increase more than the global mean temperature, which will lead to a pronounced retreat in Arctic sea ice. Before mid-century, most sea ice will likely have vanished in late Arctic summers. This will allow ships to cruise in the Arctic Ocean, e.g. to shorten their transport passage or to extract oil. Since both ships and open water emit aerosol particles and precursors, Arctic clouds and radiation may be affected via aerosol-cloud and cloud-radiation interactions. The change in radiation feeds back on temperature and sea ice retreat. In addition to aerosol particles, also the temperature and the open ocean as a humidity source should have a strong effect on clouds. The main goal of this study is to assess the impact of sea ice retreat on the Arctic climate with focus on aerosol emissions and cloud properties. To this purpose, we conducted ensemble runs with the global climate model ECHAM6-HAM2 under present-day and future (2050) conditions. ECHAM6-HAM2 was coupled with a mixed layer ocean model, which includes a sea ice model. To estimate Arctic aerosol emissions from ships, we used an elaborated ship emission inventory (Peters et al. 2011); changes in aerosol emissions from the ocean are calculated online. Preliminary results show that the sea salt aerosol and the dimethyl sulfide burdens over the Arctic Ocean significantly increase. While the ice water path decreases, the total water path increases. Due to the decrease in surface albedo, the cooling effect of the Arctic clouds becomes more important in 2050. Enhanced Arctic shipping has only a very small impact. The increase in the aersol burden due to shipping is less pronounced than the increase due to natural emissions even if the ship emissions are increased by a factor of ten. Hence, there is hardly an effect on clouds and radiation caused by shipping. References Peters et al. (2011), Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 5305-5320
An interannual link between Arctic sea-ice cover and the North Atlantic Oscillation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Caian, Mihaela; Koenigk, Torben; Döscher, Ralf; Devasthale, Abhay
2018-01-01
This work investigates links between Arctic surface variability and the phases of the winter (DJF) North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on interannual time-scales. The analysis is based on ERA-reanalysis and model data from the EC-Earth global climate model. Our study emphasizes a mode of sea-ice cover variability that leads the NAO index by 1 year. The mechanism of this leading is based on persistent surface forcing by quasi-stationary meridional thermal gradients. Associated thermal winds lead a slow adjustment of the pressure in the following winter, which in turn feeds-back on the propagation of sea-ice anomalies. The pattern of the sea-ice mode leading NAO has positive anomalies over key areas of South-Davis Strait-Labrador Sea, the Barents Sea and the Laptev-Ohkostsk seas, associated to a high pressure anomaly over the Canadian Archipelago-Baffin Bay and the Laptev-East-Siberian seas. These anomalies create a quasi-annular, quasi-steady, positive gradient of sea-ice anomalies about coastal line (when leading the positive NAO phase) and force a cyclonic vorticity anomaly over the Arctic in the following winter. During recent decades in spite of slight shifts in the modes' spectral properties, the same leading mechanism remains valid. Encouraging, actual models appear to reproduce the same mechanism leading model's NAO, relative to model areas of persistent surface forcing. This indicates that the link between sea-ice and NAO could be exploited as a potential skill-source for multi-year prediction by addressing the key problem of initializing the phase of the NAO/AO (Arctic Oscillation).
Characterizing Arctic Sea Ice Topography Using High-Resolution IceBridge Data
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Petty, Alek; Tsamados, Michel; Kurtz, Nathan; Farrell, Sinead; Newman, Thomas; Harbeck, Jeremy; Feltham, Daniel; Richter-Menge, Jackie
2016-01-01
We present an analysis of Arctic sea ice topography using high resolution, three-dimensional, surface elevation data from the Airborne Topographic Mapper, flown as part of NASA's Operation IceBridge mission. Surface features in the sea ice cover are detected using a newly developed surface feature picking algorithm. We derive information regarding the height, volume and geometry of surface features from 2009-2014 within the Beaufort/Chukchi and Central Arctic regions. The results are delineated by ice type to estimate the topographic variability across first-year and multi-year ice regimes.
Changes in the seasonality of Arctic sea ice and temperature
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bintanja, R.
2012-04-01
Observations show that the Arctic sea ice cover is currently declining as a result of climate warming. According to climate models, this retreat will continue and possibly accelerate in the near-future. However, the magnitude of this decline is not the same throughout the year. With temperatures near or above the freezing point, summertime Arctic sea ice will quickly diminish. However, at temperatures well below freezing, the sea ice cover during winter will exhibit a much weaker decline. In the future, the sea ice seasonal cycle will be no ice in summer, and thin one-year ice in winter. Hence, the seasonal cycle in sea ice cover will increase with ongoing climate warming. This in itself leads to an increased summer-winter contrast in surface air temperature, because changes in sea ice have a dominant influence on Arctic temperature and its seasonality. Currently, the annual amplitude in air temperature is decreasing, however, because winters warm faster than summer. With ongoing summer sea ice reductions there will come a time when the annual temperature amplitude will increase again because of the large seasonal changes in sea ice. This suggests that changes in the seasonal cycle in Arctic sea ice and temperature are closely, and intricately, connected. Future changes in Arctic seasonality (will) have an profound effect on flora, fauna, humans and economic activities.
Observed Changes at the Surface of the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ortmeyer, M.; Rigor, I.
2004-12-01
The Arctic has long been considered a harbinger of global climate change since simulations with global climate models predict that if the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere doubles, the Arctic would warm by more than 5°C, compared to a warming of 2°C for subpolar regions (Manabe et al., 1991). And indeed, studies of the observational records show polar amplification of the warming trends (e.g. Serreze and Francis, 2004). These temperature trends are accompanied by myriad concurrent changes in Arctic climate. One of the first indicators of Arctic climate change was found by Walsh et al. (1996) using sea level pressure (SLP) data from the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP, http://iabp.apl.washington.edu). In this study, they showed that SLP over the Arctic Ocean decreased by over 4 hPa from 1979 - 1994. The decreases in SLP (winds) over the Arctic Ocean, forced changes in the circulation of sea ice and the surface ocean currents such that the Beaufort Gyre is reduced in size and speed (e.g. Rigor et al., 2002). Data from the IABP has also been assimilated into the global surface air temperature (SAT) climatologies (e.g. Jones et al. 1999), and the IABP SAT analysis shows that the temperature trends noted over land extend out over the Arctic Ocean. Specifically, Rigor et al. (2000) found warming trends in SAT over the Arctic Ocean during win¬ter and spring, with values as high as 2°C/decade in the eastern Arctic during spring. It should be noted that many of the changes in Arctic climate were first observed or explained using data from the IABP. The observations from IABP have been one of the cornerstones for environmental forecasting and studies of climate and climate change. These changes have a profound impact on wildlife and people. Many species and cultures depend on the sea ice for habitat and subsistence. Thus, monitoring the Arctic Ocean is crucial not only for our ability to detect climate change, but also to improve our understanding of the
1986-03-01
8217 ILI L2.2363 31-25 UICRQCCW p O TEST C4ART’OPSMa, -f AoA IV 4 86 9 ’ 5 MIZEX BULLETIN SERIES: INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The main purpose of the...Ice-Ocean Interaction Experiments in Arctic Marginal Ice Zones MIZEX BULLETIN VII LEC T E SEP 2 9 1986 ’Jl P March 1986 J A ’QOzltnal OontsSn$ ooLoP...studies in both the northern and southern hemispheres. W.D. HIBLER Ill March 1986 ii CONTENTS* Page P reface
Sources of Arctic Ocean upper halocline and changes in its properties
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Anderson, L. G.; Andersson, P. S.; Bjvrk, G. M.; Jutterstrom, S.; Wahlstrom, I.
2011-12-01
The upper halocline of the Arctic Ocean has a distinct chemical signature by its high nutrient and partial pressure of carbon dioxide as well as low oxygen and pH values. This signature is formed along the bottoms of the Siberian shelf seas, primarily the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas, by a combination of mineralization of organic matter and release of the decay products to the sea ice brine enriched bottom water. In this contribution we use salinity and total alkalinity data to show that the fraction of sea ice brine in the nutrient enriched upper halocline water in the central Arctic Ocean is up to 4%. This water of low pH, and thus also low in calcium carbonate solubility, is found between about 100 and 200 m depth and is thus close to the productive surface water in a future central Arctic Ocean of less summer sea ice cover. In the East Siberian Sea the bottom waters with exceptional high nutrient concentration and low pH have typically between 5 and 10% of sea ice brine as computed form salinity and oxygen-18 vales. On the continental slope, over bottom depths of 15-200 m, the brine contribution was 6% at the nutrient maximum depth (50-100 m). At the same location as well as over deeper waters the silicate maximum was found over a wider salinity range than traditionally, in agreement with observations of Nishino et al (J. Oceanogr, Vol. 65, pp. 871 to 883, 2009) in the area of the deep Arctic Ocean east of the Chukchi Plateau. However, the water with lowest salinity (~32.5) in the silicate maximum had maximum in nitrate deficit expressed as N** (= [NO3] - 16[PO4] + 2.9) and the waters with highest salinity (~34.5) had the lowest oxygen concentration. This pattern is not obvious and point to at least two different biochemical environments within the East Siberian Sea that has not been observed before and could be a sign of a changing marine climate in the East Siberian Sea. One cause could be more open water in the summer season followed by more sea ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stein, R. H.; Fahl, K.; Gierz, P.; Niessen, F.; Lohmann, G.
2017-12-01
Over the last about four decades, coinciding with global warming and atmospheric CO2increase, the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice has decreased dramatically, a decrease much more rapid than predicted by climate models. The driving forces of this change are still not fully understood. In this context, detailed paleoclimatic records going back beyond the timescale of direct observations, i.e., high-resolution Holocene records but also records representing more distant warm periods, may help to to distinguish and quantify more precisely the natural and anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing of global climate change and related sea ice decrease. Here, we concentrate on sea ice biomarker records representing the penultimate glacial/last interglacial (MIS 6/MIS 5e) and the Holocene time intervals. Our proxy records are compared with climate model simulations using a coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM). Based on our data, polynya-type sea ice conditions probably occurred off the major ice sheets along the northern Barents and East Siberian continental margins during late MIS 6. Furthermore, we demonstrate that even during MIS 5e, i.e., a time interval when the high latitudes have been significantly warmer than today, sea ice existed in the central Arctic Ocean during summer, whereas sea ice was significantly reduced along the Barents Sea continental margin influenced by Atlantic Water inflow. Assuming a closed Bering Strait (no Pacific Water inflow) during early MIS 5, model simulations point to a significantly reduced sea ice cover in the central Arctic Ocean, a scenario that is however not supported by the proxy record and thus seems to be less realistic. Our Holocene biomarker proxy records from the Chukchi Sea indicate that main factors controlling the millennial Holocene variability in sea ice are probably changes in surface water and heat flow from the Pacific into the Arctic Ocean as well as the long-term decrease in summer insolation
Arctic moisture source for Eurasian snow cover variations in autumn
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wegmann, Martin; Orsolini, Yvan; Vázquez Dominguez, Marta; Gimeno Presa, Luis; Nieto, Raquel; Buligyna, Olga; Jaiser, Ralf; Handorf, Dörthe; Rinke, Anette; Dethloff, Klaus; Sterin, Alexander; Brönnimann, Stefan
2015-04-01
Global warming is enhanced at high northern latitudes where the Arctic surface air temperature has risen at twice the rate of the global average in recent decades - a feature called Arctic amplification. This recent Arctic warming signal likely results from several factors such as the albedo feedback due to a diminishing cryosphere, enhanced poleward atmospheric and oceanic transport, and change in humidity. The reduction in Arctic sea ice is without doubt substantial and a key factor. Arctic summer sea-ice extent has declined by more than 10% per decade since the start of the satellite era (e.g. Stroeve et al., 2012), culminating in a new record low in September 2012, with the long-term trend largely attributed to anthropogenic global warming. Eurasian snow cover changes have been suggested as a driver for changes in the Arctic Oscillation and might provide a link between sea ice decline in the Arctic during summer and atmospheric circulation in the following winter. However, the mechanism connecting snow cover in Eurasia to sea ice decline in autumn is still under debate. Our analysis focuses at sea ice decline in the Barents-Kara Sea region, which allows us to specify regions of interest for FLEXPART forward and backwards moisture trajectories. Based on Eularian and Lagrangian diagnostics from ERA-INTERIM, we can address the origin and cause of late autumn snow depth variations in a dense (snow observations from 820 land stations), unutilized observational datasets over the Commonwealth of Independent States. Open waters in the Barents and Kara Sea have been shown to increase the diabatic heating of the atmosphere, which amplifies baroclinic cyclones and might induce a remote atmospheric response by triggering stationary Rossby waves (Honda et al. 2009). In agreement with these studies, our results show enhanced storm activity originating at the Barents and Kara with disturbances entering the continent through a small sector from the Barents and Kara Seas
Dissolved methane in the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean, 1992-2009; sources and atmospheric flux
Lorenson, Thomas D.; Greinert, Jens; Coffin, Richard B.
2016-01-01
Methane concentration and isotopic composition was measured in ice-covered and ice-free waters of the Arctic Ocean during eleven surveys spanning the years of 1992-1995 and 2009. During ice-free periods, methane flux from the Beaufort shelf varies from 0.14 to 0.43 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Maximum fluxes from localized areas of high methane concentration are up to 1.52 mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Seasonal buildup of methane under ice can produce short-term fluxes of methane from the Beaufort shelf that varies from 0.28 to 1.01 to mg CH4 m-2 day-1. Scaled-up estimates of minimum methane flux from the Beaufort Sea and pan-Arctic shelf for both ice-free and ice-covered periods range from 0.02 Tg CH4 yr-1 and 0.30 Tg CH4 yr-1 respectively to maximum fluxes of 0.18 Tg CH4 yr-1 and 2.2 Tg CH4 yr-1 respectively. A methane flux of 0.36 Tg CH4 yr-1from the deep Arctic Ocean was estimated using data from 1993-94. The flux can be as much as 2.35 Tg CH4 yr-1 estimated from maximum methane concentrations and wind speeds of 12 m/s, representing only 0.42% of the annual atmospheric methane budget of ~560 Tg CH4 yr-1. There were no significant changes in methane fluxes during the time period of this study. Microbial methane sources predominate with minor influxes from thermogenic methane offshore Prudhoe Bay and the Mackenzie River delta and may include methane from gas hydrate. Methane oxidation is locally important on the shelf and is a methane sink in the deep Arctic Ocean.
Deep Arctic Ocean warming during the last glacial cycle
Cronin, T. M.; Dwyer, G.S.; Farmer, J.; Bauch, H.A.; Spielhagen, R.F.; Jakobsson, M.; Nilsson, J.; Briggs, W.M.; Stepanova, A.
2012-01-01
In the Arctic Ocean, the cold and relatively fresh water beneath the sea ice is separated from the underlying warmer and saltier Atlantic Layer by a halocline. Ongoing sea ice loss and warming in the Arctic Ocean have demonstrated the instability of the halocline, with implications for further sea ice loss. The stability of the halocline through past climate variations is unclear. Here we estimate intermediate water temperatures over the past 50,000 years from the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca values of ostracods from 31 Arctic sediment cores. From about 50 to 11 kyr ago, the central Arctic Basin from 1,000 to 2,500 m was occupied by a water mass we call Glacial Arctic Intermediate Water. This water mass was 1–2 °C warmer than modern Arctic Intermediate Water, with temperatures peaking during or just before millennial-scale Heinrich cold events and the Younger Dryas cold interval. We use numerical modelling to show that the intermediate depth warming could result from the expected decrease in the flux of fresh water to the Arctic Ocean during glacial conditions, which would cause the halocline to deepen and push the warm Atlantic Layer into intermediate depths. Although not modelled, the reduced formation of cold, deep waters due to the exposure of the Arctic continental shelf could also contribute to the intermediate depth warming.
Export of algal biomass from the melting Arctic sea ice.
Boetius, Antje; Albrecht, Sebastian; Bakker, Karel; Bienhold, Christina; Felden, Janine; Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Hendricks, Stefan; Katlein, Christian; Lalande, Catherine; Krumpen, Thomas; Nicolaus, Marcel; Peeken, Ilka; Rabe, Benjamin; Rogacheva, Antonina; Rybakova, Elena; Somavilla, Raquel; Wenzhöfer, Frank
2013-03-22
In the Arctic, under-ice primary production is limited to summer months and is restricted not only by ice thickness and snow cover but also by the stratification of the water column, which constrains nutrient supply for algal growth. Research Vessel Polarstern visited the ice-covered eastern-central basins between 82° to 89°N and 30° to 130°E in summer 2012, when Arctic sea ice declined to a record minimum. During this cruise, we observed a widespread deposition of ice algal biomass of on average 9 grams of carbon per square meter to the deep-sea floor of the central Arctic basins. Data from this cruise will contribute to assessing the effect of current climate change on Arctic productivity, biodiversity, and ecological function.
Improving Arctic Sea Ice Observations and Data Access to Support Advances in Sea Ice Forecasting
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Farrell, S. L.
2017-12-01
The economic and strategic importance of the Arctic region is becoming apparent. One of the most striking and widely publicized changes underway is the declining sea ice cover. Since sea ice is a key component of the climate system, its ongoing loss has serious, and wide-ranging, socio-economic implications. Increasing year-to-year variability in the geographic location, concentration, and thickness of the Arctic ice cover will pose both challenges and opportunities. The sea ice research community must be engaged in sustained Arctic Observing Network (AON) initiatives so as to deliver fit-for-purpose remote sensing data products to a variety of stakeholders including Arctic communities, the weather forecasting and climate modeling communities, industry, local, regional and national governments, and policy makers. An example of engagement is the work currently underway to improve research collaborations between scientists engaged in obtaining and assessing sea ice observational data and those conducting numerical modeling studies and forecasting ice conditions. As part of the US AON, in collaboration with the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC), we are developing a strategic framework within which observers and modelers can work towards the common goal of improved sea ice forecasting. Here, we focus on sea ice thickness, a key varaible of the Arctic ice cover. We describe multi-sensor, and blended, sea ice thickness data products under development that can be leveraged to improve model initialization and validation, as well as support data assimilation exercises. We will also present the new PolarWatch initiative (polarwatch.noaa.gov) and discuss efforts to advance access to remote sensing satellite observations and improve communication with Arctic stakeholders, so as to deliver data products that best address societal needs.
Ice-cover effects on competitive interactions between two fish species.
Helland, Ingeborg P; Finstad, Anders G; Forseth, Torbjørn; Hesthagen, Trygve; Ugedal, Ola
2011-05-01
1. Variations in the strength of ecological interactions between seasons have received little attention, despite an increased focus on climate alterations on ecosystems. Particularly, the winter situation is often neglected when studying competitive interactions. In northern temperate freshwaters, winter implies low temperatures and reduced food availability, but also strong reduction in ambient light because of ice and snow cover. Here, we study how brown trout [Salmo trutta (L.)] respond to variations in ice-cover duration and competition with Arctic charr [Salvelinus alpinus (L.)], by linking laboratory-derived physiological performance and field data on variation in abundance among and within natural brown trout populations. 2. Both Arctic charr and brown trout reduced resting metabolic rate under simulated ice-cover (darkness) in the laboratory, compared to no ice (6-h daylight). However, in contrast to brown trout, Arctic charr was able to obtain positive growth rate in darkness and had higher food intake in tank experiments than brown trout. Arctic charr also performed better (lower energy loss) under simulated ice-cover in a semi-natural environment with natural food supply. 3. When comparing brown trout biomass across 190 Norwegian lakes along a climate gradient, longer ice-covered duration decreased the biomass only in lakes where brown trout lived together with Arctic charr. We were not able to detect any effect of ice-cover on brown trout biomass in lakes where brown trout was the only fish species. 4. Similarly, a 25-year time series from a lake with both brown trout and Arctic charr showed that brown trout population growth rate depended on the interaction between ice breakup date and Arctic charr abundance. High charr abundance was correlated with low trout population growth rate only in combination with long winters. 5. In conclusion, the two species differed in performance under ice, and the observed outcome of competition in natural populations
Ha, Ho Kyung; Kim, Hyun Cheol; Kim, Ok-Sun; Lee, Bang Yong; Cho, Jang-Cheon; Hur, Hor-Gil; Lee, Yoo Kyung
2014-01-01
From July to August 2010, the IBRV ARAON journeyed to the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean to monitor bacterial variation in Arctic summer surface-waters, and temperature, salinity, fluorescence, and nutrient concentrations were determined during the ice-melting season. Among the measured physicochemical parameters, we observed a strong negative correlation between temperature and salinity, and consequently hypothesized that the melting ice decreased water salinity. The bacterial community compositions of 15 samples, includicng seawater, sea-ice, and melting pond water, were determined using a pyrosequencing approach and were categorized into three habitats: (1) surface seawater, (2) ice core, and (3) melting pond. Analysis of these samples indicated the presence of local bacterial communities; a deduction that was further corroborated by the discovery of seawater- and ice-specific bacterial phylotypes. In all samples, the Alphaproteobacteria, Flavobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria taxa composed the majority of the bacterial communities. Among these, Alphaproteobacteria was the most abundant and present in all samples, and its variation differed among the habitats studied. Linear regression analysis suggested that changes in salinity could affect the relative proportion of Alphaproteobacteria in the surface water. In addition, the species-sorting model was applied to evaluate the population dynamics and environmental heterogeneity in the bacterial communities of surface mixed layer in the Arctic Ocean during sea-ice melting. PMID:24497990
Han, Dukki; Kang, Ilnam; Ha, Ho Kyung; Kim, Hyun Cheol; Kim, Ok-Sun; Lee, Bang Yong; Cho, Jang-Cheon; Hur, Hor-Gil; Lee, Yoo Kyung
2014-01-01
From July to August 2010, the IBRV ARAON journeyed to the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean to monitor bacterial variation in Arctic summer surface-waters, and temperature, salinity, fluorescence, and nutrient concentrations were determined during the ice-melting season. Among the measured physicochemical parameters, we observed a strong negative correlation between temperature and salinity, and consequently hypothesized that the melting ice decreased water salinity. The bacterial community compositions of 15 samples, includicng seawater, sea-ice, and melting pond water, were determined using a pyrosequencing approach and were categorized into three habitats: (1) surface seawater, (2) ice core, and (3) melting pond. Analysis of these samples indicated the presence of local bacterial communities; a deduction that was further corroborated by the discovery of seawater- and ice-specific bacterial phylotypes. In all samples, the Alphaproteobacteria, Flavobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria taxa composed the majority of the bacterial communities. Among these, Alphaproteobacteria was the most abundant and present in all samples, and its variation differed among the habitats studied. Linear regression analysis suggested that changes in salinity could affect the relative proportion of Alphaproteobacteria in the surface water. In addition, the species-sorting model was applied to evaluate the population dynamics and environmental heterogeneity in the bacterial communities of surface mixed layer in the Arctic Ocean during sea-ice melting.
Enhanced Arctic Amplification Began at the Mid-Brunhes Event ~400,000 years ago.
Cronin, T M; Dwyer, G S; Caverly, E K; Farmer, J; DeNinno, L H; Rodriguez-Lazaro, J; Gemery, L
2017-11-03
Arctic Ocean temperatures influence ecosystems, sea ice, species diversity, biogeochemical cycling, seafloor methane stability, deep-sea circulation, and CO 2 cycling. Today's Arctic Ocean and surrounding regions are undergoing climatic changes often attributed to "Arctic amplification" - that is, amplified warming in Arctic regions due to sea-ice loss and other processes, relative to global mean temperature. However, the long-term evolution of Arctic amplification is poorly constrained due to lack of continuous sediment proxy records of Arctic Ocean temperature, sea ice cover and circulation. Here we present reconstructions of Arctic Ocean intermediate depth water (AIW) temperatures and sea-ice cover spanning the last ~ 1.5 million years (Ma) of orbitally-paced glacial/interglacial cycles (GIC). Using Mg/Ca paleothermometry of the ostracode Krithe and sea-ice planktic and benthic indicator species, we suggest that the Mid-Brunhes Event (MBE), a major climate transition ~ 400-350 ka, involved fundamental changes in AIW temperature and sea-ice variability. Enhanced Arctic amplification at the MBE suggests a major climate threshold was reached at ~ 400 ka involving Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), inflowing warm Atlantic Layer water, ice sheet, sea-ice and ice-shelf feedbacks, and sensitivity to higher post-MBE interglacial CO 2 concentrations.
Enhanced Arctic amplification began at the Mid-Brunhes Event 430,000 years ago
Cronin, Thomas M.; Dwyer, Gary S.; Caverly, Emma; Farmer, Jesse; DeNinno, Lauren H.; Rodriguez-Lazaro, Julio; Gemery, Laura
2017-01-01
Arctic Ocean temperatures influence ecosystems, sea ice, species diversity, biogeochemical cycling, seafloor methane stability, deep-sea circulation, and CO2 cycling. Today's Arctic Ocean and surrounding regions are undergoing climatic changes often attributed to "Arctic amplification" - that is, amplified warming in Arctic regions due to sea-ice loss and other processes, relative to global mean temperature. However, the long-term evolution of Arctic amplification is poorly constrained due to lack of continuous sediment proxy records of Arctic Ocean temperature, sea ice cover and circulation. Here we present reconstructions of Arctic Ocean intermediate depth water (AIW) temperatures and sea-ice cover spanning the last ~ 1.5 million years (Ma) of orbitally-paced glacial/interglacial cycles (GIC). Using Mg/Ca paleothermometry of the ostracode Krithe and sea-ice planktic and benthic indicator species, we suggest that the Mid-Brunhes Event (MBE), a major climate transition ~ 400-350 ka, involved fundamental changes in AIW temperature and sea-ice variability. Enhanced Arctic amplification at the MBE suggests a major climate threshold was reached at ~ 400 ka involving Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), inflowing warm Atlantic Layer water, ice sheet, sea-ice and ice-shelf feedbacks, and sensitivity to higher post-MBE interglacial CO2 concentrations.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hopper, J. R.; Castro, C. F.; Knutz, P. C.; Funck, T.
2017-12-01
Seismic reflection data collected in the western Amundsen Basin as part of the Law of the Sea program for the Kingdom of Denmark show a uniform and continuous cover of sediments over oceanic basement. An interpretation of seismic facies units shows that the depositional history of the basin reflects changing tectonic, climatic, and oceanographic conditions throughout the Cenozoic. In this contribution, the Miocene to present history is summarized. Two distinct changes in the depositional environment are proposed, first in response to the development of a deep water connection between the Arctic and North Atlantic, and the second in response to the onset of perennial sea ice cover in the Arctic. In the early to mid-Miocene, a buildup of contourite deposits indicates a distinct change in sedimentation that is particularly well developed near the flank of the Lomonosov Ridge. It is suggested that this is a response to the opening of the Fram Strait and the establishment of geostrophic bottom currents that flowed from the Laptev Sea towards Greenland. These deposits are overlain by a seismic facies unit characterized by buried channels and erosional features. These include prominent basinward levee systems that suggest a channel morphology maintained by overbank deposition of muddy sediments carried by suspension currents periodically spilling over the channel pathway. These deposits indicate a change to a much higher energy environment that is proposed to be a response to brine formation associated with the onset of perennial sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. This interpretation implies that the development of extensive sea ice cover results in a significant change in the energy environment of the ocean that is reflected in the depositional and erosional patterns observed. The lack of similar high energy erosional features and the presence of contourite deposits throughout most of the Miocene may indicate the Arctic Ocean was relatively ice-free until the very latest
Characteristics of Airborne Lidar Profiles of the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Churnside, J. H.; Marchbanks, R.
2016-02-01
In July, 2014, we flew the NOAA oceanographic lidar more than 6000 km over the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas around northern Alaska. The most obvious feature in the lidar returns was sea ice, which blocked any return from below and saturated our receivers. The flights were designed to measure profiles with varying degrees of ice cover, from open water to nearly completely covered water. Thin phytoplankton layers were also prevalent, both in open water and within the pack ice. These layers were generally deeper (20 m vs. 16 m averages) and stronger (27 times the background level vs. 9 times) in open water than in the ice. The average layer thicknesses were similar in open water and in the ice (3.8 m vs. 3.4 m). The diffuse attenuation coefficient measured by the lidar did not depend strongly on ice cover. It was generally higher near the coast than farther off shore. Fish were present in a few of the returns, but these were not very numerous. More common were the sediment plumes generated by gray whales feeding on crustaceans on the bottom. Data from these flights show a high level of spatial variability that is difficult to measure from a surface vessel and significant vertical structure that is impossible to obtain from satellite ocean-color instruments. One application of this type of lidar data is to estimate primary productivity in the Arctic Ocean. It is clear that productivity is increasing, largely as a result of decreased ice cover, but many details remain uncertain.
Late Quaternary stratigraphy and sedimentation patterns in the western Arctic Ocean
Polyak, L.; Bischof, J.; Ortiz, J.D.; Darby, D.A.; Channell, J.E.T.; Xuan, C.; Kaufman, D.S.; Lovlie, R.; Schneider, D.A.; Eberl, D.D.; Adler, R.E.; Council, E.A.
2009-01-01
Sediment cores from the western Arctic Ocean obtained on the 2005 HOTRAX and some earlier expeditions have been analyzed to develop a stratigraphic correlation from the Alaskan Chukchi margin to the Northwind and Mendeleev-Alpha ridges. The correlation was primarily based on terrigenous sediment composition that is not affected by diagenetic processes as strongly as the biogenic component, and paleomagnetic inclination records. Chronostratigraphic control was provided by 14C dating and amino-acid racemization ages, as well as correlation to earlier established Arctic Ocean stratigraphies. Distribution of sedimentary units across the western Arctic indicates that sedimentation rates decrease from tens of centimeters per kyr on the Alaskan margin to a few centimeters on the southern ends of Northwind and Mendeleev ridges and just a few millimeters on the ridges in the interior of the Amerasia basin. This sedimentation pattern suggests that Late Quaternary sediment transport and deposition, except for turbidites at the basin bottom, were generally controlled by ice concentration (and thus melt-out rate) and transportation distance from sources, with local variances related to subsurface currents. In the long term, most sediment was probably delivered to the core sites by icebergs during glacial periods, with a significant contribution from sea ice. During glacial maxima very fine-grained sediment was deposited with sedimentation rates greatly reduced away from the margins to a hiatus of several kyr duration as shown for the Last Glacial Maximum. This sedimentary environment was possibly related to a very solid ice cover and reduced melt-out over a large part of the western Arctic Ocean.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Raev, M. D.; Sharkov, E. A.; Tikhonov, V. V.; Repina, I. A.; Komarova, N. Yu.
2015-12-01
The GLOBAL-RT database (DB) is composed of long-term radio heat multichannel observation data received from DMSP F08-F17 satellites; it is permanently supplemented with new data on the Earth's exploration from the space department of the Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences. Arctic ice-cover areas for regions higher than 60° N latitude were calculated using the DB polar version and NASA Team 2 algorithm, which is widely used in foreign scientific literature. According to the analysis of variability of Arctic ice cover during 1987-2014, 2 months were selected when the Arctic ice cover was maximal (February) and minimal (September), and the average ice cover area was calculated for these months. Confidence intervals of the average values are in the 95-98% limits. Several approximations are derived for the time dependences of the ice-cover maximum and minimum over the period under study. Regression dependences were calculated for polynomials from the first degree (linear) to sextic. It was ascertained that the minimal root-mean-square error of deviation from the approximated curve sharply decreased for the biquadratic polynomial and then varied insignificantly: from 0.5593 for the polynomial of third degree to 0.4560 for the biquadratic polynomial. Hence, the commonly used strictly linear regression with a negative time gradient for the September Arctic ice cover minimum over 30 years should be considered incorrect.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Solomon, A.
2017-12-01
The Arctic climate is rapidly transitioning into a new regime with lower sea ice extent and increasingly younger and thinner sea ice pack. The emergent properties of this new regime are yet to be determined since altered feedback processes between ice, ocean, and atmosphere will further impact upper ocean heat content, atmospheric circulation, atmospheric and oceanic stratification, the interactions between subsurface/intermediate warm waters and surface cold and fresh layer, cloud cover, ice growth, among other properties. This emergent new climate regime needs to be understood in terms of the two-way feedback between the Arctic and lower-latitudes (both in the ocean and atmosphere), as well as the local coupling between ocean-sea ice-atmosphere. The net result of these feedbacks will determine the magnitude of future Arctic amplification and potential impacts on mid-latitude weather extremes, among other impacts. A new international panel, the CliC/CLIVAR Northern Oceans Regional Panel, has been established to coordinate efforts that will enhance our ability to monitor the coupled system, understand the driving mechanisms of the system change from a coupled process perspective, and predict the evolution of the emerging "New Arctic" climate. This talk will discuss the scientific motivation for this new panel, the near-term objectives, and plans for deliverables.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nguyen, A. T.; Heimbach, P.; Garg, V.; Ocana, V.
2016-12-01
Over the last few decades, various agencies have invested heavily in the development and deployment of Arctic ocean and sea ice observing platforms, especially moorings, profilers, gliders, and satellite-based instruments. These observational assets are heterogeneous in terms of variables sampled and spatio-temporal coverage, which calls for a dynamical synthesis framework of the diverse data streams. Here we introduce an adjoint-based Arctic Subpolar gyre sTate estimate (ASTE), a medium resolution model-data synthesis that leverages all the possible observational assets. Through an established formal state and parameter estimation framework, the ASTE framework produces a 2002-present ocean-sea ice state that can be used to address Arctic System science questions. It is dynamically and kinematically consistent with known equations of motion and consistent with observations. Four key aspects of ASTE will be discussed: (1) How well is ASTE constrained by the existing observations; (2) which data most effectively constrain the system, and what impact on the solution does spatial and temporal coverage have; (3) how much information does one set of observation (e.g. Fram Strait heat transport) carry about a remote, but dynamically linked component (e.g. heat content in the Beaufort Gyre); and (4) how can the framework be used to assess the value of hypothetical observations in constraining poorly observed parts of the Arctic Ocean and the implied mechanisms responsible for the changes occurring in the Arctic. We will discuss the suggested geographic distribution of new observations to maximize the impact on improving our understanding of the general circulation, water mass distribution and hydrographic changes in the Arctic.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Merkouriadi, Ioanna; Gallet, Jean-Charles; Graham, Robert M.; Liston, Glen E.; Polashenski, Chris; Rösel, Anja; Gerland, Sebastian
2017-10-01
Snow is a crucial component of the Arctic sea ice system. Its thickness and thermal properties control heat conduction and radiative fluxes across the ocean, ice, and atmosphere interfaces. Hence, observations of the evolution of snow depth, density, thermal conductivity, and stratigraphy are crucial for the development of detailed snow numerical models predicting energy transfer through the snow pack. Snow depth is also a major uncertainty in predicting ice thickness using remote sensing algorithms. Here we examine the winter spatial and temporal evolution of snow physical properties on first-year (FYI) and second-year ice (SYI) in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean, during the Norwegian young sea ICE (N-ICE2015) expedition (January to March 2015). During N-ICE2015, the snow pack consisted of faceted grains (47%), depth hoar (28%), and wind slab (13%), indicating very different snow stratigraphy compared to what was observed in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean during the SHEBA campaign (1997-1998). Average snow bulk density was 345 kg m-3 and it varied with ice type. Snow depth was 41 ± 19 cm in January and 56 ± 17 cm in February, which is significantly greater than earlier suggestions for this region. The snow water equivalent was 14.5 ± 5.3 cm over first-year ice and 19 ± 5.4 cm over second-year ice.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Klein, E. S.; Nolan, M.; McConnell, J.; Sigl, M.; Cherry, J.; Young, J.; Welker, J. M.
2016-01-01
We explored modern precipitation and ice core isotope ratios to better understand both modern and paleo climate in the Arctic. Paleoclimate reconstructions require an understanding of how modern synoptic climate influences proxies used in those reconstructions, such as water isotopes. Therefore we measured periodic precipitation samples at Toolik Lake Field Station (Toolik) in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range in the Alaskan Arctic to determine δ18O and δ2H. We applied this multi-decadal local precipitation δ18O/temperature regression to ∼65 years of McCall Glacier (also in the Brooks Range) ice core isotope measurements and found an increase in reconstructed temperatures over the late-20th and early-21st centuries. We also show that the McCall Glacier δ18O isotope record is negatively correlated with the winter bidecadal North Pacific Index (NPI) climate oscillation. McCall Glacier deuterium excess (d-excess, δ2H - 8*δ18O) values display a bidecadal periodicity coherent with the NPI and suggest shifts from more southwestern Bering Sea moisture sources with less sea ice (lower d-excess values) to more northern Arctic Ocean moisture sources with more sea ice (higher d-excess values). Northern ice covered Arctic Ocean McCall Glacier moisture sources are associated with weak Aleutian Low (AL) circulation patterns and the southern moisture sources with strong AL patterns. Ice core d-excess values significantly decrease over the record, coincident with warmer temperatures and a significant reduction in Alaska sea ice concentration, which suggests that ice free northern ocean waters are increasingly serving as terrestrial precipitation moisture sources; a concept recently proposed by modeling studies and also present in Greenland ice core d-excess values during previous transitions to warm periods. This study also shows the efficacy and importance of using ice cores from Arctic valley glaciers in paleoclimate reconstructions.
Windows in Arctic sea ice: Light transmission and ice algae in a refrozen lead
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kauko, Hanna M.; Taskjelle, Torbjørn; Assmy, Philipp; Pavlov, Alexey K.; Mundy, C. J.; Duarte, Pedro; Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Olsen, Lasse M.; Hudson, Stephen R.; Johnsen, Geir; Elliott, Ashley; Wang, Feiyue; Granskog, Mats A.
2017-06-01
The Arctic Ocean is rapidly changing from thicker multiyear to thinner first-year ice cover, with significant consequences for radiative transfer through the ice pack and light availability for algal growth. A thinner, more dynamic ice cover will possibly result in more frequent leads, covered by newly formed ice with little snow cover. We studied a refrozen lead (≤0.27 m ice) in drifting pack ice north of Svalbard (80.5-81.8°N) in May-June 2015 during the Norwegian young sea ICE expedition (N-ICE2015). We measured downwelling incident and ice-transmitted spectral irradiance, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), particle absorption, ultraviolet (UV)-protecting mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), and chlorophyll a (Chl a) in melted sea ice samples. We found occasionally very high MAA concentrations (up to 39 mg m-3, mean 4.5 ± 7.8 mg m-3) and MAA to Chl a ratios (up to 6.3, mean 1.2 ± 1.3). Disagreement in modeled and observed transmittance in the UV range let us conclude that MAA signatures in CDOM absorption spectra may be artifacts due to osmotic shock during ice melting. Although observed PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) transmittance through the thin ice was significantly higher than that of the adjacent thicker ice with deep snow cover, ice algal standing stocks were low (≤2.31 mg Chl a m-2) and similar to the adjacent ice. Ice algal accumulation in the lead was possibly delayed by the low inoculum and the time needed for photoacclimation to the high-light environment. However, leads are important for phytoplankton growth by acting like windows into the water column.
Late Cretaceous seasonal ocean variability from the Arctic.
Davies, Andrew; Kemp, Alan E S; Pike, Jennifer
2009-07-09
The modern Arctic Ocean is regarded as a barometer of global change and amplifier of global warming and therefore records of past Arctic change are critical for palaeoclimate reconstruction. Little is known of the state of the Arctic Ocean in the greenhouse period of the Late Cretaceous epoch (65-99 million years ago), yet records from such times may yield important clues to Arctic Ocean behaviour in near-future warmer climates. Here we present a seasonally resolved Cretaceous sedimentary record from the Alpha ridge of the Arctic Ocean. This palaeo-sediment trap provides new insight into the workings of the Cretaceous marine biological carbon pump. Seasonal primary production was dominated by diatom algae but was not related to upwelling as was previously hypothesized. Rather, production occurred within a stratified water column, involving specially adapted species in blooms resembling those of the modern North Pacific subtropical gyre, or those indicated for the Mediterranean sapropels. With increased CO(2) levels and warming currently driving increased stratification in the global ocean, this style of production that is adapted to stratification may become more widespread. Our evidence for seasonal diatom production and flux testify to an ice-free summer, but thin accumulations of terrigenous sediment within the diatom ooze are consistent with the presence of intermittent sea ice in the winter, supporting a wide body of evidence for low temperatures in the Late Cretaceous Arctic Ocean, rather than recent suggestions of a 15 degrees C mean annual temperature at this time.
The pressure ridge distribution in the Arctic Ocean from submarine sonar data
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rodrigues, Joao; Wadhams, Peter
2010-05-01
The profiling of the underside of the sea ice with upward-looking sonars fitted to submarines is the best method of studying the large scale distribution of morphological features such as pressure ridges and leads. We present the statistical analysis of the distributions of pressure ridge spacings and heights, and lead spacings and widths observed during two Arctic cruises by the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless in the winters of 2004 and 2007 in which more than 10000km of sea ice draft data were collected. We briefly describe the main characteristics of the full ice draft distribution in the several regions of the Arctic Ocean visited by the submarine and discuss the most significant differences between 2004 and 2007. In the area of heavily ridged ice north of Greenland and Ellesmere Island we found an increase in ridge density (number of ridges per unit track length) accompanied by a decrease in modal ice draft, leaving the mean ice thickness essentially unchanged, between 2004 and 2007. This area is likely to be the only one in the Arctic Ocean where the sea ice thickness may not be in decline. We investigate the causes of this invariance in the context of an Arctic Ocean in transition from a multi-year to a first-year ice cover and discuss its relation with the strengthening of the transpolar drift and consequent accumulation of ice north of Greenland and increase in ice export through Fram Strait. Our analysis shows that the number of deep ridges per km is well described by a Poisson distribution while the corresponding distribution for shallow ridges is more complicated. The tail of the distribution of the pressure ridge heights is approximately a negative exponential, in agreement with similar observations made in previous cruises. We pay special attention to the uncertainties and biases in the measurement of the ice draft. Specifically, we discuss the effects of the finite beamwidth of the single-beam sonars traditionally used in British submarines on the
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wright, N.; Polashenski, C. M.
2017-12-01
Snow, ice, and melt ponds cover the surface of the Arctic Ocean in fractions that change throughout the seasons. These surfaces exert tremendous influence over the energy balance of the Arctic Ocean by controlling the absorption of solar radiation. Here we demonstrate the use of a newly released, open source, image classification algorithm designed to identify surface features in high resolution optical satellite imagery of sea ice. Through explicitly resolving individual features on the surface, the algorithm can determine the percentage of ice that is covered by melt ponds with a high degree of certainty. We then compare observations of melt pond fraction extracted from these images with an established method of estimating melt pond fraction from medium resolution satellite images (e.g. MODIS). Because high resolution satellite imagery does not provide the spatial footprint needed to examine the entire Arctic basin, we propose a method of synthesizing both high and medium resolution satellite imagery for an improved determination of melt pond fraction across whole Arctic. We assess the historical trends of melt pond fraction in the Arctic ocean, and address the question: Is pond coverage changing in response to changing ice conditions? Furthermore, we explore the image area that must be observed in order to get a locally representative sample (i.e. the aggregate scale), and show that it is possible to determine accurate estimates of melt pond fraction by observing sample areas significantly smaller than the typical footprint of high-resolution satellite imagery.
Seasonal sea ice predictions for the Arctic based on assimilation of remotely sensed observations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kauker, F.; Kaminski, T.; Ricker, R.; Toudal-Pedersen, L.; Dybkjaer, G.; Melsheimer, C.; Eastwood, S.; Sumata, H.; Karcher, M.; Gerdes, R.
2015-10-01
The recent thinning and shrinking of the Arctic sea ice cover has increased the interest in seasonal sea ice forecasts. Typical tools for such forecasts are numerical models of the coupled ocean sea ice system such as the North Atlantic/Arctic Ocean Sea Ice Model (NAOSIM). The model uses as input the initial state of the system and the atmospheric boundary condition over the forecasting period. This study investigates the potential of remotely sensed ice thickness observations in constraining the initial model state. For this purpose it employs a variational assimilation system around NAOSIM and the Alfred Wegener Institute's CryoSat-2 ice thickness product in conjunction with the University of Bremen's snow depth product and the OSI SAF ice concentration and sea surface temperature products. We investigate the skill of predictions of the summer ice conditions starting in March for three different years. Straightforward assimilation of the above combination of data streams results in slight improvements over some regions (especially in the Beaufort Sea) but degrades the over-all fit to independent observations. A considerable enhancement of forecast skill is demonstrated for a bias correction scheme for the CryoSat-2 ice thickness product that uses a spatially varying scaling factor.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hardge, Kristin; Peeken, Ilka; Neuhaus, Stefan; Lange, Benjamin A.; Stock, Alexandra; Stoeck, Thorsten; Weinisch, Lea; Metfies, Katja
2017-01-01
Sea ice is one of the main features influencing the Arctic marine protist community composition and diversity in sea ice and sea water. We analyzed protist communities within sea ice, melt pond water, under-ice water and deep-chlorophyll maximum water at eight sea ice stations sampled during summer of the 2012 record sea ice minimum year. Using Illumina sequencing, we identified characteristic communities associated with specific habitats and investigated protist exchange between these habitats. The highest abundance and diversity of unique taxa were found in sea ice, particularly in multi-year ice (MYI), highlighting the importance of sea ice as a unique habitat for sea ice protists. Melting of sea ice was associated with increased exchange of communities between sea ice and the underlying water column. In contrast, sea ice formation was associated with increased exchange between all four habitats, suggesting that brine rejection from the ice is an important factor for species redistribution in the Central Arctic. Ubiquitous taxa (e.g. Gymnodinium) that occurred in all habitats still had habitat-preferences. This demonstrates a limited ability to survive in adjacent but different environments. Our results suggest that the continued reduction of sea ice extent, and particularly of MYI, will likely lead to diminished protist exchange and subsequently, could reduce species diversity in all habitats of the Central Arctic Ocean. An important component of the unique sea ice protist community could be endangered because specialized taxa restricted to this habitat may not be able to adapt to rapid environmental changes.
