Effect of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the Pattern of Lake Ice Phenology in Poland

Dariusz Wrzesiński,Mariusz Ptak,Rajmund Skowron,Adam Choiński

doi:10.1515/acgeo-2015-0055

Dariusz Wrzesiński, Mariusz Ptak + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1515/acgeo-2015-0055

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Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the pattern of lake ice phenology in Poland. The research embraced 22 lakes in Poland over the period 1961–2010. Strong relations were found to hold between NAO and individual characteristics of ice phenology. In a negative NAO phase, one can observe a later appearance of ice phenomena and ice cover compared with the average values, ice cover persisting even 30 days longer and being thicker even by more than 10 cm. In turn, in a positive NAO phase the duration of ice phenomena and ice cover is shorter, the cover being less thick and solid. The observed spatial differences in the effect of NAO on the pattern of ice phenomena in Poland show this matter to be fairly complex. The most significant factor changes in climatic conditions, which manifest themselves in the continentality of the climate growing eastwards.

Highlights

Of key significance for the operation of lakes in the middle and high geographical latitudes is thermal seasonality connected with ice phenology
What exerts a strong influence on the climatic conditions in Europe is the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)
In the case of the coastal lakes, it is under 80%, and over 85% for the lakes in the central part of the Pomeranian Lakeland and the western part of the Mazurian Lakeland (Fig. 6b). 3.2 Relations between lake ice phenology and the NAO The results obtained show that the intensity of the North Atlantic Oscillation in the winter season strongly affects the pattern of ice phenomena on Polish lakes

Summary

Introduction

Of key significance for the operation of lakes in the middle and high geographical latitudes is thermal seasonality connected with ice phenology. As a result of the appearance of ice, considerable changes take place in the operation of lake ecosystems that follow from the isolation of water from external factors (no waving, reduced light, etc.). Those issues are discussed in many works, a survey of which has been made by Gerten and Adrian (2000). An effect of the observed changes in climatic conditions is a shift in thermal seasons of the year (Thomson 2009) leading, among other things, to disturbances in the ice regime of lakes. The effect of the NAO has been proved with reference to lake ice phenology (Maher et al 2005, George 2007, Weyhenmeyer 2009, Soja et al 2014, Sharov et al 2014)

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