Open AccessTrends in Arctic sea ice and the role of atmospheric circulation
Author(s) -
Ogi Masayo,
Rigor Ignatius G.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl2.423
Subject(s) - arctic ice pack , climatology , sea ice , arctic sea ice decline , arctic , anticyclone , oceanography , arctic dipole anomaly , atmospheric circulation , arctic geoengineering , circulation (fluid dynamics) , environmental science , geology , antarctic sea ice , physics , thermodynamics
The decrease in the September sea‐ice extent over the Arctic has been accelerating since 1996. This study examined the contributions of atmospheric circulation anomalies and trends in winter and summer to changes in Arctic sea ice during the periods 1979–1996 and 1996–2010. In recent years, winter westerly winds over the Beaufort Sea and summer anticyclonic circulation over the Arctic toward the Fram Strait have contributed to accelerated decreases in sea ice over areas east of Europe and north of Alaska. In particular, recent strong anticyclonic circulation has caused an accelerating decrease in the Arctic sea ice in summer. Copyright © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society