Skillful regional prediction of Arctic sea ice on seasonal timescales
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bushuk, Mitchell; Msadek, Rym; Winton, Michael; Vecchi, Gabriel A.; Gudgel, Rich; Rosati, Anthony; Yang, Xiaosong
2017-05-01
Recent Arctic sea ice seasonal prediction efforts and forecast skill assessments have primarily focused on pan-Arctic sea ice extent (SIE). In this work, we move toward stakeholder-relevant spatial scales, investigating the regional forecast skill of Arctic sea ice in a Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) seasonal prediction system. Using a suite of retrospective initialized forecasts spanning 1981-2015 made with a coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice-land model, we show that predictions of detrended regional SIE are skillful at lead times up to 11 months. Regional prediction skill is highly region and target month dependent and generically exceeds the skill of an anomaly persistence forecast. We show for the first time that initializing the ocean subsurface in a seasonal prediction system can yield significant regional skill for winter SIE. Similarly, as suggested by previous work, we find that sea ice thickness initial conditions provide a crucial source of skill for regional summer SIE.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
de Vernal, Anne; Rochon, André; Fréchette, Bianca; Henry, Maryse; Radi, Taoufik; Solignac, Sandrine
2013-11-01
Dinocysts occur in a wide range of environmental conditions, including polar areas. We review here their use for the reconstruction of paleo sea ice cover in such environments. In the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas characterized by dense sea ice cover, Islandinium minutum, Islandinium? cezare, Echinidinium karaense, Polykrikos sp. var. Arctic, Spiniferites elongatus-frigidus and Impagidinium pallidum are common and often occur with more cosmopolitan taxa such as Operculodinium centrocarpum sensu Wall & Dale, cyst of Pentapharsodinium dalei and Brigantedinium spp. Canonical correspondence analyses conducted on dinocyst assemblages illustrate relationships with sea surface parameters such as salinity, temperature, and sea ice cover. The application of the modern analogue technique permits quantitative reconstruction of past sea ice cover, which is expressed in terms of seasonal extent of sea ice cover (months per year with more than 50% of sea ice concentration) or mean annual sea ice concentration (in tenths). The accuracy of reconstructions or root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) is ±1.1 over 10, which corresponds to perennial sea ice. Such an error is close to the interannual variability (standard deviation) of observed sea ice cover. Mismatch between the time interval of instrumental data used as reference (1953-2000) and the time interval represented by dinocyst populations in surface sediment samples, which may cover decades if not centuries, is another source of error. Despite uncertainties, dinocyst assemblages are useful for making quantitative reconstruction of seasonal sea ice cover.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Solomon, A.; Cox, C. J.; Hughes, M.; Intrieri, J. M.; Persson, O. P. G.
2015-12-01
The dramatic decrease of Arctic sea-ice has led to a new Arctic sea-ice paradigm and to increased commercial activity in the Arctic Ocean. NOAA's mission to provide accurate and timely sea-ice forecasts, as explicitly outlined in the National Ocean Policy and the U.S. National Strategy for the Arctic Region, needs significant improvement across a range of time scales to improve safety for human activity. Unfortunately, the sea-ice evolution in the new Arctic involves the interaction of numerous physical processes in the atmosphere, ice, and ocean, some of which are not yet understood. These include atmospheric forcing of sea-ice movement through stress and stress deformation; atmospheric forcing of sea-ice melt and formation through energy fluxes; and ocean forcing of the atmosphere through new regions of seasonal heat release. Many of these interactions involve emerging complex processes that first need to be understood and then incorporated into forecast models in order to realize the goal of useful sea-ice forecasting. The underlying hypothesis for this study is that errors in simulations of "fast" atmospheric processes significantly impact the forecast of seasonal sea-ice retreat in summer and its advance in autumn in the marginal ice zone (MIZ). We therefore focus on short-term (0-20 day) ice-floe movement, the freeze-up and melt-back processes in the MIZ, and the role of storms in modulating stress and heat fluxes. This study uses a coupled ocean-atmosphere-seaice forecast model as a testbed to investigate; whether ocean-sea ice-atmosphere coupling improves forecasts on subseasonal time scales, where systematic biases develop due to inadequate parameterizations (focusing on mixed-phase clouds and surface fluxes), how increased atmospheric resolution of synoptic features improves the forecasts, and how initialization of sea ice area and thickness and snow depth impacts the skill of the forecasts. Simulations are validated with measurements at pan-Arctic land
Arctic sea-ice decline weakens the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sévellec, Florian; Fedorov, Alexey V.; Liu, Wei
2017-08-01
The ongoing decline of Arctic sea ice exposes the ocean to anomalous surface heat and freshwater fluxes, resulting in positive buoyancy anomalies that can affect ocean circulation. In this study, we use an optimal flux perturbation framework and comprehensive climate model simulations to estimate the sensitivity of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to such buoyancy forcing over the Arctic and globally, and more generally to sea-ice decline. It is found that on decadal timescales, flux anomalies over the subpolar North Atlantic have the largest impact on the AMOC, while on multi-decadal timescales (longer than 20 years), flux anomalies in the Arctic become more important. These positive buoyancy anomalies spread to the North Atlantic, weakening the AMOC and its poleward heat transport. Therefore, the Arctic sea-ice decline may explain the suggested slow-down of the AMOC and the `Warming Hole’ persisting in the subpolar North Atlantic.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bélanger, S.; Babin, M.; Tremblay, J.-É.
2013-06-01
The Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas are among the marine regions most affected by climate change. Here we present the results of a diagnostic model used to assess the primary production (PP) trends over the 1998-2010 period at pan-Arctic, regional and local (i.e. 9.28 km resolution) scales. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) above and below the sea surface was estimated using precomputed look-up tables of spectral irradiance, taking as input satellite-derived cloud optical thickness and cloud fraction parameters from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) and sea ice concentration from passive microwaves data. A spectrally resolved PP model, designed for optically complex waters, was then used to assess the PP trends at high spatial resolution. Results show that PP is rising at a rate of +2.8 TgC yr-1 (or +14% decade-1) in the circum-Arctic and +5.1 TgC yr-1 when sub-Arctic seas are considered. In contrast, incident PAR above the sea surface (PAR(0+)) has significantly decreased over the whole Arctic and sub-Arctic Seas, except over the perennially sea-ice covered waters of the Central Arctic Ocean. This fading of PAR(0+) (-8% decade-1) was caused by increasing cloudiness during summer. Meanwhile, PAR penetrating the ocean (PAR(0-)) increased only along the sea ice margin over the large Arctic continental shelf where sea ice concentration declined sharply since 1998. Overall, PAR(0-) slightly increased in the circum-Arctic (+3.4% decade-1), while it decreased when considering both Arctic and sub-Arctic Seas (-3% decade-1). We showed that rising phytoplankton biomass (i.e. chlorophyll a) normalized by the diffuse attenuation of photosynthetically usable radiation (PUR), accounted for a larger proportion of the rise in PP than did the increase in light availability due to sea-ice loss in several sectors, and particularly in perennially and seasonally open waters. Against a general backdrop of rising productivity over Arctic shelves
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Macke, A.
2017-12-01
The Polar regions are important components in the global climate system. The widespread surface snow and ice cover strongly impacts the surface energy budget, which is tightly coupled to global atmospheric and oceanic circulations. The coupling of sea ice, clouds and aerosol in the transition zone between Open Ocean and sea ice is the focus of the PASCAL investigations to improve our understanding of the recent dramatic reduction in Arctic sea-ice. A large variety of active/passive remote sensing, in-situ-aerosol observation, and spectral irradiance measurements have been obtained during the German research icebreaker POLARSTERN expedition PS106, and provided detailed information on the atmospheric spatiotemporal structure, aerosol and cloud chemical and microphysical properties as well as the resulting surface radiation budget. Nearly identical measurements at the AWIPEV Base (German - French Research Base) in Ny-Ålesund close to the Open Ocean and collocated airborne activities of the POLAR 5 and POLAR 6 AWI aircraft in the framework of the ACLOUD project have been carried out in parallel. The airborne observations have been supplemented by observations of the boundary layer structure (mean and turbulent quantities) from a tethered balloon reaching up to 1500 m, which was operated at an ice floe station nearby POLARSTERN for two weeks. All observational activities together with intense modelling at various scales are part of the German Collaborative Research Cluster TR 172 "Arctic Amplification" that aims to provide an unprecedented picture of the complex Arctic weather and climate system. The presentation provides an overview of the measurements on-board POLARSTERN and on the ice floe station during PASCAL from May 24 to July 21 2017. We conclude how these and future similar measurements during the one-year ice drift of POLARSTERN in the framework of MOSAiC help to reduce uncertainties in Arctic aerosol-cloud interaction, cloud radiative forcing, and surface
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Duguay, C.; Surdu, C.; Brown, L.; Samuelsson, P.
2012-04-01
Lake ice cover has been shown to be a robust indicator of climate variability and change. Recent studies have demonstrated that break-up dates, in particular, have been occurring earlier in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere over the last 50 years in response to warmer climatic conditions in the winter and spring seasons. The impacts of trends in air temperature and winter precipitation over the last five decades and those projected by global climate models will affect the timing and duration of ice cover (and ice thickness) on Arctic lakes. This will likely, in turn, have an important feedback effect on energy, water, and biogeochemical cycling in various regions of the Arctic. In the case of shallow tundra lakes, many of which are less than 3-m deep, warmer climate conditions could result in a smaller fraction of lakes that freeze to their bed in winter since thinner ice covers are expected to develop. Shallow lakes of the coastal plain of northern Alaska, and other similar regions of the Arctic, have likely been experiencing changes in seasonal ice thickness (and phenology) over the last few decades but these have not yet been documented. This paper presents results from a numerical lake ice modeling experiment and the analysis of ERS-1/2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to elucidate the response of ice cover (thickness, freezing to bed, and phenology) on shallow lakes of the North Slope of Alaska (NSA)to climate conditions over the last three decades. New downscaled data specific for the Arctic domain (at a resolution of 0.44 degrees using ERA Interim Reanalysis as boundary condition) produced by the Rossby Centre regional atmospheric model (RCA4) was used to force the Canadian Lake Ice Model (CLIMo) for the period 1979-2010. Output from CLIMo included freeze-up and break-up dates as well as ice thickness on a daily basis. ERS-1/2 data was used to map areas of shallow lakes that freeze to bed and when this happens (timing) in winter for the period 1991
A Decade of High-Resolution Arctic Sea Ice Measurements from Airborne Altimetry
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Duncan, K.; Farrell, S. L.; Connor, L. N.; Jackson, C.; Richter-Menge, J.
2017-12-01
Satellite altimeters carried on board ERS-1,-2, EnviSat, ICESat, CryoSat-2, AltiKa and Sentinel-3 have transformed our ability to map the thickness and volume of the polar sea ice cover, on seasonal and decadal time-scales. The era of polar satellite altimetry has coincided with a rapid decline of the Arctic ice cover, which has thinned, and transitioned from a predominantly multi-year to first-year ice cover. In conjunction with basin-scale satellite altimeter observations, airborne surveys of the Arctic Ocean at the end of winter are now routine. These surveys have been targeted to monitor regions of rapid change, and are designed to obtain the full snow and ice thickness distribution, across a range of ice types. Sensors routinely deployed as part of NASA's Operation IceBridge (OIB) campaigns include the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) laser altimeter, the frequency-modulated continuous-wave snow radar, and the Digital Mapping System (DMS). Airborne measurements yield high-resolution data products and thus present a unique opportunity to assess the quality and characteristics of the satellite observations. We present a suite of sea ice data products that describe the snow depth and thickness of the Arctic ice cover during the last decade. Fields were derived from OIB measurements collected between 2009-2017, and from reprocessed data collected during ad-hoc sea ice campaigns prior to OIB. Our bespoke algorithms are designed to accommodate the heterogeneous sea ice surface topography, that varies at short spatial scales. We assess regional and inter-annual variability in the sea ice thickness distribution. Results are compared to satellite-derived ice thickness fields to highlight the sensitivities of satellite footprints to the tails of the thickness distribution. We also show changes in the dynamic forcing shaping the ice pack over the last eight years through an analysis of pressure-ridge sail-height distributions and surface roughness conditions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hörner, T.; Stein, R.; Fahl, K.; Birgel, D.
2015-12-01
Multi-proxy biomarker measurements were performed on two sediment cores (PS51/154, PS51/159) with the objective reconstructing sea ice cover (IP25, brassicasterol, dinosterol) and river-runoff (campesterol, β-sitosterol) in the western Laptev Sea over the last 18 ka with unprecedented temporal resolution. The sea ice cover varies distinctly during the whole time period. The absence of IP25 during 18 and 16 ka indicate that the western Laptev Sea was mostly covered with permanent sea ice (pack ice). However, a period of temporary break-up of the permanent ice coverage occurred at c. 17.2 ka (presence of IP25). Very little river-runoff occurred during this interval. Decreasing terrigenous (riverine) input and synchronous increase of marine produced organic matter around 16 ka until 7.5 ka indicate the gradual establishment of a marine environment in the western Laptev Sea related to the onset of the post-glacial transgression of the shelf. Strong river run-off and reduced sea ice cover characterized the time interval between 15.2 and 12.9 ka, including the Bølling/Allerød warm period (14.7 - 12.9 ka). Moreover, the DIP25 Index (ratio of HBI-dienes and IP25) might document the presence of Atlantic derived water at the western Laptev Sea shelf area. A sudden return to severe sea ice conditions occurred during the Younger Dryas (12.9 - 11.6 ka). This abrupt climate change was observed in the whole circum-Arctic realm (Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, Fram Strait and Laptev Sea). At the onset of the Younger Dryas, a distinct alteration of the ecosystem (deep drop in terrigenous and phytoplankton biomarkers) may document the entry of a giant freshwater plume, possibly relating to the Lake Agassiz outburst at 13 ka. IP25 concentrations increase and higher values of the PIP25 Index during the last 7 ka reflect a cooling of the Laptev Sea spring season. Moreover, a short-term variability of c. 1.5 thousand years occurred during the last 12 ka, most probably following Bond Cycles.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cohen, Lana; Hudson, Stephen R.; Walden, Von P.; Graham, Robert M.; Granskog, Mats A.
2017-07-01
Atmospheric measurements were made over Arctic sea ice north of Svalbard from winter to early summer (January-June) 2015 during the Norwegian Young Sea Ice (N-ICE2015) expedition. These measurements, which are available publicly, represent a comprehensive meteorological data set covering the seasonal transition in the Arctic Basin over the new, thinner sea ice regime. Winter was characterized by a succession of storms that produced short-lived (less than 48 h) temperature increases of 20 to 30 K at the surface. These storms were driven by the hemispheric scale circulation pattern with a large meridional component of the polar jet stream steering North Atlantic storms into the high Arctic. Nonstorm periods during winter were characterized by strong surface temperature inversions due to strong radiative cooling ("radiatively clear state"). The strength and depth of these inversions were similar to those during the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) campaign. In contrast, atmospheric profiles during the "opaquely cloudy state" were different to those from SHEBA due to differences in the synoptic conditions and location within the ice pack. Storm events observed during spring/summer were the result of synoptic systems located in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Basin rather than passing directly over N-ICE2015. These synoptic systems were driven by a large-scale circulation pattern typical of recent years, with an Arctic Dipole pattern developing during June. Surface temperatures became near-constant 0°C on 1 June marking the beginning of summer. Atmospheric profiles during the spring and early summer show persistent lifted temperature and moisture inversions that are indicative of clouds and cloud processes.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Haine, T. W. N.; Martin, T.
2017-12-01
The loss of Arctic sea ice is a conspicuous example of climate change. Climate models project ice-free conditions during summer this century under realistic emission scenarios, reflecting the increase in seasonality in ice cover. To quantify the increased seasonality in the Arctic-Subarctic sea ice system, we define a non-dimensional seasonality number for sea ice extent, area, and volume from satellite data and realistic coupled climate models. We show that the Arctic-Subarctic, i.e. the northern hemisphere, sea ice now exhibits similar levels of seasonality to the Antarctic, which is in a seasonal regime without significant change since satellite observations began in 1979. Realistic climate models suggest that this transition to the seasonal regime is being accompanied by a maximum in Arctic amplification, which is the faster warming of Arctic latitudes compared to the global mean, in the 2010s. The strong link points to a peak in sea-ice-related feedbacks that occurs long before the Arctic becomes ice-free in summer.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Moritz, R. E.; Rigor, I.
2006-12-01
ABSTRACT: The Arctic Buoy Program was initiated in 1978 to measure surface air pressure, surface temperature and sea-ice motion in the Arctic Ocean, on the space and time scales of synoptic weather systems, and to make the data available for research, forecasting and operations. The program, subsequently renamed the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP), has endured and expanded over the past 28 years. A hallmark of the IABP is the production, dissemination and archival of research-quality datasets and analyses. These datasets have been used by the authors of over 500 papers on meteorolgy, sea-ice physics, oceanography, air-sea interactions, climate, remote sensing and other topics. Elements of the IABP are described briefly, including measurements, analysis, data dissemination and data archival. Selected highlights of the research applications are reviewed, including ice dynamics, ocean-ice modeling, low-frequency variability of Arctic air-sea-ice circulation, and recent changes in the age, thickness and extent of Arctic Sea-ice. The extended temporal coverage of the data disseminated on the Environmental Working Group CD's is important for interpreting results in the context of climate.
Bottom melting of Arctic Sea Ice in the Nansen Basin due to Atlantic Water influence
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Muilwijk, Morven; Smedsrud, Lars H.; Meyer, Amelie
2016-04-01
Our global climate is warming, and a shrinking Arctic sea ice cover remains one of the most visible signs of this warming. Sea Ice loss is now visible for all months in all regions of the Arctic. Hydrographic and current observations from a region north of Svalbard collected during the Norwegian Young Sea Ice Cruise (N-ICE2015) are presented here. Comparison with historical data shows that the new observations from January through June fill major gaps in available observations, and help describing important processes linking changes in regional Atlantic Water (AW) heat transport and sea ice. Warm and salty AW originating in the North Atlantic enters the Arctic Ocean through the Fram Strait and is present below the Arctic Sea Ice cover throughout the Arctic. However, the depth of AW varies by region and over time. In the region north of Svalbard, we assume that depth could be governed primarily by local processes, by upstream conditions of the ice cover (Northwards), or by upstream conditions of the AW (Southwards). AW carries heat corresponding to the volume transport of approximately 9 SV through Fram Strait, varying seasonally from 28 TW in winter to 46 TW in summer. Some heat is recirculated, but the net annual heat flux into the Arctic Ocean from AW is estimated to be around 40 TW. The Atlantic Water layer temperature at intermediate depths (150-900m) has increased in recent years. Until recently, maximum temperatures have been found to be 2-3 C in the Nansen Basin. Studies have shown that for example, in the West Spitsbergen Current the upper 50-200m shows an overall AW warming of 1.1 C since 1979. In general we expect efficient melting when AW is close to the surface. Previously the AW entering through Fram Strait has been considered as less important because changes in the sea ice cover have been connected to greater inflow of Pacific Water through Bering Strait and atmospheric forcing. Conversely it is now suggested that AW has direct impact on melting of
Crustacea in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice: distribution, diet and life history strategies.
Arndt, Carolin E; Swadling, Kerrie M
2006-01-01
This review concerns crustaceans that associate with sea ice. Particular emphasis is placed on comparing and contrasting the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice habitats, and the subsequent influence of these environments on the life history strategies of the crustacean fauna. Sea ice is the dominant feature of both polar marine ecosystems, playing a central role in physical processes and providing an essential habitat for organisms ranging in size from viruses to whales. Similarities between the Arctic and Antarctic marine ecosystems include variable cover of sea ice over an annual cycle, a light regimen that can extend from months of total darkness to months of continuous light and a pronounced seasonality in primary production. Although there are many similarities, there are also major differences between the two regions: The Antarctic experiences greater seasonal change in its sea ice extent, much of the ice is over very deep water and more than 80% breaks out each year. In contrast, Arctic sea ice often covers comparatively shallow water, doubles in its extent on an annual cycle and the ice may persist for several decades. Crustaceans, particularly copepods and amphipods, are abundant in the sea ice zone at both poles, either living within the brine channel system of the ice-crystal matrix or inhabiting the ice-water interface. Many species associate with ice for only a part of their life cycle, while others appear entirely dependent upon it for reproduction and development. Although similarities exist between the two faunas, many differences are emerging. Most notable are the much higher abundance and biomass of Antarctic copepods, the dominance of the Antarctic sea ice copepod fauna by calanoids, the high euphausiid biomass in Southern Ocean waters and the lack of any species that appear fully dependent on the ice. In the Arctic, the ice-associated fauna is dominated by amphipods. Calanoid copepods are not tightly associated with the ice, while harpacticoids and
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Andry, Olivier; Bintanja, Richard; Hazeleger, Wilco
2015-04-01
The Arctic is warming two to three times faster than the global average. Arctic sea ice cover is very sensitive to this warming and has reached historic minima in late summer in recent years (i.e. 2007, 2012). Considering that the Arctic Ocean is mainly ice-covered and that the albedo of sea ice is very high compared to that of open water, the change in sea ice cover is very likely to have a strong impact on the local surface albedo feedback. Here we quantify the temporal changes in surface albedo feedback in response to global warming. Usually feedbacks are evaluated as being representative and constant for long time periods, but we show here that the strength of climate feedbacks in fact varies strongly with time. For instance, time series of the amplitude of the surface albedo feedback, derived from future climate simulations (CIMP5, RCP8.5 up to year 2300) using a kernel method, peaks around the year 2100. This maximum is likely caused by an increased seasonality in sea-ice cover that is inherently associated with sea ice retreat. We demonstrate that the Arctic average surface albedo has a strong seasonal signature with a maximum in spring and a minimum in late summer/autumn. In winter when incoming solar radiation is minimal the surface albedo doesn't have an important effect on the energy balance of the climate system. The annual mean surface albedo is thus determined by the seasonality of both downwelling shortwave radiation and sea ice cover. As sea ice cover reduces the seasonal signature is modified, the transient part from maximum sea ice cover to its minimum is shortened and sharpened. The sea ice cover is reduced when downwelling shortwave radiation is maximum and thus the annual surface albedo is drastically smaller. Consequently the change in annual surface albedo with time will become larger and so will the surface albedo feedback. We conclude that a stronger seasonality in sea ice leads to a stronger surface albedo feedback, which accelerates
Patterns of Seasonal Heat Uptake and Release Over the Arctic Ocean Between 1979-2016
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Helmberger, M. N.; Serreze, M. C.
2017-12-01
As the Arctic Ocean loses its sea ice cover, there is a stronger oceanic heat gain from the surface fluxes throughout the spring and summer; ultimately meaning that there is more energy to transfer out of the ocean to the atmosphere and outer space in the autumn and winter. Recent work has shown that the increased oceanic heat content at the end of summer in turn delays autumn ice growth, with implications for marine shipping and other economic activities. Some of the autumn and winter heat loss to the atmosphere is represented by evaporation, which increases the atmospheric water vapor content, and there is growing evidence that this is contributing to increases in regional precipitation. However, depending on patterns of seasonal sea ice retreat and weather conditions, the spring-summer heat uptake and autumn-winter heat loss can be highly variable from year to year and regionally. Here, we examine how the seasonality in upper ocean heat uptake and release has evolved over the past 37 years and the relationships between this seasonal heat gain and loss and the evolution of sea ice cover. We determine which regions have seen the largest increases in total seasonal heat uptake and how variable this uptake can be. Has the timing at which the Arctic Ocean (either as a whole or by region) transitions from an atmospheric energy sink to an atmospheric energy source (or from a source to a sink) appreciably changed? What changes have been observed in the seasonal rates of seasonal heat uptake and release? To begin answering these questions, use is made of surface fluxes from the ERA-Interim reanalysis and satellite-derived sea ice extent spanning the period 1979 through the present. Results from ERA-Interim will be compared to those from other reanalyses and satellite-derived flux estimates.
Warm Rivers Play Role in Arctic Sea Ice Melt
2014-03-05
Beaufort Sea surface temperatures where Canada Mackenzie River discharges into the Arctic Ocean, measured by NASA MODIS instrument; warm river waters had broken through a shoreline sea ice barrier to enhance sea ice melt.
JAMSTEC Compact Arctic Drifter (J-CAD): A new Generation drifting buoy to observe the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hatakeyama, Kiyoshi; Hosono, Masuo; Shimada, Koji; Kikuchi, Takashi; Nishino, Shigeto
The Arctic Ocean is one of the most sensitive regions to the earth environment changes. Japan Marine Science and Technology Center developed a new drift buoy to observe the Arctic Ocean. The name of the buoy is J-CAD (JAMSTEC Compact Arctic Drifter). From 1991 to 1993, JAMSTEC developed Ice-Ocean Environmental Buoy (IOEB) as a buoy to observe the Arctic Ocean in cooperation with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The J-CAD is the buoy, which adopted the latest technology based on the knowledge and experience of IOEB development. The J-CAD was designed and developed by JAMSTEC and made by a Canadian Company MetOcean. JAMSTEC did design and development, and a Canadian company Met-Ocean made the J-CAD. It acquires meteorological and oceanographic data of the Arctic Ocean, and transmits the data that it measured via satellite. It dose also store the data inside its memory. An Inductive Modem system, which was developed by Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc. in the United States, was adopted in the underwater transmission system that data on each ocean sensor were collected. An ORBCOMM communication system was adopted for the satellite data transmission. J-CAD-1 was installed at 89°41'N 130°20'W on April 24, 2000, and the observation was started. August 1st was the day when 100 days have passed since the J-CAD-1 was installed on the North Pole. And now, the distance J-CAD-1 has covered exceeds 400 km, and it has transmitted data more than 500 k byte. A part of the data is introduced to the public in the homepage (http://w3.jamstec.go.jp: 8338) of the Arctic research group of JAMSTEC.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Iakshina, D. F.; Golubeva, E. N.
2017-11-01
The vertical distribution of the hydrological characteristics in the upper ocean layer is mostly formed under the influence of turbulent and convective mixing, which are not resolved in the system of equations for large-scale ocean. Therefore it is necessary to include additional parameterizations of these processes into the numerical models. In this paper we carry out a comparative analysis of the different vertical mixing parameterizations in simulations of climatic variability of the Arctic water and sea ice circulation. The 3D regional numerical model for the Arctic and North Atlantic developed in the ICMMG SB RAS (Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science) and package GOTM (General Ocean Turbulence Model1,2, http://www.gotm.net/) were used as the numerical instruments . NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data were used for determination of the surface fluxes related to ice and ocean. The next turbulence closure schemes were used for the vertical mixing parameterizations: 1) Integration scheme based on the Richardson criteria (RI); 2) Second-order scheme TKE with coefficients Canuto-A3 (CANUTO); 3) First-order scheme TKE with coefficients Schumann and Gerz4 (TKE-1); 4) Scheme KPP5 (KPP). In addition we investigated some important characteristics of the Arctic Ocean state including the intensity of Atlantic water inflow, ice cover state and fresh water content in Beaufort Sea.
Arctic sea ice concentration observed with SMOS during summer
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gabarro, Carolina; Martinez, Justino; Turiel, Antonio
2017-04-01
The Arctic Ocean is under profound transformation. Observations and model predictions show dramatic decline in sea ice extent and volume [1]. A retreating Arctic ice cover has a marked impact on regional and global climate, and vice versa, through a large number of feedback mechanisms and interactions with the climate system [2]. The launch of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, in 2009, marked the dawn of a new type of space-based microwave observations. Although the mission was originally conceived for hydrological and oceanographic studies [3,4], SMOS is also making inroads in the cryospheric sciences by measuring the thin ice thickness [5,6]. SMOS carries an L-band (1.4 GHz), passive interferometric radiometer (the so-called MIRAS) that measures the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Earth's surface, at about 50 km spatial resolution, continuous multi-angle viewing, large wide swath (1200-km), and with a 3-day revisit time at the equator, but more frequently at the poles. A novel radiometric method to determine sea ice concentration (SIC) from SMOS is presented. The method uses the Bayesian-based Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) approach to retrieve SIC. The advantage of this approach with respect to the classical linear inversion is that the former takes into account the uncertainty of the tie-point measured data in addition to the mean value, while the latter only uses a mean value of the tie-point data. When thin ice is present, the SMOS algorithm underestimates the SIC due to the low opacity of the ice at this frequency. However, using a synergistic approach with data from other satellite sensors, it is possible to obtain accurate thin ice thickness estimations with the Bayesian-based method. Despite its lower spatial resolution relative to SSMI or AMSR-E, SMOS-derived SIC products are little affected by the atmosphere and the snow (almost transparent at L-band). Moreover L-band measurements are more robust in front of the
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barber, David G.; Hop, Haakon; Mundy, Christopher J.; Else, Brent; Dmitrenko, Igor A.; Tremblay, Jean-Eric; Ehn, Jens K.; Assmy, Philipp; Daase, Malin; Candlish, Lauren M.; Rysgaard, Søren
2015-12-01
The Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) of the Arctic Ocean is changing rapidly due to a warming Arctic climate with commensurate reductions in sea ice extent and thickness. This Pan-Arctic review summarizes the main changes in the Arctic ocean-sea ice-atmosphere (OSA) interface, with implications for primary- and secondary producers in the ice and the underlying water column. Changes in the Arctic MIZ were interpreted for the period 1979-2010, based on best-fit regressions for each month. Trends of increasingly open water were statistically significant for each month, with quadratic fit for August-November, illustrating particularly strong seasonal feedbacks in sea-ice formation and decay. Geographic interpretations of physical and biological changes were based on comparison of regions with significant changes in sea ice: (1) The Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean including the Canada Basin and the Beaufort, Chukchi and East Siberian seas; (2) The Canadian Arctic Archipelago; (3) Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay; and (4) the Barents and Kara seas. Changes in ice conditions in the Barents sea/Kara sea region appear to be primarily forced by ocean heat fluxes during winter, whereas changes in the other sectors appear to be more summer-autumn related and primarily atmospherically forced. Effects of seasonal and regional changes in OSA-system with regard to increased open water were summarized for photosynthetically available radiation, nutrient delivery to the euphotic zone, primary production of ice algae and phytoplankton, ice-associated fauna and zooplankton, and gas exchange of CO2. Changes in the physical factors varied amongst regions, and showed direct effects on organisms linked to sea ice. Zooplankton species appear to be more flexible and likely able to adapt to variability in the onset of primary production. The major changes identified for the ice-associated ecosystem are with regard to production timing and abundance or biomass of ice flora and fauna, which are related to
Contrasting Trends in Arctic and Antarctic Sea Ice Coverage Since the Late 1970s
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Parkinson, C. L.
2016-12-01
Satellite observations have allowed a near-continuous record of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice coverage since late 1978. This record has revealed considerable interannual variability in both polar regions but also significant long-term trends, with the Arctic losing, the Antarctic gaining, and the Earth as a whole losing sea ice coverage. Over the period 1979-2015, the trend in yearly average sea ice extents in the Arctic is -53,100 km2/yr (-4.3 %/decade) and in the Antarctic is 23,800 km2/yr (2.1 %/decade). For all 12 months, trends are negative in the Arctic and positive in the Antarctic, with the highest magnitude monthly trend being for September in the Arctic, at -85,300 km2/yr (-10.9 %/decade). The decreases in Arctic sea ice extents have been so dominant that not a single month since 1986 registered a new monthly record high, whereas 75 months registered new monthly record lows between 1987 and 2015 and several additional record lows were registered in 2016. The Antarctic sea ice record highs and lows are also out of balance, in the opposite direction, although not in such dramatic fashion. Geographic details on the changing ice covers, down to the level of individual pixels, can be seen by examining changes in the length of the sea ice season. Results reveal (and quantify) shortening ice seasons throughout the bulk of the Arctic marginal ice zone, the main exception being within the Bering Sea, and lengthening sea ice seasons through much of the Southern Ocean but shortening seasons in the Bellingshausen Sea, southern Amundsen Sea, and northwestern Weddell Sea. The decreasing Arctic sea ice coverage was widely anticipated and fits well with a large array of environmental changes in the Arctic, whereas the increasing Antarctic sea ice coverage was not widely anticipated and explaining it remains an area of active research by many scientists exploring a variety of potential explanations.
Does the Arctic Amplification peak this decade?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Martin, Torge; Haine, Thomas W. N.
2017-04-01
Temperatures rise faster in the Arctic than on global average, a phenomenon known as Arctic Amplification. While this is well established from observations and model simulations, projections of future climate (here: RCP8.5) with models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) also indicate that the Arctic Amplification has a maximum. We show this by means of an Arctic Amplification factor (AAF), which we define as the ratio of Arctic mean to global mean surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies. The SAT anomalies are referenced to the period 1960-1980 and smoothed by a 30-year running mean. For October, the multi-model ensemble-mean AAF reaches a maximum in 2017. The maximum moves however to later years as Arctic winter progresses: for the autumn mean SAT (September to November) the maximum AAF is found in 2028 and for winter (December to February) in 2060. Arctic Amplification is driven, amongst others, by the ice-albedo feedback (IAF) as part of the more general surface albedo feedback (involving clouds, snow cover, vegetation changes) and temperature effects (Planck and lapse-rate feedbacks). We note that sea ice retreat and the associated warming of the summer Arctic Ocean are not only an integral part of the IAF but are also involved in the other drivers. In the CMIP5 simulations, the timing of the AAF maximum coincides with the period of fastest ice retreat for the respective month. Presence of at least some sea ice is crucial for the IAF to be effective because of the contrast in surface albedo between ice and open water and the need to turn ocean warming into ice melt. Once large areas of the Arctic Ocean are ice-free, the IAF should be less effective. We thus hypothesize that the ice retreat significantly affects AAF variability and forces a decline of its magnitude after at least half of the Arctic Ocean is ice-free and the ice cover becomes basically seasonal.
Trends in sea ice cover within habitats used by bowhead whales in the western Arctic.
Moore, Sue E; Laidre, Kristin L
2006-06-01
We examined trends in sea ice cover between 1979 and 2002 in four months (March, June, September, and November) for four large (approximately 100,000 km2) and 12 small (approximately 10,000 km2) regions of the western Arctic in habitats used by bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). Variation in open water with year was significant in all months except March, but interactions between region and year were not. Open water increased in both large and small regions, but trends were weak with least-squares regression accounting for < or =34% of the total variation. In large regions, positive trends in open water were strongest in September. Linear fits were poor, however, even in the East Siberian, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas, where basin-scale analyses have emphasized dramatic sea ice loss. Small regions also showed weak positive trends in open water and strong interannual variability. Open water increased consistently in five small regions where bowhead whales have been observed feeding or where oceanographic models predict prey entrainment, including: (1) June, along the northern Chukotka coast, near Wrangel Island, and along the Beaufort slope; (2) September, near Wrangel Island, the Barrow Arc, and the Chukchi Borderland; and (3) November, along the Barrow Arc. Conversely, there was very little consistent change in sea ice cover in four small regions considered winter refugia for bowhead whales in the northern Bering Sea, nor in two small regions that include the primary springtime migration corridor in the Chukchi Sea. The effects of sea ice cover on bowhead whale prey availability are unknown but can be modeled via production and advection pathways. Our conceptual model suggests that reductions in sea ice cover will increase prey availability along both pathways for this population. This analysis elucidates the variability inherent in the western Arctic marine ecosystem at scales relevant to bowhead whales and contrasts basin-scale depictions of extreme sea ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Surdu, C.; Duguay, C.; Brown, L.; Fernàndez-Prieto, D.; Samuelsson, P.
2012-12-01
Lake ice cover is highly correlated with climatic conditions and has, therefore, been demonstrated to be an essential indicator of climate variability and change. Recent studies have shown that the duration of the lake ice cover has decreased, mainly as a consequence of earlier thaw dates in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere over the last 50 years, mainly as a feedback to increased winter and spring air temperature. In response to projected air temperature and winter precipitation changes by climate models until the end of the 21st century, the timing, duration, and thickness of ice cover on Arctic lakes are expected to be impacted. This, in turn, will likely alter the energy, water, and bio-geochemical cycling in various regions of the Arctic. In the case of shallow tundra lakes, many of which are less than 3-m deep, warmer climate conditions could result in a smaller fraction of lakes that fully freeze to the bottom at the time of maximum winter ice thickness since thinner ice covers are predicted to develop. Shallow thermokarst lakes of the coastal plain of northern Alaska, and of other similar Arctic regions, have likely been experiencing changes in seasonal ice phenology and thickness over the last few decades but these have not yet been comprehensively documented. Analysis of a 20-year time series of ERS-1/2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data and numerical lake ice modeling were employed to determine the response of ice cover (thickness, freezing to bed, and phenology) on shallow lakes of the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) to climate conditions over the last three decades. New downscaled data specific to the Arctic domain (at a resolution of 0.44 degrees using ERA Interim Reanalysis as boundary condition) produced by the Rossby Centre Regional Atmospheric Climate Model (RCA4) was used to drive the Canadian Lake Ice Model (CLIMo) for the period 1950-2011. In order to assess and integrate the SAR-derived observed changes into a longer historical context, and
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Keller, K.; Cronin, T. M.; Dwyer, G. S.; Farmer, J. R.; Poirier, R. K.; Schaller, M. F.
2017-12-01
Orbital-scale climate variability is often amplified in the polar region, for example in changes in seawater temperature, sea-ice cover, deep-water formation, ecosystems, heat storage and carbon cycling. Yet, the relationship between the Arctic Ocean and global climate remains poorly understood due largely to limited orbital-scale paleoclimate records, the complicated nature of sea-ice response to climate and limited abundance of deep sea biological proxies. Here we reconstruct central Arctic Ocean bottom temperatures over the last 600 kyr using ostracode Mg/Ca ratios (genus Krithe) and benthic foraminiferal oxygen isotope ratios (δ18Obf - I. teretis, O. tener, P. bulloides, C. reniforme, C. wuellerstorfi) in six sediment cores recovered from the Mendeleev and Northwind Ridges (700- 2726 m water depth). We examined glacial-interglacial cycles in Arctic seawater temperatures and Arctic δ18Obf chronostratigraphy to reconcile effects of changing bottom water temperature, ice volume and regional hydrography on δ18Obf records. Results show lower ( 10-12 mmol/mol) interglacial and higher ( 16-23 mmol/mol) glacial Mg/Ca ratios, signifying intermediate depth ocean warming during glacials of up to 2 ºC. These temperature maxima are likely related to a deepening of the halocline and the corresponding deeper influence of warm Atlantic water. Glacial-interglacial δ18Obf ranges are smaller in the Arctic ( 0.8-1‰ VPDB) than in the global ocean ( 1.8 ‰). However, when the distinct glacial-interglacial temperature histories of the Arctic (glacial warming) and global ocean (glacial cooling) are accounted for, both Arctic and global ocean seawater δ18O values (δ18Osw) exhibit similar 1.2-1.3 ‰ glacial-interglacial ranges. Thus, Arctic δ18Obf confirms glacial Arctic warming inferred from ostracode Mg/Ca. This study will discuss the strengths and limitations of applying paired Mg/Ca and oxygen isotope proxies in reconstructing more robust paleoceanographic changes in the
Arctic and Antarctic Sea Ice Changes and Impacts (Invited)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nghiem, S. V.
2013-12-01
The extent of springtime Arctic perennial sea ice, important to preconditioning summer melt and to polar sunrise photochemistry, continues its precipitous reduction in the last decade marked by a record low in 2012, as the Bromine, Ozone, and Mercury Experiment (BROMEX) was conducted around Barrow, Alaska, to investigate impacts of sea ice reduction on photochemical processes, transport, and distribution in the polar environment. In spring 2013, there was further loss of perennial sea ice, as it was not observed in the ocean region adjacent to the Alaskan north coast, where there was a stretch of perennial sea ice in 2012 in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea. In contrast to the rapid and extensive loss of sea ice in the Arctic, Antarctic sea ice has a trend of a slight increase in the past three decades. Given the significant variability in time and in space together with uncertainties in satellite observations, the increasing trend of Antarctic sea ice may arguably be considered as having a low confidence level; however, there was no overall reduction of Antarctic sea ice extent anywhere close to the decreasing rate of Arctic sea ice. There exist publications presenting various factors driving changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. After a short review of these published factors, new observations and atmospheric, oceanic, hydrological, and geological mechanisms contributed to different behaviors of sea ice changes in the Arctic and Antarctic are presented. The contribution from of hydrologic factors may provide a linkage to and enhance thermal impacts from lower latitudes. While geological factors may affect the sensitivity of sea ice response to climate change, these factors can serve as the long-term memory in the system that should be exploited to improve future projections or predictions of sea ice changes. Furthermore, similarities and differences in chemical impacts of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice changes are discussed. Understanding sea ice changes and
Polyak, L.; Curry, W.B.; Darby, D.A.; Bischof, J.; Cronin, T. M.
2004-01-01
Distinct cyclicity in lithology and microfaunal distribution in sediment cores from the Mendeleev Ridge in the western Arctic Ocean (water depths ca. 1. 5 km) reflects contrasting glacial/interglacial sedimentary patterns. We conclude that during major glaciations extremely thick pack ice or ice shelves covered the western Arctic Ocean and its circulation was restricted in comparison with interglacial, modern-type conditions. Glacier collapse events are marked in sediment cores by increased contents of ice-rafted debris, notably by spikes of detrital carbonates and iron oxide grains from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Composition of foraminiferal calcite ?? 18O and ??13C also shows strong cyclicity indicating changes in freshwater balance and/or ventilation rates of the Arctic Ocean. Light stable isotopic spikes characterize deglacial events such as the last deglaciation at ca. 12 14C kyr BP. The prolonged period with low ??18O and ??13C values and elevated contents of iron oxide grains from the Canadian Archipelago in the lower part of the Mendeleev Ridge record is interpreted to signify the pooling of freshwater in the Amerasia Basin, possibly in relation to an extended glaciation in arctic North America. Unique benthic foraminiferal events provide a means for an independent stratigraphic correlation of sedimentary records from the Mendeleev Ridge and other mid-depth locations throughout the Arctic Ocean such as the Northwind and Lomonosov Ridges. This correlation demonstrates the disparity of existing age models and underscores the need to establish a definitive chronostratigraphy for Arctic Ocean sediments. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The Cenozoic palaeoenvironment of the Arctic Ocean
Moran, K.; Backman, J.; Brinkhuis, H.; Clemens, S.C.; Cronin, T.; Dickens, G.R.; Eynaud, F.; Gattacceca, J.; Jakobsson, M.; Jordan, R.W.; Kaminski, M.; King, J.; Koc, N.; Krylov, A.; Martinez, N.; Matthiessen, J.; McInroy, D.; Moore, T.C.; Onodera, J.; O'Regan, M.; Palike, H.; Rea, B.; Rio, D.; Sakamoto, T.; Smith, D.C.; Stein, R.; St, John K.; Suto, I.; Suzuki, N.; Takahashi, K.; Watanabe, M. E.; Yamamoto, M.; Farrell, J.; Frank, M.; Kubik, P.; Jokat, W.; Kristoffersen, Y.
