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The Roles of the Atmosphere and Ocean in Driving Arctic Warming Due to European Aerosol Reductions
Author(s) -
Krishnan Srinath,
Ekman Annica M. L.,
Hansson HansChristen,
Riipinen Ilona,
Lewinschal Anna,
Wilcox Laura J.,
Dallafior Tanja
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2019gl086681
Subject(s) - arctic geoengineering , environmental science , arctic , climatology , arctic sea ice decline , aerosol , atmospheric sciences , sea ice , middle latitudes , sulfate aerosol , atmosphere (unit) , climate model , arctic ice pack , climate change , meteorology , oceanography , geology , antarctic sea ice , geography
Clean air policies can have significant impacts on climate in remote regions. Previous modeling studies have shown that the temperature response to European sulfate aerosol reductions is largest in the Arctic. Here we investigate the atmospheric and ocean roles in driving this enhanced Arctic warming using a set of fully coupled and slab‐ocean simulations (specified ocean heat convergence fluxes) with the Norwegian Earth system model (NorESM), under scenarios with high and low European aerosol emissions relative to year 2000. We show that atmospheric processes drive most of the Arctic response. The ocean pathway plays a secondary role inducing small temperature changes mostly in the opposite direction of the atmospheric response. Important modulators of the temperature response patterns are changes in sea ice extent and subsequent turbulent heat flux exchange, suggesting that a proper representation of Arctic sea ice and turbulent changes is key to predicting the Arctic response to midlatitude aerosol forcing.