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Impact of atmospheric heat and moisture transport on the Arctic warming
Author(s) -
Alekseev Genrikh,
Kuzmina Svetlana,
Bobylev Leonid,
Urazgildeeva Alexandra,
Gnatiuk Natalia
Publication year - 2019
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/joc.6040
Subject(s) - environmental science , climatology , zonal and meridional , moisture , troposphere , sensible heat , latent heat , arctic , atmospheric sciences , coupled model intercomparison project , precipitation , outgoing longwave radiation , climate model , climate change , meteorology , geology , oceanography , geography , convection
The effect of the meridional atmospheric heat and moisture transport on the Arctic warming is estimated using the ERA‐Interim reanalysis over 1979–2015. Major influx of sensible and latent heat into the Arctic occurs through the Atlantic sector 0°–80°E between the surface and the 750 hPa level. This influx explains more than 50% of the average temperature variability in the area 70°–90°N in winter with almost equal contribution of both fluxes. Calculations using MPI‐ESM‐MR Earth System model from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) ensemble showed the similar effect of the meridional atmospheric heat and moisture transport and its increase by the end of the century. Mean summer transport in the low troposphere is directed from the Arctic and transfers out the moisture produced by summer melting of sea ice. The major drivers of summer warming are the radiation processes especially downwards longwave radiation.