2006-01-01
The history of the Arctic Ocean during the Cenozoic era (0-65 million years ago) is largely unknown from direct evidence. Here we present a Cenozoic palaeoceanographic record constructed from >400 m of sediment core from a recent drilling expedition to the Lomonosov ridge in the Arctic Ocean. Our record shows a palaeoenvironmental transition from a warm 'greenhouse' world, during the late Palaeocene and early Eocene epochs, to a colder 'icehouse' world influenced by sea ice and icebergs from the middle Eocene epoch to the present. For the most recent ???14 Myr, we find sedimentation rates of 1-2 cm per thousand years, in stark contrast to the substantially lower rates proposed in earlier studies; this record of the Neogene reveals cooling of the Arctic that was synchronous with the expansion of Greenland ice (???3.2 Myr ago) and East Antarctic ice (???14 Myr ago). We find evidence for the first occurrence of ice-rafted debris in the middle Eocene epoch (???45 Myr ago), some 35 Myr earlier than previously thought; fresh surface waters were present at ???49 Myr ago, before the onset of ice-rafted debris. Also, the temperatures of surface waters during the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum (???55 Myr ago) appear to have been substantially warmer than previously estimated. The revised timing of the earliest Arctic cooling events coincides with those from Antarctica, supporting arguments for bipolar symmetry in climate change. ?? 2006 Nature Publishing Group.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.; Cavalieri, Donald J.
2005-01-01
Sea ice covers vast areas of the polar oceans, with ice extent in the Northern Hemisphere ranging from approximately 7 x 10(exp 6) sq km in September to approximately 15 x 10(exp 6) sq km in March and ice extent in the Southern Hemisphere ranging from approximately 3 x 10(exp 6) sq km in February to approximately 18 x 10(exp 6) sq km in September. These ice covers have major impacts on the atmosphere, oceans, and ecosystems of the polar regions, and so as changes occur in them there are potential widespread consequences. Satellite data reveal considerable interannual variability in both polar sea ice covers, and many studies suggest possible connections between the ice and various oscillations within the climate system, such as the Arctic Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, and Antarctic Oscillation, or Southern Annular Mode. Nonetheless, statistically significant long-term trends are also apparent, including overall trends of decreased ice coverage in the Arctic and increased ice coverage in the Antarctic from late 1978 through the end of 2003, with the Antarctic ice increases following marked decreases in the Antarctic ice during the 1970s. For a detailed picture of the seasonally varying ice cover at the start of the 21st century, this chapter includes ice concentration maps for each month of 2001 for both the Arctic and the Antarctic, as well as an overview of what the satellite record has revealed about the two polar ice covers from the 1970s through 2003.
Arctic Moisture Source for Eurasian Snow Cover Variations in Autumn
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wegmann, M.
2015-12-01
Global warming is enhanced at high northern latitudes where the Arctic surface airtemperature has risen at twice the rate of the global average in recent decades - afeature called Arctic amplification. This recent Arctic warming signal likely resultsfrom several factors such as the albedo feedback due to a diminishing cryosphere,enhanced poleward atmospheric and oceanic transport, and change in humidity. Moreover, Arcticsummer sea-ice extent has declined by more than 10% per decade since the start ofthe satellite era (e.g. Stroeve et al., 2012), culminating in a new record low inSeptember 2012.Eurasian snow cover changes have been suggested as a driver for changes in theArctic Oscillation and might provide a link between sea ice decline in the Arcticduring summer and atmospheric circulation in the following winter. However, themechanism connecting snow cover in Eurasia to sea ice decline in autumn is stillunder debate. Our analysis focuses on sea ice decline in the Barents-Kara Sea region, which allowsus to specify regions of interest for FLEXPART forward and backwards moisturetrajectories. Based on Eularian and Lagrangian diagnostics from ERA-INTERIM, wecan address the origin and cause of late autumn snow depth variations in a dense(snow observations from 820 land stations), unutilized observational datasets over theCommonwealth of Independent States.Open waters in the Barents and Kara Sea have been shown to increase the diabaticheating of the atmosphere, which amplifies baroclinic cyclones and might induce aremote atmospheric response by triggering stationary Rossby waves (Honda et al.2009).In agreement with these studies, our results show enhanced storm activity originatingat the Barents and Kara with disturbances entering the continent through a smallsector from the Barents and Kara Seas. Maxima in storm activity trigger increasing uplift, oftenaccompanied by positive snowfall and snow depth anomalies.We show that declining sea ice in the Barents and Kara Seas
Scientific Drilling in the Arctic Ocean: A challenge for the next decades
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stein, R.; Coakley, B.
2009-04-01
Although major progress in Arctic Ocean research has been made during the last decades, the knowledge of its short- and long-term paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic history as well as its plate-tectonic evolution is much behind that from the other world's oceans. That means - despite the importance of the Arctic in the climate system - the data base we have from this area is still very weak, and large parts of the climate history have not been recovered at all in sedimentary sections. This lack of knowledge is mainly caused by the major technological/ logistic problems in reaching this permanently ice-covered region with normal research vessels and in retrieving long and undisturbed sediment cores. With the successful completion of IODP Expedition 302 ("Arctic Coring Expedition" - ACEX), the first Mission Specific Platform (MSP) expedition within the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program - IODP, a new era in Arctic research has begun. For the first time, a scientific drilling in the permanently ice-covered Arctic Ocean was carried out, penetrating about 430 meters of Quaternary, Neogene, Paleogene and Campanian sediment on the crest of Lomonosov Ridge close to the North Pole. The success of ACEX has certainly opened the door for further scientific drilling in the Arctic Ocean, and will frame the next round of questions to be answered from new drill holes to be taken during the next decades. In order to discuss and plan the future of scientific drilling in the Arctic Ocean, an international workshop was held at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven/Germany, (Nov 03-05, 2008; convenors: Bernard Coakley/University of Alaska Fairbanks and Ruediger Stein/AWI Bremerhaven). About 95 scientists from Europe, US, Canada, Russia, Japan, and Korea, and observers from oil companies participated in the workshop. Funding of the workshop was provided by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (US), the European Science Foundation, the Arctic Ocean Sciences Board, and the
SEASAT views oceans and sea ice with synthetic aperture radar
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fu, L. L.; Holt, B.
1982-01-01
Fifty-one SEASAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the oceans and sea ice are presented. Surface and internal waves, the Gulf Stream system and its rings and eddies, the eastern North Pacific, coastal phenomena, bathymetric features, atmospheric phenomena, and ship wakes are represented. Images of arctic pack and shore-fast ice are presented. The characteristics of the SEASAT SAR system and its image are described. Maps showing the area covered, and tables of key orbital information, and listing digitally processed images are provided.
Comparing IceBridge and CryoSat-2 sea ice observations over the Arctic and the Southern Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yi, D.; Kurtz, N. T.; Harbeck, J.; Hofton, M. A.; Manizade, S.; Cornejo, H.
2016-12-01
From 2009 to 2015, CryoSat-2 and IceBridge had 34 coincident lines over sea ice, 23 over the Arctic (20 with ATM, 2 with LVIS, and 1 with both ATM and LVIS) and 11 over the Southern Ocean (9 with ATM and 2 with both ATM and LVIS). In this study, we will compare both surface elevation and sea ice freeboard from CryoSat-2, ATM, and LVIS. We will apply identical ellipsoid, geoid, tide models, and atmospheric corrections to CryoSat-2, ATM, and LVIS data. For CryoSat-2, we will use surface elevation and sea ice freeboard both in the standard CryoSat-2 data product and calculated through a waveform fitting method. For ATM and LVIS, we will use surface elevation and sea ice freeboard in the OIB data product and the elevation and sea ice freeboard calculated through Gaussian waveform fitting method. The results of this study are important for using ATM and LVIS to calibrate/validate CryoSat-2 results and bridging the data gap between ICESat and ICESat-2.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jensen, Mari F.; Nilsson, Johan; Nisancioglu, Kerim H.
2016-11-01
Changes in the sea ice cover of the Nordic Seas have been proposed to play a key role for the dramatic temperature excursions associated with the Dansgaard-Oeschger events during the last glacial. In this study, we develop a simple conceptual model to examine how interactions between sea ice and oceanic heat and freshwater transports affect the stability of an upper-ocean halocline in a semi-enclosed basin. The model represents a sea ice covered and salinity stratified Nordic Seas, and consists of a sea ice component and a two-layer ocean. The sea ice thickness depends on the atmospheric energy fluxes as well as the ocean heat flux. We introduce a thickness-dependent sea ice export. Whether sea ice stabilizes or destabilizes against a freshwater perturbation is shown to depend on the representation of the diapycnal flow. In a system where the diapycnal flow increases with density differences, the sea ice acts as a positive feedback on a freshwater perturbation. If the diapycnal flow decreases with density differences, the sea ice acts as a negative feedback. However, both representations lead to a circulation that breaks down when the freshwater input at the surface is small. As a consequence, we get rapid changes in sea ice. In addition to low freshwater forcing, increasing deep-ocean temperatures promote instability and the disappearance of sea ice. Generally, the unstable state is reached before the vertical density difference disappears, and the temperature of the deep ocean do not need to increase as much as previously thought to provoke abrupt changes in sea ice.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Matthiessen, Jens; Schreck, Michael; De Schepper, Stijn; Zorzi, Coralie; de Vernal, Anne
2018-07-01
The Arctic Ocean is a siliciclastic depositional environment which lacks any rock-forming biogenic calcareous and siliceous components during large parts of its Quaternary history. These hemipelagic sediments are nevertheless suitable for the study of organic-walled microfossils of which the fossil remains of dinoflagellates - dinoflagellate cysts - are the most important group. Dinoflagellate cysts have become an important tool in paleoceanography of the high northern latitudes, but their potential for Quaternary biostratigraphy has remained largely unexplored. Dinoflagellate cysts are the dominant marine palynomorph group which is more continuously present in the marginal seas (e.g. Barents Sea, Bering Sea) than in the Arctic Ocean itself throughout the Quaternary. Most species have long stratigraphic ranges, are temporary absent and show abundance variations on glacial-interglacial timescales. Of the more than 30 taxa recorded, only Habibacysta tectata and Filisphaera filifera became extinct in the Pleistocene. The highest persistent occurrence of H. tectata at ca. 2.0 Ma and the top of F. filifera acme at ca. 1.8 Ma can be used for supra-regional stratigraphic correlation between the Arctic Ocean and adjacent basins. These events corroborate a slow sedimentation rate model for the Quaternary section on the central Lomonosov Ridge, but a combination of different methods will have to be applied to provide a detailed chronostratigraphy. The occurrence of cysts of phototrophic dinoflagellates in certain stratigraphic intervals on Lomonosov Ridge supports published evidence of episodic opening of the multiyear Arctic sea ice cover during the Quaternary probably related to a stronger inflow of Atlantic water. This contradicts the hypothesis of a permanently ice covered central Arctic Ocean in the Quaternary.
Submesoscale Sea Ice-Ocean Interactions in Marginal Ice Zones
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Manucharyan, Georgy E.; Thompson, Andrew F.
2017-12-01
Signatures of ocean eddies, fronts, and filaments are commonly observed within marginal ice zones (MIZs) from satellite images of sea ice concentration, and in situ observations via ice-tethered profilers or underice gliders. However, localized and intermittent sea ice heating and advection by ocean eddies are currently not accounted for in climate models and may contribute to their biases and errors in sea ice forecasts. Here, we explore mechanical sea ice interactions with underlying submesoscale ocean turbulence. We demonstrate that the release of potential energy stored in meltwater fronts can lead to energetic submesoscale motions along MIZs with spatial scales O(10 km) and Rossby numbers O(1). In low-wind conditions, cyclonic eddies and filaments efficiently trap the sea ice and advect it over warmer surface ocean waters where it can effectively melt. The horizontal eddy diffusivity of sea ice mass and heat across the MIZ can reach O(200 m2 s-1). Submesoscale ocean variability also induces large vertical velocities (order 10 m d-1) that can bring relatively warm subsurface waters into the mixed layer. The ocean-sea ice heat fluxes are localized over cyclonic eddies and filaments reaching about 100 W m-2. We speculate that these submesoscale-driven intermittent fluxes of heat and sea ice can contribute to the seasonal evolution of MIZs. With the continuing global warming and sea ice thickness reduction in the Arctic Ocean, submesoscale sea ice-ocean processes are expected to become increasingly prominent.
Stone, R.S.; Douglas, David C.; Belchansky, G.I.; Drobot, S.D.
2005-01-01
Recent decreases in snow and sea ice cover in the high northern latitudes are among the most notable indicators of climate change. Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent for the year as a whole was the third lowest on record dating back to 1973, behind 1995 (lowest) and 1990 (second lowest; Hadley Center–NCEP). September sea ice extent, which is at the end of the summer melt season and is typically the month with the lowest sea ice extent of the year, has decreased by about 19% since the late 1970s (Fig. 5.2), with a record minimum observed in 2002 (Serreze et al. 2003). A record low extent also occurred in spring (Chapman 2005, personal communication), and 2004 marked the third consecutive year of anomalously extreme sea ice retreat in the Arctic (Stroeve et al. 2005). Some model simulations indicate that ice-free summers will occur in the Arctic by the year 2070 (ACIA 2004).
Increased Surface Wind Speeds Follow Diminishing Arctic Sea Ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mioduszewski, J.; Vavrus, S. J.; Wang, M.; Holland, M. M.; Landrum, L.
2017-12-01
Projections of Arctic sea ice through the end of the 21st century indicate the likelihood of a strong reduction in ice area and thickness in all seasons, leading to a substantial thermodynamic influence on the overlying atmosphere. This is likely to have an effect on winds over the Arctic Basin, due to changes in atmospheric stability and/or baroclinicity. Prior research on future Arctic wind changes is limited and has focused mainly on the practical impacts on wave heights in certain seasons. Here we attempt to identify patterns and likely mechanisms responsible for surface wind changes in all seasons across the Arctic, particularly those associated with sea ice loss in the marginal ice zone. Sea level pressure, near-surface (10 m) and upper-air (850 hPa) wind speeds, and lower-level dynamic and thermodynamic variables from the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble Project (CESM-LE) were analyzed for the periods 1971-2000 and 2071-2100 to facilitate comparison between a present-day and future climate. Mean near-surface wind speeds over the Arctic Ocean are projected to increase by late century in all seasons but especially during autumn and winter, when they strengthen by up to 50% locally. The most extreme wind speeds in the 90th percentile change even more, increasing in frequency by over 100%. The strengthened winds are closely linked to decreasing lower-tropospheric stability resulting from the loss of sea ice cover and consequent surface warming (locally over 20 ºC warmer in autumn and winter). A muted pattern of these future changes is simulated in CESM-LE historical runs from 1920-2005. The enhanced winds near the surface are mostly collocated with weaker winds above the boundary layer during autumn and winter, implying more vigorous vertical mixing and a drawdown of high-momentum air.The implications of stronger future winds include increased coastal hazards and the potential for a positive feedback with sea ice by generating higher winds and
Autonomous Ice Mass Balance Buoys for Seasonal Sea Ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Whitlock, J. D.; Planck, C.; Perovich, D. K.; Parno, J. T.; Elder, B. C.; Richter-Menge, J.; Polashenski, C. M.
2017-12-01
The ice mass-balance represents the integration of all surface and ocean heat fluxes and attributing the impact of these forcing fluxes on the ice cover can be accomplished by increasing temporal and spatial measurements. Mass balance information can be used to understand the ongoing changes in the Arctic sea ice cover and to improve predictions of future ice conditions. Thinner seasonal ice in the Arctic necessitates the deployment of Autonomous Ice Mass Balance buoys (IMB's) capable of long-term, in situ data collection in both ice and open ocean. Seasonal IMB's (SIMB's) are free floating IMB's that allow data collection in thick ice, thin ice, during times of transition, and even open water. The newest generation of SIMB aims to increase the number of reliable IMB's in the Arctic by leveraging inexpensive commercial-grade instrumentation when combined with specially developed monitoring hardware. Monitoring tasks are handled by a custom, expandable data logger that provides low-cost flexibility for integrating a large range of instrumentation. The SIMB features ultrasonic sensors for direct measurement of both snow depth and ice thickness and a digital temperature chain (DTC) for temperature measurements every 2cm through both snow and ice. Air temperature and pressure, along with GPS data complete the Arctic picture. Additionally, the new SIMB is more compact to maximize deployment opportunities from multiple types of platforms.
Biogeochemical Coupling between Ocean and Sea Ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, S.; Jeffery, N.; Maltrud, M. E.; Elliott, S.; Wolfe, J.
2016-12-01
Biogeochemical processes in ocean and sea ice are tightly coupled at high latitudes. Ongoing changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice domain likely influence the coupled system, not only through physical fields but also biogeochemical properties. Investigating the system and its changes requires representation of ocean and sea ice biogeochemical cycles, as well as their coupling in Earth System Models. Our work is based on ACME-HiLAT, a new offshoot of the Community Earth System Model (CESM), including a comprehensive representation of marine ecosystems in the form of the Biogeochemical Elemental Cycling Module (BEC). A full vertical column sea ice biogeochemical module has recently been incorporated into the sea ice component. We have further introduced code modifications to couple key growth-limiting nutrients (N, Si, Fe), dissolved and particulate organic matter, and phytoplankton classes that are important in polar regions between ocean and sea ice. The coupling of ocean and sea ice biology-chemistry will enable representation of key processes such as the release of important climate active constituents or seeding algae from melting sea ice into surface waters. Sensitivity tests suggest sea ice and ocean biogeochemical coupling influences phytoplankton competition, biological production, and the CO2 flux. Sea ice algal seeding plays an important role in determining phytoplankton composition of Arctic early spring blooms, since different groups show various responses to the seeding biomass. Iron coupling leads to increased phytoplankton biomass in the Southern Ocean, which also affects carbon uptake via the biological pump. The coupling of macronutrients and organic matter may have weaker influences on the marine ecosystem. Our developments will allow climate scientists to investigate the fully coupled responses of the sea ice-ocean BGC system to physical changes in polar climate.
Atmospheric form drag over Arctic sea ice derived from high-resolution IceBridge elevation data
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Petty, A.; Tsamados, M.; Kurtz, N. T.
2016-02-01
Here we present a detailed analysis of atmospheric form drag over Arctic sea ice, using high resolution, three-dimensional surface elevation data from the NASA Operation IceBridge Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) laser altimeter. Surface features in the sea ice cover are detected using a novel feature-picking algorithm. We derive information regarding the height, spacing and orientation of unique surface features from 2009-2014 across both first-year and multiyear ice regimes. The topography results are used to explicitly calculate atmospheric form drag coefficients; utilizing existing form drag parameterizations. The atmospheric form drag coefficients show strong regional variability, mainly due to variability in ice type/age. The transition from a perennial to a seasonal ice cover therefore suggest a decrease in the atmospheric form drag coefficients over Arctic sea ice in recent decades. These results are also being used to calibrate a recent form drag parameterization scheme included in the sea ice model CICE, to improve the representation of form drag over Arctic sea ice in global climate models.
Kinda, G Bazile; Simard, Yvan; Gervaise, Cédric; Mars, Jérome I; Fortier, Louis
2013-07-01
This paper analyzes an 8-month time series (November 2005 to June 2006) of underwater noise recorded at the mouth of the Amundsen Gulf in the marginal ice zone of the western Canadian Arctic when the area was >90% ice covered. The time-series of the ambient noise component was computed using an algorithm that filtered out transient acoustic events from 7-min hourly recordings of total ocean noise over a [0-4.1] kHz frequency band. Under-ice ambient noise did not respond to thermal changes, but showed consistent correlations with large-scale regional ice drift, wind speed, and measured currents in upper water column. The correlation of ambient noise with ice drift peaked for locations at ranges of ~300 km off the mouth of the Amundsen Gulf. These locations are within the multi-year ice plume that extends westerly along the coast in the Eastern Beaufort Sea due to the large Beaufort Gyre circulation. These results reveal that ambient noise in Eastern Beaufort Sea in winter is mainly controlled by the same meteorological and oceanographic forcing processes that drive the ice drift and the large-scale circulation in this part of the Arctic Ocean.
Snow depth on Arctic and Antarctic sea ice derived from autonomous (Snow Buoy) measurements
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nicolaus, Marcel; Arndt, Stefanie; Hendricks, Stefan; Heygster, Georg; Huntemann, Marcus; Katlein, Christian; Langevin, Danielle; Rossmann, Leonard; Schwegmann, Sandra
2016-04-01
The snow cover on sea ice received more and more attention in recent sea ice studies and model simulations, because its physical properties dominate many sea ice and upper ocean processes. In particular; the temporal and spatial distribution of snow depth is of crucial importance for the energy and mass budgets of sea ice, as well as for the interaction with the atmosphere and the oceanic freshwater budget. Snow depth is also a crucial parameter for sea ice thickness retrieval algorithms from satellite altimetry data. Recent time series of Arctic sea ice volume only use monthly snow depth climatology, which cannot take into account annual changes of the snow depth and its properties. For Antarctic sea ice, no such climatology is available. With a few exceptions, snow depth on sea ice is determined from manual in-situ measurements with very limited coverage of space and time. Hence the need for more consistent observational data sets of snow depth on sea ice is frequently highlighted. Here, we present time series measurements of snow depths on Antarctic and Arctic sea ice, recorded by an innovative and affordable platform. This Snow Buoy is optimized to autonomously monitor the evolution of snow depth on sea ice and will allow new insights into its seasonality. In addition, the instruments report air temperature and atmospheric pressure directly into different international networks, e.g. the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP). We introduce the Snow Buoy concept together with technical specifications and results on data quality, reliability, and performance of the units. We highlight the findings from four buoys, which simultaneously drifted through the Weddell Sea for more than 1.5 years, revealing unique information on characteristic regional and seasonal differences. Finally, results from seven snow buoys co-deployed on Arctic sea ice throughout the winter season 2015/16 suggest the great importance of local
Variability and Anomalous Trends in the Global Sea Ice Cover
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, Josefino C.
2012-01-01
MODIS, AMSR-E and SSM/I data reveal that the sea ice production rate at the coastal polynyas along the Ross Ice Shelf has been increasing since 1992. This also means that the salinization rate and the formation of bottom water in the region are going up as well. Simulation studies indicate that the stronger production rate is likely associated with the ozone hole that has caused a deepening of the lows in the West Antarctic region and therefore stronger winds off the Ross Ice Shelf. Stronger winds causes larger coastal polynyas near the shelf and hence an enhanced ice production in the region during the autumn and winter period. Results of analysis of temperature data from MODIS and AMSR-E shows that the area and concentration of the sea ice cover are highly correlated with surface temperature for both the Arctic and Antarctic, especially in the seasonal regions where the correlation coefficients are about 0.9. Abnormally high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and surface ice temperatures (SITs) were also observed in 2007 and 2011when drastic reductions in the summer ice cover occurred, This phenomenon is consistent with the expected warming of the upper layer of the Arctic Ocean on account of ice-albedo feedback. Changes in atmospheric circulation are also expected to have a strong influence on the sea ice cover but the results of direct correlation analyses of the sea ice cover with the Northern and the Southern Annular Mode indices show relatively weak correlations, This might be due in part to the complexity of the dynamics of the system that can be further altered by some phenomena like the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave and extra polar processes like the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (POD),
Global warming releases microplastic legacy frozen in Arctic Sea ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Obbard, Rachel W.; Sadri, Saeed; Wong, Ying Qi; Khitun, Alexandra A.; Baker, Ian; Thompson, Richard C.
2014-06-01
When sea ice forms it scavenges and concentrates particulates from the water column, which then become trapped until the ice melts. In recent years, melting has led to record lows in Arctic Sea ice extent, the most recent in September 2012. Global climate models, such as that of Gregory et al. (2002), suggest that the decline in Arctic Sea ice volume (3.4% per decade) will actually exceed the decline in sea ice extent, something that Laxon et al. (2013) have shown supported by satellite data. The extent to which melting ice could release anthropogenic particulates back to the open ocean has not yet been examined. Here we show that Arctic Sea ice from remote locations contains concentrations of microplastics at least two orders of magnitude greater than those that have been previously reported in highly contaminated surface waters, such as those of the Pacific Gyre. Our findings indicate that microplastics have accumulated far from population centers and that polar sea ice represents a major historic global sink of man-made particulates. The potential for substantial quantities of legacy microplastic contamination to be released to the ocean as the ice melts therefore needs to be evaluated, as do the physical and toxicological effects of plastics on marine life.
Impacts of projected sea ice changes on trans-Arctic navigation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stephenson, S. R.; Smith, L. C.
2012-12-01
Reduced Arctic sea ice continues to be a palpable signal of global change. Record lows in September sea ice extent from 2007 - 2011 have fueled speculation that trans-Arctic navigation routes may become physically viable in the 21st century. General Circulation Models project a nearly ice-free Arctic Ocean in summer by mid-century; however, how reduced sea ice will realistically impact navigation is not well understood. Using the ATAM (Arctic Transportation Accessibility Model) we present simulations of 21st-century trans-Arctic voyages as a function of climatic (ice) conditions and vessel class. Simulations are based on sea ice projections for three climatic forcing scenarios (RCP 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5 W/m^2) representing present-day and mid-century conditions, assuming Polar Class 6 (PC6) and open-water vessels (OW) with medium and no ice-breaking capability, respectively. Optimal least-cost routes (minimizing travel time while avoiding ice impassible to a given vessel class) between the North Atlantic and the Bering Strait were calculated for summer months of each time window. While Arctic navigation depends on other factors besides sea ice including economics, infrastructure, bathymetry, current, and weather, these projections should be useful for strategic planning by governments, regulatory and environmental agencies, and the global maritime industry to assess potential changes in the spatial and temporal ranges of Arctic marine operations.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hernes, P.; Tzortziou, M.; Salisbury, J.; Mannino, A.; Matrai, P.; Friedrichs, M. A.; Del Castillo, C. E.
2014-12-01
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else on the planet, triggering rapid social and economic changes and impacting both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Yet our understanding of critical processes and interactions along the Arctic land-ocean interface is limited. Arctic-COLORS is a Field Campaign Scoping Study funded by NASA's Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program that aims to improve understanding and prediction of land-ocean interactions in a rapidly changing Arctic coastal zone, and assess vulnerability, response, feedbacks and resilience of coastal ecosystems, communities and natural resources to current and future pressures. Specific science objectives include: - Quantify lateral fluxes to the arctic inner shelf from (i) rivers and (ii) the outer shelf/basin that affect biology, biodiversity, biogeochemistry (i.e. organic matter, nutrients, suspended sediment), and the processing rates of these constituents in coastal waters. - Evaluate the impact of the thawing of Arctic permafrost within the river basins on coastal biology, biodiversity and biogeochemistry, including various rates of community production and the role these may play in the health of regional economies. - Assess the impact of changing Arctic landfast ice and coastal sea ice dynamics. - Establish a baseline for comparison to future change, and use state-of-the-art models to assess impacts of environmental change on coastal biology, biodiversity and biogeochemistry. A key component of Arctic-COLORS will be the integration of satellite and field observations with coupled physical-biogeochemical models for predicting impacts of future pressures on Arctic, coastal ocean, biological processes and biogeochemical cycles. Through interagency and international collaborations, and through the organization of dedicated workshops, town hall meetings and presentations at international conferences, the scoping study engages the broader scientific community and invites participation of
Impacts of Declining Arctic Sea Ice: An International Challenge
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Serreze, M.
2008-12-01
As reported by the National Snow and Ice Data Center in late August of 2008, Arctic sea ice extent had already fallen to its second lowest level since regular monitoring began by satellite. As of this writing, we were closing in on the record minimum set in September of 2007. Summers may be free of sea ice by the year 2030. Recognition is growing that ice loss will have environmental impacts that may extend well beyond the Arctic. The Arctic Ocean will in turn become more accessible, not just to tourism and commercial shipping, but to exploitation of oil wealth at the bottom of the ocean. In recognition of growing accessibility and oil operations, the United States Coast Guard set up temporary bases this summer at Barrow and Prudhoe Bay, AK, from which they conducted operations to test their readiness and capabilities, such as for search and rescue. The Canadians have been busy showing a strong Arctic presence. In August, a German crew traversed the Northwest Passage from east to west in one of their icebreakers, the Polarstern. What are the major national and international research efforts focusing on the multifaceted problem of declining sea ice? What are the areas of intersection, and what is the state of collaboration? How could national and international collaboration be improved? This talk will review some of these issues.
Can regional climate engineering save the summer Arctic sea ice?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tilmes, S.; Jahn, Alexandra; Kay, Jennifer E.; Holland, Marika; Lamarque, Jean-Francois
2014-02-01
Rapid declines in summer Arctic sea ice extent are projected under high-forcing future climate scenarios. Regional Arctic climate engineering has been suggested as an emergency strategy to save the sea ice. Model simulations of idealized regional dimming experiments compared to a business-as-usual greenhouse gas emission simulation demonstrate the importance of both local and remote feedback mechanisms to the surface energy budget in high latitudes. With increasing artificial reduction in incoming shortwave radiation, the positive surface albedo feedback from Arctic sea ice loss is reduced. However, changes in Arctic clouds and the strongly increasing northward heat transport both counteract the direct dimming effects. A 4 times stronger local reduction in solar radiation compared to a global experiment is required to preserve summer Arctic sea ice area. Even with regional Arctic dimming, a reduction in the strength of the oceanic meridional overturning circulation and a shut down of Labrador Sea deep convection are possible.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tivy, Adrienne; Howell, Stephen E. L.; Alt, Bea; McCourt, Steve; Chagnon, Richard; Crocker, Greg; Carrieres, Tom; Yackel, John J.
2011-03-01
The Canadian Ice Service Digital Archive (CISDA) is a compilation of weekly ice charts covering Canadian waters from the early 1960s to present. The main sources of uncertainty in the database are reviewed and the data are validated for use in climate studies before trends and variability in summer averaged sea ice cover are investigated. These data revealed that between 1968 and 2008, summer sea ice cover has decreased by 11.3% ± 2.6% decade-1 in Hudson Bay, 2.9% ± 1.2% decade-1 in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), 8.9% ± 3.1% decade-1 in Baffin Bay, and 5.2% ± 2.4% decade-1 in the Beaufort Sea with no significant reductions in multiyear ice. Reductions in sea ice cover are linked to increases in early summer surface air temperature (SAT); significant increases in SAT were observed in every season and they are consistently greater than the pan-Arctic change by up to ˜0.2°C decade-1. Within the CAA and Baffin Bay, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation index correlates well with multiyear ice coverage (positive) and first-year ice coverage (negative) suggesting that El Niño episodes precede summers with more multiyear ice and less first-year ice. Extending the trend calculations back to 1960 along the major shipping routes revealed significant decreases in summer sea ice coverage ranging between 11% and 15% decade-1 along the route through Hudson Bay and 6% and 10% decade-1 along the southern route of the Northwest Passage, the latter is linked to increases in SAT. Between 1960 and 2008, no significant trends were found along the northern western Parry Channel route of the Northwest Passage.
Sea ice roughness: the key for predicting Arctic summer ice albedo
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Landy, J.; Ehn, J. K.; Tsamados, M.; Stroeve, J.; Barber, D. G.
2017-12-01
Although melt ponds on Arctic sea ice evolve in stages, ice with smoother surface topography typically allows the pond water to spread over a wider area, reducing the ice-albedo and accelerating further melt. Building on this theory, we simulated the distribution of meltwater on a range of statistically-derived topographies to develop a quantitative relationship between premelt sea ice surface roughness and summer ice albedo. Our method, previously applied to ICESat observations of the end-of-winter sea ice roughness, could account for 85% of the variance in AVHRR observations of the summer ice-albedo [Landy et al., 2015]. Consequently, an Arctic-wide reduction in sea ice roughness over the ICESat operational period (from 2003 to 2008) explained a drop in ice-albedo that resulted in a 16% increase in solar heat input to the sea ice cover. Here we will review this work and present new research linking pre-melt sea ice surface roughness observations from Cryosat-2 to summer sea ice albedo over the past six years, examining the potential of winter roughness as a significant new source of sea ice predictability. We will further evaluate the possibility for high-resolution (kilometre-scale) forecasts of summer sea ice albedo from waveform-level Cryosat-2 roughness data in the landfast sea ice zone of the Canadian Arctic. Landy, J. C., J. K. Ehn, and D. G. Barber (2015), Albedo feedback enhanced by smoother Arctic sea ice, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 10,714-10,720, doi:10.1002/2015GL066712.
Submesoscale sea ice-ocean interactions in marginal ice zones
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Thompson, A. F.; Manucharyan, G.
2017-12-01
Signatures of ocean eddies, fronts and filaments are commonly observed within the marginal ice zones (MIZ) from satellite images of sea ice concentration, in situ observations via ice-tethered profilers or under-ice gliders. Localized and intermittent sea ice heating and advection by ocean eddies are currently not accounted for in climate models and may contribute to their biases and errors in sea ice forecasts. Here, we explore mechanical sea ice interactions with underlying submesoscale ocean turbulence via a suite of numerical simulations. We demonstrate that the release of potential energy stored in meltwater fronts can lead to energetic submesoscale motions along MIZs with sizes O(10 km) and Rossby numbers O(1). In low-wind conditions, cyclonic eddies and filaments efficiently trap the sea ice and advect it over warmer surface ocean waters where it can effectively melt. The horizontal eddy diffusivity of sea ice mass and heat across the MIZ can reach O(200 m2 s-1). Submesoscale ocean variability also induces large vertical velocities (order of 10 m day-1) that can bring relatively warm subsurface waters into the mixed layer. The ocean-sea ice heat fluxes are localized over cyclonic eddies and filaments reaching about 100 W m-2. We speculate that these submesoscale-driven intermittent fluxes of heat and sea ice can potentially contribute to the seasonal evolution of MIZs. With continuing global warming and sea ice thickness reduction in the Arctic Ocean, as well as the large expanse of thin sea ice in the Southern Ocean, submesoscale sea ice-ocean processes are expected to play a significant role in the climate system.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hussherr, Rachel; Levasseur, Maurice; Lizotte, Martine; Tremblay, Jean-Éric; Mol, Jacoba; Thomas, Helmuth; Gosselin, Michel; Starr, Michel; Miller, Lisa A.; Jarniková, Tereza; Schuback, Nina; Mucci, Alfonso
2017-05-01
In an experimental assessment of the potential impact of Arctic Ocean acidification on seasonal phytoplankton blooms and associated dimethyl sulfide (DMS) dynamics, we incubated water from Baffin Bay under conditions representing an acidified Arctic Ocean. Using two light regimes simulating under-ice or subsurface chlorophyll maxima (low light; low PAR and no UVB) and ice-free (high light; high PAR + UVA + UVB) conditions, water collected at 38 m was exposed over 9 days to 6 levels of decreasing pH from 8.1 to 7.2. A phytoplankton bloom dominated by the centric diatoms Chaetoceros spp. reaching up to 7.5 µg chlorophyll a L-1 took place in all experimental bags. Total dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPT) and DMS concentrations reached 155 and 19 nmol L-1, respectively. The sharp increase in DMSPT and DMS concentrations coincided with the exhaustion of NO3- in most microcosms, suggesting that nutrient stress stimulated DMS(P) synthesis by the diatom community. Under both light regimes, chlorophyll a and DMS concentrations decreased linearly with increasing proton concentration at all pH levels tested. Concentrations of DMSPT also decreased but only under high light and over a smaller pH range (from 8.1 to 7.6). In contrast to nano-phytoplankton (2-20 µm), pico-phytoplankton ( ≤ 2 µm) was stimulated by the decreasing pH. We furthermore observed no significant difference between the two light regimes tested in term of chlorophyll a, phytoplankton abundance and taxonomy, and DMSP and DMS net concentrations. These results show that ocean acidification could significantly decrease the algal biomass and inhibit DMS production during the seasonal phytoplankton bloom in the Arctic, with possible consequences for the regional climate.
Cronin, T. M.; Smith, S.A.; Eynaud, F.; O'Regan, M.; King, J.
2008-01-01
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) Hole 4C from the Lomonosov Ridge in the central Arctic Ocean recovered a continuous 18 in record of Quaternary foraminifera yielding evidence for seasonally ice-free interglacials during the Matuyama, progressive development of large glacials during the mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT) ???1.2-0.9 Ma, and the onset of high-amplitude 100-ka orbital cycles ???500 ka. Foraminiferal preservation in sediments from the Arctic is influenced by primary (sea ice, organic input, and other environmental conditions) and secondary factors (syndepositional, long-term pore water dissolution). Taking these into account, the ACEX 4C record shows distinct maxima in agglutinated foraminiferal abundance corresponding to several interglacials and deglacials between marine isotope stages (MIS) 13-37, and although less precise dating is available for older sediments, these trends appear to continue through the Matuyama. The MPT is characterized by nearly barren intervals during major glacials (MIS 12, 16, and 22-24) and faunal turnover (MIS 12-24). Abundant calcareous planktonic (mainly Neogloboquadrina pachyderma sin.) and benthic foraminifers occur mainly in interglacial intervals during the Brunhes and very rarely in the Matuyama. A distinct faunal transition from calcareous to agglutinated foraminifers 200-300 ka in ACEX 4C is comparable to that found in Arctic sediments from the Lomonosov, Alpha, and Northwind ridges and the Morris Jesup Rise. Down-core disappearance of calcareous taxa is probably related to either reduced sea ice cover prior to the last few 100-ka cycles, pore water dissolution, or both. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.
How robust is the atmospheric circulation response to Arctic sea-ice loss in isolation?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kushner, P. J.; Hay, S. E.; Blackport, R.; McCusker, K. E.; Oudar, T.
2017-12-01
It is now apparent that active dynamical coupling between the ocean and atmosphere determines a good deal of how Arctic sea-ice loss changes the large-scale atmospheric circulation. In coupled ocean-atmosphere models, Arctic sea-ice loss indirectly induces a 'mini' global warming and circulation changes that extend into the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. Ocean-atmosphere coupling also amplifies by about 50% Arctic free-tropospheric warming arising from sea-ice loss (Deser et al. 2015, 2016). The mechanisms at work and how to separate the response to sea-ice loss from the rest of the global warming process remain poorly understood. Different studies have used distinctive numerical approaches and coupled ocean-atmosphere models to address this problem. We put these studies on comparable footing using pattern scaling (Blackport and Kushner 2017) to separately estimate the part of the circulation response that scales with sea-ice loss in the absence of low-latitude warming from the part that scales with low-latitude warming in the absence of sea-ice loss. We consider well-sampled simulations from three different coupled ocean-atmosphere models (CESM1, CanESM2, CNRM-CM5), in which greenhouse warming and sea-ice loss are driven in different ways (sea ice albedo reduction/transient RCP8.5 forcing for CESM1, nudged sea ice/CO2 doubling for CanESM2, heat-flux forcing/constant RCP8.5-derived forcing for CNRM-CM5). Across these different simulations, surprisingly robust influences of Arctic sea-ice loss on atmospheric circulation can be diagnosed using pattern scaling. For boreal winter, the isolated sea-ice loss effect acts to increase warming in the North American Sub-Arctic, decrease warming of the Eurasian continent, enhance precipitation over the west coast of North America, and strengthen the Aleutian Low and the Siberian High. We will also discuss how Arctic free tropospheric warming might be enhanced via midlatitude ocean surface warming induced by sea-ice loss
Observed Arctic sea-ice loss directly follows anthropogenic CO2 emission.
Notz, Dirk; Stroeve, Julienne
2016-11-11
Arctic sea ice is retreating rapidly, raising prospects of a future ice-free Arctic Ocean during summer. Because climate-model simulations of the sea-ice loss differ substantially, we used a robust linear relationship between monthly-mean September sea-ice area and cumulative carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions to infer the future evolution of Arctic summer sea ice directly from the observational record. The observed linear relationship implies a sustained loss of 3 ± 0.3 square meters of September sea-ice area per metric ton of CO 2 emission. On the basis of this sensitivity, Arctic sea ice will be lost throughout September for an additional 1000 gigatons of CO 2 emissions. Most models show a lower sensitivity, which is possibly linked to an underestimation of the modeled increase in incoming longwave radiation and of the modeled transient climate response. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Mining Existing Radar Altimetry for Sea Ice Freeboard and Thickness Estimates
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Childers, V. A.; Brozena, J. M.
2007-12-01
Although satellites can easily monitor ice extent and a variety of ice attributes, they cannot directly measure ice thickness. As a result, very few ice thickness measurements exist to constrain models of Arctic climate change. We estimated sea ice freeboard and thickness from X-band radar altimeter measurements collected over seven field seasons between 1992 and 1999 as part of a Naval Research Lab (NRL)-sponsored airborne geophysical survey of gravity and magnetics over the Arctic Ocean. These freeboard and thickness estimates were compared with the SCICEX ice draft record and the observed thinning of the Arctic Ocean ice cover during the 1990's. Our initial calculations (shown here) suggest that retrieved profiles from this radar altimeter (with uncertainty of about 5 cm) are sensitive to openings in the ice cover. Thus, conversion of these profiles to ice thickness adds an invaluable dataset for assessment of recent and future changes of Arctic climate. And, snow loading is a minor issue here as all the airborne surveys were conducted during mid- to late-summer when the ice cover is mostly bare. The strengths of this dataset are its small antenna footprint of ~50 m and density of spatial coverage allows for detailed characterization of the field of ice thickness, and it provides surveys of regions not covered by SCICEX cruises. The entire survey covers more than half the Arctic Ocean. We find that the Canadian Basin sea ice behavior differs from that in the Eurasian Basin and ultimately affects mean sea ice thickness for each basin.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bendle, J. A.; Moossen, H.; Jamieson, R.; Wold, A.; Falk-Peterson, S.
2009-12-01
Every summer in the Arctic, the ice cover melts and releases sea-ice algae into the surrounding waters. How important are these algae, consisting mostly of diatoms, as a major food source for zooplankton and higher trophic levels? The answer to this question is timely, given predictions for the loss of summer sea ice cover this century. We are investigating the use of compound specific carbon isotopes as a tool to differentiate between lipids found in zooplankton which feed on diatoms living in the open ocean and zooplankton which feed on diatoms derived from the ice. To this effect we analyse the carbon isotopic signature of the major fatty acids and alcohols and that of the major sterols collected during the Arctic ICE CHASER expedition aboard the RRV James Clark Ross in 2008. Twenty three zooplankton samples comprised of 11 different species were collected in four different depth intervals at three different sites around Svalbard. The sites had variable ice cover, from open water to solid ice. We analysed the lipid composition of the zooplankton samples with special emphasis on the fatty acids and fatty alcohols bound as esters. Esters are produced by zooplankton to function as an energy reservoir. Initial results such as the occurrence of Brassicasterol, 24 methylencholest 5 en-3β-ol and Desmosterol, high amounts of the C20:5ω3 fatty acid and high C16:1ω7/C16:0-fatty acid ratios suggest that diatoms are an important part of the zooplankton diet.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lei, Ruibo; Cheng, Bin; Heil, Petra; Vihma, Timo; Wang, Jia; Ji, Qing; Zhang, Zhanhai
2018-04-01
The seasonal evolution of sea ice mass balance between the Central Arctic and Fram Strait, as well as the underlying driving forces, remain largely unknown because of a lack of observations. In this study, two and three buoys were deployed in the Central Arctic during the summers of 2010 and 2012, respectively. It was established that basal ice growth commenced between mid-October and early December. Annual basal ice growth, ranging from 0.21 to 1.14 m, was determined mainly by initial ice thickness, air temperature, and oceanic heat flux during winter. An analytic thermodynamic model indicated that climate warming reduces the winter growth rate of thin ice more than for thick ice because of the weak thermal inertia of the former. Oceanic heat flux during the freezing season was 2-4 W m-2, which accounted for 18-31% of the basal ice energy balance. We identified two mechanisms that modified the oceanic heat flux, i.e., solar energy absorbed by the upper ocean during summer, and interaction with warm waters south of Fram Strait; the latter resulted in basal ice melt, even in winter. In summer 2010, ice loss in the Central Arctic was considerable, which led to increased oceanic heat flux into winter and delayed ice growth. The Transpolar Drift Stream was relatively weak in summer 2013. This reduced sea ice advection out of the Arctic Ocean, and it restrained ice melt because of the cool atmospheric conditions, weakened albedo feedback, and relatively small oceanic heat flux in the north.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Pistone, K.; Eisenman, I.; Ramanathan, V.
2017-01-01
The Arctic region has seen dramatic changes over the past several decades, from polar amplification of global temperature rise to ecosystem changes to the decline of the sea ice. While there has been much speculation as to when the world will see an ice-free Arctic, the radiative impacts of an eventual disappearance of the Arctic sea ice are likely to be significant regardless of the timing. Using CERES radiation and microwave satellite sea ice data, Pistone et al (2014) estimated the radiative forcing due to albedo changes associated with the Arctic sea ice retreat over the 30 years of the satellite data record. In this study, we found that the Arctic Ocean saw a decrease in all-sky albedo of 4% (from 52% to 48%), for an estimated increase in solar heating of 6.4 W/m(exp 2) between 1979 and 2011, or 0.21 W/m(exp 2) when averaged over the globe. This value is substantial--approximately 25% as large as the forcing due to the change in CO2 during the same period. Here we update and expand upon this previous work and use the CERES broadband shortwave observations to explore the radiative impacts of a transition to completely ice-free Arctic Ocean. We estimate the annually-averaged Arctic Ocean planetary albedo under ice-free and cloud-free conditions to be 14% over the region, or approximately 25% lower in absolute terms than the Arctic Ocean cloud-free albedo in 1979. However, the question of all-sky conditions (i.e. including the effects of clouds) introduces a new level of complexity. We explore several cloud scenarios and the resultant impact on albedo. In each of these cases, the estimated forcing is not uniformly distributed throughout the year. We describe the relative contributions of ice loss by month as well as the spatial distributions of the resulting changes in absorbed solar energy. The seasonal timing and location—in addition to magnitude—of the altered solar absorption may have significant implications for atmospheric and ocean dynamics in the
Fast ice in the Canadian Arctic: Climatology, Atmospheric Forcing and Relation to Bathymetry
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Galley, R. J.; Barber, D. G.
