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The semi‐annual oscillation and Antarctic climate. Part 4: a note on sea ice cover in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas
Author(s) -
Van Den Broeke Michiel
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
international journal of climatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.58
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-0088
pISSN - 0899-8418
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0088(20000330)20:4<455::aid-joc482>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - climatology , cloud cover , sea ice , antarctic sea ice , arctic ice pack , environmental science , oceanography , antarctic oscillation , arctic sea ice decline , geology , atmospheric sciences , el niño southern oscillation , cloud computing , computer science , operating system
The climate of Faraday, situated at the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), is strongly influenced by the extent of sea ice cover in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas (ABS). ABS sea ice cover is negatively correlated with Faraday annual mean temperature, wind speed and cloudiness, while a positive correlation was found with precipitation frequency. The amplitude of the semi‐annual oscillation (SAO) and wintertime ABS sea ice extent are coupled as follows: in years with a poorly‐developed SAO, the northwestward migration of the circumpolar pressure trough from April to July is suppressed, causing negative sea ice anomalies in the ABS that persist throughout the winter. The weakening of the SAO since the late 1970s has led to: an increase of annual mean wind speed and cloudiness in the region, one of the possible causes for the onset of the long‐term ABS sea ice cover decrease; and changes in the annual cycles of wind speed and cloudiness such that sea ice growth in the period April–July has decreased, causing negative winter sea ice anomalies in the ABS and enhanced regional warming. Copyright © 2000 Royal Meteorological Society