2010-12-01
Mobile sea ice in the northern hemisphere has experienced significant reductions in both extent and thickness over the last thirty years, and global climate models agree that these decreases will continue. However, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) creates a much different icescape than in the central Arctic Ocean due to its distinctive topographic, bathymetric and climatological conditions. Of particular interest is the continued viability of landfast sea ice as a means of transportation and platform for transportation and hunting for the Canadian Inuit that reside in the region, as is the possibility of the Northwest Passage becoming a viable shipping lane in the future. Here we determine the climatological average landfast ice conditions in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago over the last 27 years, we investigate variability and trends in these landfast ice conditions, and we attempt to elucidate the physical parameters conducive to landfast sea ice formation in sub-regions of the CAA during different times of the year. We use the Canadian Ice Service digital sea ice charts between 1983 and 2009 on a 2x2km grid to determine the sea ice concentration-by-type and whether the sea ice in a grid cell was landfast on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis depending on the time of year. North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) atmospheric data were used in this work, including air temperature, surface level pressure and wind speed and direction. The bathymetric data employed was from the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean. Results indicate that the CAA sea ice regime is not climatologically analogous to the mobile sea ice of the central Arctic Ocean. The sea ice and the atmospheric and bathymetric properties that control the amount and timing of landfast sea ice within the CAA are regionally variable.
Sea ice motions in the Central Arctic pack ice as inferred from AVHRR imagery
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Emery, William; Maslanik, James; Fowler, Charles
1995-01-01
Synoptic observations of ice motion in the Arctic Basin are currently limited to those acquired by drifting buoys and, more recently, radar data from ERS-1. Buoys are not uniformly distributed throughout the Arctic, and SAR coverage is currently limited regionally and temporally due to the data volume, swath width, processing requirements, and power needs of the SAR. Additional ice-motion observations that can map ice responses simultaneously over large portions of the Arctic on daily to weekly time intervals are thus needed to augment the SAR and buoys data and to provide an intermediate-scale measure of ice drift suitable for climatological analyses and ice modeling. Principal objectives of this project were to: (1) demonstrate whether sufficient ice features and ice motion existed within the consolidated ice pack to permit motion tracking using AVHRR imagery; (2) determine the limits imposed on AVHRR mapping by cloud cover; and (3) test the applicability of AVHRR-derived motions in studies of ice-atmosphere interactions. Each of these main objectives was addressed. We conclude that AVHRR data, particularly when blended with other available observations, provide a valuable data set for studying sea ice processes. In a follow-on project, we are now extending this work to cover larger areas and to address science questions in more detail.
Vertical structure of recent Arctic warming.
Graversen, Rune G; Mauritsen, Thorsten; Tjernström, Michael; Källén, Erland; Svensson, Gunilla
2008-01-03
Near-surface warming in the Arctic has been almost twice as large as the global average over recent decades-a phenomenon that is known as the 'Arctic amplification'. The underlying causes of this temperature amplification remain uncertain. The reduction in snow and ice cover that has occurred over recent decades may have played a role. Climate model experiments indicate that when global temperature rises, Arctic snow and ice cover retreats, causing excessive polar warming. Reduction of the snow and ice cover causes albedo changes, and increased refreezing of sea ice during the cold season and decreases in sea-ice thickness both increase heat flux from the ocean to the atmosphere. Changes in oceanic and atmospheric circulation, as well as cloud cover, have also been proposed to cause Arctic temperature amplification. Here we examine the vertical structure of temperature change in the Arctic during the late twentieth century using reanalysis data. We find evidence for temperature amplification well above the surface. Snow and ice feedbacks cannot be the main cause of the warming aloft during the greater part of the year, because these feedbacks are expected to primarily affect temperatures in the lowermost part of the atmosphere, resulting in a pattern of warming that we only observe in spring. A significant proportion of the observed temperature amplification must therefore be explained by mechanisms that induce warming above the lowermost part of the atmosphere. We regress the Arctic temperature field on the atmospheric energy transport into the Arctic and find that, in the summer half-year, a significant proportion of the vertical structure of warming can be explained by changes in this variable. We conclude that changes in atmospheric heat transport may be an important cause of the recent Arctic temperature amplification.
Synthesis of User Needs for Arctic Sea Ice Predictions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wiggins, H. V.; Turner-Bogren, E. J.; Sheffield Guy, L.
2017-12-01
Forecasting Arctic sea ice on sub-seasonal to seasonal scales in a changing Arctic is of interest to a diverse range of stakeholders. However, sea ice forecasting is still challenging due to high variability in weather and ocean conditions and limits to prediction capabilities; the science needs for observations and modeling are extensive. At a time of challenged science funding, one way to prioritize sea ice prediction efforts is to examine the information needs of various stakeholder groups. This poster will present a summary and synthesis of existing surveys, reports, and other literature that examines user needs for sea ice predictions. The synthesis will include lessons learned from the Sea Ice Prediction Network (a collaborative, multi-agency-funded project focused on seasonal Arctic sea ice predictions), the Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (a resource for Alaska Native subsistence hunters and coastal communities, that provides reports on weather and sea ice conditions), and other efforts. The poster will specifically compare the scales and variables of sea ice forecasts currently available, as compared to what information is requested by various user groups.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cazenave, A. A.
2017-12-01
During recent decades, the Arctic region has warmed at a rate about twice the rest of the globe. Sea ice melting is increasing and the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerated rate. Arctic warming, decrease in the sea ice cover and fresh water input to the Arctic ocean may eventually impact the Arctic sea level. In this presentation, we review our current knowledge of contemporary Arctic sea level changes. Until the beginning of the 1990s, Arctic sea level variations were essentially deduced from tide gauges located along the Russian and Norwegian coastlines. Since then, high inclination satellite altimetry missions have allowed measuring sea level over a large portion of the Arctic Ocean (up to 80 degree north). Measuring sea level in the Arctic by satellite altimetry is challenging because the presence of sea ice cover limits the full capacity of this technique. However adapted processing of raw altimetric measurements significantly increases the number of valid data, hence the data coverage, from which regional sea level variations can be extracted. Over the altimetry era, positive trend patterns are observed over the Beaufort Gyre and along the east coast of Greenland, while negative trends are reported along the Siberian shelf. On average over the Arctic region covered by satellite altimetry, the rate of sea level rise since 1992 is slightly less than the global mea sea level rate (of about 3 mm per year). On the other hand, the interannual variability is quite significant. Space gravimetry data from the GRACE mission and ocean reanalyses provide information on the mass and steric contributions to sea level, hence on the sea level budget. Budget studies show that regional sea level trends over the Beaufort Gyre and along the eastern coast of Greenland, are essentially due to salinity changes. However, in terms of regional average, the net steric component contributes little to the observed sea level trend. The sea level budget in the Arctic
Snow accumulation on Arctic sea ice: is it a matter of how much or when?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Webster, M.; Petty, A.; Boisvert, L.; Markus, T.
2017-12-01
Snow on sea ice plays an important, yet sometimes opposing role in sea ice mass balance depending on the season. In autumn and winter, snow reduces the heat exchange from the ocean to the atmosphere, reducing sea ice growth. In spring and summer, snow shields sea ice from solar radiation, delaying sea ice surface melt. Changes in snow depth and distribution in any season therefore directly affect the mass balance of Arctic sea ice. In the western Arctic, a decreasing trend in spring snow depth distribution has been observed and attributed to the combined effect of peak snowfall rates in autumn and the coincident delay in sea ice freeze-up. Here, we build on this work and present an in-depth analysis on the relationship between snow accumulation and the timing of sea ice freeze-up across all Arctic regions. A newly developed two-layer snow model is forced with eight reanalysis precipitation products to: (1) identify the seasonal distribution of snowfall accumulation for different regions, (2) highlight which regions are most sensitive to the timing of sea ice freeze-up with regard to snow accumulation, and (3) show, if precipitation were to increase, which regions would be most susceptible to thicker snow covers. We also utilize a comprehensive sensitivity study to better understand the factors most important in controlling winter/spring snow depths, and to explore what could happen to snow depth on sea ice in a warming Arctic climate.
Seasonality of light transmittance through Arctic sea ice during spring and summe
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nicolaus, M.; Hudson, S. R.; Granskog, M. A.; Pavlov, A.; Taskjelle, T.; Kauko, H.; Katlein, C.; Geland, S.; Perovich, D. K.
2017-12-01
The energy budget of sea ice and the upper ocean during spring, summer, and autumn is strongly affected by the transfer of solar shortwave radiation through sea ice and into the upper ocean. Previous studies highlighted the great importance of the spring-summer transition, when incoming fluxes are highest and even small changes in surface albedo and transmittance have strong impacts on the annual budgets. The timing of melt onset and changes in snow and ice conditions are also crucial for primary productivity and biogeochemical processes. Here we present results from time series measurements of radiation fluxes through seasonal Arctic sea ice, as it may be expected to play a key role in the future Arctic. Our observations were performed during the Norwegian N-ICE drift experiment in 2015 and the Polarstern expedition PS106 in 2017, both studying sea ice north of Svalbard. Autonomous stations were installed to monitor spectral radiation fluxes above and under sea ice. The observation periods cover the spring-summer transition, including snow melt and early melt pond formation. The results show the direct relation of optical properties to under ice algae blooms and their influence on the energy budget. Beyond these results, we will discuss the latest plans and implementation of radiation measurements during the MOSAiC drift in 2019/2020. Then, a full annual cycle of radiation fluxes may be studied from manned and autonomous (buoys) measurements as well as using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) as measurement platform. These measurements will be performed in direct relation with numerical simulations on different scales.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Konig, Christof S.
Landfast ice is sea ice which forms and remains fixed along a coast, where it is attached either to the shore, or held between shoals or grounded icebergs. Landfast ice fundamentally modifies the momentum exchange between atmosphere and ocean, as compared to pack ice. It thus affects the heat and freshwater exchange between air and ocean and impacts on the location of ocean upwelling and downwelling zones. Further, the landfast ice edge is essential for numerous Arctic mammals and Inupiat who depend on them for their subsistence. The current generation of sea ice models is not capable of reproducing certain aspects of landfast ice formation, maintenance, and disintegration even when the spatial resolution would be sufficient to resolve such features. In my work I develop a new ice model that permits the existence of landfast sea ice even in the presence of offshore winds, as is observed in mature. Based on viscous-plastic as well as elastic-viscous-plastic ice dynamics I add tensile strength to the ice rheology and re-derive the equations as well as numerical methods to solve them. Through numerical experiments on simplified domains, the effects of those changes are demonstrated. It is found that the modifications enable landfast ice modeling, as desired. The elastic-viscous-plastic rheology leads to initial velocity fluctuations within the landfast ice that weaken the ice sheet and break it up much faster than theoretically predicted. Solving the viscous-plastic rheology using an implicit numerical method avoids those waves and comes much closer to theoretical predictions. Improvements in landfast ice modeling can only verified in comparison to observed data. I have extracted landfast sea ice data of several decades from several sources to create a landfast sea ice climatology that can be used for that purpose. Statistical analysis of the data shows several factors that significantly influence landfast ice distribution: distance from the coastline, ocean depth, as
Cruise to the Chukchi Borderland, Arctic Ocean
Grantz, Arthur; ,
1993-01-01
Oceanography and geology were the principal focuses of the U.S. Geological Survey-sponsored expedition Arctic Summer West '92, which traveled to the eastern part of the Chukchi Borderland of the Amerasia Basin, western Arctic Ocean. The expedition took place from August 20 to September 25, 1992, aboard the Coast Guard cutter Polar Star. USGS investigated the geologic framework and tectonic origin of the borderland, Arctic Quaternary paleoclimate, sea-ice transport of particulate matter in the Beaufort Gyre, and possible radionuclide contamination of the water column and seafloor off Alaska from sources in the Russian Arctic. Researchers from five other institutions studied the area's oceanography, age of the water column, paleoenvironment of the Holocene sediment, physical properties and synthetic-aperture radar backscatter of sea ice, and the drop-stone content of late Quaternary sediment.
Summer Arctic ice concentrations and characteristics from SAR and SSM/I data
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Comiso, Joey C.; Kwok, Ron
1993-01-01
The extent and concentration of the Summer minima provide indirect information about the long term ability of the perennial portion of the ice pack to survive the Arctic atmosphere and ocean system. Both active and passive microwave data were used with some success for monitoring the ice cover during the Summer, but they both suffer from similar problems caused by the presence of meltponding, surface wetness, flooding, and freeze/thaw cycles associated with periodic changes in surface air temperatures. A comparative analysis of ice conditions in the Arctic region using coregistered ERS-1 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave/Imager) data was made. The analysis benefits from complementary information from the two systems, the good spatial resolution of SAR data, and the good time resolution of and global coverage by SSM/I data. The results show that in many areas ice concentrations derived from SAR data are significantly different (usually higher) than those derived from passive microwave data. Additional insights about surface conditions can be inferred depending on the nature of the discrepancies.
Tipping elements in the Arctic marine ecosystem.
Duarte, Carlos M; Agustí, Susana; Wassmann, Paul; Arrieta, Jesús M; Alcaraz, Miquel; Coello, Alexandra; Marbà, Núria; Hendriks, Iris E; Holding, Johnna; García-Zarandona, Iñigo; Kritzberg, Emma; Vaqué, Dolors
2012-02-01
The Arctic marine ecosystem contains multiple elements that present alternative states. The most obvious of which is an Arctic Ocean largely covered by an ice sheet in summer versus one largely devoid of such cover. Ecosystems under pressure typically shift between such alternative states in an abrupt, rather than smooth manner, with the level of forcing required for shifting this status termed threshold or tipping point. Loss of Arctic ice due to anthropogenic climate change is accelerating, with the extent of Arctic sea ice displaying increased variance at present, a leading indicator of the proximity of a possible tipping point. Reduced ice extent is expected, in turn, to trigger a number of additional tipping elements, physical, chemical, and biological, in motion, with potentially large impacts on the Arctic marine ecosystem.
Observations of brine plumes below melting Arctic sea ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Peterson, Algot K.
2018-02-01
In sea ice, interconnected pockets and channels of brine are surrounded by fresh ice. Over time, brine is lost by gravity drainage and flushing. The timing of salt release and its interaction with the underlying water can impact subsequent sea ice melt. Turbulence measurements 1 m below melting sea ice north of Svalbard reveal anticorrelated heat and salt fluxes. From the observations, 131 salty plumes descending from the warm sea ice are identified, confirming previous observations from a Svalbard fjord. The plumes are likely triggered by oceanic heat through bottom melt. Calculated over a composite plume, oceanic heat and salt fluxes during the plumes account for 6 and 9 % of the total fluxes, respectively, while only lasting in total 0.5 % of the time. The observed salt flux accumulates to 7.6 kg m-2, indicating nearly full desalination of the ice. Bulk salinity reduction between two nearby ice cores agrees with accumulated salt fluxes to within a factor of 2. The increasing fraction of younger, more saline ice in the Arctic suggests an increase in desalination processes with the transition to the new Arctic
.
Future Interannual Variability of Arctic Sea Ice Area and its Implications for Marine Navigation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vavrus, S. J.; Mioduszewski, J.; Holland, M. M.; Wang, M.; Landrum, L.
2016-12-01
As both a symbol and driver of ongoing climate change, the diminishing Arctic sea ice pack has been widely studied in a variety of contexts. Most research, however, has focused on time-mean changes in sea ice, rather than on short-term variations that also have important physical and societal consequences. In this study we test the hypothesis that interannual Arctic sea ice variability will increase in the future by utilizing a set of 40 independent simulations from the Community Earth System Model's Large Ensemble for the 1920-2100 period. The model projects that ice variability will indeed grow substantially in all months but with a strong seasonal dependence in magnitude and timing. The variability increases most during late autumn (November-December) and least during spring. This increase proceeds in a time-transgressive manner over the course of the year, peaking soonest (2020s) in late-summer months and latest (2090s) during late spring. The variability in every month is inversely correlated with the average melt rate, resulting in an eventual decline in both terms as the ice pack becomes seasonal by late century. These projected changes in sea ice variations will likely have significant consequences for marine navigation, which we assess with the empirical Ice Numeral (IN) metric. A function of ice concentration and thickness, the IN quantifies the difficulty in traversing a transect of sea ice-covered ocean as a function of vessel strength. Our results show that although increasingly open Arctic seas will mean generally more favorable conditions for navigation, the concurrent rise in the variability of ice cover poses a competing risk. In particular, future intervals featuring the most rapid declines in ice area that coincide with the highest interannual ice variations will offer more inviting shipping opportunities tempered by less predictable navigational conditions.
Impacts of Changed Extratropical Storm Tracks on Arctic Sea Ice Export through Fram Strait
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wei, J.; Zhang, X.; Wang, Z.
2017-12-01
Studies have indicated a poleward shift of extratropical storm tracks and intensification of Arctic storm activities, in particular on the North Atlantic side of the Arctic Ocean. To improve understanding of dynamic effect on changes in Arctic sea ice mass balance, we examined the impacts of the changed storm tracks and activities on Arctic sea ice export through Fram Strait through ocean-sea ice model simulations. The model employed is the high-resolution Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm), which was forced by the Japanese 25-year Reanalysis (JRA-25) dataset. The results show that storm-induced strong northerly wind stress can cause simultaneous response of daily sea ice export and, in turn, exert cumulative effects on interannual variability and long-term changes of sea ice export. Further analysis indicates that storm impact on sea ice export is spatially dependent. The storms occurring southeast of Fram Strait exhibit the largest impacts. The weakened intensity of winter storms in this region after 1994/95 could be responsible for the decrease of total winter sea ice export during the same time period.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kamal, S.; Maslowski, W.; Roberts, A.; Osinski, R.; Cassano, J. J.; Seefeldt, M. W.
2017-12-01
The Regional Arctic system model has been developed and used to advance the current state of Arctic modeling and increase the skill of sea ice forecast. RASM is a fully coupled, limited-area model that includes the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, land hydrology and runoff routing components and the flux coupler to exchange information among them. Boundary conditions are derived from NCEP Climate Forecasting System Reanalyses (CFSR) or Era Iterim (ERA-I) for hindcast simulations or from NCEP Coupled Forecast System Model version 2 (CFSv2) for seasonal forecasts. We have used RASM to produce sea ice forecasts for September 2016 and 2017, in contribution to the Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) of the Sea Ice Prediction Network (SIPN). Each year, we produced three SIOs for the September minimum, initialized on June 1, July 1 and August 1. In 2016, predictions used a simple linear regression model to correct for systematic biases and included the mean September sea ice extent, the daily minimum and the week of the minimum. In 2017, we produced a 12-member ensemble on June 1 and July 1, and 28-member ensemble August 1. The predictions of September 2017 included the pan-Arctic and regional Alaskan sea ice extent, daily and monthly mean pan-Arctic maps of sea ice probability, concentration and thickness. No bias correction was applied to the 2017 forecasts. Finally, we will also discuss future plans for RASM forecasts, which include increased resolution for model components, ecosystem predictions with marine biogeochemistry extensions (mBGC) to the ocean and sea ice components, and feasibility of optional boundary conditions using the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM).
Impacts of extratropical storm tracks on Arctic sea ice export through Fram Strait
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wei, Jianfen; Zhang, Xiangdong; Wang, Zhaomin
2018-05-01
Studies have indicated regime shifts in atmospheric circulation, and associated changes in extratropical storm tracks and Arctic storm activity, in particular on the North Atlantic side of the Arctic Ocean. To improve understanding of changes in Arctic sea ice mass balance, we examined the impacts of the changed storm tracks and cyclone activity on Arctic sea ice export through Fram Strait by using a high resolution global ocean-sea ice model, MITgcm-ECCO2. The model was forced by the Japanese 25-year Reanalysis (JRA-25) dataset. The results show that storm-induced strong northerly wind stress can cause simultaneous response of daily sea ice export and, in turn, exert cumulative effects on interannual variability and long-term changes of sea ice export. Further analysis indicates that storm impact on sea ice export is spatially dependent. The storms occurring southeast of Fram Strait exhibit the largest impacts. The weakened intensity of winter (in this study winter is defined as October-March and summer as April-September) storms in this region after 1994/95 could be responsible for the decrease of total winter sea ice export during the same time period.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gemery, Laura; Cronin, Thomas M.; Poirier, Robert K.; Pearce, Christof; Barrientos, Natalia; O'Regan, Matt; Johansson, Carina; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Jakobsson, Martin
2017-11-01
Late Quaternary paleoceanographic changes at the Lomonosov Ridge, central Arctic Ocean, were reconstructed from a multicore and gravity core recovered during the 2014 SWERUS-C3 Expedition. Ostracode assemblages dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) indicate changing sea-ice conditions and warm Atlantic Water (AW) inflow to the Arctic Ocean from ˜ 50 ka to present. Key taxa used as environmental indicators include Acetabulastoma arcticum (perennial sea ice), Polycope spp. (variable sea-ice margins, high surface productivity), Krithe hunti (Arctic Ocean deep water), and Rabilimis mirabilis (water mass change/AW inflow). Results indicate periodic seasonally sea-ice-free conditions during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 ( ˜ 57-29 ka), rapid deglacial changes in water mass conditions (15-11 ka), seasonally sea-ice-free conditions during the early Holocene ( ˜ 10-7 ka) and perennial sea ice during the late Holocene. Comparisons with faunal records from other cores from the Mendeleev and Lomonosov ridges suggest generally similar patterns, although sea-ice cover during the Last Glacial Maximum may have been less extensive at the new Lomonosov Ridge core site ( ˜ 85.15° N, 152° E) than farther north and towards Greenland. The new data provide evidence for abrupt, large-scale shifts in ostracode species depth and geographical distributions during rapid climatic transitions.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gerland, S.; Rösel, A.; King, J.; Spreen, G.; Divine, D.; Eltoft, T.; Gallet, J. C.; Hudson, S. R.; Itkin, P.; Krumpen, T.; Liston, G. E.; Merkouriadi, I.; Negrel, J.; Nicolaus, M.; Polashenski, C.; Assmy, P.; Barber, D. G.; Duarte, P.; Doulgeris, A. P.; Haas, C.; Hughes, N.; Johansson, M.; Meier, W.; Perovich, D. K.; Provost, C.; Richter-Menge, J.; Skourup, H.; Wagner, P.; Wilkinson, J.; Granskog, M. A.; Steen, H.
2016-12-01
Sea-ice thickness is a crucial parameter to consider when assessing the status of Arctic sea ice, whether for environmental management, monitoring projects, or regional or pan-arctic assessments. Modern satellite remote sensing techniques allow us to monitor ice extent and to estimate sea-ice thickness changes; but accurate quantifications of sea-ice thickness distribution rely on in situ and airborne surveys. From January to June 2015, an international expedition (N-ICE2015) took place in the Arctic Ocean north of Svalbard, with the Norwegian research vessel RV Lance frozen into drifting sea ice. In total, four drifts, with four different floes were made during that time. Sea-ice and snow thickness measurements were conducted on all main ice types present in the region, first year ice, multiyear ice, and young ice. Measurement methods included ground and helicopter based electromagnetic surveys, drillings, hot-wire installations, snow-sonde transects, snow stakes, and ice mass balance and snow buoys. Ice thickness distributions revealed modal thicknesses in spring between 1.6 and 1.7 m, which is lower than reported for the region from comparable studies in 2009 (2.4 m) and 2011 (1.8 m). Knowledge about the ice thickness distribution in a region is crucial to the understanding of climate processes, and also relevant to other disciplines. Sea-ice thickness data collected during N-ICE2015 can also give us insights into how ice and snow thicknesses affect ecosystem processes. In this presentation, we will explore the influence of snow cover and ocean properties on ice thickness, and the role of sea-ice thickness in air-ice-ocean interactions. We will also demonstrate how information about ice thickness aids classification of different sea ice types from SAR satellite remote sensing, which has real-world applications for shipping and ice forecasting, and how sea ice thickness data contributes to climate assessments.
Quantifying model uncertainty in seasonal Arctic sea-ice forecasts
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Blanchard-Wrigglesworth, Edward; Barthélemy, Antoine; Chevallier, Matthieu; Cullather, Richard; Fučkar, Neven; Massonnet, François; Posey, Pamela; Wang, Wanqiu; Zhang, Jinlun; Ardilouze, Constantin; Bitz, Cecilia; Vernieres, Guillaume; Wallcraft, Alan; Wang, Muyin
2017-04-01
Dynamical model forecasts in the Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) of September Arctic sea-ice extent over the last decade have shown lower skill than that found in both idealized model experiments and hindcasts of previous decades. Additionally, it is unclear how different model physics, initial conditions or post-processing techniques contribute to SIO forecast uncertainty. In this work, we have produced a seasonal forecast of 2015 Arctic summer sea ice using SIO dynamical models initialized with identical sea-ice thickness in the central Arctic. Our goals are to calculate the relative contribution of model uncertainty and irreducible error growth to forecast uncertainty and assess the importance of post-processing, and to contrast pan-Arctic forecast uncertainty with regional forecast uncertainty. We find that prior to forecast post-processing, model uncertainty is the main contributor to forecast uncertainty, whereas after forecast post-processing forecast uncertainty is reduced overall, model uncertainty is reduced by an order of magnitude, and irreducible error growth becomes the main contributor to forecast uncertainty. While all models generally agree in their post-processed forecasts of September sea-ice volume and extent, this is not the case for sea-ice concentration. Additionally, forecast uncertainty of sea-ice thickness grows at a much higher rate along Arctic coastlines relative to the central Arctic ocean. Potential ways of offering spatial forecast information based on the timescale over which the forecast signal beats the noise are also explored.
Controls on Arctic sea ice from first-year and multi-year survival rates
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Hunke, Jes
2009-01-01
The recent decrease in Arctic sea ice cover has transpired with a significant loss of multi year ice. The transition to an Arctic that is populated by thinner first year sea ice has important implications for future trends in area and volume. Here we develop a reduced model for Arctic sea ice with which we investigate how the survivability of first year and multi year ice control the mean state, variability, and trends in ice area and volume.
Aspmo, Katrine; Temme, Christian; Berg, Torunn; Ferrari, Christophe; Gauchard, L Pierre-Alexis; Fain, Xavier; Wibetoe, Grethe
2006-07-01
Atmospheric mercury speciation measurements were performed during a 10 week Arctic summer expedition in the North Atlantic Ocean onboard the German research vessel RV Polarstern between June 15 and August 29, 2004. This expedition covered large areas of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans between latitudes 54 degrees N and 85 degrees N and longitudes 16 degrees W and 16 degrees E. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and mercury associated with particles (Hg-P) were measured during this study. In addition, total mercury in surface snow and meltwater ponds located on sea ice floes was measured. GEM showed a homogeneous distribution over the open North Atlantic Ocean (median 1.53 +/- 0.12 ng/m3), which is in contrast to the higher concentrations of GEM observed over sea ice (median 1.82 +/- 0.24 ng/m3). It is hypothesized that this results from either (re-) emission of mercury contained in snow and ice surfaces that was previously deposited during atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDE) in the spring or evasion from the ocean due to increased reduction potential at high latitudes during Arctic summer. Measured concentrations of total mercury in surface snow and meltwater ponds were low (all samples <10 ng/L), indicating that marginal accumulation of mercury occurs in these environmental compartments. Results also reveal low concentrations of RGM and Hg-P without a significant diurnal variability. These results indicate that the production and deposition of these reactive mercury species do not significantly contribute to the atmospheric mercury cycle in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Arctic summer.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Eicken, H.; Bitz, C. M.; Gascard, J.; Kaminski, T.; Karcher, M. J.; Kauker, F.; Overland, J. E.; Stroeve, J. C.; Wiggins, H. V.
2013-12-01
Rapid Arctic environmental and socio-economic change presents major challenges and opportunities to Arctic residents, government agencies and the private sector. The Arctic Ocean and its ice cover, in particular, are in the midst of transformative change, ranging from declines in sea-ice thickness and summer ice extent to threats to coastal communities and increases in maritime traffic and offshore resource development. The US interagency Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) and the European Arctic Climate Change, Economy and Society (ACCESS) project are addressing both scientific research needs and stakeholder information priorities to improve understanding and responses to Arctic change. Capacity building, coordination and integration of activities at the international level and across sectors and stakeholder groups are major challenges that have to be met. ACCESS and SEARCH build on long-standing collaborations with a focus on environmental change in the Arctic ocean-ice-atmosphere system and the most pressing research needs to inform marine policy, resource management and threats to Arctic coastal communities. To illustrate the approach, key results and major conclusions from this international coordination and collaboration effort, we focus on a nascent sea-ice prediction research network. This activity builds on the Arctic Sea Ice Outlook that was initiated by SEARCH and the European DAMOCLES project (a precursor to ACCESS) and has now grown into an international community of practice that synthesizes, evaluates and discusses sea-ice predictions on seasonal to interannual scales. Key goals of the effort which is now entering into a new phase include the comparative evaluation of different prediction approaches, including the combination of different techniques, the compilation of reference datasets and model output, guidance on the design and implementation of observing system efforts to improve predictions and information transfer into private
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bliss, A. C.; Anderson, M. R.
2011-12-01
Little research has gone into studying the concurrent variations in the annual loss of continental snow cover and sea ice extent across the land-ocean boundary, however, the analysis of these data averaged spatially over three study regions located in North America and Eastern and Western Russia, reveals a distinct difference in the response of anomalous snow and sea ice conditions to the atmospheric forcing. This study compares the monthly continental snow cover and sea ice extent loss in the Arctic, during the melt season months (May-August) for the period 1979-2007, with regional atmospheric conditions known to influence summer melt including: mean sea level pressures, 925 hPa air temperatures, and mean 2 m U and V wind vectors from NCEP/DOE Reanalysis 2. The monthly hemispheric snow cover extent data used are from the Rutgers University Global Snow Lab and sea ice extents for this study are derived from the monthly passive microwave satellite Bootstrap algorithm sea ice concentrations available from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Three case study years (1985, 1996, and 2007) are used to compare the direct response of monthly anomalous sea ice and snow cover areal extents to monthly mean atmospheric forcing averaged spatially over the extent of each study region. This comparison is then expanded for all summer months over the 29 year study period where the monthly persistence of sea ice and snow cover extent anomalies and changes in the sea ice and snow conditions under differing atmospheric conditions are explored further. The monthly anomalous atmospheric conditions are classified into four categories including: warmer temperatures with higher pressures, warmer temperatures with lower pressures, cooler temperatures with higher pressures, and cooler temperatures with lower pressures. Analysis of the atmospheric conditions surrounding anomalous loss of snow and ice cover over the independent study regions indicates that conditions of warmer temperatures
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Guest, P. S.; Persson, O. P. G.; Blomquist, B.; Fairall, C. W.
2016-02-01
"Background" stability refers to the effect of vertical virtual temperature variations above the surface layer on fluxes within the surface layer. This is different from the classical surface layer stability quantified by the Obhukhov length scale. In most locations, changes in the background stability do not have a significant direct impact on surface fluxes. However in polar regions, where there is usually a strong low-level temperature inversion capping the boundary layer, changes in background stability can have big impacts on surface fluxes. Therefore, in the Arctic, there is potential for a positive feedback effect between ice cover and surface wind speed (and momentum flux) due to the background stability effects. As the surface becomes more ice free, heat fluxes from the surface weaken the temperature inversion which in turn increases the surface wind speed which further increases the surface turbulent heat fluxes and removes more sea ice by melting or advection. It is not clear how important feedbacks involving the background stability are during the fall freeze up of the Arctic Ocean; that will be the focus of this study. As part of an ONR-sponsored cruise in the fall of 2015 to examine sea state and boundary layer processes in the Beaufort Sea on the R/V Sikuliaq, the authors will perform a variety of surface layer and upper level atmospheric measurements of temperature, humidity and wind vector using ship platform instruments, radiosonde weather balloons, tethered balloons, kites, and miniature quad-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles. In addition, the authors will deploy a full suite of turbulent and radiational flux measurements from the vessel. These measurements will be used to quantify the impact of changing surface conditions on atmospheric structure and vice-versa. The goal is to directly observe how the surface and atmosphere above the surface layer interact and feedback with each other through radiational and turbulent fluxes.
Influence of the sea-ice edge on the Arctic nearshore environment
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barnhart, K. R.; Overeem, I.; Anderson, R. S.
2013-12-01
Coasts form the dynamic interface of the terrestrial and oceanic systems. In the Arctic, and in much of the world, the coast is a zone of relatively high population, infrastructure, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. A significant difference between Arctic and temperate coasts is the presence of sea ice. Sea ice influences Arctic coasts in two main ways: (1) the length of the sea ice-free season controls the length of time over which nearshore water can interact with the land, and (2) the sea ice edge controls the fetch over which storm winds can blow over open water, resulting in changes in nearshore water level and wave field. The resulting nearshore hydrodynamic environment impacts all aspects of the coastal system. Here, we use satellite records of sea ice along with a simple model for wind-driven storm surge and waves to document how changes in the length and character of the sea ice-free season have impacted the nearshore hydrodynamic environment. For our sea ice analysis we primarily use the Bootstrap Sea Ice Concentrations from Nimbus-7 SMMR and DMSP SSM/I-SSMIS. We make whole-Arctic maps of sea ice change in the coastal zone. In addition to evaluating changes in length of the sea ice-free season at the coast, we look at changes segmented by azimuth. This allows us to consider changes in the sea ice in the context of the wind field. For our storm surge and wave field analysis we focus on the Beaufort Sea region. This region has experienced some of the greatest changes in both sea ice cover and coastal erosion rates in the Arctic and is anticipated to experience significant change in the future. In addition, the NOAA ESRL GMD has observed the wind field at Barrow since extends to 1977. In our past work on the rapid and accelerating coastal erosion, we have shown that one may model storm surge with a 2D numerical bathystrophic model, and that waves are well represented by the Shore Protection Manual methods for shallow-water fetch-limited waves. We use
Sea ice occurrence predicts genetic isolation in the Arctic fox.
Geffen, Eli; Waidyaratne, Sitara; Dalén, Love; Angerbjörn, Anders; Vila, Carles; Hersteinsson, Pall; Fuglei, Eva; White, Paula A; Goltsman, Michael; Kapel, Christian M O; Wayne, Robert K
2007-10-01
Unlike Oceanic islands, the islands of the Arctic Sea are not completely isolated from migration by terrestrial vertebrates. The pack ice connects many Arctic Sea islands to the mainland during winter months. The Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), which has a circumpolar distribution, populates numerous islands in the Arctic Sea. In this study, we used genetic data from 20 different populations, spanning the entire distribution of the Arctic fox, to identify barriers to dispersal. Specifically, we considered geographical distance, occurrence of sea ice, winter temperature, ecotype, and the presence of red fox and polar bear as nonexclusive factors that influence the dispersal behaviour of individuals. Using distance-based redundancy analysis and the BIOENV procedure, we showed that occurrence of sea ice is the key predictor and explained 40-60% of the genetic distance among populations. In addition, our analysis identified the Commander and Pribilof Islands Arctic populations as genetically unique suggesting they deserve special attention from a conservation perspective.
Mapping the future expansion of Arctic open water
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barnhart, Katherine R.; Miller, Christopher R.; Overeem, Irina; Kay, Jennifer E.
2016-03-01
Sea ice impacts most of the Arctic environment, from ocean circulation and marine ecosystems to animal migration and marine transportation. Sea ice has thinned and decreased in age over the observational record. Ice extent has decreased. Reduced ice cover has warmed the surface ocean, accelerated coastal erosion and impacted biological productivity. Declines in Arctic sea-ice extent cannot be explained by internal climate variability alone and can be attributed to anthropogenic effects. However, extent is a poor measure of ice decline at specific locations as it integrates over the entire Arctic basin and thus contains no spatial information. The open water season, in contrast, is a metric that represents the duration of open water over a year at an individual location. Here we present maps of the open water season over the period 1920-2100 using daily output from a 30-member initial-condition ensemble of business-as-usual climate simulations that characterize the expansion of Arctic open water, determine when the open water season will move away from pre-industrial conditions (`shift’ time) and identify when human forcing will take the Arctic sea-ice system outside its normal bounds (`emergence’ time). The majority of the Arctic nearshore regions began shifting in 1990 and will begin leaving the range of internal variability in 2040. Models suggest that ice will cover coastal regions for only half of the year by 2070.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shen, Yuan; Benner, Ronald; Kaiser, Karl; Fichot, Cédric G.; Whitledge, Terry E.
2018-02-01
Rapid environmental changes in the Arctic Ocean affect plankton productivity and the bioavailability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) that supports microbial food webs. We report concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and yields of amino acids (indicators of labile DOM) in surface waters across major Arctic margins. Concentrations of DOC and bioavailability of DOM showed large pan-Arctic variability that corresponded to varying hydrological conditions and ecosystem productivity, respectively. Widespread hot spots of labile DOM were observed over productive inflow shelves (Chukchi and Barents Seas), in contrast to oligotrophic interior margins (Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Beaufort Seas). Amino acid yields in outflow gateways (Canadian Archipelago and Baffin Bay) indicated the prevalence of semilabile DOM in sea ice covered regions and sporadic production of labile DOM in ice-free waters. Comparing these observations with surface circulation patterns indicated varying shelf subsidies of bioavailable DOM to Arctic deep basins.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feltham, D. L.; Heorton, H. D.; Tsamados, M.
2016-12-01
The spatial distribution of Arctic sea ice arises from its deformation, driven by external momentum forcing, thermodynamic growth and melt. The deformation of Arctic sea ice is observed to have structural alignment on a broad range of length scales. By considering the alignment of diamond-shaped sea ice floes, an anisotropic rheology (known as the Elastic Anisotropic Plastic, EAP, rheology) has been developed for use in a climate sea ice model. Here we present investigations into the role of anisotropy in determining the internal ice stress gradient and the complete force balance of Arctic sea ice using a state-of-the-art climate sea ice model. Our investigations are focused on the link between external imposed dynamical forcing, predominantly the wind stress, and the emergent properties of sea ice, including its drift speed and thickness distribution. We analyse the characteristics of deformation events for different sea ice states and anisotropic alignment over different regions of the Arctic Ocean. We present the full seasonal stress balance and sea ice state over the Arctic ocean. We have performed 10 km basin-scale simulations over a 30-year time scale, and 2 km and 500 m resolution simulations in an idealised configuration. The anisotropic EAP sea ice rheology gives higher shear stresses than the more customary isotropic EVP rheology, and these reduce ice drift speed and mechanical thickening, particularly important in the Archipelago. In the central Arctic the circulation of sea ice is reduced allowing it to grow thicker thermodynamically. The emergent stress-strain rate correlations from the EAP model suggest that it is possible to characterise the internal ice stresses of Arctic sea ice from observable basin-wide deformation and drift patterns.
Oceanographic Aspects of Recent Changes in the Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Morison, J. H.
2002-12-01
In the Arctic recent decadal-scale changes have marked the atmosphere, ocean, and land. Connections between the oceanographic changes and large-scale atmospheric circulation changes are emerging. Surface atmospheric pressure has shown a declining trend over the Arctic. In the 1990s, the Arctic Ocean circulation took on a more cyclonic character, and the front separating Atlantic-derived waters of the Eurasian Basin and the Pacific-derived waters of the Canadian Basin shifted counterclockwise. The temperature of Atlantic water in the Arctic Ocean reached record levels. The cold halocline, which isolates the surface from the warm Atlantic water, grew thinner disappearing entirely from the Amundsen Basin at one point [Steele and Boyd, 1998]. Arctic sea ice extent has decreased 3% per decade since the 1970s [Parkinson et al., 1999]. Sea ice thickness over much of the Arctic decreased 43% between 1958-1976 and 1993-1997 [Rothrock et al., 1999]. Arctic ecosystems have responded to these changes. Sea ice studies in the late 1990s indicate that the sea ice algal species composition changed from decades before, with the species recently being characterized by more brackish and freshwater forms. Barents Sea fisheries have shifted north following reductions in ice extent. Pacific salmon species have been found entering rivers in the Arctic. There is evidence that this complex of pan-Arctic changes is connected with the rising trend in the Arctic Oscillation (AO) or Northern Hemisphere atmospheric polar vortex in the 1990s. Theoretical evidence that a positive trend in the AO index might be indicative of greenhouse warming raises the possibility that the recent complex of changes is an Arctic characteristic of global climate change. Also, the changes in ice cover manifest a connection between the complex of change and global climate through ice-albedo feedback, by which reductions in ice cover reduce the amount of sunlight reflected from the earth's surface. Another important
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hatam, I.; Beckers, J. F.; Haas, C.; Lanoil, B. D.
2014-12-01
The Arctic sea ice composition is shifting from predominantly thick perennial ice (multiyear ice -MYI) to thinner, seasonal ice (first year ice -FYI). The effects of the shift on the Arctic ecosystem and macro-organisms of the Arctic Ocean have been the focus of many studies and have also been extensively debated in the public domain. The effect of this shift on the microbial constituents of the Arctic sea ice has been grossly understudied, although it is a vast habitat for a microbial community that plays a key role in the biogeochemical cycles and energy flux of the Arctic Ocean. MYI and FYI differ in many chemical and physical attributes (e.g. bulk salinity, brine volume, thickness and age), therefore comparing and contrasting the structure and composition of microbial communities from both ice types will be crucial to our understanding of the challenges that the Arctic Ocean ecosystem faces as MYI cover continues to decline. Here, we contend that due to the differences in abiotic conditions, differences in bacterial community structure will be greater between samples from different ice types than within samples from the same ice type. We also argue that since FYI is younger, its community structure will be closer to that of the surface sea water (SW). To test this hypotheses, we extracted DNA and used high throughput sequencing to sequence V1-V3 regions of the bacterial 16s rRNA gene from 10 sea ice samples (5 for each ice type) and 4 surface sea water (SW) collected off the shore of Northern Ellesmere Island, NU, CAN, during the month of May from 2010-2012. Our results showed that observed richness was higher in FYI than MYI. FYI and MYI shared 26% and 36% of their observed richness respectively. While FYI shared 23% of its observed richness with SW, MYI only shared 17%. Both ice types showed similar levels of endemism (61% of the observed richness). This high level of endemism results in the grouping of microbial communities from MYI, FYI, and SW to three
A Meteoric Water Budget for the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Alkire, Matthew B.; Morison, James; Schweiger, Axel; Zhang, Jinlun; Steele, Michael; Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Dickinson, Suzanne
2017-12-01
A budget of meteoric water (MW = river runoff, net precipitation minus evaporation, and glacial meltwater) over four regions of the Arctic Ocean is constructed using a simple box model, regional precipitation-evaporation estimates from reanalysis data sets, and estimates of import and export fluxes derived from the literature with a focus on the 2003-2008 period. The budget indicates an approximate/slightly positive balance between MW imports and exports (i.e., no change in storage); thus, the observed total freshwater increase observed during this time period likely resulted primarily from changes in non-MW freshwater components (i.e., increases in sea ice melt or Pacific water and/or a decrease in ice export). Further, our analysis indicates that the MW increase observed in the Canada Basin resulted from a spatial redistribution of MW over the Arctic Ocean. Mean residence times for MW were estimated for the Western Arctic (5-7 years), Eastern Arctic (3-4 years), and Lincoln Sea (1-2 years). The MW content over the Siberian shelves was estimated (˜14,000 km3) based on a residence time of 3.5 years. The MW content over the entire Arctic Ocean was estimated to be ≥44,000 km3. The MW export through Fram Strait consisted mostly of water from the Eastern Arctic (3,237 ± 1,370 km3 yr-1) whereas the export through the Canadian Archipelago was nearly equally derived from both the Western Arctic (1,182 ± 534 km3 yr-1) and Lincoln Sea (972 ± 391 km3 yr-1).
The Last Arctic Sea Ice Refuge
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pfirman, S. L.; Tremblay, B.; Newton, R.; Fowler, C.
2010-12-01
Summer sea ice may persist along the northern flank of Canada and Greenland for decades longer than the rest of the Arctic, raising the possibility of a naturally formed refugium for ice-associated species. Observations and models indicate that some ice in this region forms locally, while some is transported to the area by winds and ocean currents. Depending on future changes in melt patterns and sea ice transport rates, both the central Arctic and Siberian shelf seas may be sources of ice to the region. An international system of monitoring and management of the sea ice refuge, along with the ice source regions, has the potential to maintain viable habitat for ice-associated species, including polar bears, for decades into the future. Issues to consider in developing a strategy include: + the likely duration and extent of summer sea ice in this region based on observations, models and paleoenvironmental information + the extent and characteristics of the “ice shed” contributing sea ice to the refuge, including its dynamics, physical and biological characteristics as well as potential for contamination from local or long-range sources + likely assemblages of ice-associated species and their habitats + potential stressors such as transportation, tourism, resource extraction, contamination + policy, governance, and development issues including management strategies that could maintain the viability of the refuge.
High Arctic sea ice conditions influence marine birds wintering in Low Arctic regions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McFarlane Tranquilla, Laura; Hedd, April; Burke, Chantelle; Montevecchi, William A.; Regular, Paul M.; Robertson, Gregory J.; Stapleton, Leslie Ann; Wilhelm, Sabina I.; Fifield, David A.; Buren, Alejandro D.
2010-09-01
Ocean climate change is having profound biological effects in polar regions. Such change can also have far-reaching downstream effects in sub-polar regions. This study documents an environmental relationship between High Arctic sea ice changes and mortality events of marine birds in Low Arctic coastal regions. During April 2007 and March 2009, hundreds of beached seabird carcasses and moribund seabirds were found along the east and northeast coasts of Newfoundland, Canada. These seabird "wrecks" (i.e. dead birds on beaches) coincided with a period of strong, persistent onshore winds and heavily-accumulated sea ice that blocked bays and trapped seabirds near beaches. Ninety-two percent of wreck seabirds were Thick-billed Murres ( Uria lomvia). Body condition and demographic patterns of wreck murres were compared to Thick-billed Murres shot in the Newfoundland murre hunt. Average body and pectoral masses of wreck carcasses were 34% and 40% lighter (respectively) than shot murres, indicating that wreck birds had starved. The acute nature of each wreck suggested that starvation and associated hypothermia occurred within 2-3 days. In 2007, first-winter murres (77%) dominated the wreck. In 2009, there were more adults (78%), mostly females (66%). These results suggest that spatial and temporal segregation in ages and sexes can play a role in differential survival when stochastic weather conditions affect discrete areas where these groups aggregate. In wreck years, southward movement of Arctic sea ice to Low Arctic latitudes was later and blocked bays longer than in most other years. These inshore conditions corresponded with recent climate-driven changes in High Arctic ice break-up and ice extent; coupled with local weather conditions, these ice conditions appeared to be the key environmental features that precipitated the ice-associated seabird wrecks in the Low Arctic region.
Lange, Benjamin A; Flores, Hauke; Michel, Christine; Beckers, Justin F; Bublitz, Anne; Casey, John Alec; Castellani, Giulia; Hatam, Ido; Reppchen, Anke; Rudolph, Svenja A; Haas, Christian
2017-11-01
There is mounting evidence that multiyear ice (MYI) is a unique component of the Arctic Ocean and may play a more important ecological role than previously assumed. This study improves our understanding of the potential of MYI as a suitable habitat for sea ice algae on a pan-Arctic scale. We sampled sea ice cores from MYI and first-year sea ice (FYI) within the Lincoln Sea during four consecutive spring seasons. This included four MYI hummocks with a mean chl a biomass of 2.0 mg/m 2 , a value significantly higher than FYI and MYI refrozen ponds. Our results support the hypothesis that MYI hummocks can host substantial ice-algal biomass and represent a reliable ice-algal habitat due to the (quasi-) permanent low-snow surface of these features. We identified an ice-algal habitat threshold value for calculated light transmittance of 0.014%. Ice classes and coverage of suitable ice-algal habitat were determined from snow and ice surveys. These ice classes and associated coverage of suitable habitat were applied to pan-Arctic CryoSat-2 snow and ice thickness data products. This habitat classification accounted for the variability of the snow and ice properties and showed an areal coverage of suitable ice-algal habitat within the MYI-covered region of 0.54 million km 2 (8.5% of total ice area). This is 27 times greater than the areal coverage of 0.02 million km 2 (0.3% of total ice area) determined using the conventional block-model classification, which assigns single-parameter values to each grid cell and does not account for subgrid cell variability. This emphasizes the importance of accounting for variable snow and ice conditions in all sea ice studies. Furthermore, our results indicate the loss of MYI will also mean the loss of reliable ice-algal habitat during spring when food is sparse and many organisms depend on ice-algae. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dipre, G.; Polyak, L.; Ortiz, J. D.; Oti, E.; Kuznetsov, A.
2017-12-01
The rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is expected to result in major climatic and hydrographic changes, some of which are already being observed. To better understand these changes, it is necessary to investigate paleoclimatic conditions during times when the Arctic had similarly reduced sea-ice cover. The Pliocene to early Pleistocene period ( 1-5 Ma) may represent the best analog, as the modern Arctic geography had developed with the opening of the Bering Strait (ca. 5-6 Ma), but major Northern Hemisphere glaciations other than Greenland had not fully begun. Here we present an investigation of sediment core HLY0503-03JPC from top of the Northwind Ridge, western Arctic Ocean. This sedimentary record contains uniquely preserved calcareous microfossils through the early Pleistocene according to strontium isotope ages. Based on extrapolation of these ages, the record extends to at least the late Pliocene. We evaluate paleo-sea ice conditions using benthic foraminifera assemblages, similar to a prior study of a nearby core (Polyak et al., 2013), along with physical (sediment optical properties, density, grain size) and chemical (XRF, δ18O, δ13C) proxies to reconstruct paleo-circulation and sediment transport processes. Based on these proxies, the record exhibits a distinct tripartite stratigraphic division. The top unit, recovering the middle to late Quaternary, shows sedimentary impacts of major glaciations and mostly perennial sea ice conditions. The second unit, dated to the early Pleistocene, indicates reduced glacial inputs, mostly seasonal sea ice, and potentially intensified current conditions. Finally, preliminary results for the oldest unit, presumably representing the late Pliocene, suggest a more acidic ocean characterized by low, if any, sea ice presence and increased current activity. As similar conditions (acidification, storminess) are starting to be observed in the changing modern environment, this third unit may provide especially valuable
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Skourup, Henriette; Farrell, Sinéad Louise; Hendricks, Stefan; Ricker, Robert; Armitage, Thomas W. K.; Ridout, Andy; Andersen, Ole Baltazar; Haas, Christian; Baker, Steven
2017-11-01
State-of-the-art Arctic Ocean mean sea surface (MSS) models and global geoid models (GGMs) are used to support sea ice freeboard estimation from satellite altimeters, as well as in oceanographic studies such as mapping sea level anomalies and mean dynamic ocean topography. However, errors in a given model in the high-frequency domain, primarily due to unresolved gravity features, can result in errors in the estimated along-track freeboard. These errors are exacerbated in areas with a sparse lead distribution in consolidated ice pack conditions. Additionally model errors can impact ocean geostrophic currents, derived from satellite altimeter data, while remaining biases in these models may impact longer-term, multisensor oceanographic time series of sea level change in the Arctic. This study focuses on an assessment of five state-of-the-art Arctic MSS models (UCL13/04 and DTU15/13/10) and a commonly used GGM (EGM2008). We describe errors due to unresolved gravity features, intersatellite biases, and remaining satellite orbit errors, and their impact on the derivation of sea ice freeboard. The latest MSS models, incorporating CryoSat-2 sea surface height measurements, show improved definition of gravity features, such as the Gakkel Ridge. The standard deviation between models ranges 0.03-0.25 m. The impact of remaining MSS/GGM errors on freeboard retrieval can reach several decimeters in parts of the Arctic. While the maximum observed freeboard difference found in the central Arctic was 0.59 m (UCL13 MSS minus EGM2008 GGM), the standard deviation in freeboard differences is 0.03-0.06 m.
Arctic Ice-Ocean Coupling and Gyre Equilibration Observed With Remote Sensing
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dewey, Sarah; Morison, James; Kwok, Ronald; Dickinson, Suzanne; Morison, David; Andersen, Roger
2018-02-01
Model and observational evidence has shown that ocean current speeds in the Beaufort Gyre have increased and recently stabilized. Because these currents rival ice drift speeds, we examine the potential for the Beaufort Gyre's shift from a system in which the wind drives the ice and the ice drives a passive ocean to one in which the ocean often, in the absence of high winds, drives the ice. The resultant stress exerted on the ocean by the ice and the resultant Ekman pumping are reversed, without any change in average wind stress curl. Through these curl reversals, the ice-ocean stress provides a key feedback in Beaufort Gyre stabilization. This manuscript constitutes one of the first observational studies of ice-ocean stress inclusive of geostrophic ocean currents, by making use of recently available remote sensing data.
Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl compounds in surface waters from the North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean.
Cai, Minghong; Zhao, Zhen; Yin, Zhigao; Ahrens, Lutz; Huang, Peng; Cai, Minggang; Yang, Haizhen; He, Jianfeng; Sturm, Renate; Ebinghaus, Ralf; Xie, Zhiyong
2012-01-17
Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) were determined in 22 surface water samples (39-76°N) and three sea ice core and snow samples (77-87°N) collected from North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean during the fourth Chinese Arctic Expedition in 2010. Geographically, the average concentration of ∑PFC in surface water samples were 560 ± 170 pg L(-1) for the Northwest Pacific Ocean, 500 ± 170 pg L(-1) for the Arctic Ocean, and 340 ± 130 pg L(-1) for the Bering Sea, respectively. The perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) were the dominant PFC class in the water samples, however, the spatial pattern of PFCs varied. The C(5), C(7) and C(8) PFCAs (i.e., perfluoropentanoate (PFPA), perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA), and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA)) were the dominant PFCs in the Northwest Pacific Ocean while in the Bering Sea the PFPA dominated. The changing in the pattern and concentrations in Pacific Ocean indicate that the PFCs in surface water were influenced by sources from the East-Asian (such as Japan and China) and North American coast, and dilution effect during their transport to the Arctic. The presence of PFCs in the snow and ice core samples indicates an atmospheric deposition of PFCs in the Arctic. The elevated PFC concentration in the Arctic Ocean shows that the ice melting had an impact on the PFC levels and distribution. In addition, the C(4) and C(5) PFCAs (i.e., perfluorobutanoate (PFBA), PFPA) became the dominant PFCs in the Arctic Ocean indicating that PFBA is a marker for sea ice melting as the source of exposure.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nag, Bappaditya
The polar regions of the world constitute an important sector in the global energy balance. Among other effects responsible for the change in the sea-ice cover like ocean circulation and ice-albedo feedback, the cloud-radiation feedback also plays a vital role in modulation of the Arctic environment. However the annual cycle of the clouds is very poorly represented in current global circulation models. This study aimed to explore the atmospheric conditions in the Arctic on an unprecedented spatial coverage spanning 70°N to 80°N through the use of a merged data product, C3MData (derived from NASA's A-Train Series). The following three topics provide outline on how this dataset can be used to accomplish a detailed analysis of the Arctic environment and provide the modelling community with first information to update their models aimed at better forecasts. (1)The three properties of the Arctic climate system to be studied using the C3MData are sea-ice, clouds, and the atmospheric conditions. The first topic is to document the present states of the three properties and also their time evolutions or their seasonal cycles. (2)The second topic is aimed at the interactions or the feedbacks processes among the three properties. For example, the immediate alteration in the fluxes and the feedbacks arising from the change in the sea-ice cover is investigated. Seasonal and regional variations are also studied. (3)The third topics is aimed at the processes in native spatial resolution that drive or accompany with sea ice melting and sea ice growth. Using a composite approach based on a classification due to surface type, it is found that limitation of the water vapour influx from the surface due to change in phase at the surface featuring open oceans or marginal sea-ice cover to complete sea-ice cover is a major determinant in the modulation of the atmospheric moisture. The impact of the cloud-radiative effects in the Arctic is found to vary with sea-ice cover and seasonally
Nature and History of Cenozoic Polar Ice Covers: The Case of the Greenland Ice Sheet
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Spielhagen, R.; Thiede, J.
2009-04-01
-rafting from off NE Greenland, Fram Strait and to the South of Greenland suggest the more or less continous existence of the Greenland ice sheet for the past 18 Mio. years, if not more, a phantastic supplement of the Northern hemisphere glaciation deduced from the ice cores. The dramatic decrease of extent and thickness of the Arctic sea ice cover of the past decades has aroused much public and political interest because of the potentially dramatic consequences for the exploitation of living and non-living resources as well as the socio-economic, technical and commercial systems developed in the Arctic seas and in the permafrost-infested adjacent land areas. The fate of the Greenland ice sheet with its impact on global sea level changes is one of the central unresolved problems. We urgently need novel marine research platforms which allow for an all-season presence of research and monitoring programs as well of scientific drilling programs in the Arctic Ocean.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jensen, M. F.; Nilsson, J.; Nisancioglu, K. H.
2016-02-01
In this study, we develop a simple conceptual model to examine how interactions between sea ice and oceanic heat and freshwater transports affect the stability of an upper-ocean halocline in a semi-enclosed basin. The model represents a sea-ice covered and salinity stratified ocean, and consists of a sea-ice component and a two-layer ocean; a cold, fresh surface layer above a warmer, more saline layer. The sea-ice thickness depends on the atmospheric energy fluxes as well as the ocean heat flux. We introduce a thickness-dependent sea-ice export. Whether sea ice stabilizes or destabilizes against a freshwater perturbation is shown to depend on the representation of the vertical mixing. In a system where the vertical diffusivity is constant, the sea ice acts as a positive feedback on a freshwater perturbation. If the vertical diffusivity is derived from a constant mixing energy constraint, the sea ice acts as a negative feedback. However, both representations lead to a circulation that breaks down when the freshwater input at the surface is small. As a consequence, we get rapid changes in sea ice. In addition to low freshwater forcing, increasing deep-ocean temperatures promote instability and the disappearance of sea ice. Generally, the unstable state is reached before the vertical density difference disappears, and small changes in temperature and freshwater inputs can provoke abrupt changes in sea ice.
The Arctic Summer Cloud-Ocean Study (ASCOS): overview and experimental design
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tjernström, M.; Leck, C.; Birch, C. E.; Brooks, B. J.; Brooks, I. M.; Bäcklin, L.; Chang, R. Y.-W.; Granath, E.; Graus, M.; Hansel, A.; Heintzenberg, J.; Held, A.; Hind, A.; de la Rosa, S.; Johnston, P.; Knulst, J.; de Leeuw, G.; Di Liberto, L.; Martin, M.; Matrai, P. A.; Mauritsen, T.; Müller, M.; Norris, S. J.; Orellana, M. V.; Orsini, D. A.; Paatero, J.; Persson, P. O. G.; Gao, Q.; Rauschenberg, C.; Ristovski, Z.; Sedlar, J.; Shupe, M. D.; Sierau, B.; Sirevaag, A.; Sjogren, S.; Stetzer, O.; Swietlicki, E.; Szczodrak, M.; Vaattovaara, P.; Wahlberg, N.; Westberg, M.; Wheeler, C. R.
2013-05-01
The climate in the Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on Earth. Poorly understood feedback processes relating to Arctic clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions contribute to a poor understanding of the present changes in the Arctic climate system, and also to a large spread in projections of future climate in the Arctic. The problem is exacerbated by the paucity of research-quality observations in the central Arctic. Improved formulations in climate models require such observations, which can only come from measurements in-situ in this difficult to reach region with logistically demanding environmental conditions. The Arctic Summer Cloud-Ocean Study (ASCOS) was the most extensive central Arctic Ocean expedition with an atmospheric focus during the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008. ASCOS focused on the study of the formation and life cycle of low-level Arctic clouds. ASCOS departed from Longyearbyen on Svalbard on 2 August and returned on 9 September 2008. In transit into and out of the pack ice, four short research stations were undertaken in the Fram Strait; two in open water and two in the marginal ice zone. After traversing the pack-ice northward an ice camp was set up on 12 August at 87°21' N 01°29' W and remained in operation through 1 September, drifting with the ice. During this time extensive measurements were taken of atmospheric gas and particle chemistry and physics, mesoscale and boundary-layer meteorology, marine biology and chemistry, and upper ocean physics. ASCOS provides a unique interdisciplinary data set for development and testing of new hypotheses on cloud processes, their interactions with the sea ice and ocean and associated physical, chemical, and biological processes and interactions. For example, the first ever quantitative observation of bubbles in Arctic leads, combined with the unique discovery of marine organic material, polymer gels with an origin in the ocean, inside cloud droplets suggest the possibility of primary
The Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS): overview and experimental design
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tjernström, M.; Leck, C.; Birch, C. E.; Bottenheim, J. W.; Brooks, B. J.; Brooks, I. M.; Bäcklin, L.; Chang, R. Y.-W.; de Leeuw, G.; Di Liberto, L.; de la Rosa, S.; Granath, E.; Graus, M.; Hansel, A.; Heintzenberg, J.; Held, A.; Hind, A.; Johnston, P.; Knulst, J.; Martin, M.; Matrai, P. A.; Mauritsen, T.; Müller, M.; Norris, S. J.; Orellana, M. V.; Orsini, D. A.; Paatero, J.; Persson, P. O. G.; Gao, Q.; Rauschenberg, C.; Ristovski, Z.; Sedlar, J.; Shupe, M. D.; Sierau, B.; Sirevaag, A.; Sjogren, S.; Stetzer, O.; Swietlicki, E.; Szczodrak, M.; Vaattovaara, P.; Wahlberg, N.; Westberg, M.; Wheeler, C. R.
2014-03-01
The climate in the Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on earth. Poorly understood feedback processes relating to Arctic clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions contribute to a poor understanding of the present changes in the Arctic climate system, and also to a large spread in projections of future climate in the Arctic. The problem is exacerbated by the paucity of research-quality observations in the central Arctic. Improved formulations in climate models require such observations, which can only come from measurements in situ in this difficult-to-reach region with logistically demanding environmental conditions. The Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS) was the most extensive central Arctic Ocean expedition with an atmospheric focus during the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008. ASCOS focused on the study of the formation and life cycle of low-level Arctic clouds. ASCOS departed from Longyearbyen on Svalbard on 2 August and returned on 9 September 2008. In transit into and out of the pack ice, four short research stations were undertaken in the Fram Strait: two in open water and two in the marginal ice zone. After traversing the pack ice northward, an ice camp was set up on 12 August at 87°21' N, 01°29' W and remained in operation through 1 September, drifting with the ice. During this time, extensive measurements were taken of atmospheric gas and particle chemistry and physics, mesoscale and boundary-layer meteorology, marine biology and chemistry, and upper ocean physics. ASCOS provides a unique interdisciplinary data set for development and testing of new hypotheses on cloud processes, their interactions with the sea ice and ocean and associated physical, chemical, and biological processes and interactions. For example, the first-ever quantitative observation of bubbles in Arctic leads, combined with the unique discovery of marine organic material, polymer gels with an origin in the ocean, inside cloud droplets suggests the possibility of
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Miller, James R.; Russell, Gary L.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)
2001-01-01
The annual energy budget of the Arctic Ocean is characterized by a net heat loss at the air-sea interface that is balanced by oceanic heat transport into the Arctic. The energy loss at the air-sea interface is due to the combined effects of radiative, sensible, and latent heat fluxes. The inflow of heat by the ocean can be divided into two components: the transport of water masses of different temperatures between the Arctic and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the export of sea ice, primarily through Fram Strait. Two 150-year simulations (1950-2099) of a global climate model are used to examine how this balance might change if atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) increase. One is a control simulation for the present climate with constant 1950 atmospheric composition, and the other is a transient experiment with observed GHGs from 1950 to 1990 and 0.5% annual compounded increases of CO2 after 1990. For the present climate the model agrees well with observations of radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere, atmospheric advective energy transport into the Arctic, and surface air temperature. It also simulates the seasonal cycle and summer increase of cloud cover and the seasonal cycle of sea-ice cover. In addition, the changes in high-latitude surface air temperature and sea-ice cover in the GHG experiment are consistent with observed changes during the last 40 and 20 years, respectively. Relative to the control, the last 50-year period of the GHG experiment indicates that even though the net annual incident solar radiation at the surface decreases by 4.6 W(per square meters) (because of greater cloud cover and increased cloud optical depth), the absorbed solar radiation increases by 2.8 W(per square meters) (because of less sea ice). Increased cloud cover and warmer air also cause increased downward thermal radiation at the surface so that the net radiation into the ocean increases by 5.0 Wm-2. The annual increase in radiation into the ocean, however, is
Seasonal to interannual Arctic sea ice predictability in current global climate models
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tietsche, S.; Day, J. J.; Guemas, V.; Hurlin, W. J.; Keeley, S. P. E.; Matei, D.; Msadek, R.; Collins, M.; Hawkins, E.
2014-02-01
We establish the first intermodel comparison of seasonal to interannual predictability of present-day Arctic climate by performing coordinated sets of idealized ensemble predictions with four state-of-the-art global climate models. For Arctic sea ice extent and volume, there is potential predictive skill for lead times of up to 3 years, and potential prediction errors have similar growth rates and magnitudes across the models. Spatial patterns of potential prediction errors differ substantially between the models, but some features are robust. Sea ice concentration errors are largest in the marginal ice zone, and in winter they are almost zero away from the ice edge. Sea ice thickness errors are amplified along the coasts of the Arctic Ocean, an effect that is dominated by sea ice advection. These results give an upper bound on the ability of current global climate models to predict important aspects of Arctic climate.
Arctic Contribution to Upper-Ocean Variability in the North Atlantic.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Walsh, John E.; Chapman, William L.
1990-12-01
Because much of the deep water of the world's oceans forms in the high-latitude North Atlantic, the potential climatic leverage of salinity and temperature anomalies in this region is large. Substantial variations of sea ice have accompanied North Atlantic salinity and temperature anomalies, especially the extreme and long-lived `Great Salinity Anomaly' of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Atmospheric pressure data are used hem to show that the local forcing of high-latitude North Atlantic Ocean fluctuations is augmented by antecedent atmospheric circulation anomalies over the central Arctic. These circulation anomalies are consistent with enhanced wind-forcing of thicker, older ice into the Transpolar Drift Stream and an enhanced export of sea ice (fresh water) from the Arctic into the Greenland Sea prior to major episodes of ice severity in the Greenland and Iceland seas. An index of the pressure difference between southern Greenland and the Arctic-Asian coast reached its highest value of the twentieth century during the middle-to-late 1960s, the approximate time of the earliest observation documentation of the Great Salinity Anomaly.
Hegedüs, Ramón; Akesson, Susanne; Horváth, Gábor
2007-01-01
The foggy sky above a white ice-cover and a dark water surface (permanent polynya or temporary lead) is white and dark gray, phenomena called the 'ice-sky' and the 'water-sky,' respectively. Captains of icebreaker ships used to search for not-directly-visible open waters remotely on the basis of the water sky. Animals depending on open waters in the Arctic region may also detect not-directly-visible waters from a distance by means of the water sky. Since the polarization of ice-skies and water-skies has not, to our knowledge, been studied before, we measured the polarization patterns of water-skies above polynyas in the arctic ice-cover during the Beringia 2005 Swedish polar research expedition to the North Pole region. We show that there are statistically significant differences in the angle of polarization between the water-sky and the ice-sky. This polarization phenomenon could help biological and man-made sensors to detect open waters not directly visible from a distance. However, the threshold of polarization-based detection would be rather low, because the degree of linear polarization of light radiated by water-skies and ice-skies is not higher than 10%.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Blanchard-Wrigglesworth, E.; Barthélemy, A.; Chevallier, M.; Cullather, R.; Fučkar, N.; Massonnet, F.; Posey, P.; Wang, W.; Zhang, J.; Ardilouze, C.; Bitz, C. M.; Vernieres, G.; Wallcraft, A.; Wang, M.
2017-08-01
Dynamical model forecasts in the Sea Ice Outlook (SIO) of September Arctic sea-ice extent over the last decade have shown lower skill than that found in both idealized model experiments and hindcasts of previous decades. Additionally, it is unclear how different model physics, initial conditions or forecast post-processing (bias correction) techniques contribute to SIO forecast uncertainty. In this work, we have produced a seasonal forecast of 2015 Arctic summer sea ice using SIO dynamical models initialized with identical sea-ice thickness in the central Arctic. Our goals are to calculate the relative contribution of model uncertainty and irreducible error growth to forecast uncertainty and assess the importance of post-processing, and to contrast pan-Arctic forecast uncertainty with regional forecast uncertainty. We find that prior to forecast post-processing, model uncertainty is the main contributor to forecast uncertainty, whereas after forecast post-processing forecast uncertainty is reduced overall, model uncertainty is reduced by an order of magnitude, and irreducible error growth becomes the main contributor to forecast uncertainty. While all models generally agree in their post-processed forecasts of September sea-ice volume and extent, this is not the case for sea-ice concentration. Additionally, forecast uncertainty of sea-ice thickness grows at a much higher rate along Arctic coastlines relative to the central Arctic ocean. Potential ways of offering spatial forecast information based on the timescale over which the forecast signal beats the noise are also explored.
Ocean Profile Measurements During the Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys Ocean Profiles
2017-01-01
repeated ocean, ice, and atmospheric measurements across the Beaufort-Chukchi sea seasonal sea ice zone (SIZ) utilizing US Coast Guard Arctic Domain...contributing to the rapid decline in summer ice extent that has occurred in recent years. The SIZ is the region between maximum winter sea ice extent and...minimum summer sea ice extent. As such, it contains the full range of positions of the marginal ice zone (MIZ) where sea ice interacts with open water
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Morison, James; Zhang, Jinlun; Bonin, Jennifer
2014-05-01
shape and strength of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the wind patterns, as well as with the changes in sea ice conditions will be explored. References: Morison, J., R. Kwok, C. Peralta-Ferriz, M. Alkire, I. Rigor, R. Andersen, and M. Steele, Changing Arctic Ocean Freshwater Pathways Measured With ICESat and GRACE, Nature, 481, 66-70, DOI: 10.1038/nature10705, 2012. de Steur, L., et al. (2013), Hydrographic changes in the Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean with focus on an upper ocean freshwater anomaly between 2007 and 2010, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 118, 4699-4715, doi:10.1002/jgrc.20341.
Schütte, Ursel M E; Cadieux, Sarah B; Hemmerich, Chris; Pratt, Lisa M; White, Jeffrey R
2016-01-01
Despite most lakes in the Arctic being perennially or seasonally frozen for at least 40% of the year, little is known about microbial communities and nutrient cycling under ice cover. We assessed the vertical microbial community distribution and geochemical composition in early spring under ice in a seasonally ice-covered lake in southwest Greenland using amplicon-based sequencing that targeted 16S rRNA genes and using a combination of field and laboratory aqueous geochemical methods. Microbial communities changed consistently with changes in geochemistry. Composition of the abundant members responded strongly to redox conditions, shifting downward from a predominantly heterotrophic aerobic community in the suboxic waters to a heterotrophic anaerobic community in the anoxic waters. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of Sporichthyaceae, Comamonadaceae, and the SAR11 Clade had higher relative abundances above the oxycline and OTUs within the genus Methylobacter, the phylum Lentisphaerae, and purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) below the oxycline. Notably, a 13-fold increase in sulfide at the oxycline was reflected in an increase and change in community composition of potential sulfur oxidizers. Purple non-sulfur bacteria were present above the oxycline and green sulfur bacteria and PSB coexisted below the oxycline, however, PSB were most abundant. For the first time we show the importance of PSB as potential sulfur oxidizers in an Arctic dimictic lake.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bamber, J. L.; Enderlin, E. M.; Howat, I. M.; Wouters, B.; van den Broeke, M.
2015-12-01
Freshwater fluxes (FWF) from river runoff and precipitation minus evaporation for the pan Arctic seas are relatively well documented and prescribed in ocean GCMs. Fluxes from Greenland and Arctic glaciers and ice caps on the other hand are generally ignored, despite their potential impacts on ocean circulation and marine biology and growing evidence for changes to the hydrography of parts of the subpolar North Atlantic. In a previous study we determined the FWF from Greenland for the period 1958-2010 using a combination of observations and regional climate modeling. Here, we update the analysis with data from new satellite observations to extend the record both in space and time. The new FWF estimates cover the period 1958-2014 and include the Canadian, Russian and Norwegian Arctic (Svalbard) in addition to the contributions from Greenland. We combine satellite altimetry (including CryoSat 2) with grounding line flux data, regional climate modeling of surface mass balance and gravimetry to produce consistent estimates of solid ice and liquid FWF into the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. The total cumulative FWF anomaly from land ice mass loss started to increase significantly in the mid 1990s and now exceeds 5000 km^3, a value that is about half of the Great Salinity Anomaly of the 1970s. The majority of the anomaly is entering two key areas of deep water overturning in the Labrador and Irminger Seas, at a rate that has been increasing steadily over the last ~20 years. Since the mid 2000s, however, the Canadian Arctic archipelago has been making a significant contribution to the FW anomaly entering Baffin Bay. Tracer experiments with eddy-permitting ocean GCMs suggest that the FW input from southern Greenland and the Canadian Arctic should accumulate in Baffin Bay with the potential to affect geostrophic circulation, stratification in the region and possibly the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. We also examine the trajectory of
Masbou, Jérémy; Point, David; Sonke, Jeroen E; Frappart, Frédéric; Perrot, Vincent; Amouroux, David; Richard, Pierre; Becker, Paul R
2015-08-04
Decadal time trends of mercury (Hg) concentrations in Arctic biota suggest that anthropogenic Hg is not the single dominant factor modulating Hg exposure to Arctic wildlife. Here, we present Hg speciation (monomethyl-Hg) and stable isotopic composition (C, N, Hg) of 53 Alaskan ringed seal liver samples covering a period of 14 years (1988-2002). In vivo metabolic effects and foraging ecology explain most of the observed 1.6 ‰ variation in liver δ(202)Hg, but not Δ(199)Hg. Ringed seal habitat use and migration were the most likely factors explaining Δ(199)Hg variations. Average Δ(199)Hg in ringed seal liver samples from Barrow increased significantly from +0.38 ± 0.08‰ (±SE, n = 5) in 1988 to +0.59 ± 0.07‰ (±SE, n = 7) in 2002 (4.1 ± 1.2% per year, p < 0.001). Δ(199)Hg in marine biological tissues is thought to reflect marine Hg photochemistry before biouptake and bioaccumulation. A spatiotemporal analysis of sea ice cover that accounts for the habitat of ringed seals suggests that the observed increase in Δ(199)Hg may have been caused by the progressive summer sea ice disappearance between 1988 and 2002. While changes in seal liver Δ(199)Hg values suggests a mild sea ice control on marine MMHg breakdown, the effect is not large enough to induce measurable HgT changes in biota. This suggests that Hg trends in biota in the context of a warming Arctic are likely controlled by other processes.
Lewis, Ceri N.; Brown, Kristina A.; Edwards, Laura A.; Cooper, Glenn; Findlay, Helen S.
2013-01-01
The Arctic Ocean already experiences areas of low pH and high CO2, and it is expected to be most rapidly affected by future ocean acidification (OA). Copepods comprise the dominant Arctic zooplankton; hence, their responses to OA have important implications for Arctic ecosystems, yet there is little data on their current under-ice winter ecology on which to base future monitoring or make predictions about climate-induced change. Here, we report results from Arctic under-ice investigations of copepod natural distributions associated with late-winter carbonate chemistry environmental data and their response to manipulated pCO2 conditions (OA exposures). Our data reveal that species and life stage sensitivities to manipulated OA conditions were correlated with their vertical migration behavior and with their natural exposures to different pCO2 ranges. Vertically migrating adult Calanus spp. crossed a pCO2 range of >140 μatm daily and showed only minor responses to manipulated high CO2. Oithona similis, which remained in the surface waters and experienced a pCO2 range of <75 μatm, showed significantly reduced adult and nauplii survival in high CO2 experiments. These results support the relatively untested hypothesis that the natural range of pCO2 experienced by an organism determines its sensitivity to future OA and highlight that the globally important copepod species, Oithona spp., may be more sensitive to future high pCO2 conditions compared with the more widely studied larger copepods. PMID:24297880
Sea ice decline and 21st century trans-Arctic shipping routes
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Melia, N.; Haines, K.; Hawkins, E.
2016-09-01
The observed decline in Arctic sea ice is projected to continue, opening shorter trade routes across the Arctic Ocean, with potentially global economic implications. Here we quantify, using Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 global climate model simulations calibrated to remove spatial biases, how projected sea ice loss might increase opportunities for Arctic transit shipping. By midcentury for standard open water vessels, the frequency of navigable periods doubles, with routes across the central Arctic becoming available. A sea ice-ship speed relationship is used to show that European routes to Asia typically become 10 days faster via the Arctic than alternatives by midcentury, and 13 days faster by late century, while North American routes become 4 days faster. Future greenhouse gas emissions have a larger impact by late century; the shipping season reaching 4-8 months in Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP)8.5 double that of RCP2.6, both with substantial interannual variability. Moderately, ice-strengthened vessels likely enable Arctic transits for 10-12 months by late century.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Swain, D. L.; Singh, D.; Horton, D. E.; Mankin, J. S.; Ballard, T.; Thomas, L. N.; Diffenbaugh, N. S.
2016-12-01
The ongoing and severe drought in California is linked to the multi-year persistence of anomalously strong ridging along the west coast of North America, which has deflected the Pacific storm track north of its climatological mean position. Recent work has shown that that highly amplified and strongly meridional atmospheric flow patterns in this region similar to the "Ridiculously Resilient Ridge" have become more common in recent decades. Previous investigations have suggested multiple possible contributors to this conspicuous atmospheric anomaly—including remote teleconnections to unusual tropical Pacific Ocean warmth and/or reduced Arctic sea ice, internal (natural) atmospheric variability, and anthropogenic forcing due to greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we explore observed relationships between mid-tropospheric atmospheric structure in this region and five hypothesized surface forcings: sea ice extent in the (1) Barents/Kara and (2) Beaufort/Chukchi regions, and sea surface temperatures in the (3) extratropical northeastern Pacific Ocean, (4) western tropical Pacific Ocean, and (5) eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Using a predictive model based upon these observed relationships, we also investigate whether the failure of the powerful 2015-2016 El Niño event to bring above-average precipitation to California could have been predicted based upon these teleconnections.
Gemery, Laura; Cronin, Thomas M.; Poirier, Robert K.; Pearce, Christof; Barrientos, Natalia; O'Regan, Matt; Johansson, Carina; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Jakobsson, Martin
2017-01-01
Late Quaternary paleoceanographic changes at the Lomonosov Ridge, central Arctic Ocean, were reconstructed from a multicore and gravity core recovered during the 2014 SWERUS-C3 Expedition. Ostracode assemblages dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) indicate changing sea-ice conditions and warm Atlantic Water (AW)inflow to the Arctic Ocean from ∼50 ka to present. Key taxa used as environmental indicators include Acetabulastoma arcticum (perennial sea ice), Polycopes pp. (variable sea-ice margins, high surface productivity), Krithe hunti (Arctic Ocean deep water), and Rabilimis mirabilis (water mass change/AW inflow). Results indicate periodic seasonally sea-ice-free conditions during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (∼57-29 ka), rapid deglacial changes in water mass conditions (15-11 ka), seasonally sea-ice-free conditions during the early Holocene (∼10-7 ka) and perennial sea ice during the late Holocene. Comparisons with faunal records from other cores from the Mendeleev and Lomonosov ridges suggest generally similar patterns, although sea-ice cover during the Last Glacial Maximum may have been less extensive at the new Lomonosov Ridge core site (∼85.15° N, 152° E) than farther north and towards Greenland. The new data provide evidence for abrupt, large-scale shifts in ostracode species depth and geographical distributions during rapid climatic transitions.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Gutowski, William J.
This project developed and applied a regional Arctic System model for enhanced decadal predictions. It built on successful research by four of the current PIs with support from the DOE Climate Change Prediction Program, which has resulted in the development of a fully coupled Regional Arctic Climate Model (RACM) consisting of atmosphere, land-hydrology, ocean and sea ice components. An expanded RACM, a Regional Arctic System Model (RASM), has been set up to include ice sheets, ice caps, mountain glaciers, and dynamic vegetation to allow investigation of coupled physical processes responsible for decadal-scale climate change and variability in the Arctic. RASMmore » can have high spatial resolution (~4-20 times higher than currently practical in global models) to advance modeling of critical processes and determine the need for their explicit representation in Global Earth System Models (GESMs). The pan-Arctic region is a key indicator of the state of global climate through polar amplification. However, a system-level understanding of critical arctic processes and feedbacks needs further development. Rapid climate change has occurred in a number of Arctic System components during the past few decades, including retreat of the perennial sea ice cover, increased surface melting of the Greenland ice sheet, acceleration and thinning of outlet glaciers, reduced snow cover, thawing permafrost, and shifts in vegetation. Such changes could have significant ramifications for global sea level, the ocean thermohaline circulation and heat budget, ecosystems, native communities, natural resource exploration, and commercial transportation. The overarching goal of the RASM project has been to advance understanding of past and present states of arctic climate and to improve seasonal to decadal predictions. To do this the project has focused on variability and long-term change of energy and freshwater flows through the arctic climate system. The three foci of this research are
Tsamados, Michel; Feltham, Daniel; Petty, Alek; Schroeder, David; Flocco, Daniela
2015-10-13
We present a modelling study of processes controlling the summer melt of the Arctic sea ice cover. We perform a sensitivity study and focus our interest on the thermodynamics at the ice-atmosphere and ice-ocean interfaces. We use the Los Alamos community sea ice model CICE, and additionally implement and test three new parametrization schemes: (i) a prognostic mixed layer; (ii) a three equation boundary condition for the salt and heat flux at the ice-ocean interface; and (iii) a new lateral melt parametrization. Recent additions to the CICE model are also tested, including explicit melt ponds, a form drag parametrization and a halodynamic brine drainage scheme. The various sea ice parametrizations tested in this sensitivity study introduce a wide spread in the simulated sea ice characteristics. For each simulation, the total melt is decomposed into its surface, bottom and lateral melt components to assess the processes driving melt and how this varies regionally and temporally. Because this study quantifies the relative importance of several processes in driving the summer melt of sea ice, this work can serve as a guide for future research priorities. © 2015 The Author(s).
Arctic Sea Ice: Trends, Stability and Variability
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Moon, Woosok
A stochastic Arctic sea-ice model is derived and analyzed in detail to interpret the recent decay and associated variability of Arctic sea-ice under changes in greenhouse gas forcing widely referred to as global warming. The approach begins from a deterministic model of the heat flux balance through the air/sea/ice system, which uses observed monthly-averaged heat fluxes to drive a time evolution of sea-ice thickness. This model reproduces the observed seasonal cycle of the ice cover and it is to this that stochastic noise---representing high frequency variability---is introduced. The model takes the form of a single periodic non-autonomous stochastic ordinary differential equation. Following an introductory chapter, the two that follow focus principally on the properties of the deterministic model in order to identify the main properties governing the stability of the ice cover. In chapter 2 the underlying time-dependent solutions to the deterministic model are analyzed for their stability. It is found that the response time-scale of the system to perturbations is dominated by the destabilizing sea-ice albedo feedback, which is operative in the summer, and the stabilizing long wave radiative cooling of the ice surface, which is operative in the winter. This basic competition is found throughout the thesis to define the governing dynamics of the system. In particular, as greenhouse gas forcing increases, the sea-ice albedo feedback becomes more effective at destabilizing the system. Thus, any projections of the future state of Arctic sea-ice will depend sensitively on the treatment of the ice-albedo feedback. This in turn implies that the treatment a fractional ice cover as the ice areal extent changes rapidly, must be handled with the utmost care. In chapter 3, the idea of a two-season model, with just winter and summer, is revisited. By breaking the seasonal cycle up in this manner one can simplify the interpretation of the basic dynamics. Whereas in the fully
The effect of under-ice melt ponds on their surroundings in the Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feltham, D. L.; Smith, N.; Flocco, D.
2016-12-01
In the summer months, melt water from the surface of the Arctic sea ice can percolate down through the ice and flow out of its base. This water is relatively warm and fresh compared to the ocean water beneath it, and so it floats between the ice and the oceanic mixed layer, forming pools of melt water called under-ice melt ponds. Sheets of ice, known as false bottoms, can subsequently form via double diffusion processes at the under-ice melt pond interface with the ocean, trapping the pond against the ice and completely isolating it from the ocean below. This has an insulating effect on the parent sea ice above the trapped pond, altering its rate of basal ablation. A one-dimensional, thermodynamic model of Arctic sea ice has been adapted to study the evolution of under-ice melt ponds and false bottoms over time. Comparing simulations of sea ice evolution with and without an under-ice melt pond provides a measure of how an under-ice melt pond affects the mass balance of the sea ice above it. Sensitivity studies testing the response of the model to a range of uncertain parameters have been performed, revealing some interesting implications of under-ice ponds during their life cycle. By changing the rate of basal ablation of the parent sea ice, and so the flux of fresh water and salt into the ocean, under-ice melt ponds affect the properties of the mixed layer beneath the sea ice. Our model of under-ice melt pond refreezing has been coupled to a simple oceanic mixed layer model to determine the effect on mixed layer depth, salinity and temperature.
Poleward upgliding Siberian atmospheric rivers over sea ice heat up Arctic upper air.
Komatsu, Kensuke K; Alexeev, Vladimir A; Repina, Irina A; Tachibana, Yoshihiro
2018-02-13
We carried out upper air measurements with radiosondes during the summer over the Arctic Ocean from an icebreaker moving poleward from an ice-free region, through the ice edge, and into a region of thick ice. Rapid warming of the Arctic is a significant environmental issue that occurs not only at the surface but also throughout the troposphere. In addition to the widely accepted mechanisms responsible for the increase of tropospheric warming during the summer over the Arctic, we showed a new potential contributing process to the increase, based on our direct observations and supporting numerical simulations and statistical analyses using a long-term reanalysis dataset. We refer to this new process as "Siberian Atmospheric Rivers (SARs)". Poleward upglides of SARs over cold air domes overlying sea ice provide the upper atmosphere with extra heat via condensation of water vapour. This heating drives increased buoyancy and further strengthens the ascent and heating of the mid-troposphere. This process requires the combination of SARs and sea ice as a land-ocean-atmosphere system, the implication being that large-scale heat and moisture transport from the lower latitudes can remotely amplify the warming of the Arctic troposphere in the summer.
Trends in Arctic Sea Ice Volume 2010-2013 from CryoSat-2
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tilling, R.; Ridout, A.; Wingham, D.; Shepherd, A.; Haas, C.; Farrell, S. L.; Schweiger, A. J.; Zhang, J.; Giles, K.; Laxon, S.
2013-12-01
Satellite records show a decline in Arctic sea ice extent over the past three decades with a record minimum in September 2012, and results from the Pan-Arctic Ice-Ocean Modelling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS) suggest that this has been accompanied by a reduction in volume. We use three years of measurements recorded by the European Space Agency CryoSat-2 (CS-2) mission, validated with in situ data, to generate estimates of seasonal variations and inter-annual trends in Arctic sea ice volume between 2010 and 2013. The CS-2 estimates of sea ice thickness agree with in situ estimates derived from upward looking sonar measurements of ice draught and airborne measurements of ice thickness and freeboard to within 0.1 metres. Prior to the record minimum in summer 2012, autumn and winter Arctic sea ice volume had fallen by ~1300 km3 relative to the previous year. Using the full 3-year period of CS-2 observations, we estimate that winter Arctic sea ice volume has decreased by ~700 km3/yr since 2010, approximately twice the average rate since 1980 as predicted by the PIOMAS.
Sedimentary Cover of the Central Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kireev, Artem; Poselov, Viktor; Butsenko, Viktor; Smirnov, Oleg
2017-04-01
Partial revised Submission of the Russian Federation for establishment of the OLCS (outer limit of the continental shelf) in the Arctic Ocean is made to include in the extended continental shelf of the Russian Federation, in accordance with article 76 of the Convention, the seabed and its subsoil in the central Arctic Ocean which is natural prolongation of the Russian land territory. To submit partial revised Submission in 2016, in 2005 - 2014 the Russian organizations carried out a wide range of geophysical studies, so that today over 23000 km of MCS lines, over hundreds of wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic sonobuoy soundings and 4000 km of deep seismic sounding are accomplished. All of these MCS and seismic soundings data were used to establish the seismic stratigraphy model of the Arctic region. Stratigraphy model of the sedimentary cover was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by existing boreholes. Interpretation of the Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge for Amerasia basin and by correlation of onlap contacts onto oceanic crust with defined magnetic anomalies for Eurasia basin, while interpretation of the Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover was based on correlation with MCS and boreholes data from Chukchi sea shelf. Six main unconformities were traced: regional unconformity (RU), Eocene unconformity (EoU) (for Eurasia basin only), post-Campanian unconformity (pCU), Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit). The final step in our research was to estimate the total thickness of the sedimentary cover of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent Eurasian shelf using top of acoustic basement correlation data and bathymetry data
Petrick, Sebastian; Riemann-Campe, Kathrin; Hoog, Sven; Growitsch, Christian; Schwind, Hannah; Gerdes, Rüdiger; Rehdanz, Katrin
2017-12-01
A significant share of the world's undiscovered oil and natural gas resources are assumed to lie under the seabed of the Arctic Ocean. Up until now, the exploitation of the resources especially under the European Arctic has largely been prevented by the challenges posed by sea ice coverage, harsh weather conditions, darkness, remoteness of the fields, and lack of infrastructure. Gradual warming has, however, improved the accessibility of the Arctic Ocean. We show for the most resource-abundant European Arctic Seas whether and how a climate induced reduction in sea ice might impact future accessibility of offshore natural gas and crude oil resources. Based on this analysis we show for a number of illustrative but representative locations which technology options exist based on a cost-minimization assessment. We find that under current hydrocarbon prices, oil and gas from the European offshore Arctic is not competitive on world markets.
Cloud-Scale Numerical Modeling of the Arctic Boundary Layer
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Krueger, Steven K.
1998-01-01
The interactions between sea ice, open ocean, atmospheric radiation, and clouds over the Arctic Ocean exert a strong influence on global climate. Uncertainties in the formulation of interactive air-sea-ice processes in global climate models (GCMs) result in large differences between the Arctic, and global, climates simulated by different models. Arctic stratus clouds are not well-simulated by GCMs, yet exert a strong influence on the surface energy budget of the Arctic. Leads (channels of open water in sea ice) have significant impacts on the large-scale budgets during the Arctic winter, when they contribute about 50 percent of the surface fluxes over the Arctic Ocean, but cover only 1 to 2 percent of its area. Convective plumes generated by wide leads may penetrate the surface inversion and produce condensate that spreads up to 250 km downwind of the lead, and may significantly affect the longwave radiative fluxes at the surface and thereby the sea ice thickness. The effects of leads and boundary layer clouds must be accurately represented in climate models to allow possible feedbacks between them and the sea ice thickness. The FIRE III Arctic boundary layer clouds field program, in conjunction with the SHEBA ice camp and the ARM North Slope of Alaska and Adjacent Arctic Ocean site, will offer an unprecedented opportunity to greatly improve our ability to parameterize the important effects of leads and boundary layer clouds in GCMs.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mueller-Stoffels, M.; Wackerbauer, R.
2010-12-01
The Arctic ocean and sea ice form a feedback system which plays an important role in the global climate. Variations of the global ice and snow distribution have a significant effect on the planetary albedo which governs the absorption of shortwave radiation. The complexity of highly parametrized GCMs makes it very difficult to assess single feedback processes in the climate system without the concurrent use of simple models where the physics are understood [1][2][3]. We introduce a complex systems model to investigate thermodynamic feedback processes in an Arctic ice-ocean layer. The ice-ocean layer is represented as a regular network of coupled cells. The state of each cell is determined by its energy content, which also defines the phase of the cell. The energy transport between cells is described with nonlinear and heterogeneous diffusion constants. And the time-evolution of the ice-ocean is driven by shortwave, longwave and lateral oceanic and atmospheric thermal forcing. This model is designed to study the stability of an ice cover under various heat intake scenarios. The network structure of the model allows to easily introduce albedo heterogeneities due to aging ice, wind blown snow cover, and ice movement to explore the time-evolution and pattern formation (melt ponds) processes in the Arctic sea ice. The solely thermodynamic model exhibits two stable states; one in the perennially ice covered domain and one in the perennially open water domain. Their existence is due to the temperature dependence of the longwave radiative budget. Transition between these states can be forced via lateral heat fluxes. During the transition from the ice covered to the open water stable state the ice albedo feedback effects are manifested as an increased warming rate of the ice cover together with enhanced seasonal energy oscillations. In the current model realization seasonal ice cover is present as a transient state only. Furthermore, the model exhibits hysteresis between
Satellite surface salinity maps to determine fresh water fluxes in the Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gabarro, Carolina; Estrella, Olmedo; Emelianov, Mikhail; Ballabrera, Joaquim; Turiel, Antonio
2017-04-01
Salinity and temperature gradients drive the thermohaline circulation of the oceans, and play a key role in the ocean-atmosphere coupling. The strong and direct interactions between the ocean and the cryosphere (primarily through sea ice and ice shelves) are also a key ingredient of the thermohaline circulation. Recent observational studies have documented changes in upper Arctic Ocean hydrography [1, 2]. The ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, launched in 2009, have the objective to measure soil moisture over the continents and sea surface salinity over the oceans [3]. However, SMOS is also making inroads in Cryospheric science, as the measurements of thin ice thickness and sea ice concentration. SMOS carries an innovative L-band (1.4 GHz, or 21-cm wavelength), passive interferometric radiometer (the so-called MIRAS) that measures the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Earth's surface, at about 50 km spatial resolution wide swath (1200-km), and with a 3-day revisit time at the equator, but more frequently at the poles. Although the SMOS radiometer operating frequency offers almost the maximum sensitivity of the brightness temperature (TB) to sea surface salinity (SSS) variations, such sensitivity is rather low, even lower at cold waters [4]: 90% of ocean SSS values span a range of brightness temperatures of just 5K. This implies that the SMOS SSS retrieval requires a high performance of the MIRAS interferometric radiometer [5]. New algorithms, recently developed at the Barcelona Expert Center (BEC) to improve the quality of SMOS measurements [6], allow for the first time to derive cold-water SSS maps from SMOS data, and to observe the variability of the SSS in the higher north Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. In this work, we will provide an assessment of the quality of these new SSS Arctic maps, and we will illustrate their potential to monitor the impact on ocean state of the discharges from the main rivers to the Arctic Ocean. Moreover
Approaching the 2015 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum
2017-12-08
As the sun sets over the Arctic, the end of this year’s melt season is quickly approaching and the sea ice cover has already shrunk to the fourth lowest in the satellite record. With possibly some days of melting left, the sea ice extent could still drop to the second or third lowest on record. Arctic sea ice, which regulates the planet’s temperature by bouncing solar energy back to space, has been on a steep decline for the last two decades. This animation shows the evolution of Arctic sea ice in 2015, from its annual maximum wintertime extent, reached on February 25, to September 6. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio DOWNLOAD THIS VIDEO HERE: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=11999 NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram
White Arctic vs. Blue Arctic: Making Choices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pfirman, S. L.; Newton, R.; Schlosser, P.; Pomerance, R.; Tremblay, B.; Murray, M. S.; Gerrard, M.
2015-12-01
As the Arctic warms and shifts from icy white to watery blue and resource-rich, tension is arising between the desire to restore and sustain an ice-covered Arctic and stakeholder communities that hope to benefit from an open Arctic Ocean. If emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere continue on their present trend, most of the summer sea ice cover is projected to be gone by mid-century, i.e., by the time that few if any interventions could be in place to restore it. There are many local as well as global reasons for ice restoration, including for example, preserving the Arctic's reflectivity, sustaining critical habitat, and maintaining cultural traditions. However, due to challenges in implementing interventions, it may take decades before summer sea ice would begin to return. This means that future generations would be faced with bringing sea ice back into regions where they have not experienced it before. While there is likely to be interest in taking action to restore ice for the local, regional, and global services it provides, there is also interest in the economic advancement that open access brings. Dealing with these emerging issues and new combinations of stakeholders needs new approaches - yet environmental change in the Arctic is proceeding quickly and will force the issues sooner rather than later. In this contribution we examine challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities related to exploring options for restoring Arctic sea ice and potential pathways for their implementation. Negotiating responses involves international strategic considerations including security and governance, meaning that along with local communities, state decision-makers, and commercial interests, national governments will have to play central roles. While these issues are currently playing out in the Arctic, similar tensions are also emerging in other regions.
Large Eddy Simulation of Heat Entrainment Under Arctic Sea Ice
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ramudu, Eshwan; Gelderloos, Renske; Yang, Di; Meneveau, Charles; Gnanadesikan, Anand
2018-01-01
Arctic sea ice has declined rapidly in recent decades. The faster than projected retreat suggests that free-running large-scale climate models may not be accurately representing some key processes. The small-scale turbulent entrainment of heat from the mixed layer could be one such process. To better understand this mechanism, we model the Arctic Ocean's Canada Basin, which is characterized by a perennial anomalously warm Pacific Summer Water (PSW) layer residing at the base of the mixed layer and a summertime Near-Surface Temperature Maximum (NSTM) within the mixed layer trapping heat from solar radiation. We use large eddy simulation (LES) to investigate heat entrainment for different ice-drift velocities and different initial temperature profiles. The value of LES is that the resolved turbulent fluxes are greater than the subgrid-scale fluxes for most of our parameter space. The results show that the presence of the NSTM enhances heat entrainment from the mixed layer. Additionally there is no PSW heat entrained under the parameter space considered. We propose a scaling law for the ocean-to-ice heat flux which depends on the initial temperature anomaly in the NSTM layer and the ice-drift velocity. A case study of "The Great Arctic Cyclone of 2012" gives a turbulent heat flux from the mixed layer that is approximately 70% of the total ocean-to-ice heat flux estimated from the PIOMAS model often used for short-term predictions. Present results highlight the need for large-scale climate models to account for the NSTM layer.
Field Results for an Arctic AUV Designed for Characterizing Circulation and Ice Thickness
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bellingham, J. G.; Kirkwood, W. J.; Tervalon, N.; Cokelet, E.; Thomas, H.; Sibenac, M.; Gashler, D.; McEwen, R.; Henthorn, R.; Shane, F.; Osborn, D. J.; Johnson, K.; Overland, J.; Stein, P.; Bahlavouni, A.; Anderson, D.
2002-12-01
An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle designed for operation at high latitudes and under ice completed its first Arctic field tests from the USCGC Healy in fall of 2001. The ALTEX AUV has been under development since 1998, and is being created to provide: unprecedented endurance, ability to navigate at high latitudes, a depth rating of 1500 to 4500 meters depending on payload, and the capability to relay data through the ice to satellites via data buoys. The AUV's initial applications are focused on tracking the warm Atlantic Layer inflow - the primary source of seawater to the Arctic Ocean. Consequently the primary payloads are twin pumped CTD systems. Oxygen and nitrate sensors provide the ability to use NO as a tracer. An ice profiling sonar allows the AUV to estimate the ice thickness in real-time and is designed to generate high quality post-processed ice draft data comparable to that collected through the SCICEX program. The experiments in October aboard the USCGC Healy generated numerous water column and under-ice data sets. Traditional ship-based CTD operations were used to provide a comparison data set for AUV water column measurements. The post-processed ice draft results show reasonable ice profiles and have the potential, when combined with other science data collected, to shed some additional light on upper water column processes in ice-covered regions. Cruise results include: operating the AUV from the USCGC Healy in the ice pack, demonstrating inertial navigation system performance, obtaining oceanographic sections with the AUV, obtaining ice draft measurements with an AUV born sonar, and testing the data-buoy system. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant NSF-OPP 9910290. The Packard Foundation and the Office of Naval Research have also provided support. The project was initiated under the National Ocean Partnership Program under contract N00014-98-1-0814.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McCusker, K. E.; Kushner, P. J.; Fyfe, J. C.; Sigmond, M.; Kharin, V. V.; Bitz, C. M.
2017-12-01
Arctic sea ice loss has an important effect on local climate through increases in ocean to atmosphere heat flux and associated feedbacks, and may influence midlatitude climate by changing large-scale circulation that can enhance or counter changes that are due to greenhouse gases. The extent to which climate change in a warming world can be understood as greenhouse gas-induced changes that are modulated by Arctic sea ice loss depends on how additive the responses to the separate influences are. Here we use a novel sea ice nudging methodology in the Canadian Earth System Model, which has a fully coupled ocean, to isolate the effects of Arctic sea ice loss and doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to determine their additivity and sensitivity to mean state. We find that the separate effects of Arctic sea ice loss and doubled CO2 are remarkably additive and relatively insensitive to mean climate state. This separability is evident in several thermodynamic and dynamic fields throughout most of the year, from hemispheric to synoptic scales. The extent to which the regional response to sea ice loss sometimes agrees with and sometimes cancels the response to CO2 is quantified. In this model, Arctic sea ice loss enhances the CO2-induced surface air temperature changes nearly everywhere and zonal wind changes over the Pacific sector, whereas sea ice loss counters CO2-induced sea level pressure changes nearly everywhere over land and zonal wind changes over the Atlantic sector. This separability of the response to Arctic sea ice loss from the response to CO2 doubling gives credence to the body of work in which Arctic sea ice loss is isolated from the forcing that modified it, and might provide a means to better interpret the diverse array of modeling and observational studies of Arctic change and influence.
Ice, Ocean and Atmosphere Interactions in the Arctic Marginal Ice Zone
2015-09-30
the northward retreat of the ice edge. Through the long-term measurement of the key oceanic, atmospheric, and sea ice processes that...began to move southward towards the Alaskan coast. In 2104 the anomalous areas of ice retreat were the region north of Alaska...and Siberia. (see figures below). This is not uncommon as these regions have seen the greatest retreat in sea ice. See http://nsidc.org
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nag, B.
2016-12-01
The polar regions of the world constitute an important sector in the global energy balance. Among other effects responsible for the change in the sea-ice cover like ocean circulation and ice-albedo feedback, the cloud-radiation feedback also plays a vital role in modulation of the Arctic environment. However the annual cycle of the clouds is very poorly represented in current global circulation models. This study aims to take advantage of a merged C3M data (CALIPSO, CloudSat, CERES, and MODIS) product from the NASA's A-Train Series to explore the sea-ice and atmospheric conditions in the Arctic on a spatial coverage spanning 70N to 80N. This study is aimed at the interactions or the feedbacks processes among sea-ice, clouds and the atmosphere. Using a composite approach based on a classification due to surface type, it is found that limitation of the water vapour influx from the surface due to change in phase at the surface featuring open oceans or marginal sea-ice cover to complete sea-ice cover is a major determinant in the modulation of the atmospheric moisture and its impacts. The impact of the cloud-radiative effects in the Arctic is found to vary with sea-ice cover and seasonally. The effect of the marginal sea-ice cover becomes more and more pronounced in the winter. The seasonal variation of the dependence of the atmospheric moisture on the surface and the subsequent feedback effects is controlled by the atmospheric stability measured as a difference between the potential temperature at the surface and the 700hPa level. It is found that a stronger stability cover in the winter is responsible for the longwave cloud radiative feedback in winter which is missing during the summer. A regional analysis of the same suggests that most of the depiction of the variations observed is contributed from the North Atlantic region.
Changing Arctic ecosystems: sea ice decline, permafrost thaw, and benefits for geese
Flint, Paul L.; Whalen, Mary E.; Pearce, John M.
2014-01-01
Through the Changing Arctic Ecosystems (CAE) initiative, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) strives to inform resource management decisions for Arctic Alaska by providing scientific information on current and future ecosystem response to a warming climate. A key area for the USGS CAE initiative has been the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. This region has experienced a warming trend over the past 30 years, leading to reductions in sea ice and thawing of permafrost. Loss of sea ice has increased ocean wave action, leading to erosion and salt water inundation of coastal habitats. Saltwater tolerant plants are now thriving in these areas and this appears to be a positive outcome for geese in the Arctic. This finding is contrary to the deleterious effects that declining sea ice is having on habitats of ice-dependent animals, such as polar bear and walrus.
Long-Endurance, Ice-capable Autonomous Seagliders
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, C. M.; Gobat, J. I.; Shilling, G.; Curry, B.
2012-12-01
Autonomous Seagliders capable of extended (many months) operation in ice-covered waters have been developed and successfully employed as part of the US Arctic Observing Network. Seagliders operate routinely in lower-latitude oceans for periods of up to 9 months to provide persistent sampling in difficult, remote conditions, including strong boundary currents and harsh wintertime subpolar seas. The Arctic Observing Network calls for sustained occupation of key sections within the Arctic Ocean and across the critical gateways that link the Arctic to lower-latitude oceans, motivating the extension of glider technologies to permit operation in ice-covered waters. When operating in open water, gliders rely on GPS for navigation and Iridium satellite phones for data and command telemetry. Ice cover blocks access to the sea surface and thus prevents gliders from using these critical services. When operating under ice, ice-capable Seagliders instead navigate by trilateration from an array of RAFOS acoustic sound sources and employ advanced autonomy to make mission-critical decisions (previously the realm of the human pilot) and identify and exploit leads in the ice to allow intermittent communication through Iridium. Davis Strait, one of the two primary pathways through which Arctic waters exit into the subpolar North Atlantic, provided a convenient site for development of ice-capable Seagliders at a location where the resulting measurements could greatly augment the existing observing system. Initial testing of 780 Hz RAFOS sources in Davis Strait, substantiated by the performance of the operational array, indicates effective ranges of 100-150 km in ice-covered waters. Surface ducting and reflection off the ice bottom significantly degrade the range from the 500+ km expected in ice-free conditions. Comparisons between GPS and acoustically-derived positions collected during operations in ice-free conditions suggest 1-2 km uncertainty in the acoustically-derived positions
Long-Endurance, Ice-capable Autonomous Seagliders
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, Craig; Gobat, Jason; Shilling, Geoff; Curry, Beth
2013-04-01
Autonomous Seagliders capable of extended (many months) operation in ice-covered waters have been developed and successfully employed as part of the US Arctic Observing Network. Seagliders operate routinely in lower-latitude oceans for periods of up to 9 months to provide persistent sampling in difficult, remote conditions, including strong boundary currents and harsh wintertime subpolar seas. The Arctic Observing Network calls for sustained occupation of key sections within the Arctic Ocean and across the critical gateways that link the Arctic to lower-latitude oceans, motivating the extension of glider technologies to permit operation in ice-covered waters. When operating in open water, gliders rely on GPS for navigation and Iridium satellite phones for data and command telemetry. Ice cover blocks access to the sea surface and thus prevents gliders from using these critical services. When operating under ice, ice-capable Seagliders instead navigate by trilateration from an array of RAFOS acoustic sound sources and employ advanced autonomy to make mission-critical decisions (previously the realm of the human pilot) and identify and exploit leads in the ice to allow intermittent communication through Iridium. Davis Strait, one of the two primary pathways through which Arctic waters exit into the subpolar North Atlantic, provided a convenient site for development of ice-capable Seagliders at a location where the resulting measurements could greatly augment the existing observing system. Initial testing of 780 Hz RAFOS sources in Davis Strait, substantiated by the performance of the operational array, indicates effective ranges of 100-150 km in ice-covered waters. Surface ducting and reflection off the ice bottom significantly degrade the range from the 500+ km expected in ice-free conditions. Comparisons between GPS and acoustically-derived positions collected during operations in ice-free conditions suggest 1-2 km uncertainty in the acoustically-derived positions
Arctic energy budget in relation to sea-ice variability on monthly to annual time scales
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Krikken, Folmer; Hazeleger, Wilco
2015-04-01
The strong decrease in Arctic sea-ice in recent years has triggered a strong interest in Arctic sea-ice predictions on seasonal to decadal time scales. Hence, it is key to understand physical processes that provide enhanced predictability beyond persistence of sea ice anomalies. The authors report on an analysis of natural variability of Arctic sea-ice from an energy budget perspective, using 15 CMIP5 climate models, and comparing these results to atmospheric and oceanic reanalyses data. We quantify the persistence of sea ice anomalies and the cross-correlation with the surface and top energy budget components. The Arctic energy balance components primarily indicate the important role of the seasonal sea-ice albedo feedback, in which sea-ice anomalies in the melt season reemerge in the growth season. This is a robust anomaly reemergence mechanism among all 15 climate models. The role of ocean lies mainly in storing heat content anomalies in spring, and releasing them in autumn. Ocean heat flux variations only play a minor role. The role of clouds is further investigated. We demonstrate that there is no direct atmospheric response of clouds to spring sea-ice anomalies, but a delayed response is evident in autumn. Hence, there is no cloud-ice feedback in late spring and summer, but there is a cloud-ice feedback in autumn, which strengthens the ice-albedo feedback. Anomalies in insolation are positively correlated with sea-ice variability. This is primarily a result of reduced multiple-reflection of insolation due to an albedo decrease. This effect counteracts the sea-ice albedo effect up to 50%. ERA-Interim and ORAS4 confirm the main findings from the climate models.
Using Ice Predictions to Guide Submarines
2016-01-01
the Arctic Cap Nowcast/ Forecast System (ACNFS) in September 2013. The ACNFS consists of a coupled ice -ocean model that assimilates available real...of the ice cover. The age of the sea ice serves as an indicator of its physical properties including surface roughness, melt pond coverage, and...the Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System (ACNFS). Ice thickness is in meters for 11 September 2015. Thickness ranges from zero to five meters as shown
The effects of mixed layer dynamics on ice growth in the central Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kitchen, Bruce R.
1992-09-01
The thermodynamic model of Thorndike (1992) is coupled to a one dimensional, two layer ocean entrainment model to study the effect of mixed layer dynamics on ice growth and the variation in the ocean heat flux into the ice due to mixed layer entrainment. Model simulations show the existence of a negative feedback between the ice growth and the mixed layer entrainment, and that the underlying ocean salinity has a greater effect on the ocean beat flux than does variations in the underlying ocean temperature. Model simulations for a variety of surface forcings and initial conditions demonstrate the need to include mixed layer dynamics for realistic ice prediction in the arctic.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ono, Jun; Tatebe, Hiroaki; Komuro, Yoshiki; Nodzu, Masato I.; Ishii, Masayoshi
2018-02-01
To assess the skill of seasonal to inter-annual predictions of the detrended sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean (SIEAO) and to clarify the underlying physical processes, we conducted ensemble hindcasts, started on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October for each year from 1980 to 2011, for lead times up to three years, using the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC) version 5 initialised with the observed atmosphere and ocean anomalies and sea ice concentration. Significant skill is found for the winter months: the December SIEAO can be predicted up to 11 months ahead (anomaly correlation coefficient is 0.42). This skill might be attributed to the subsurface ocean heat content originating in the North Atlantic. A plausible mechanism is as follows: the subsurface water flows into the Barents Sea from spring to fall and emerges at the surface in winter by vertical mixing, and eventually affects the sea ice variability there. Meanwhile, the September SIEAO predictions are skillful for lead times of up to two months, due to the persistence of sea ice in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and East Siberian seas initialised in July, as suggested by previous studies.
The missing Northern European winter cooling response to Arctic sea ice loss
Screen, James A.
2017-01-01
Reductions in Arctic sea ice may promote the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO−). It has been argued that NAO-related variability can be used an as analogue to predict the effects of Arctic sea ice loss on mid-latitude weather. As NAO− events are associated with colder winters over Northern Europe, a negatively shifted NAO has been proposed as a dynamical pathway for Arctic sea ice loss to cause Northern European cooling. This study uses large-ensemble atmospheric simulations with prescribed ocean surface conditions to examine how seasonal-scale NAO− events are affected by Arctic sea ice loss. Despite an intensification of NAO− events, reflected by more prevalent easterly flow, sea ice loss does not lead to Northern European winter cooling and daily cold extremes actually decrease. The dynamical cooling from the changed NAO is ‘missing', because it is offset (or exceeded) by a thermodynamical effect owing to advection of warmer air masses. PMID:28262679
Mean Dynamic Topography of the Arctic Ocean
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Farrell, Sinead Louise; Mcadoo, David C.; Laxon, Seymour W.; Zwally, H. Jay; Yi, Donghui; Ridout, Andy; Giles, Katherine
2012-01-01
ICESat and Envisat altimetry data provide measurements of the instantaneous sea surface height (SSH) across the Arctic Ocean, using lead and open water elevation within the sea ice pack. First, these data were used to derive two independent mean sea surface (MSS) models by stacking and averaging along-track SSH profiles gathered between 2003 and 2009. The ICESat and Envisat MSS data were combined to construct the high-resolution ICEn MSS. Second, we estimate the 5.5-year mean dynamic topography (MDT) of the Arctic Ocean by differencing the ICEn MSS with the new GOCO02S geoid model, derived from GRACE and GOCE gravity. Using these satellite-only data we map the major features of Arctic Ocean dynamical height that are consistent with in situ observations, including the topographical highs and lows of the Beaufort and Greenland Gyres, respectively. Smaller-scale MDT structures remain largely unresolved due to uncertainties in the geoid at short wavelengths.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhang, Yu; Chen, Changsheng; Beardsley, Robert C.; Gao, Guoping; Qi, Jianhua; Lin, Huichan
2016-11-01
A high-resolution (up to 2 km), unstructured-grid, fully ice-sea coupled Arctic Ocean Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (AO-FVCOM) was used to simulate the sea ice in the Arctic over the period 1978-2014. The spatial-varying horizontal model resolution was designed to better resolve both topographic and baroclinic dynamics scales over the Arctic slope and narrow straits. The model-simulated sea ice was in good agreement with available observed sea ice extent, concentration, drift velocity and thickness, not only in seasonal and interannual variability but also in spatial distribution. Compared with six other Arctic Ocean models (ECCO2, GSFC, INMOM, ORCA, NAME, and UW), the AO-FVCOM-simulated ice thickness showed a higher mean correlation coefficient of ˜0.63 and a smaller residual with observations. Model-produced ice drift speed and direction errors varied with wind speed: the speed and direction errors increased and decreased as the wind speed increased, respectively. Efforts were made to examine the influences of parameterizations of air-ice external and ice-water interfacial stresses on the model-produced bias. The ice drift direction was more sensitive to air-ice drag coefficients and turning angles than the ice drift speed. Increasing or decreasing either 10% in water-ice drag coefficient or 10° in water-ice turning angle did not show a significant influence on the ice drift velocity simulation results although the sea ice drift speed was more sensitive to these two parameters than the sea ice drift direction. Using the COARE 4.0-derived parameterization of air-water drag coefficient for wind stress did not significantly influence the ice drift velocity simulation.
Arctic Sea Ice Is Losing Its Bulwark Against Warming Summers
2017-12-08
Arctic sea ice, the vast sheath of frozen seawater floating on the Arctic Ocean and its neighboring seas, has been hit with a double whammy over the past decades: as its extent shrunk, the oldest and thickest ice has either thinned or melted away, leaving the sea ice cap more vulnerable to the warming ocean and atmosphere. “What we’ve seen over the years is that the older ice is disappearing,” said Walt Meier, a sea ice researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “This older, thicker ice is like the bulwark of sea ice: a warm summer will melt all the young, thin ice away but it can’t completely get rid of the older ice. But this older ice is becoming weaker because there’s less of it and the remaining old ice is more broken up and thinner, so that bulwark is not as good as it used to be.” Read more: go.nasa.gov/2dPJ9zT NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram
The Role and Variability of Ocean Heat Content in the Arctic Ocean: 1948-2009
2014-06-01
moved from the Bering Sea past the Bering Strait into the Beaufort Sea (Logerwell 2008). However, besides the risks of ocean acidification and...VARIABILITY OF OCEAN HEAT CONTENT IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN : 1948–2009 by Dominic F. DiMaggio June 2014 Thesis Co-Advisors: Wieslaw Maslowski...COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE THE ROLE AND VARIABILITY OF OCEAN HEAT CONTENT IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN : 1948–2009 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stanton, T. P.; Shaw, W. J.
2016-02-01
Drainage of surface melt pond water into the top of the ocean mixed layer is seen widely in the Arctic ice pack in later summer (for example Gallaher et al 2015). Under calm conditions, this fresh water forms a thin, stratified layer immediately below the ice which is dynamically decoupled from the thicker, underlying seasonal mixed layer by the density difference between the two layers. The ephemeral surface layer is significantly warmer than the underlying ocean water owing to the higher freezing temperature of the fresh melt water. How the presence of this warm ephemeral layer enhances basal melt rate and speeds the destruction of the floes is investigated. High resolution timeseries measurements of T/S profiles in the 2m of the ocean immediately below the ice, and eddy-correlation fluxes of heat, salt and momentum 2.5m below the ice were made from an Autonomous Ocean Flux Buoy over a 2 month interval in later summer of 2015 as a component of the ONR Marginal Ice Zone project. The stratification and turbulent forcing observations are used with a 1 D turbulence closure model to understand how momentum and incoming radiative energy are stored and redistributed within the ephemeral layer. Under low wind forcing conditions both turbulent mixing energy and the water with high departure from freezing are trapped in the ephemeral layer by the strong density gradient at the base of the layer, resulting in rapid basal melting. This case is contrasted with model runs where the ephemeral layer heat is allowed to mix across the seasonal mixed layer, which results in slower basal melt rates. Consequently, the salinity-trapped warm ephemeral layer results in the formation of more open water earlier in the summer season, in turn resulting in increased cumulative heating of the ocean mixed layer, enhancing ice/ocean albedo feedbacks.
Trends in Arctic Sea Ice Leads Detection
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ackerman, S. A.; Hoffman, J.; Liu, Y.; Key, J. R.
2016-12-01
Sea ice leads (fractures) play a critical role in the exchange of mass and energy between the ocean and atmosphere in the polar regions, particularly in the Arctic. Leads result in warming water and accelerated melting because leads absorb more solar energy than the surrounding ice. In the autumn, winter, and spring leads impact the local atmospheric structure and cloud properties because of the large flux of heat and moisture into the atmosphere. Given the rapid thinning and loss of Arctic sea ice over the last few decades, changes in the distribution of leads can be expected in response. Leads are largely wind driven, so their distributions will also be affected by the changes in atmospheric circulation that have occurred. From a climate perspective, identifying trends in lead characteristics (width, orientation, and spatial distribution) will advance our understanding of both thermodynamic and mechanical processes. This study presents the spatial and temporal distributions of Arctic sea ice leads since 2002 using a new method to detect and characterize sea ice leads with optical (visible, infrared) satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Using reflective and emissive channels, ice concentration is derived in cloud-free regions and used to create a mask of potential leads. An algorithm then uses a combination of image processing techniques to identify and characterizes leads. The results show interannual variability of leads positioning as well as parameters such as area, length, orientation and width.
Timing of sea ice retreat can alter phytoplankton community structure in the western Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fujiwara, A.; Hirawake, T.; Suzuki, K.; Imai, I.; Saitoh, S.-I.
2014-04-01
This study assesses the response of phytoplankton assemblages to recent climate change, especially with regard to the shrinking of sea ice in the northern Chukchi Sea of the western Arctic Ocean. Distribution patterns of phytoplankton groups in the late summers of 2008-2010 were analysed based on HPLC pigment signatures and, the following four major algal groups were inferred via multiple regression and cluster analyses: prasinophytes, diatoms, haptophytes and dinoflagellates. A remarkable interannual difference in the distribution pattern of the groups was found in the northern basin area. Haptophytes dominated and dispersed widely in warm surface waters in 2008, whereas prasinophytes dominated in cold water in 2009 and 2010. A difference in the onset date of sea ice retreat was evident among years-the sea ice retreat in 2008 was 1-2 months earlier than in 2009 and 2010. The spatial distribution of early sea ice retreat matched the areas in which a shift in algal community composition was observed. Steel-Dwass's multiple comparison tests were used to assess the physical, chemical and biological parameters of the four clusters. We found a statistically significant difference in temperature between the haptophyte-dominated cluster and the other clusters, suggesting that the change in the phytoplankton communities was related to the earlier sea ice retreat in 2008 and the corollary increase in sea surface temperatures. Longer periods of open water during the summer, which are expected in the future, may affect food webs and biogeochemical cycles in the western Arctic due to shifts in phytoplankton community structure.
Timing of sea ice retreat can alter phytoplankton community structure in the western Arctic Ocean
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
name prefix surname suffix, given; Fujiwara, A.; Hirawake, T.; Suzuki, K.; Imai, I.; Saitoh, S.-I.
2013-09-01
This study assesses the response of phytoplankton assemblages to recent climate change, especially with regard to the shrinking of sea ice in the northern Chukchi Sea of the western Arctic Ocean. Distribution patterns of phytoplankton groups in the late summers of 2008-2010 were analyzed based on HPLC pigment signatures and, the following four major algal groups were inferred via multiple regression and cluster analyses: prasinophytes, diatoms, haptophytes and dinoflagellates. A remarkable interannual difference in the distribution pattern of the groups was found in the northern basin area. Haptophytes dominated and dispersed widely in warm surface waters in 2008, whereas prasinophytes dominated in cold water in 2009 and 2010. A difference in the onset date of sea ice retreat was evident among years - the sea ice retreat in 2008 was 1-2 months earlier than in 2009 and 2010. The spatial distribution of early sea ice retreat matched the areas in which a shift in algal community composition was observed. Steel-Dwass's multiple comparison tests were used to assess the physical, chemical and biological parameters of the four clusters. We found a statistically significant difference in temperature between the haptophyte-dominated cluster and the other clusters, suggesting that the change in the phytoplankton communities was related to the earlier sea ice retreat in 2008 and the corollary increase in sea surface temperatures. Longer periods of open water during the summer, which are expected in the future, may affect food webs and biogeochemical cycles in the western Arctic due to shifts in phytoplankton community structure.
Seasonal Changes of Arctic Sea Ice Physical Properties Observed During N-ICE2015: An Overview
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gerland, S.; Spreen, G.; Granskog, M. A.; Divine, D.; Ehn, J. K.; Eltoft, T.; Gallet, J. C.; Haapala, J. J.; Hudson, S. R.; Hughes, N. E.; Itkin, P.; King, J.; Krumpen, T.; Kustov, V. Y.; Liston, G. E.; Mundy, C. J.; Nicolaus, M.; Pavlov, A.; Polashenski, C.; Provost, C.; Richter-Menge, J.; Rösel, A.; Sennechael, N.; Shestov, A.; Taskjelle, T.; Wilkinson, J.; Steen, H.
2015-12-01
Arctic sea ice is changing, and for improving the understanding of the cryosphere, data is needed to describe the status and processes controlling current seasonal sea ice growth, change and decay. We present preliminary results from in-situ observations on sea ice in the Arctic Basin north of Svalbard from January to June 2015. Over that time, the Norwegian research vessel «Lance» was moored to in total four ice floes, drifting with the sea ice and allowing an international group of scientists to conduct detailed research. Each drift lasted until the ship reached the marginal ice zone and ice started to break up, before moving further north and starting the next drift. The ship stayed within the area approximately 80°-83° N and 5°-25° E. While the expedition covered measurements in the atmosphere, the snow and sea ice system, and in the ocean, as well as biological studies, in this presentation we focus on physics of snow and sea ice. Different ice types could be investigated: young ice in refrozen leads, first year ice, and old ice. Snow surveys included regular snow pits with standardized measurements of physical properties and sampling. Snow and ice thickness were measured at stake fields, along transects with electromagnetics, and in drillholes. For quantifying ice physical properties and texture, ice cores were obtained regularly and analyzed. Optical properties of snow and ice were measured both with fixed installed radiometers, and from mobile systems, a sledge and an ROV. For six weeks, the surface topography was scanned with a ground LIDAR system. Spatial scales of surveys ranged from spot measurements to regional surveys from helicopter (ice thickness, photography) during two months of the expedition, and by means of an array of autonomous buoys in the region. Other regional information was obtained from SAR satellite imagery and from satellite based radar altimetry. The analysis of the data collected has started, and first results will be
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nghiem, Son V.; Rigor, Ignatius G.; Richter, Andreas; Burrows, John P.; Shepson, Paul B.; Bottenheim, Jan; Barber, David G.; Steffen, Alexandra; Latonas, Jeff; Wang, Feiyue;
2012-01-01
Recent drastic reduction of the older perennial sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has resulted in a vast expansion of younger and saltier seasonal sea ice. This increase in the salinity of the overall ice cover could impact tropospheric chemical processes. Springtime perennial ice extent in 2008 and 2009 broke the half-century record minimum in 2007 by about one million km2. In both years seasonal ice was dominant across the Beaufort Sea extending to the Amundsen Gulf, where significant field and satellite observations of sea ice, temperature, and atmospheric chemicals have been made. Measurements at the site of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen ice breaker in the Amundsen Gulf showed events of increased bromine monoxide (BrO), coupled with decreases of ozone (O3) and gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), during cold periods in March 2008. The timing of the main event of BrO, O3, and GEM changes was found to be consistent with BrO observed by satellites over an extensive area around the site. Furthermore, satellite sensors detected a doubling of atmospheric BrO in a vortex associated with a spiral rising air pattern. In spring 2009, excessive and widespread bromine explosions occurred in the same region while the regional air temperature was low and the extent of perennial ice was significantly reduced compared to the case in 2008. Using satellite observations together with a Rising-Air-Parcel model, we discover a topographic control on BrO distribution such that the Alaskan North Slope and the Canadian Shield region were exposed to elevated BrO, whereas the surrounding mountains isolated the Alaskan interior from bromine intrusion.
Future change in ocean productivity: Is the Arctic the new Atlantic?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yool, A.; Popova, E. E.; Coward, A. C.
2015-12-01
One of the most characteristic features in ocean productivity is the North Atlantic spring bloom. Responding to seasonal increases in irradiance and stratification, surface phytopopulations rise significantly, a pattern that visibly tracks poleward into summer. While blooms also occur in the Arctic Ocean, they are constrained by the sea-ice and strong vertical stratification that characterize this region. However, Arctic sea-ice is currently declining, and forecasts suggest this may lead to completely ice-free summers by the mid-21st century. Such change may open the Arctic up to Atlantic-style spring blooms, and do so at the same time as Atlantic productivity is threatened by climate change-driven ocean stratification. Here we use low and high-resolution instances of a coupled ocean-biogeochemistry model, NEMO-MEDUSA, to investigate productivity. Drivers of present-day patterns are identified, and changes in these across a climate change scenario (IPCC RCP 8.5) are analyzed. We find a globally significant decline in North Atlantic productivity (> -20%) by 2100, and a correspondingly significant rise in the Arctic (> +50%). However, rather than the future Arctic coming to resemble the current Atlantic, both regions are instead transitioning to a common, low nutrient regime. The North Pacific provides a counterexample where nutrients remain high and productivity increases with elevated temperature. These responses to climate change in the Atlantic and Arctic are common between model resolutions, suggesting an independence from resolution for key impacts. However, some responses, such as those in the North Pacific, differ between the simulations, suggesting the reverse and supporting the drive to more fine-scale resolutions. This article was corrected on 5 JAN 2016. See the end of the full text for details.
Variability of Arctic Sea Ice as Determined from Satellite Observations
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.
1999-01-01
The compiled, quality-controlled satellite multichannel passive-microwave record of polar sea ice now spans over 18 years, from November 1978 through December 1996, and is revealing considerable information about the Arctic sea ice cover and its variability. The information includes data on ice concentrations (percent areal coverages of ice), ice extents, ice melt, ice velocities, the seasonal cycle of the ice, the interannual variability of the ice, the frequency of ice coverage, and the length of the sea ice season. The data reveal marked regional and interannual variabilities, as well as some statistically significant trends. For the north polar ice cover as a whole, maximum ice extents varied over a range of 14,700,000 - 15,900,000 sq km, while individual regions experienced much greater percent variations, for instance, with the Greenland Sea having a range of 740,000 - 1,110,000 sq km in its yearly maximum ice coverage. In spite of the large variations from year to year and region to region, overall the Arctic ice extents showed a statistically significant, 2.80% / decade negative trend over the 18.2-year period. Ice season lengths, which vary from only a few weeks near the ice margins to the full year in the large region of perennial ice coverage, also experienced interannual variability, along with spatially coherent overall trends. Linear least squares trends show the sea ice season to have lengthened in much of the Bering Sea, Baffin Bay, the Davis Strait, and the Labrador Sea, but to have shortened over a much larger area, including the Sea of Okhotsk, the Greenland Sea, the Barents Sea, and the southeastern Arctic.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Petty, A.; Tsamados, M.; Kurtz, N. T.
2016-12-01
Here we present atmospheric form drag estimates over Arctic sea ice using high resolution, three-dimensional surface elevation data from NASA's Operation IceBridge Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), and surface roughness estimates from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT). Surface features of the ice pack (e.g. pressure ridges) are detected using IceBridge ATM elevation data and a novel surface feature-picking algorithm. We use simple form drag parameterizations to convert the observed height and spacing of surface features into an effective atmospheric form drag coefficient. The results demonstrate strong regional variability in the atmospheric form drag coefficient, linked to variability in both the height and spacing of surface features. This includes form drag estimates around 2-3 times higher over the multiyear ice north of Greenland, compared to the first-year ice of the Beaufort/Chukchi seas. We compare results from both scanning and linear profiling to ensure our results are consistent with previous studies investigating form drag over Arctic sea ice. A strong correlation between ASCAT surface roughness estimates (using radar backscatter) and the IceBridge form drag results enable us to extrapolate the IceBridge data collected over the western-Arctic across the entire Arctic Ocean. While our focus is on spring, due to the timing of the primary IceBridge campaigns since 2009, we also take advantage of the autumn data collected by IceBridge in 2015 to investigate seasonality in Arctic ice topography and the resulting form drag coefficient. Our results offer the first large-scale assessment of atmospheric form drag over Arctic sea ice due to variable ice topography (i.e. within the Arctic pack ice). The analysis is being extended to the Antarctic IceBridge sea ice data, and the results are being used to calibrate a sophisticated form drag parameterization scheme included in the sea ice model CICE, to improve the representation of form drag over Arctic and
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hamilton, James M.; Collins, Kate; Prinsenberg, Simon J.
2013-10-01
A decade of instrumented mooring data from Barrow Strait in the eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago reveals connections between sea ice, water characteristics, and zooplankton dynamics on interannual time scales. On the North side of the Strait, the timing of breakup is positively related to the timing of freezeup in the previous year and negatively related to spring water temperature. This suggests that an early freezeup insulates the ocean from a cold autumn atmosphere, allowing heat to be retained until spring when it contributes to early sea ice erosion. There is also a very strong negative association between the timing of freezeup and late summer salinity, suggesting that monitoring of salinity in real time could be used to predict freezeup. A zooplankton biomass index derived from acoustic Doppler current profiler echo intensity data is used to demonstrate that on the North side there are also strong connections between early summer water temperature and the start, length, and productivity of the zooplankton growth season. On the South side of the Strait where currents are stronger, the relationships seen on the North side were not observed. But here integrated zooplankton biomass index and measured currents are used to identify interannual variability in the zooplankton biomass being delivered downstream into Lancaster Sound. Also on the South side, two yearlong records of daily fluorescence profiles reveal a large difference in the phytoplankton biomass being delivered downstream between years and demonstrate a strong relationship between the timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom and that of breakup.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, Seongsuk; Yi, Yu
2016-12-01
The spatial size and variation of Arctic sea ice play an important role in Earth’s climate system. These are affected by conditions in the polar atmosphere and Arctic sea temperatures. The Arctic sea ice concentration is calculated from brightness temperature data derived from the Defense Meteorological Satellite program (DMSP) F13 Special Sensor Microwave/Imagers (SSMI) and the DMSP F17 Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) sensors. Many previous studies point to significant reductions in sea ice and their causes. We investigated the variability of Arctic sea ice using the daily sea ice concentration data from passive microwave observations to identify the sea ice melting regions near the Arctic polar ice cap. We discovered the abnormal melting of the Arctic sea ice near the North Pole during the summer and the winter. This phenomenon is hard to explain only surface air temperature or solar heating as suggested by recent studies. We propose a hypothesis explaining this phenomenon. The heat from the deep sea in Arctic Ocean ridges and/ or the hydrothermal vents might be contributing to the melting of Arctic sea ice. This hypothesis could be verified by the observation of warm water column structure below the melting or thinning arctic sea ice through the project such as Coriolis dataset for reanalysis (CORA).
Alaska North Shore Ocean Acoustics Study
2015-09-30
effects of changing ice cover, wind patterns and circulation/upwelling on underwater sound propagation and ambient noise in the areas of continental ...noise field along the edge of Arctic continental shelf. Underwater sound propagation in Arctic oceans with ice cover is influenced by the elastic...von der Heydt has been implmenting the following system upgrades: 1. Replacing the existing Seascan timebase ( drift 2 to 3ms/day) with a
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wright, N.; Polashenski, C. M.; Deeb, E. J.; Morriss, B. F.; Song, A.; Chen, J.
2015-12-01
One of the key processes controlling sea ice mass balance in the Arctic is the partitioning of solar energy between reflection back to the atmosphere and absorption into the ice and upper ocean. We investigate the solar energy balance in the ice-ocean system using in-situ data collected from Arctic Observing Network (AON) sea ice sites and imagery from high resolution optical satellites. AON assets, including ice mass balance buoys and ice tethered profilers, monitor the storage and fluxes of heat in the ice-ocean system. High resolution satellite imagery, processed using object-based image classification techniques, allows us to quantify the evolution of surrounding ice conditions, including melt pond coverage and floe size distribution, at aggregate scale. We present results from regionally representative sites that constrain the partitioning of absorbed solar energy between ice melt and ocean storage, and quantify the strength of the ice-albedo feedback. We further demonstrate how the results can be used to validate model representations of the physical processes controlling ice-albedo feedbacks. The techniques can be extended to understand solar partitioning across the Arctic basin using additional sites and model based data integration.
Modelling the impacts of a dipole-like climatic state over the Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pasha Karami, Mehdi; de Vernal, Anne; Hu, Xianmin; Myers, Paul G.
2015-04-01
The Arctic dipole anomaly (ADA) features a pattern with opposite sea-level pressure anomalies over the Canadian Archipelago and the Barents Sea. Changes in the predominance of Arctic atmospheric circulation modes and the shift towards a dipole mode in the past decade played a role in the summer sea ice loss and sea ice-freshwater export from the Arctic to the North Atlantic. Reconstruction of sea ice cover variations during Holocene also suggests opposite anomalies in the Barents Sea versus either the western Arctic or the Fram Strait area similar to the ADA pattern. It is vital to study such physical processes that cause dramatic changes in the Arctic sea ice recalling the link between the ADA and the current climate change. Here we focus on the question of how a persistent ADA-like state affects the Arctic sea ice distribution and its outflow to the Atlantic Ocean. For this purpose, an eddy-permitting regional configuration of the NEMO coupled ocean/sea-ice model is used. The regional domain covers the Arctic Ocean and the Northern-Hemisphere Atlantic, with a horizontal resolution of 1/4 degree at the equator (ANHA4). For the present-day simulations, boundary conditions are obtained by taking the average over the years with a positive ADA and those with a negative ADA. In the Holocene scenario, global climate model data are used to force our regional model. To exclude the role of Bering Strait and the heat flux from the Pacific Ocean, we repeat the experiments with a closed Bering Strait since a nearly closed Bering configuration was possible for the Early Holocene. The model results are compared with the paleoclimate data from Arctic and subarctic seas.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Porter, David Felton
vertically deep heating and moistening of the Arctic atmosphere. Significant warming and moistening persists through November. This warmer and moister atmosphere is associated with an increase in cloud cover, affecting the surface and atmospheric energy budget. There is an enhancement of the hydrologic cycle, with increased evaporation in areas of sea ice loss paired with increased precipitation. Summertime changes in the hydrologic cycle reflect circulation responses to mid-latitude SSTs, highlighting the general sensitivity of the Arctic climate.
A Large Eddy Simulation Study of Heat Entrainment under Sea Ice in the Canadian Arctic Basin
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ramudu, E.; Yang, D.; Gelderloos, R.; Meneveau, C. V.; Gnanadesikan, A.
2016-12-01
Sea ice cover in the Arctic has declined rapidly in recent decades. The much faster than projected retreat suggests that climate models may be missing some key processes, or that these processes are not accurately represented. The entrainment of heat from the mixed layer by small-scale turbulence is one such process. In the Canadian Basin of the Arctic Ocean, relatively warm Pacific Summer Water (PSW) resides at the base of the mixed layer. With an increasing influx of PSW, the upper ocean in the Canadian Basin has been getting warmer and fresher since the early 2000s. While studies show a correlation between sea ice reduction and an increase in PSW temperature, others argue that PSW intrusions in the Canadian Basin cannot affect sea ice thickness because the strongly-stratified halocline prevents heat from the PSW layer from being entrained into the mixed layer and up to the basal ice surface. In this study, we try to resolve this conundrum by simulating the turbulent entrainment of heat from the PSW layer to a moving basal ice surface using large eddy simulation (LES). The LES model is based on a high-fidelity spectral approach on horizontal planes, and includes a Lagrangian dynamic subgrid model that reduces the need for empirical inputs for subgrid-scale viscosities and diffusivities. This LES tool allows us to investigate physical processes in the mixed layer at a very fine scale. We focus our study on summer conditions, when ice is melting, and show for a range of ice-drift velocities, halocline temperatures, and halocline salinity gradients characteristic of the Canadian Basin how much heat can be entrained from the PSW layer to the sea ice. Our results can be used to improve parameterizations of vertical heat flux under sea ice in coarse-grid ocean and climate models.
Heat transfer from Atlantic waters to sea ice in the Arctic Ocean: Evidence from dissolved argon
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Moore, R. M.; Spitzer, W.
1990-11-01
In an attempt to determine whether the temperature and salinity properties of Arctic Ocean waters above the Atlantic water temperature maximum are the result of heat transfer to sea-ice, dissolved Ar has been measured as a temperature tracer. Consistent with such a hypothesis, it is found that there is a transition from supersaturation of Ar in the upper waters to undersaturation below a depth of 275m. Using the known dependence of the solubility of Ar on T and S, and assuming that the water was originally equilibrated with the atmosphere at 760mm Hg, it has been calculated that ca. 0.6° C of cooling can be attributed to transfer of heat to sea-ice.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Steen, Harald; Granskog, Mats; Assmy, Philipp; Duarte, Pedro; Hudson, Stephen; Gerland, Sebastian; Spreen, Gunnar; Smedsrud, Lars H.
2016-04-01
The Arctic Ocean is shifting to a new regime with a thinner and smaller sea-ice area cover. Until now, winter sea ice extent has changed less than during summer, as the heat loss to the atmosphere during autumn and winter is large enough form an ice cover in most regions. The insulating snow cover also heavily influences the winter ice growth. Consequently, the older, thicker multi-year sea ice has been replace by a younger and thinner sea. These large changes in the sea ice cover may have dramatic consequences for ecosystems, energy fluxes and ultimately atmospheric circulation and the Northern Hemisphere climate. To study the effects of the changing Arctic the Norwegian Polar Institute, together with national and international partners, launched from January 11 to June 24, 2015 the Norwegian Young Sea ICE cruise 2015 (N-ICE2015). N-ICE2015 was a multi-disciplinary cruise aimed at simultaneously studying the effect of the Arctic Ocean changes in the sea ice, the atmosphere, in radiation, in ecosystems. as well as water chemistry. R/V Lance was frozen into the drift ice north of Svalbard at about N83 E25 and drifted passively southwards with the ice until she was broken loose. When she was loose, R/V Lance was brought back north to a similar starting position. While fast in the ice, she served as a living and working platform for 100 scientist and engineers from 11 countries. One aim of N-ICE2015 is to present a comprehensive data-set on the first year ice dominated system available for the scientific community describing the state and changes of the Arctic sea ice system from freezing to melt. Analyzing the data is progressing and some first results will be presented.
Ulvan, Eva M; Finstad, Anders G; Ugedal, Ola; Berg, Ole Kristian
2012-01-01
One of the major challenges in ecological climate change impact science is to untangle the climatic effects on biological interactions and indirect cascading effects through different ecosystems. Here, we test for direct and indirect climatic drivers on competitive impact of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus L.) on brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) along a climate gradient in central Scandinavia, spanning from coastal to high-alpine environments. As a measure of competitive impact, trout food consumption was measured using (137)Cs tracer methodology both during the ice-covered and ice-free periods, and contrasted between lakes with or without char coexistence along the climate gradient. Variation in food consumption between lakes was best described by a linear mixed effect model including a three-way interaction between the presence/absence of Arctic char, season and Secchi depth. The latter is proxy for terrestrial dissolved organic carbon run-off, strongly governed by climatic properties of the catchment. The presence of Arctic char had a negative impact on trout food consumption. However, this effect was stronger during ice-cover and in lakes receiving high carbon load from the catchment, whereas no effect of water temperature was evident. In conclusion, the length of the ice-covered period and the export of allochthonous material from the catchment are likely major, but contrasting, climatic drivers of the competitive interaction between two freshwater lake top predators. While future climatic scenarios predict shorter ice-cover duration, they also predict increased carbon run-off. The present study therefore emphasizes the complexity of cascading ecosystem effects in future effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems.
Belchansky, G.I.; Douglas, David C.; Platonov, Nikita G.
2008-01-01
Sea ice thickness (SIT) is a key parameter of scientific interest because understanding the natural spatiotemporal variability of ice thickness is critical for improving global climate models. In this paper, changes in Arctic SIT during 1982-2003 are examined using a neural network (NN) algorithm trained with in situ submarine ice draft and surface drilling data. For each month of the study period, the NN individually estimated SIT of each ice-covered pixel (25-km resolution) based on seven geophysical parameters (four shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes, surface air temperature, ice drift velocity, and ice divergence/convergence) that were cumulatively summed at each monthly position along the pixel's previous 3-yr drift track (or less if the ice was <3 yr old). Average January SIT increased during 1982-88 in most regions of the Arctic (+7.6 ?? 0.9 cm yr-1), decreased through 1996 Arctic-wide (-6.1 ?? 1.2 cm yr-1), then modestly increased through 2003 mostly in the central Arctic (+2.1 ?? 0.6 cm yr-1). Net ice volume change in the Arctic Ocean from 1982 to 2003 was negligible, indicating that cumulative ice growth had largely replaced the estimated 45 000 km3 of ice lost by cumulative export. Above 65??N, total annual ice volume and interannual volume changes were correlated with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) at decadal and annual time scales, respectively. Late-summer ice thickness and total volume varied proportionally until the mid-1990s, but volume did not increase commensurate with the thickening during 1996-2002. The authors speculate that decoupling of the ice thickness-volume relationship resulted from two opposing mechanisms with different latitudinal expressions: a recent quasi-decadal shift in atmospheric circulation patterns associated with the AO's neutral state facilitated ice thickening at high latitudes while anomalously warm thermal forcing thinned and melted the ice cap at its periphery. ?? 2008 American Meteorological Society.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rodrigues, J.
2009-04-01
locally the variation of the ice cover in small regions such as narrow straits (which occupy one or only a few pixels in the usual 12.5 or 25km grids). Secondly, while the ice extent or area must be calculated, say, for each month of the year (for instance by averaging the daily ice extents or areas over one month), the LIFS and ISII have one single value for each year for each point, thus being more representative of the ice situation in a certain year than the usually quoted summer minimum or winter maximum. Finally, minimum and maximum values can be strongly affected by specific circumstances occurring in a comparatively short time interval. It was noticed, for instance, that in the summer of 2007 there were unusually clear skies over the Arctic Ocean which would have favoured a rapid melting, and a particular wind pattern which would have led to a strong advection of the ice out of the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait (special conditions that may partly explain the extraordinary depletion of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2007). We construct a time-series of the LIFS for the 1979-2008 period for each point of the Arctic where sea ice was found at least one day in this period. We describe in detail the melting seasons of 2007 (the longest on record) and 2008, and analyse the changes that took place in the last 30 years in 85 disjoint regions of the Arctic Ocean and peripheral seas. We found that between 1979 and 2006 the spatially averaged ice-free season in the Arctic increased at an approximately steady rate of 1.1 days/year and that the growth was considerably faster (5.5 days/year), and monotonic, in the 2001-2007 period. In 2007 the average LIFS in the Arctic was 168 days, dropping to 158 days in 2008, which makes it the fourth longer since systematic satellite monitoring of the Arctic began.
Wilkinson, Jeremy; Beegle-Krause, C J; Evers, Karl-Ulrich; Hughes, Nick; Lewis, Alun; Reed, Mark; Wadhams, Peter
2017-12-01
Renewed political and commercial interest in the resources of the Arctic, the reduction in the extent and thickness of sea ice, and the recent failings that led to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, have prompted industry and its regulatory agencies, governments, local communities and NGOs to look at all aspects of Arctic oil spill countermeasures with fresh eyes. This paper provides an overview of present oil spill response capabilities and technologies for ice-covered waters, as well as under potential future conditions driven by a changing climate. Though not an exhaustive review, we provide the key research results for oil spill response from knowledge accumulated over many decades, including significant review papers that have been prepared as well as results from recent laboratory tests, field programmes and modelling work. The three main areas covered by the review are as follows: oil weathering and modelling; oil detection and monitoring; and oil spill response techniques.
Controls on Arctic sea ice from first-year and multi-year ice survival rates
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Armour, K.; Bitz, C. M.; Hunke, E. C.; Thompson, L.
2009-12-01
The recent decrease in Arctic sea ice cover has transpired with a significant loss of multi-year (MY) ice. The transition to an Arctic that is populated by thinner first-year (FY) sea ice has important implications for future trends in area and volume. We develop a reduced model for Arctic sea ice with which we investigate how the survivability of FY and MY ice control various aspects of the sea-ice system. We demonstrate that Arctic sea-ice area and volume behave approximately as first-order autoregressive processes, which allows for a simple interpretation of September sea-ice in which its mean state, variability, and sensitivity to climate forcing can be described naturally in terms of the average survival rates of FY and MY ice. This model, used in concert with a sea-ice simulation that traces FY and MY ice areas to estimate the survival rates, reveals that small trends in the ice survival rates explain the decline in total Arctic ice area, and the relatively larger loss of MY ice area, over the period 1979-2006. Additionally, our model allows for a calculation of the persistence time scales of September area and volume anomalies. A relatively short memory time scale for ice area (~ 1 year) implies that Arctic ice area is nearly in equilibrium with long-term climate forcing at all times, and therefore observed trends in area are a clear indication of a changing climate. A longer memory time scale for ice volume (~ 5 years) suggests that volume can be out of equilibrium with climate forcing for long periods of time, and therefore trends in ice volume are difficult to distinguish from its natural variability. With our reduced model, we demonstrate the connection between memory time scale and sensitivity to climate forcing, and discuss the implications that a changing memory time scale has on the trajectory of ice area and volume in a warming climate. Our findings indicate that it is unlikely that a “tipping point” in September ice area and volume will be
Light Absorption in Arctic Sea Ice - Black Carbon vs Chlorophyll
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ogunro, O. O.; Wingenter, O. W.; Elliott, S.; Hunke, E. C.; Flanner, M.; Wang, H.; Dubey, M. K.; Jeffery, N.
2015-12-01
The fingerprint of climate change is more obvious in the Arctic than any other place on Earth. This is not only because the surface temperature there has increased at twice the rate of global mean temperature but also because Arctic sea ice extent has reached a record low of 49% reduction relative to the 1979-2000 climatology. Radiation absorption through black carbon (BC) deposited on Arctic snow and sea ice surface is one of the major hypothesized contributors to the decline. However, we note that chlorophyll-a absorption owing to increasing biology activity in this region could be a major competitor during boreal spring. Modeling of sea-ice physical and biological processes together with experiments and field observations promise rapid progress in the quality of Arctic ice predictions. Here we develop a dynamic ice system module to investigate discrete absorption of both BC and chlorophyll in the Arctic, using BC deposition fields from version 5 of Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) and vertically distributed layers of chlorophyll concentrations from Sea Ice Model (CICE). To this point, our black carbon mixing ratios compare well with available in situ data. Both results are in the same order of magnitude. Estimates from our calculations show that sea ice and snow around the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Baffin Bay has the least black carbon absorption while values at the ice-ocean perimeter in the region of the Barents Sea peak significantly. With regard to pigment concentrations, high amounts of chlorophyll are produced in Arctic sea ice by the bottom microbial community, and also within the columnar pack wherever substantial biological activity takes place in the presence of moderate light. We show that the percentage of photons absorbed by chlorophyll in the spring is comparable to the amount attributed to BC, especially in areas where the total deposition rates are decreasing with time on interannual timescale. We expect a continuous increase in
Biopolymers form a gelatinous microlayer at the air-sea interface when Arctic sea ice melts
Galgani, Luisa; Piontek, Judith; Engel, Anja
2016-01-01
The interface layer between ocean and atmosphere is only a couple of micrometers thick but plays a critical role in climate relevant processes, including the air-sea exchange of gas and heat and the emission of primary organic aerosols (POA). Recent findings suggest that low-level cloud formation above the Arctic Ocean may be linked to organic polymers produced by marine microorganisms. Sea ice harbors high amounts of polymeric substances that are produced by cells growing within the sea-ice brine. Here, we report from a research cruise to the central Arctic Ocean in 2012. Our study shows that microbial polymers accumulate at the air-sea interface when the sea ice melts. Proteinaceous compounds represented the major fraction of polymers supporting the formation of a gelatinous interface microlayer and providing a hitherto unrecognized potential source of marine POA. Our study indicates a novel link between sea ice-ocean and atmosphere that may be sensitive to climate change. PMID:27435531
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rudels, Bert
2010-05-01
The freshwater added to the Arctic Ocean is stored as sea ice and as liquid freshwater residing primarily in the upper layers. This allows for simple zero order estimates of the liquid freshwater content and export based on rotationally controlled baroclinic flow. At present the freshwater outflow occurs on both sides of Greenland. In Fram Strait the sea ice export in the East Greenland Current is significantly larger than the liquid freshwater outflow, while the liquid freshwater export dominates in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Although the outflow in the upper layer and the freshwater export respond to short periodic wind events and longer periodic atmospheric circulation patterns, the long-term trend is controlled by the net freshwater supply - the freshwater input minus the ice export. As the ice formation and ice export are expected to diminish in a warmer climate the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, comprising several passages, should gradually carry more of the total Arctic Ocean freshwater outflow. However, the channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago discharge into the restricted Baffin, which also receives a part of the Fram Strait freshwater export via the West Greenland Current. In a situation with increased glacial melting and freshwater discharge from Greenland the density of the upper layer in Baffin Bay may decrease considerably. This would reduce the sea level difference between the Arctic Ocean and Baffin Bay and thus weaken the outflow through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, in extreme cases perhaps even reverse the flow. This would shift the main Arctic Ocean liquid freshwater export from The Canadian Arctic Archipelago to Fram Strait. The zero order dynamics of the exchanges through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Baffin Bay are described and the possibility for a weakening of the outflow is examined.
Polar bear and walrus response to the rapid decline in Arctic sea ice
Oakley, K.; Whalen, M.; Douglas, David C.; Udevitz, Mark S.; Atwood, Todd C.; Jay, C.
2012-01-01
The Arctic is warming faster than other regions of the world due to positive climate feedbacks associated with loss of snow and ice. One highly visible consequence has been a rapid decline in Arctic sea ice over the past 3 decades - a decline projected to continue and result in ice-free summers likely as soon as 2030. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) are dependent on sea ice over the continental shelves of the Arctic Ocean's marginal seas. The continental shelves are shallow regions with high biological productivity, supporting abundant marine life within the water column and on the sea floor. Polar bears use sea ice as a platform for hunting ice seals; walruses use sea ice as a resting platform between dives to forage for clams and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates. How have sea ice changes affected polar bears and walruses? How will anticipated changes affect them in the future?
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nghiem, S. V.; Clemente-Colon, P.; Rigor, I. G.; Hall, D. K.; Neumann, G.
2011-01-01
The seafloor has a profound role in Arctic sea ice formation and seasonal evolution. Ocean bathymetry controls the distribution and mixing of warm and cold waters, which may originate from different sources, thereby dictating the pattern of sea ice on the ocean surface. Sea ice dynamics, forced by surface winds, are also guided by seafloor features in preferential directions. Here, satellite mapping of sea ice together with buoy measurements are used to reveal the bathymetric control on sea ice growth and dynamics. Bathymetric effects on sea ice formation are clearly observed in the conformation between sea ice patterns and bathymetric characteristics in the peripheral seas. Beyond local features, bathymetric control appears over extensive ice-prone regions across the Arctic Ocean. The large-scale conformation between bathymetry and patterns of different synoptic sea ice classes, including seasonal and perennial sea ice, is identified. An implication of the bathymetric influence is that the maximum extent of the total sea ice cover is relatively stable, as observed by scatterometer data in the decade of the 2000s, while the minimum ice extent has decreased drastically. Because of the geologic control, the sea ice cover can expand only as far as it reaches the seashore, the continental shelf break, or other pronounced bathymetric features in the peripheral seas. Since the seafloor does not change significantly for decades or centuries, sea ice patterns can be recurrent around certain bathymetric features, which, once identified, may help improve short-term forecast and seasonal outlook of the sea ice cover. Moreover, the seafloor can indirectly influence cloud cover by its control on sea ice distribution, which differentially modulates the latent heat flux through ice covered and open water areas.
Probabilistic Forecasting of Arctic Sea Ice Extent
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Slater, A. G.
2013-12-01
Sea ice in the Arctic is changing rapidly. Most noticeable has been the series of record, or near-record, annual minimums in sea ice extent in the past six years. The changing regime of sea ice has prompted much interest in seasonal prediction of sea ice extent, particularly as opportunities for Arctic shipping and resource exploration or extraction increase. This study presents a daily sea ice extent probabilistic forecast method with a 50-day lead time. A base projection is made from historical data and near-real-time sea ice concentration is assimilated on the issue date of the forecast. When considering the September mean ice extent for the period 1995-2012, the performance of the 50-day lead time forecast is very good: correlation=0.94, Bias = 0.14 ×106 km^2 and RMSE = 0.36 ×106 km^2. Forecasts for the daily minimum contains equal skill levels. The system is highly competitive with any of the SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook estimates. The primary finding of this study is that large amounts of forecast skill can be gained from knowledge of the initial conditions of concentration (perhaps more than previously thought). Given the simplicity of the forecast model, improved skill should be available from system refinement and with suitable proxies for large scale atmosphere and ocean circulation.
Oil and ice in the arctic ocean: possible large-scale interactions.
Campbell, W J; Martin, S
1973-07-06
The diffusion and transport mechanisms generated by the pack ice dynamics of the Beaufort Sea, combined with the slow rate of biodegradation of oil under Arctic conditions, would combine to diffuse an oil spill over the sea and eventually deposit the oil on the ice surface, where it would lower the natural albedo over a large area.
Determination of Arctic sea ice thickness in the winter of 2007
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Calvao, J.; Wadhams, P.; Rodrigues, J.
2009-04-01
The L3H phase of operation of ICESat's laser in the winter of 2007 coincided for about two weeks with the cruise of the British submarine Tireless where upward-looking and multibeam sonar systems were mounted, thus providing the first opportunity for a simultaneous determination of the sea ice freeboard and draft in the Arctic Ocean. ICESat satellite carries a laser altimeter dedicated to the observation of polar regions, generating accurate profiles of surface topography along the tracks (footprint diameter 70m), which can be inverted to determine sea-ice freeboard heights using a "lowest level" filtering scheme. The procedure applied to obtain the ice freeboard F=h-N-MDT (where h is the ICESat ellipsoidal height estimate, N is the geoid undulation and MDT is the ocean mean dynamic topography) for the whole Arctic basin (with the exception of points beyond 86N) consisted of a high-pass filtering of the satellite data to remove low frequency effects due to the geoid and ocean dynamics (the geoid model ArcGP with sufficient accuracy to allow the computation of the freeboard was very recently made available). The original tide model was replaced by the tide model AOTIM5 and the tide loading model TPXO6.2. The inverse barometer correction was computed. As there are no MDT models with enough accuracy, it is necessary to identify leads of open water or thin ice to allow the interpolation of the ocean surface, using surface reflectivity and waveform shape. Several solutions were tested to define the ocean surface and the computed freeboard values were interpolated on a 5x5 minute grid, where the submarine track was interpolated. At the same time, along-track single beam upward-looking sonar data were recorded using an Admiralty pattern 780 echo sounder carried by the Tireless, from where we have generated an ice draft profile of about 8,000km between Fram Strait and the North coast of Alaska and back. The merging of the two data sets provides a new insight into the
Arctic sea ice thickness characteristics in winter 2004 and 2007 from submarine sonar transects
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wadhams, Peter; Hughes, Nick; Rodrigues, JoãO.
2011-08-01
A transect of the Arctic Ocean by the British submarine Tireless in March 2007 enabled the thickness characteristics of the ice cover to be measured during the winter immediately preceding the exceptional retreat of summer 2007. In this paper we report on mean and modal drafts, probability density functions of draft, and the frequency and depth distribution of pressure ridges, and we compare results with those from an earlier submarine cruise in winter 2004 which covered part of the same area. In the region from north of Fram Strait to Ellesmere Island (about 85°N, 0-70°W) we find no change in mean drafts between 2004 and 2007 though there is a change in ice composition, with more ridging in 2007 but a lesser modal draft. This agrees with the observations of younger ice being driven toward Fram Strait in 2007. The region north of Ellesmere Island continues to be a "redoubt" containing more thick deformed multiyear ice than any other part of the transect. In the west the submarine profiled extensively under the SEDNA ice camp at 73°N 145°W. This is in the same location as the 1976 AIDJEX ice camp and a sonar survey done by a U.S. submarine in April 1976. We found that a large decrease in mean draft had occurred (32%) over 31 years and that in 2007 the SEDNA region contained the thinnest ice of any part of the Arctic surveyed by the submarine; this was a region from which the ice completely retreated during the subsequent summer of 2007.
Evaluation of CryoSat-2 SARIn vs. SAR Arctic Sea Ice Freeboard
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Di Bella, A.; Skourup, H.; Forsberg, R.
2017-12-01
Earth climate is a complex system which behaviour is dictated by the interaction among many components. Sea ice, one of these fundamental components, interacts directly with the oceans and the atmosphere playing an important role in defining heat exchange processes and, thus, impacting weather patterns on a global scale. Sea ice thickness estimates have notably improved in the last couple of decades, however, the uncertainty of such estimates is still significant. For the past 7 years, the ESA CryoSat-2 (CS2) mission has provided a unique opportunity to observe polar regions due to its extended coverage up to 88° N/S. The SIRAL radar altimeter on board CS2 enables the sea ice community to estimate sea ice thickness by measuring the sea ice freeboard. Studies by Armitage and Davidson [2014] and Di Bella et al. [submitted] showed that the interferometric capabilities of SIRAL can be used to retrieve an increased number of valid sea surface heights in sea ice covered regions and thus reduce the random uncertainty of the estimated freeboards, especially in areas with a sparse lead distribution. This study focuses on the comparison between sea ice freeboard estimates obtained by processing L1B SARIn data inside the Wingham box - an area in the Arctic Ocean where SIRAL has acquired SARIn data for 4 years - and those obtained by processing L1B SAR data in the area surrounding the box. This comparison evaluates CS2 performance on Arctic sea ice from a statistical perspective by analysing the continuity of freeboard estimates in areas where SIRAL switches between SAR and SARIn acquisition modes. Data collected during the Operation IceBridge and CryoVEx field campaigns are included in the study as an additional validation. Besides investigating the possibility of including the phase information from SIRAL in currently available freeboard estimates, this results provide valuable information for a possible SARIn CryoSat follow-on mission.
EOS Aqua AMSR-E Arctic Sea Ice Validation Program: Arctic2003 Aircraft Campaign Flight Report
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cavalieri, D. J.; Markus,T.
2003-01-01
In March 2003 a coordinated Arctic sea ice validation field campaign using the NASA Wallops P-3B aircraft was successfully completed. This campaign was part of the program for validating the Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) sea ice products. The AMSR-E, designed and built by the Japanese National Space Development Agency for NASA, was launched May 4, 2002 on the EOS Aqua spacecraft. The AMSR-E sea ice products to be validated include sea ice concentration, sea ice temperature, and snow depth on sea ice. This flight report describes the suite of instruments flown on the P-3, the objectives of each of the seven flights, the Arctic regions overflown, and the coordination among satellite, aircraft, and surface-based measurements. Two of the seven aircraft flights were coordinated with scientists making surface measurements of snow and ice properties including sea ice temperature and snow depth on sea ice at a study area near Barrow, AK and at a Navy ice camp located in the Beaufort Sea. Two additional flights were dedicated to making heat and moisture flux measurements over the St. Lawrence Island polynya to support ongoing air-sea-ice processes studies of Arctic coastal polynyas. The remaining flights covered portions of the Bering Sea ice edge, the Chukchi Sea, and Norton Sound.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sedlar, J.
2015-12-01
Atmospheric advection of heat and moisture from lower latitudes to the high-latitude Arctic is a critical component of Earth's energy cycle. Large-scale advective events have been shown to make up a significant portion of the moist static energy budget of the Arctic atmosphere, even though such events are typically infrequent. The transport of heat and moisture over surfaces covered by ice and snow results in dynamic changes to the boundary layer structure, stability and turbulence, as well as to diabatic processes such as cloud distribution, microphysics and subsequent radiative effects. Recent studies have identified advection into the Arctic as a key mechanism for modulating the melt and freeze of snow and sea ice, via modification to all-sky longwave radiation. This paper examines the radiative impact during summer of such Arctic advective events at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), considering also the important role they play for the surface energy budget. Using infrared sounder measurements from the AIRS satellite, the summer frequency of significantly stable and moist advective events from 2003-2014 are characterized; justification of AIRS profiles over the Arctic are made using radiosoundings during a 3-month transect (ACSE) across the Eastern Arctic basin. One such event was observed within the East Siberian Sea in August 2014 during ACSE, providing in situ verification on the robustness and capability of AIRS to monitor advective cases. Results will highlight the important surface warming aspect of stable, moist instrusions. However a paradox emerges as such events also result in a cooling at the TOA evident on monthly mean TOA radiation. Thus such events have a climatic importance over ice and snow covered surfaces across the Arctic. ERA-Interim reanalyses are examined to provide a longer term perspective on the frequency of such events as well as providing capability to estimate meridional fluxes of moist static energy.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Klein, E. S.; Welker, J. M.
2017-12-01
Most of the global hydrologic cycle occurs in oceanic waters. This oceanic derived moisture is critical to the precipitation and evapotranspiration regimes that influence terrestrial Earth systems. Thus understanding oceanic water processes has important global implications for our knowledge of modern and past hydrologic cycles. As they are influenced by environmental variables such as sea surface temperature and atmospheric humidity, water isotope ratios (e.g., δ18O, δ2H) can help understand the patterns driving the water cycle. However, our knowledge of marine isotopes is relatively limited. In particular, the fractionation of water isotopes during evaporation of oceanic water, essentially the start of the hydrologic cycle, is largely based on theoretical relationships derived from spatially and temporally limited data sets. This constrained understanding of oceanic evaporation fractionation patterns is especially pronounced in the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. These changes are associated with reduced sea ice coverage, which is increasing the amount of local Artic Ocean sourced moisture in atmospheric and terrestrial systems and amplifying the Arctic hydrologic cycle. Here we present new data revealing the nuances of evaporative fractionation of Arctic Ocean water isotopes with the first collection of continuous, contemporaneous sea water and vapor isotopes. These data, collected in situ aboard the icebreaker Healy, show that the difference between actual ocean vapor isotope values and vapor values estimated by the closure equation increases progressively with latitude (especially beyond 70°) and varies between δ18O and δ2H. These differences are likely due to more isotopic mixing in the troposphere and/or closure equation assumptions inapplicable to Arctic regions. Moreover, we find: 1) a positive relationship between fractionation magnitude and latitude; and 2) the influence of evaporative fractionation from environmental variables such as wind and
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Reves-Sohn, R. A.; Singh, H.; Humphris, S.; Shank, T.; Jakuba, M.; Kunz, C.; Murphy, C.; Willis, C.
2007-12-01
Deep-sea hydrothermal fields on the Gakkel Ridge beneath the Arctic ice cap provide perhaps the best terrestrial analogue for volcanically-hosted chemosynthetic biological communities that may exist beneath the ice-covered ocean of Europa. In both cases the key enabling technologies are robotic (untethered) vehicles that can swim freely under the ice and the supporting hardware and software. The development of robotic technology for deep- sea research beneath ice-covered oceans thus has relevance to both polar oceanography and future astrobiological missions to Europa. These considerations motivated a technology development effort under the auspices of NASA's ASTEP program and NSF's Office of Polar Programs that culminated in the AGAVE expedition aboard the icebreaker Oden from July 1 - August 10, 2007. The scientific objective was to study hydrothermal processes on the Gakkel Ridge, which is a key target for global studies of deep-sea vent fields. We developed two new autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for the project, and deployed them to search for vent fields beneath the ice. We conducted eight AUV missions (four to completion) during the 40-day long expedition, which also included ship-based bathymetric surveys, CTD/rosette water column surveys, and wireline photographic and sampling surveys of remote sections of the Gakkel Ridge. The AUV missions, which lasted 16 hours on average and achieved operational depths of 4200 meters, returned sensor data that showed clear evidence of hydrothermal venting, but for a combination of technical reasons and time constraints, the AUVs did not ultimately return images of deep-sea vent fields. Nevertheless we used our wireline system to obtain images and samples of extensive microbial mats that covered fresh volcanic surfaces on a newly discovered set of volcanoes. The microbes appear to be living in regions where reducing and slightly warm fluids are seeping through cracks in the fresh volcanic terrain. These discoveries
Arctic sea ice is an important temporal sink and means of transport for microplastic.
Peeken, Ilka; Primpke, Sebastian; Beyer, Birte; Gütermann, Julia; Katlein, Christian; Krumpen, Thomas; Bergmann, Melanie; Hehemann, Laura; Gerdts, Gunnar
2018-04-24
Microplastics (MP) are recognized as a growing environmental hazard and have been identified as far as the remote Polar Regions, with particularly high concentrations of microplastics in sea ice. Little is known regarding the horizontal variability of MP within sea ice and how the underlying water body affects MP composition during sea ice growth. Here we show that sea ice MP has no uniform polymer composition and that, depending on the growth region and drift paths of the sea ice, unique MP patterns can be observed in different sea ice horizons. Thus even in remote regions such as the Arctic Ocean, certain MP indicate the presence of localized sources. Increasing exploitation of Arctic resources will likely lead to a higher MP load in the Arctic sea ice and will enhance the release of MP in the areas of strong seasonal sea ice melt and the outflow gateways.
Climate of the Arctic marine environment.
Walsh, John E
2008-03-01
The climate of the Arctic marine environment is characterized by strong seasonality in the incoming solar radiation and by tremendous spatial variations arising from a variety of surface types, including open ocean, sea ice, large islands, and proximity to major landmasses. Interannual and decadal-scale variations are prominent features of Arctic climate, complicating the distinction between natural and anthropogenically driven variations. Nevertheless, climate models consistently indicate that the Arctic is the most climatically sensitive region of the Northern Hemisphere, especially near the sea ice margins. The Arctic marine environment has shown changes over the past several decades, and these changes are part of a broader global warming that exceeds the range of natural variability over the past 1000 years. Record minima of sea ice coverage during the past few summers and increased melt from Greenland have important implications for the hydrographic regime of the Arctic marine environment. The recent changes in the atmosphere (temperature, precipitation, pressure), sea ice, and ocean appear to be a coordinated response to systematic variations of the large-scale atmospheric circulation, superimposed on a general warming that is likely associated with increasing greenhouse gases. The changes have been sufficiently large in some sectors (e.g., the Bering/Chukchi Seas) that consequences for marine ecosystems appear to be underway. Global climate models indicate an additional warming of several degrees Celsius in much of the Arctic marine environment by 2050. However, the warming is seasonal (largest in autumn and winter), spatially variable, and closely associated with further retreat of sea ice. Additional changes predicted for 2050 are a general decrease of sea level pressure (largest in the Bering sector) and an increase of precipitation. While predictions of changes in storminess cannot be made with confidence, the predicted reduction of sea ice cover will
Assessment of Arctic and Antarctic Sea Ice Predictability in CMIP5 Decadal Hindcasts
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Yang, Chao-Yuan; Liu, Jiping (Inventor); Hu, Yongyun; Horton, Radley M.; Chen, Liqi; Cheng, Xiao
2016-01-01
This paper examines the ability of coupled global climate models to predict decadal variability of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. We analyze decadal hindcasts/predictions of 11 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models. Decadal hindcasts exhibit a large multimodel spread in the simulated sea ice extent, with some models deviating significantly from the observations as the predicted ice extent quickly drifts away from the initial constraint. The anomaly correlation analysis between the decadal hindcast and observed sea ice suggests that in the Arctic, for most models, the areas showing significant predictive skill become broader associated with increasing lead times. This area expansion is largely because nearly all the models are capable of predicting the observed decreasing Arctic sea ice cover. Sea ice extent in the North Pacific has better predictive skill than that in the North Atlantic (particularly at a lead time of 3-7 years), but there is a reemerging predictive skill in the North Atlantic at a lead time of 6-8 years. In contrast to the Arctic, Antarctic sea ice decadal hindcasts do not show broad predictive skill at any timescales, and there is no obvious improvement linking the areal extent of significant predictive skill to lead time increase. This might be because nearly all the models predict a retreating Antarctic sea ice cover, opposite to the observations. For the Arctic, the predictive skill of the multi-model ensemble mean outperforms most models and the persistence prediction at longer timescales, which is not the case for the Antarctic. Overall, for the Arctic, initialized decadal hindcasts show improved predictive skill compared to uninitialized simulations, although this improvement is not present in the Antarctic.
Trends in the Length of the Southern Ocean Sea Ice Season: 1979-1999
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parkinson, Claire L.; Zukor, Dorothy J. (Technical Monitor)
2001-01-01
Satellite data can be used to observe the sea ice distribution around the continent of Antarctica on a daily basis and hence to determine how many days a year have sea ice at each location. This has been done for each of the 21 years 1979-1999. Mapping the trends in these data over the 21-year period reveals a detailed pattern of changes in the length of the sea ice season around Antarctica. Most of the Ross Sea ice cover has undergone a lengthening of the sea ice season, whereas most of the Amundsen Sea ice cover and almost the entire Bellingshausen Sea ice cover have undergone a shortening of the sea ice season. Results around the rest of the continent, including in the Weddell Sea, are more mixed, but overall, more of the Southern Ocean experienced a lengthening of the sea ice season than a shortening. For instance, the area experiencing a lengthening of the sea ice season by at least 1 day per year is 5.8 x 10(exp 6) sq km, whereas the area experiencing a shortening of the sea ice season by at least 1 day per year is less than half that, at 2.8 x 10(exp 6) sq km. This contrasts sharply with what is happened over the same period in the Arctic, where, overall, there has been some depletion of the ice cover, including shortened sea ice seasons and decreased ice extents.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nilsson, E. Douglas; Barr, Sumner
2001-12-01
The atmospheric program on the Arctic Ocean Expedition of July through September 1996 (AOE-96) was focused on aerosol climate feedback. The expedition took place close to the saddle point between a semipersistent anticyclonic ridge from near Scandinavia to the Arctic coast of eastern Siberia and a trough from the Canadian archipelago across the pole to north central Siberia. The weather varied from anticyclonic clear-sky conditions to cyclonic cloudy conditions, and 13 identifiable migratory features (frontal bands, wave disturbances) clearly influenced local weather, clouds, atmospheric transport, and chemistry. This includes an explosive polar cyclone, born at the lateral heat gradient between Greenland and the pack ice rather than between open sea and the pack ice. The synoptic scale weather systems caused the strongest variability in trace gases (O3 in particular) and aerosols, and also strong variability in the cloud cover. The formation of air masses over the pack ice primarily depends on if there is cyclonic (convergent) or anticyclonic (divergent) flow. Cyclonic flow resulted in a modified marine air mass loaded with vapor, but with low aerosol number concentrations owing to frequent clouds and fogs and efficient cloud scavenging of the aerosol. Anticyclonic flow resulted in almost continental air masses with clear sky, long residence time over the pack ice and subsidence slowly replacing the boundary layer with free tropospheric air, low vapor concentrations, but large aerosol number in lack of efficient cloud scavenging. The synoptic variability and advection from south of the ice edge were weaker than during the predecessor International Arctic Ocean Expedition in 1991 (IAOE-91), when on average the sampled air spent 55 hours over the pack ice compared to more than 120 hours during AOE-96, owing to exceptionally high cyclone activity in 1991. This caused a large difference in atmospheric transport, chemistry, and aerosols between the two expeditions.
Landfast ice thickness in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago from observations and models
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Howell, Stephen E. L.; Laliberté, Frédéric; Kwok, Ron; Derksen, Chris; King, Joshua
2016-07-01
Observed and modelled landfast ice thickness variability and trends spanning more than 5 decades within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) are summarized. The observed sites (Cambridge Bay, Resolute, Eureka and Alert) represent some of the Arctic's longest records of landfast ice thickness. Observed end-of-winter (maximum) trends of landfast ice thickness (1957-2014) were statistically significant at Cambridge Bay (-4.31 ± 1.4 cm decade-1), Eureka (-4.65 ± 1.7 cm decade-1) and Alert (-4.44 ± 1.6 cm -1) but not at Resolute. Over the 50+-year record, the ice thinned by ˜ 0.24-0.26 m at Cambridge Bay, Eureka and Alert with essentially negligible change at Resolute. Although statistically significant warming in spring and fall was present at all sites, only low correlations between temperature and maximum ice thickness were present; snow depth was found to be more strongly associated with the negative ice thickness trends. Comparison with multi-model simulations from Coupled Model Intercomparison project phase 5 (CMIP5), Ocean Reanalysis Intercomparison (ORA-IP) and Pan-Arctic Ice-Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS) show that although a subset of current generation models have a "reasonable" climatological representation of landfast ice thickness and distribution within the CAA, trends are unrealistic and far exceed observations by up to 2 orders of magnitude. ORA-IP models were found to have positive correlations between temperature and ice thickness over the CAA, a feature that is inconsistent with both observations and coupled models from CMIP5.
Propagation of acoustic-gravity waves in arctic zones with elastic ice-sheets
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kadri, Usama; Abdolali, Ali; Kirby, James T.
2017-04-01
We present an analytical solution of the boundary value problem of propagating acoustic-gravity waves generated in the ocean by earthquakes or ice-quakes in arctic zones. At the surface, we assume elastic ice-sheets of a variable thickness, and show that the propagating acoustic-gravity modes have different mode shape than originally derived by Ref. [1] for a rigid ice-sheet settings. Computationally, we couple the ice-sheet problem with the free surface model by Ref. [2] representing shrinking ice blocks in realistic sea state, where the randomly oriented ice-sheets cause inter modal transition at the edges and multidirectional reflections. We then derive a depth-integrated equation valid for spatially slowly varying thickness of ice-sheet and water depth. Surprisingly, and unlike the free-surface setting, here it is found that the higher acoustic-gravity modes exhibit a larger contribution. These modes travel at the speed of sound in water carrying information on their source, e.g. ice-sheet motion or submarine earthquake, providing various implications for ocean monitoring and detection of quakes. In addition, we found that the propagating acoustic-gravity modes can result in orbital displacements of fluid parcels sufficiently high that may contribute to deep ocean currents and circulation, as postulated by Refs. [1, 3]. References [1] U. Kadri, 2016. Generation of Hydroacoustic Waves by an Oscillating Ice Block in Arctic Zones. Advances in Acoustics and Vibration, 2016, Article ID 8076108, 7 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8076108 [2] A. Abdolali, J. T. Kirby and G. Bellotti, 2015, Depth-integrated equation for hydro-acoustic waves with bottom damping, J. Fluid Mech., 766, R1 doi:10.1017/jfm.2015.37 [3] U. Kadri, 2014. Deep ocean water transportation by acoustic?gravity waves. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 119, doi:10.1002/ 2014JC010234
The Holocene history of Nares Strait: Transition from glacial bay to Arctic-Atlantic throughflow
Jennings, Anne E.; Sheldon, Christina; Cronin, Thomas M.; Francus, Pierre; Stoner, Joseph; Andrews, John
2011-01-01
Retreat of glacier ice from Nares Strait and other straits in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago after the end of the last Ice Age initiated an important connection between the Arctic and the North Atlantic Oceans, allowing development of modern ocean circulation in Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea. As low-salinity, nutrient-rich Arctic Water began to enter Baffin Bay, it contributed to the Baffin and Labrador currents flowing southward. This enhanced freshwater inflow must have influenced the sea ice regime and likely is responsible for poor calcium carbonate preservation that characterizes the Baffin Island margin today. Sedimentologic and paleoceanographic data from radiocarbon-dated core HLY03-05GC, Hall Basin, northern Nares Strait, document the timing and paleoenvironments surrounding the retreat of waning ice sheets from Nares Strait and opening of this connection between the Arctic Ocean and Baffin Bay. Hall Basin was deglaciated soon before 10,300 cal BP (calibrated years before present) and records ice-distal sedimentation in a glacial bay facing the Arctic Ocean until about 9,000 cal BP. Atlantic Water was present in Hall Basin during deglaciation, suggesting that it may have promoted ice retreat. A transitional unit with high ice-rafted debris content records the opening of Nares Strait at approximately 9,000 cal BP. High productivity in Hall Basin between 9,000 and 6,000 cal BP reflects reduced sea ice cover and duration as well as throughflow of nutrient-rich Pacific Water. The later Holocene is poorly resolved in the core, but slow sedimentation rates and heavier carbon isotope values support an interpretation of increased sea ice cover and decreased productivity during the Neoglacial period.
Estimation of Volume and Freshwater Flux from the Arctic Ocean using SMAP and NCEP CFSv2
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bulusu, S.
2017-12-01
Spatial and temporal monitoring of sea surface salinity (SSS) plays an important role globally and especially over the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic ice melt has led to an influx of freshwater into the Arctic environment, a process that can be observed in SSS. The recently launched NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is primarily designed for the global monitoring of soil moisture using L- band (1.4GHz) frequency. SMAP also has the capability of measuring SSS and can thus extend the NASA's Aquarius salinity mission (ended June 7, 2015), salinity data record with improved temporal/spatial sampling. In this research an attempt is made to investigate the retrievability of SSS over the Arctic from SMAP satellite. The objectives of this study are to verify the use of SMAP sea surface salinity (and freshwater) variability in the Arctic Ocean and the extent to estimate freshwater, salt and volume flux from the Arctic Ocean. Along with SMAP data we will use NASA's Ice, Cloud,and land Elevation Satellites (ICESat and ICESat-2), and ESA's CryoSat-2, and NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites data to estimate ice melt in the Arctic. The preliminary results from SMAP compared well with the NCEP Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2) salinity data in this region capturing patterns fairly well over the Arctic.
Affects of Changes in Sea Ice Cover on Bowhead Whales and Subsistence Whaling in the Western Arctic
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Moore, S.; Suydam, R.; Overland, J.; Laidre, K.; George, J.; Demaster, D.
2004-12-01
Global warming may disproportionately affect Arctic marine mammals and disrupt traditional subsistence hunting activities. Based upon analyses of a 24-year time series (1979-2002) of satellite-derived sea ice cover, we identified significant positive trends in the amount of open-water in three large and five small-scale regions in the western Arctic, including habitats where bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) feed or are suspected to feed. Bowheads are the only mysticete whale endemic to the Arctic and a cultural keystone species for Native peoples from northwestern Alaska and Chukotka, Russia. While copepods (Calanus spp.) are a mainstay of the bowhead diet, prey sampling conducted in the offshore region of northern Chukotka and stomach contents from whales harvested offshore of the northern Alaskan coast indicate that euphausiids (Thysanoessa spp.) advected from the Bering Sea are also common prey in autumn. Early departure of sea ice has been posited to control availability of zooplankton in the southeastern Bering Sea and in the Cape Bathurst polynya in the southeastern Canadian Beaufort Sea, with maximum secondary production associated with a late phytoplankton bloom in insolatoin-stratified open water. While it is unclear if declining sea-ice has directly affected production or advection of bowhead prey, an extension of the open-water season increases opportunities for Native subsistence whaling in autumn. Therefore, bowhead whales may provide a nexus for simultaneous exploration of the effects sea ice reduction on pagophillic marine mammals and on the social systems of the subsistence hunting community in the western Arctic. The NOAA/Alaska Fisheries Science Center and NSB/Department of Wildlife Management will investigate bowhead whale stock identity, seasonal distribution and subsistence use patterns during the International Polar Year, as an extension of research planned for 2005-06. This research is in response to recommendations from the Scientific
Polar Bears Across the Arctic Face Shorter Sea Ice Season
2017-12-08
Polar bears already face shorter ice seasons - limiting prime hunting and breeding opportunities. Nineteen separate polar bear subpopulations live throughout the Arctic, spending their winters and springs roaming on sea ice and hunting. The bears have evolved mainly to eat seals, which provide necessary fats and nutrients in the harsh Arctic environment. Polar bears can't outswim their prey, so instead they perch on the ice as a platform and ambush seals at breathing holes or break through the ice to access their dens. The total number of ice-covered days declined at the rate of seven to 19 days per decade between 1979 and 2014. The decline was even greater in the Barents Sea and the Arctic basin. Sea ice concentration during the summer months — an important measure because summertime is when some subpopulations are forced to fast on land — also declined in all regions, by 1 percent to 9 percent per decade. Read more: go.nasa.gov/2cIZSSc Photo credit: Mario Hoppmann
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Jeffries, M.O.
1992-08-01
Ice shelves are thick, floating ice masses most often associated with Antarctica where they are seaward extensions of the grounded Antarctic ice sheet and sources of many icebergs. However, there are also ice shelves in the Arctic, primarily located along the north coast of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic. The only ice shelves in North America and the most extensive in the north polar region, the Ellesmere ice shelves originate from glaciers and from sea ice and are the source of ice islands, the tabular icebergs of the Arctic Ocean. The present state of knowledge and understanding ofmore » these ice features is summarized in this paper. It includes historical background to the discovery and early study of ice shelves and ice islands, including the use of ice islands as floating laboratories for polar geophysical research. Growth mechanisms and age, the former extent and the twentieth century disintegration of the Ellesmere ice shelves, and the processes and mechanisms of ice island calving are summarized. Surface features, thickness, thermal regime, and the size, shape, and numbers of ice islands are discussed. The structural-stratigraphic variability of ice islands and ice shelves and the complex nature of their growth and development are described. Large-scale and small-scale dynamics of ice islands are described, and the results of modeling their drift and recurrence intervals are presented. The conclusion identifies some unanswered questions and future research opportunities and needs. 97 refs., 18 figs.« less
Improved ocean-color remote sensing in the Arctic using the POLYMER algorithm
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Frouin, Robert; Deschamps, Pierre-Yves; Ramon, Didier; Steinmetz, François
2012-10-01
Atmospheric correction of ocean-color imagery in the Arctic brings some specific challenges that the standard atmospheric correction algorithm does not address, namely low solar elevation, high cloud frequency, multi-layered polar clouds, presence of ice in the field-of-view, and adjacency effects from highly reflecting surfaces covered by snow and ice and from clouds. The challenges may be addressed using a flexible atmospheric correction algorithm, referred to as POLYMER (Steinmetz and al., 2011). This algorithm does not use a specific aerosol model, but fits the atmospheric reflectance by a polynomial with a non spectral term that accounts for any non spectral scattering (clouds, coarse aerosol mode) or reflection (glitter, whitecaps, small ice surfaces within the instrument field of view), a spectral term with a law in wavelength to the power -1 (fine aerosol mode), and a spectral term with a law in wavelength to the power -4 (molecular scattering, adjacency effects from clouds and white surfaces). Tests are performed on selected MERIS imagery acquired over Arctic Seas. The derived ocean properties, i.e., marine reflectance and chlorophyll concentration, are compared with those obtained with the standard MEGS algorithm. The POLYMER estimates are more realistic in regions affected by the ice environment, e.g., chlorophyll concentration is higher near the ice edge, and spatial coverage is substantially increased. Good retrievals are obtained in the presence of thin clouds, with ocean-color features exhibiting spatial continuity from clear to cloudy regions. The POLYMER estimates of marine reflectance agree better with in situ measurements than the MEGS estimates. Biases are 0.001 or less in magnitude, except at 412 and 443 nm, where they reach 0.005 and 0.002, respectively, and root-mean-squared difference decreases from 0.006 at 412 nm to less than 0.001 at 620 and 665 nm. A first application to MODIS imagery is presented, revealing that the POLYMER algorithm is
Additional Arctic observations improve weather and sea-ice forecasts for the Northern Sea Route
Inoue, Jun; Yamazaki, Akira; Ono, Jun; Dethloff, Klaus; Maturilli, Marion; Neuber, Roland; Edwards, Patti; Yamaguchi, Hajime
2015-01-01
During ice-free periods, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) could be an attractive shipping route. The decline in Arctic sea-ice extent, however, could be associated with an increase in the frequency of the causes of severe weather phenomena, and high wind-driven waves and the advection of sea ice could make ship navigation along the NSR difficult. Accurate forecasts of weather and sea ice are desirable for safe navigation, but large uncertainties exist in current forecasts, partly owing to the sparse observational network over the Arctic Ocean. Here, we show that the incorporation of additional Arctic observations improves the initial analysis and enhances the skill of weather and sea-ice forecasts, the application of which has socioeconomic benefits. Comparison of 63-member ensemble atmospheric forecasts, using different initial data sets, revealed that additional Arctic radiosonde observations were useful for predicting a persistent strong wind event. The sea-ice forecast, initialised by the wind fields that included the effects of the observations, skilfully predicted rapid wind-driven sea-ice advection along the NSR. PMID:26585690
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sledd, A.; L'Ecuyer, T. S.
2017-12-01
With Arctic sea ice declining rapidly and Arctic temperatures rising faster than the rest of the globe, a better understanding of the Arctic climate, and ice cover-radiation feedbacks in particular, is needed. Here we present the Arctic Observation and Reanalysis Integrated System (ArORIS), a dataset of integrated products to facilitate studying the Arctic using satellite, reanalysis, and in-situ datasets. The data include cloud properties, radiative fluxes, aerosols, meteorology, precipitation, and surface properties, to name just a few. Each dataset has uniform grid-spacing, time-averaging and naming conventions for ease of use between products. One intended use of ArORIS is to assess Arctic radiation and moisture budgets. Following that goal, we use observations from ArORIS - CERES-EBAF radiative fluxes and NSIDC sea ice fraction and area to quantify relationships between the Arctic energy balance and surface properties. We find a discernable difference between energy budgets for years with high and low September sea ice areas. Surface fluxes are especially responsive to the September sea ice minimum in months both leading up to September and the months following. In particular, longwave fluxes at the surface show increased sensitivity in the months preceding September. Using a single-layer model of solar radiation we also investigate the individual responses of surface and planetary albedos to changes in sea ice area. By partitioning the planetary albedo into surface and atmospheric contributions, we find that the atmospheric contribution to planetary albedo is less sensitive to changes in sea ice area than the surface contribution. Further comparisons between observations and reanalyses can be made using the available datasets in ArORIS.
Upper Ocean Evolution Across the Beaufort Sea Marginal Ice Zone from Autonomous Gliders
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, Craig; Rainville, Luc; Perry, Mary Jane
2016-04-01
The observed reduction of Arctic summertime sea ice extent and expansion of the marginal ice zone (MIZ) have profound impacts on the balance of processes controlling sea ice evolution, including the introduction of several positive feedback mechanisms that may act to accelerate melting. Examples of such feedbacks include increased upper ocean warming though absorption of solar radiation, elevated internal wave energy and mixing that may entrain heat stored in subsurface watermasses (e.g., the relatively warm Pacific Summer (PSW) and Atlantic (AW) waters), and elevated surface wave energy that acts to deform and fracture sea ice. Spatial and temporal variability in ice properties and open water fraction impact these processes. To investigate how upper ocean structure varies with changing ice cover, and how the balance of processes shift as a function of ice fraction and distance from open water, four long-endurance autonomous Seagliders occupied sections that extended from open water, through the marginal ice zone, deep into the pack during summer 2014 in the Beaufort Sea. Sections reveal strong fronts where cold, ice-covered waters meet waters that have been exposed to solar warming, and O(10 km) scale eddies near the ice edge. In the pack, Pacific Summer Water and a deep chlorophyll maximum form distinct layers at roughly 60 m and 80 m, respectively, which become increasingly diffuse as they progress through the MIZ and into open water. The isopynal layer between 1023 and 1024 kgm-3, just above the PSW, consistently thickens near the ice edge, likely due to mixing or energetic vertical exchange associated with strong lateral gradients in this region. This presentation will discuss the upper ocean variability, its relationship to sea ice extent, and evolution over the summer to the start of freeze up.
Upper Ocean Evolution Across the Beaufort Sea Marginal Ice Zone from Autonomous Gliders
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, C.; Rainville, L.; Perry, M. J.
2016-02-01
The observed reduction of Arctic summertime sea ice extent and expansion of the marginal ice zone (MIZ) have profound impacts on the balance of processes controlling sea ice evolution, including the introduction of several positive feedback mechanisms that may act to accelerate melting. Examples of such feedbacks include increased upper ocean warming though absorption of solar radiation, elevated internal wave energy and mixing that may entrain heat stored in subsurface watermasses (e.g., the relatively warm Pacific Summer (PSW) and Atlantic (AW) waters), and elevated surface wave energy that acts to deform and fracture sea ice. Spatial and temporal variability in ice properties and open water fraction impact these processes. To investigate how upper ocean structure varies with changing ice cover, and how the balance of processes shift as a function of ice fraction and distance from open water, four long-endurance autonomous Seagliders occupied sections that extended from open water, through the marginal ice zone, deep into the pack during summer 2014 in the Beaufort Sea. Sections reveal strong fronts where cold, ice-covered waters meet waters that have been exposed to solar warming, and O(10 km) scale eddies near the ice edge. In the pack, Pacific Summer Water and a deep chlorophyll maximum form distinct layers at roughly 60 m and 80 m, respectively, which become increasingly diffuse as they progress through the MIZ and into open water. The isopynal layer between 1023 and 1024 kg m-3, just above the PSW, consistently thickens near the ice edge, likely due to mixing or energetic vertical exchange associated with strong lateral gradients in this region. This presentation will discuss the upper ocean variability, its relationship to sea ice extent, and evolution over the summer to the start of freeze up.
Arctic Sea Ice in a 1.5°C Warmer World
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Niederdrenk, Anne Laura; Notz, Dirk
2018-02-01
We examine the seasonal cycle of Arctic sea ice in scenarios with limited future global warming. To do so, we analyze two sets of observational records that cover the observational uncertainty of Arctic sea ice loss per degree of global warming. The observations are combined with 100 simulations of historical and future climate evolution from the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model Grand Ensemble. Based on the high-sensitivity observations, we find that Arctic September sea ice is lost with low probability (P≈ 10%) for global warming of +1.5°C above preindustrial levels and with very high probability (P> 99%) for global warming of +2°C above preindustrial levels. For the low-sensitivity observations, September sea ice is extremely unlikely to disappear for +1.5°C warming (P≪ 1%) and has low likelihood (P≈ 10%) to disappear even for +2°C global warming. For March, both observational records suggest a loss of 15% to 20% of Arctic sea ice area for 1.5°C to 2°C global warming.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Carmack, E. C.; Yamamoto-Kawai, M.; Haine, T. W. N.; Bacon, S.; Bluhm, B. A.; Lique, C.; Melling, H.; Polyakov, I. V.; Straneo, F.; Timmermans, M.-L.; Williams, W. J.
2016-03-01
The Arctic Ocean is a fundamental node in the global hydrological cycle and the ocean's thermohaline circulation. We here assess the system's key functions and processes: (1) the delivery of fresh and low-salinity waters to the Arctic Ocean by river inflow, net precipitation, distillation during the freeze/thaw cycle, and Pacific Ocean inflows; (2) the disposition (e.g., sources, pathways, and storage) of freshwater components within the Arctic Ocean; and (3) the release and export of freshwater components into the bordering convective domains of the North Atlantic. We then examine physical, chemical, or biological processes which are influenced or constrained by the local quantities and geochemical qualities of freshwater; these include stratification and vertical mixing, ocean heat flux, nutrient supply, primary production, ocean acidification, and biogeochemical cycling. Internal to the Arctic the joint effects of sea ice decline and hydrological cycle intensification have strengthened coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere (e.g., wind and ice drift stresses, solar radiation, and heat and moisture exchange), the bordering drainage basins (e.g., river discharge, sediment transport, and erosion), and terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., Arctic greening, dissolved and particulate carbon loading, and altered phenology of biotic components). External to the Arctic freshwater export acts as both a constraint to and a necessary ingredient for deep convection in the bordering subarctic gyres and thus affects the global thermohaline circulation. Geochemical fingerprints attained within the Arctic Ocean are likewise exported into the neighboring subarctic systems and beyond. Finally, we discuss observed and modeled functions and changes in this system on seasonal, annual, and decadal time scales and discuss mechanisms that link the marine system to atmospheric, terrestrial, and cryospheric systems.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kikuchi, Takashi; Itoh, Motoyo; Nishino, Shigeto; Watanabe, Eiji
2015-04-01
Changes of the Arctic Ocean environment are well known as one of the most remarkable evidences of global warming, attracting social and public attentions as well as scientists'. However, to illustrate on-going changes and predict future condition of the Arctic marine environment, we still do not have enough knowledge of Arctic sea ice and marine environment. In particular, lack of observation data in winter, e.g., under sea ice, still remains a key issue for precise understanding of seasonal cycle on oceanographic condition in the Arctic Ocean. Mooring-based observation is one of the most useful methods to collect year-long data in the Arctic Ocean. We have been conducting long-term monitoring using mooring system in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. Volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes through Barrow Canyon where is a major conduit of Pacific-origin water-masses into the Canada Basin have been observed since 2000. We show from an analysis of the mooring results that volume flux through Barrow Canyon was about 60 % of Bering Strait volume flux. Averaged heat flux ranges from 0.9 to 3.07 TW, which could melt 88,000 to 300,000 km2 of 1m thick ice in the Canada Basin, which likely contributed to sea ice retreat in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. In winter, we found inter-annual variability in salinity related to coastal polynya activity in the Chukchi Sea. In collaboration with Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO) project, which is one of the tasks of Sustaining Arctic Observing Network (SAON), we also initiated year-long mooring observation in the Hope Valley of the southern Chukchi Sea since 2012. Interestingly, winter oceanographic conditions in the Hope Valley are greatly different between in 2012-2013 and in 2013-2014. We speculate that differences of sea ice freeze-up and coastal polynya activity in the southern Chukchi Sea cause significant difference of winter oceanographic condition. It suggests that recent sea ice reduction in the Pacific
Summers with low Arctic sea ice linked to persistence of spring atmospheric circulation patterns
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kapsch, Marie-Luise; Skific, Natasa; Graversen, Rune G.; Tjernström, Michael; Francis, Jennifer A.
2018-05-01
The declining trend of Arctic September sea ice constitutes a significant change in the Arctic climate system. Large year-to-year variations are superimposed on this sea-ice trend, with the largest variability observed in the eastern Arctic Ocean. Knowledge of the processes important for this variability may lead to an improved understanding of seasonal and long-term changes. Previous studies suggest that transport of heat and moisture into the Arctic during spring enhances downward surface longwave radiation, thereby controlling the annual melt onset, setting the stage for the September ice minimum. In agreement with these studies, we find that years with a low September sea-ice concentration (SIC) are characterized by more persistent periods in spring with enhanced energy flux to the surface in forms of net longwave radiation plus turbulent fluxes, compared to years with a high SIC. Two main atmospheric circulation patterns related to these episodes are identified: one resembles the so-called Arctic dipole anomaly that promotes transport of heat and moisture from the North Pacific, whereas the other is characterized by negative geopotential height anomalies over the Arctic, favoring cyclonic flow from Siberia and the Kara Sea into the eastern Arctic Ocean. However, differences between years with low and high September SIC appear not to be due to different spring circulation patterns; instead it is the persistence and intensity of processes associated with these patterns that distinguish the two groups of anomalous years: Years with low September SIC feature episodes that are consistently stronger and more persistent than years with high SIC.
Global Warming Threatens National Interests in the Arctic
2009-03-26
Global warming has impacted the Arctic Ocean by significantly reducing the extent of the summer ice cover allowing greater access to the region...increased operations in the Arctic region, and DoD must continue to research and develop new and alternate energy sources for its forces. Global warming is
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kikuchi, T.; Itoh, M.; Nishino, S.
2016-02-01
Changes of the Arctic Ocean environment are well known as one of the most remarkable evidences of global warming, attracting social and public attentions as well as scientists'. However, to illustrate on-going changes and predict future condition of the Arctic marine environment, we still do not have enough knowledge of Arctic sea ice and marine environment. In particular, lack of observation data in winter, e.g., under sea ice, still remains a key issue for precise understanding of seasonal cycle on oceanographic condition in the Arctic Ocean. Mooring-based observation is one of the most useful methods to collect year-long data in the Arctic Ocean. We have been conducting long-term monitoring using mooring system in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. Volume, heat, and freshwater fluxes through Barrow Canyon where is a major conduit of Pacific-origin water-masses into the Canada Basin have been observed since 2000. We show from an analysis of the mooring results that volume flux through Barrow Canyon was about 60 % of Bering Strait volume flux. Averaged heat flux ranges from 0.9 to 3.07 TW, which could melt 88,000 to 300,000 km2 of 1m thick ice in the Canada Basin, which likely contributed to sea ice retreat in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. In winter, we found inter-annual variability in salinity related to coastal polynya activity in the Chukchi Sea and strong upwelling events due to easterly winds. We also initiated year-long mooring observation in the Hope Valley of the southern Chukchi Sea since 2012. Interestingly, winter oceanographic conditions in the Hope Valley are greatly different between in 2012-2013 and in 2013-2014. We speculate that differences of sea ice freeze-up and coastal polynya activity in the southern Chukchi Sea cause significant difference of winter oceanographic condition. It suggests that recent sea ice reduction in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean presumably influences marine environment not only in summer but also
Consistency and discrepancy in the atmospheric response to Arctic sea-ice loss across climate models
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Screen, James A.; Deser, Clara; Smith, Doug M.; Zhang, Xiangdong; Blackport, Russell; Kushner, Paul J.; Oudar, Thomas; McCusker, Kelly E.; Sun, Lantao
2018-03-01
The decline of Arctic sea ice is an integral part of anthropogenic climate change. Sea-ice loss is already having a significant impact on Arctic communities and ecosystems. Its role as a cause of climate changes outside of the Arctic has also attracted much scientific interest. Evidence is mounting that Arctic sea-ice loss can affect weather and climate throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The remote impacts of Arctic sea-ice loss can only be properly represented using models that simulate interactions among the ocean, sea ice, land and atmosphere. A synthesis of six such experiments with different models shows consistent hemispheric-wide atmospheric warming, strongest in the mid-to-high-latitude lower troposphere; an intensification of the wintertime Aleutian Low and, in most cases, the Siberian High; a weakening of the Icelandic Low; and a reduction in strength and southward shift of the mid-latitude westerly winds in winter. The atmospheric circulation response seems to be sensitive to the magnitude and geographic pattern of sea-ice loss and, in some cases, to the background climate state. However, it is unclear whether current-generation climate models respond too weakly to sea-ice change. We advocate for coordinated experiments that use different models and observational constraints to quantify the climate response to Arctic sea-ice loss.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Orlich, A.; Hutchings, J. K.; Green, T. M.
2013-12-01
The Ice Watch Program is an open source forum to access in situ Arctic sea ice conditions. It provides the research community and additional stakeholders a convenient resource to monitor sea ice and its role in understanding the Arctic as a system by implementing a standardized observation protocol and hosting a multi-service data portal. International vessels use the Arctic Shipborne Sea Ice Standardization Tool (ASSIST) software to report near-real time sea ice conditions while underway. Essential observations of total ice concentration, distribution of multi-year ice and other ice types, as well as their respective stage of melt are reported. These current and historic sea ice conditions are visualized on interactive maps and in a variety of statistical analyses, and with all data sets available to download for further investigation. The summer of 2012 was the debut of the ASSIST software and the Ice Watch campaign, with research vessels from six nations reporting from a wide spatio-temporal scale spanning from the Beaufort Sea, across the North Pole and Arctic Basin, the coast of Greenland and into the Kara and Barents Seas during mid-season melt and into the first stages of freeze-up. The 2013 summer field season sustained the observation and data archiving record, with participation from some of the same cruises as well as other geographic and seasonal realms covered by new users. These results are presented to illustrate the evolution of the program, increased participation and critical statistics of ice regime change and record of melt and freeze processes revealed by the data. As an ongoing effort, Ice Watch/ASSIST aims to standardize observations of Arctic-specific sea ice features and conditions while utilizing nomenclature and coding based on the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards and the Antarctic Sea Ice and Processes & Climate (ASPeCt) protocol. Instigated by members of the CliC Sea Ice Working Group, the program has evolved with
A novel approach to making microstructure measurements in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Guthrie, J.; Morison, J.; Fer, I.
2014-12-01
As part of the 2014 Field Season of the North Pole Environmental Observatory, a 7-day microstructure experiment was performed. A Rockland Scientific Microrider with 2 FP07 fast response thermistors and 2 SBE-7 micro-conductivity probes was attached to a Seabird 911+ Conductivity-Temperature-Depth unit to allow for calibration of the microstructure probes against the highly accurate Seabird temperature and conductivity sensors. From a heated hut, the instrument package was lowered through a 0.75-m hole in the sea ice down to 350 m depth using a lightweight winch powered with a 3-phase, frequency-controlled motor that produced a smooth, controlled lowering speed of 25 cm s-1. Focusing on temperature and conductivity microstructure and using the special winch removed many of the complications involved with the use of free-fall microstructure profilers under the ice. The slow profiling speed permits calculation of Χ, the dissipation of thermal variance, without relying on fits to theoretical spectra to account for the unresolved variance. The dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy, ɛ, can then be estimated using the temperature gradient spectrum and the Ruddick et al. [2001] maximum likelihood method. Outside of a few turbulent patches, thermal diffusivity ranged between O(10-7) and O(10-6) m2s-1, resulting in negligible turbulent heat fluxes. Estimated ɛ was often at or below the noise level of most shear-based microstructure profilers. The noise level of Χ is estimated at O(10-11) °C2s-1, revealing the utility and applicability of this technique in future Arctic field work.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Deweaver, E. T.
2008-12-01
The dramatic sea ice decline of 2007 and lack of recovery in 2008 raise the question of a "tipping point" for Arctic sea ice, beyond which the transition to a seasonal sea ice state becomes abrupt and irreversible. The tipping point is essentially a "memory catastrophe", in which a dramatic loss of sea ice in one summer is "remembered" in reduced ice thickness over the winter season and leads to a comparably dramatic loss the following summer. The dominant contributor to this memory is presumably the sea ice - albedo feedback (SIAF), in which excess insolation absorbed due to low summer ice cover leads to a shorter ice growth season and hence thinner ice. While these dynamics are clearly important, they are difficult to quantify given the lack of long-term observations in the Arctic and the suddenness of the recent loss. Alternatively, we attempt to quantify the contribution of the SIAF to the year-to-year memory of sea ice cover anomalies in simulations of the NCAR Community Climate System Model (CCSM) under 20th century conditions. Lagged autocorrelation plots of sea ice area anomalies show that anomalies in one year tend to "reemerge" in the following year. Further experiments using a slab ocean model (SOM) are used to assess the contribution of oceanic processes to the year-to-year reemergence. This contribution is substantial, particularly in the winter season, and includes memory due to the standard mixed layer reemergence mechanism and low-frequency ocean heat transport anomalies. The contribution of the SIAF to persistence in the SOM experiment is determined through additional experiments in which the SIAF is disabled by fixing surface albedo to its climatological value regardless of sea ice concentration anomalies. SIAF causes a 50% increase in the magnitude of the anomalies but a relatively small increase in their persistence. Persistence is not dramatically increased because the enhancement of shortwave flux anomalies by SIAF is compensated by stronger
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hebert, David A.; Allard, Richard A.; Metzger, E. Joseph; Posey, Pamela G.; Preller, Ruth H.; Wallcraft, Alan J.; Phelps, Michael W.; Smedstad, Ole Martin
2015-12-01
In this study the forecast skill of the U.S. Navy operational Arctic sea ice forecast system, the Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System (ACNFS), is presented for the period February 2014 to June 2015. ACNFS is designed to provide short term, 1-7 day forecasts of Arctic sea ice and ocean conditions. Many quantities are forecast by ACNFS; the most commonly used include ice concentration, ice thickness, ice velocity, sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity, and sea surface velocities. Ice concentration forecast skill is compared to a persistent ice state and historical sea ice climatology. Skill scores are focused on areas where ice concentration changes by ±5% or more, and are therefore limited to primarily the marginal ice zone. We demonstrate that ACNFS forecasts are skilful compared to assuming a persistent ice state, especially beyond 24 h. ACNFS is also shown to be particularly skilful compared to a climatologic state for forecasts up to 102 h. Modeled ice drift velocity is compared to observed buoy data from the International Arctic Buoy Programme. A seasonal bias is shown where ACNFS is slower than IABP velocity in the summer months and faster in the winter months. In February 2015, ACNFS began to assimilate a blended ice concentration derived from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) and the Interactive Multisensor Snow and Ice Mapping System (IMS). Preliminary results show that assimilating AMSR2 blended with IMS improves the short-term forecast skill and ice edge location compared to the independently derived National Ice Center Ice Edge product.
2009-02-01
Arctic Sea Ice Extent6 Reduced ice pack area translates to less reflected solar energy, which further accelerates the ongoing melting process . Light... process , creating a vicious cycle where melting ice causes the remaining ice to melt faster.7 Modelers previously agreed that the Arctic Ocean could be...freight ports stand to benefit by shipping through the Arctic region.10 For example, an ocean voyage from Yokohama, Japan, to Hamburg, Germany via the
Impact of Arctic sea-ice retreat on the recent change in cloud-base height during autumn
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sato, K.; Inoue, J.; Kodama, Y.; Overland, J. E.
2012-12-01
Cloud-base observations over the ice-free Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in autumn were conducted using a shipboard ceilometer and radiosondes during the 1999-2010 cruises of the Japanese R/V Mirai. To understand the recent change in cloud base height over the Arctic Ocean, these cloud-base height data were compared with the observation data under ice-covered situation during SHEBA (the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean project in 1998). Our ice-free results showed a 30 % decrease (increase) in the frequency of low clouds with a ceiling below (above) 500 m. Temperature profiles revealed that the boundary layer was well developed over the ice-free ocean in the 2000s, whereas a stable layer dominated during the ice-covered period in 1998. The change in surface boundary conditions likely resulted in the difference in cloud-base height, although it had little impact on air temperatures in the mid- and upper troposphere. Data from the 2010 R/V Mirai cruise were investigated in detail in terms of air-sea temperature difference. This suggests that stratus cloud over the sea ice has been replaced as stratocumulus clouds with low cloud fraction due to the decrease in static stability induced by the sea-ice retreat. The relationship between cloud-base height and air-sea temperature difference (SST-Ts) was analyzed in detail using special section data during 2010 cruise data. Stratus clouds near the sea surface were predominant under a warm advection situation, whereas stratocumulus clouds with a cloud-free layer were significant under a cold advection situation. The threshold temperature difference between sea surface and air temperatures for distinguishing the dominant cloud types was 3 K. Anomalous upward turbulent heat fluxes associated with the sea-ice retreat have likely contributed to warming of the lower troposphere. Frequency distribution of the cloud-base height (km) detected by a ceilometer/lidar (black bars) and radiosondes (gray bars), and profiles of potential
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Neuer, S.; Juhl, A. R.; Aumack, C.; McHugh, C.; Wolverton, M. A.; Kinzler, K.
2016-02-01
Sea ice algal communities dominate primary production of the coastal Arctic Ocean in spring. As the sea ice bloom terminates, algae are released from the ice into the underlying, nutrient-rich waters, potentially seeding blooms and feeding higher trophic levels in the water column and benthos. We studied the sea ice community including export events over four consecutive field seasons (2011-2014) during the spring ice algae bloom in land-fast ice near Barrow, Alaska, allowing us to investigate both seasonal and interannual differences. Within each year, we observed a delay in algal export from ice in areas covered by thicker snow compared to areas with thinner snow coverage. Variability in snow cover therefore resulted in a prolonged supply of organic matter to the underlying water column. Earlier export in 2012 was followed by a shift in the diatom community within the ice from pennates to centrics. During an unusual warm period in early May 2014, precipitation falling as rain substantially decreased the snow cover thickness (from snow depth > 20 cm down to 0-2 cm). After the early snowmelt, algae were rapidly lost from the sea ice, and a subsequent bloom of taxonomically-distinct, under-ice phytoplankton developed a few days later. The typical immured sea ice diatoms never recovered in terms of biomass, though pennate diatoms (predominantly Nitzschia frigida) did regrow to some extent near the ice bottom. Sinking rates of the under-ice phytoplankton were much more variable than those of ice algae particles, which would potentially impact residence time in the water column, and fluxes to the benthos. Thus, the early melt episode, triggered by rain, transitioned directly into the seasonal melt and the release of biomass from the ice, shifting production from sea ice to the water column, with as-of-yet unknown consequences for the springtime Arctic food web.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stein, Ruediger; Fahl, Kirsten; Matthiessen, Jens
2014-05-01
Sea ice is a critical component in the (global) climate system that contributes to changes in the Earth's albedo (heat reduction) and biological processes (primary productivity), as well as deep-water formation, a driving mechanism for global thermohaline circulation. Thus, understanding the processes controlling Arctic sea ice variability is of overall interest and significance. Recently, a novel and promising biomarker proxy for reconstruction of Arctic sea-ice conditions was developed and is based on the determination of a highly-branched isoprenoid with 25 carbons (IP25; Belt et al., 2007; PIP25 when combined with open-water phytoplankton biomarkers; Müller et al., 2011). Here, we present biomarker data from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 911 and 912, recovered from the southern Yermak Plateau and representing information of sea-ice variability, changes in primary productivity and terrigenous input during the last about 3.5 Ma. As Sites 911 and 912 are close to the modern sea-ice edge, their sedimentary records seem to be optimal for studying past variability in sea-ice coverage and testing the applicability of IP25 and PIP25 in older sedimentary sequences. In general, our biomarker records correlate quite well with other climate and sea-ice proxies (e.g., dinoflagellates, IRD, etc.). The main results can be summarized as follows: (1) The novel IP25/PIP25 biomarker approach has potential for semi-quantitative paleo-sea ice studies covering at least the last 3.5 Ma, i.e., the time interval including the onset (intensification) of major Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG). (2) These data indicate that sea ice of variable extent was present in the Fram Strait/southern Yermak Plateau area during most of the time period under investigation. (3) Elevated IP25/PIP25 values indicative for an extended spring sea-ice cover, already occurred between 3.6 and 2.9 Ma, i.e., prior to the onset of major NHG. This may suggest that sea-ice and related albedo effects might
Airborne Spectral Measurements of Surface-Atmosphere Anisotropy for Arctic Sea Ice and Tundra
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Arnold, G. Thomas; Tsay, Si-Chee; King, Michael D.; Li, Jason Y.; Soulen, Peter F.
1999-01-01
Angular distributions of spectral reflectance for four common arctic surfaces: snow-covered sea ice, melt-season sea ice, snow-covered tundra, and tundra shortly after snowmelt were measured using an aircraft based, high angular resolution (1-degree) multispectral radiometer. Results indicate bidirectional reflectance is higher for snow-covered sea ice than melt-season sea ice at all wavelengths between 0.47 and 2.3 pm, with the difference increasing with wavelength. Bidirectional reflectance of snow-covered tundra is higher than for snow-free tundra for measurements less than 1.64 pm, with the difference decreasing with wavelength. Bidirectional reflectance patterns of all measured surfaces show maximum reflectance in the forward scattering direction of the principal plane, with identifiable specular reflection for the melt-season sea ice and snow-free tundra cases. The snow-free tundra had the most significant backscatter, and the melt-season sea ice the least. For sea ice, bidirectional reflectance changes due to snowmelt were more significant than differences among the different types of melt-season sea ice. Also the spectral-hemispherical (plane) albedo of each measured arctic surface was computed. Comparing measured nadir reflectance to albedo for sea ice and snow-covered tundra shows albedo underestimated 5-40%, with the largest bias at wavelengths beyond 1 pm. For snow-free tundra, nadir reflectance underestimates plane albedo by about 30-50%.
Simple rules govern the patterns of Arctic sea ice melt ponds
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Popovic, P.; Cael, B. B.; Abbot, D. S.; Silber, M.
2017-12-01
Climate change, amplified in the far north, has led to a rapid sea ice decline in recent years. Melt ponds that form on the surface of Arctic sea ice in the summer significantly lower the ice albedo, thereby accelerating ice melt. Pond geometry controls the details of this crucial feedback. However, currently it is unclear how to model this intricate geometry. Here we show that an extremely simple model of voids surrounding randomly sized and placed overlapping circles reproduces the essential features of pond patterns. The model has only two parameters, circle scale and the fraction of the surface covered by voids, and we choose them by comparing the model to pond images. Using these parameters the void model robustly reproduces all of the examined pond features such as the ponds' area-perimeter relationship and the area-abundance relationship over nearly 7 orders of magnitude. By analyzing airborne photographs of sea ice, we also find that the typical pond scale is surprisingly constant across different years, regions, and ice types. These results demonstrate that the geometric and abundance patterns of Arctic melt ponds can be simply described, and can guide future models of Arctic melt ponds to improve predictions of how sea ice will respond to Arctic warming.
The 1994 Arctic Ocean Section. The First Major Scientific Crossing of the Arctic Ocean,
1996-09-01
contribute to the international effort to better understand the role of the Arctic Ocean in the global carbon cycle and climate change. Summar...Barium Distributions in the Arctic Ocean ? ........................ 32 Biology and the Carbon Cycle Cycling of Organic Carbon in the Central Arctic...of Heterotrophic Bacteria and Protists in the Arctic Ocean Carbon Cycle............. 40
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kwok, Ron
2015-09-01
After the summer of 2013, a convergence-induced tail in the thickness distribution of the ice cover is found along the Arctic coasts of Greenland and Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Prompted by this, a normalized ice convergence index (ICI) is introduced to examine the variability and extremes in convergence in a 23 year record (1992-2014) of monthly ice drift. Large-scale composites of circulation patterns, characteristic of regional convergence and divergence, are examined. Indeed, the ICI shows the June 2013 convergence event to be an extreme (i.e., ICI > 2). Furthermore, there is a cluster of 9 months over a 17 month period with positive ICIs (i.e., >1) following the record summer minimum ice extent (SMIE) in 2012; the imprint of ice dynamics from this cluster of positive ICIs likely contributed to higher SMIEs in 2013 and 2014. The impact of convergence on SMIE is discussed, and the increase in Arctic ice volume in 2013 is underscored.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kremer, A.; Stein, R.; Fahl, K.; Ji, Z.; Yang, Z.; Wiers, S.; Matthiessen, J.; Forwick, M.; Löwemark, L.; O'Regan, M.; Chen, J.; Snowball, I.
2018-02-01
The Yermak Plateau is located north of Svalbard at the entrance to the Arctic Ocean, i.e. in an area highly sensitive to climate change. A multi proxy approach was carried out on Core PS92/039-2 to study glacial-interglacial environmental changes at the northern Barents Sea margin during the last 160 ka. The main emphasis was on the reconstruction of sea ice cover, based on the sea ice proxy IP25 and the related phytoplankton - sea ice index PIP25. Sea ice was present most of the time but showed significant temporal variability decisively affected by movements of the Svalbard Barents Sea Ice Sheet. For the first time, we prove the occurrence of seasonal sea ice at the eastern Yermak Plateau during glacial intervals, probably steered by a major northward advance of the ice sheet and the formation of a coastal polynya in front of it. Maximum accumulation of terrigenous organic carbon, IP25 and the phytoplankton biomarkers (brassicasterol, dinosterol, HBI III) can be correlated to distinct deglaciation events. More severe, but variable sea ice cover prevailed at the Yermak Plateau during interglacials. The general proximity to the sea ice margin is further indicated by biomarker (GDGT) - based sea surface temperatures below 2.5 °C.
Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation Modulates the Impacts of Arctic Sea Ice Decline
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Fei; Orsolini, Yvan J.; Wang, Huijun; Gao, Yongqi; He, Shengping
2018-03-01
The Arctic sea ice cover has been rapidly declining in the last two decades, concurrent with a shift in the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) to its warm phase around 1996/1997. Here we use both observations and model simulations to investigate the modulation of the atmospheric impacts of the decreased sea ice cover in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic (AASIC) by the AMO. We find that the AASIC loss during a cold AMO phase induces increased Ural blocking activity, a southeastward-extended snowpack, and a cold continent anomaly over Eurasia in December through northerly cold air advection and moisture transport from the Arctic. The increased Ural blocking activity and more extended Eurasian snowpack strengthen the upward propagation of planetary waves over the Siberian-Pacific sector in the lower stratosphere and hence lead to a weakened stratospheric polar vortex and a negative Arctic Oscillation (AO) phase at the surface in February. However, corresponding to the AASIC loss during a warm AMO phase, one finds more widespread warming over the Arctic and a reduced snowpack over Northern Eurasia in December. The stratosphere-troposphere coupling is suppressed in early winter and no negative AO anomaly is found in February. We suggest that the cold AMO phase is important to regulate the atmospheric response to AASIC decline, and our study provides insight to the ongoing debate on the connection between the Arctic sea ice and the AO.
Shadwick, E H; Trull, T W; Thomas, H; Gibson, J A E
2013-01-01
Polar oceans are chemically sensitive to anthropogenic acidification due to their relatively low alkalinity and correspondingly weak carbonate buffering capacity. Here, we compare unique CO2 system observations covering complete annual cycles at an Arctic (Amundsen Gulf) and Antarctic site (Prydz Bay). The Arctic site experiences greater seasonal warming (10 vs 3°C), and freshening (3 vs 2), has lower alkalinity (2220 vs 2320 μmol/kg), and lower summer pH (8.15 vs 8.5), than the Antarctic site. Despite a larger uptake of inorganic carbon by summer photosynthesis, the Arctic carbon system exhibits smaller seasonal changes than the more alkaline Antarctic system. In addition, the excess surface nutrients in the Antarctic may allow mitigation of acidification, via CO2 removal by enhanced summer production driven by iron inputs from glacial and sea-ice melting. These differences suggest that the Arctic system is more vulnerable to anthropogenic change due to lower alkalinity, enhanced warming, and nutrient limitation.
Shadwick, E. H.; Trull, T. W.; Thomas, H.; Gibson, J. A. E.
2013-01-01
Polar oceans are chemically sensitive to anthropogenic acidification due to their relatively low alkalinity and correspondingly weak carbonate buffering capacity. Here, we compare unique CO2 system observations covering complete annual cycles at an Arctic (Amundsen Gulf) and Antarctic site (Prydz Bay). The Arctic site experiences greater seasonal warming (10 vs 3°C), and freshening (3 vs 2), has lower alkalinity (2220 vs 2320 μmol/kg), and lower summer pH (8.15 vs 8.5), than the Antarctic site. Despite a larger uptake of inorganic carbon by summer photosynthesis, the Arctic carbon system exhibits smaller seasonal changes than the more alkaline Antarctic system. In addition, the excess surface nutrients in the Antarctic may allow mitigation of acidification, via CO2 removal by enhanced summer production driven by iron inputs from glacial and sea-ice melting. These differences suggest that the Arctic system is more vulnerable to anthropogenic change due to lower alkalinity, enhanced warming, and nutrient limitation. PMID:23903871
Enhanced sea-ice export from the Arctic during the Younger Dryas.
Not, Christelle; Hillaire-Marcel, Claude
2012-01-31
The Younger Dryas cold spell of the last deglaciation and related slowing of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation have been linked to a large array of processes, notably an influx of fresh water into the North Atlantic related to partial drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz. Here we observe a major drainage event, in marine sediment cores raised from the Lomonosov Ridge, in the central Arctic Ocean marked by a pulse in detrital dolomitic-limestones. This points to an Arctic-Canadian sediment source area with about fivefold higher Younger Dryas ice-rafting deposition rate, in comparison with the Holocene. Our findings thus support the hypothesis of a glacial drainage event in the Canadian Arctic area, at the onset of the Younger Dryas, enhancing sea-ice production and drifting through the Arctic, then export through Fram Strait, towards Atlantic meridional overturning circulation sites of the northern North Atlantic.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sommar, J.; Andersson, M. E.; Jacobi, H.-W.
2010-06-01
Using the Swedish icebreaker Oden as a platform, continuous measurements of airborne mercury (gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0), divalent gaseous mercury species HgIIX2(g) (acronym RGM) and mercury attached to particles (PHg)) and some long-lived trace gases (carbon monoxide CO and ozone O3) were performed over the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. The measurements were performed for nearly three months (July-September 2005) during the Beringia 2005 expedition (from Göteborg, Sweden via the proper Northwest Passage to the Beringia region Alaska - Chukchi Penninsula - Wrangel Island and in-turn via a north-polar transect to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen). The Beringia 2005 expedition was the first time that these species have been measured during summer over the Arctic Ocean going from 60° to 90° N. During the North Atlantic transect, concentration levels of Hg0, CO and O3 were measured comparable to typical levels for the ambient mid-hemispheric average. However, a rapid increase of Hg0 in air and surface water was observed when entering the ice-covered waters of the Canadian Arctic archipelago. Large parts of the measured waters were supersaturated with respect to Hg0, reflecting a strong disequilibrium. Heading through the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean, a fraction of the strong Hg0 pulse in the water was transferred with some time-delay into the air samples collected ~20 m above sea level. Several episodes of elevated Hg0 in air were encountered along the sea ice route with higher mean concentration (1.81±0.43 ng m-3) compared to the marine boundary layer over ice-free Arctic oceanic waters (1.55±0.21 ng m-3). In addition, the bulk of the variance in the temporal series of Hg0 concentrations was observed during July. The Oden Hg0 observations compare in this aspect very favourably with those at the coastal station Alert. Atmospheric boundary layer O3 mixing ratios decreased when initially sailing northward. In the Arctic, an O3 minimum around 15-20 ppbV was