Arctic North Research Articles

A persistent Holocene wetting trend in arid central Asia, with wettest conditions in the late Holocene, revealed by multi-proxy analyses of loess-paleosol sequences in Xinjiang, China

Abstract There are significant differences in the interpretation of the moisture (precipitation) history of arid central Asia (ACA) during the Holocene, as inferred on one hand from speleothem oxygen isotope records, and on the other from lake sediments. Here we present the results of measurements of climatically-sensitive magnetic properties and soil color from four well-dated loess-paleosol sequences from the northern slopes of the Tienshan Mountains and the Yili River valley, Xinjiang, China, in the core area of ACA. Our results demonstrate that the characteristic Holocene paleosol, indicating relatively moist conditions, generally formed after ∼6 ka (1 ka = 1000 cal yr BP) in the study region, and that the accumulation of unweathered loess prevailed during the early Holocene, indicating a dry climate at that time. The magnetic proxies further reveal a trend of generally increasing moisture since the Last Glacial Maximum, with the wettest climate occurring during the late Holocene. This trend of increasing moisture during the Holocene is representative of the Xinjiang region and possibly of the whole of the core area of ACA, and is in marked contrast both to the mid-Holocene moisture maximum observed in the East Asian summer monsoon region and to the general decrease in the strength of the Indian summer monsoon since the early Holocene. Our findings are supported by the results of a climate simulation which indicate a trend of increasing summer and winter precipitation during the Holocene in the core area of ACA, caused mainly by an increase in the strength of the westerlies effected by an increasing latitudinal insolation gradient and by a negative trend of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) or North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).

Dynamical Link between the Barents–Kara Sea Ice and the Arctic Oscillation

Abstract The recent accelerated Arctic sea ice decline has been proposed as a possible forcing factor for midlatitude circulation changes, which can be projected onto the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and/or North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) mode. However, the timing and physical mechanisms linking AO responses to the Arctic sea ice forcing are not entirely understood. In this study, the authors suggest a connection between November sea ice extent in the Barents and Kara Seas and the following winter’s atmospheric circulation in terms of the fast sea ice retreat and the subsequent modification of local air–sea heat fluxes. In particular, the dynamical processes that link November sea ice in the Barents and Kara Seas with the development of AO anomalies in February is explored. In response to the lower-tropospheric warming associated with the initial thermal effect of the sea ice loss, the large-scale atmospheric circulation goes through a series of dynamical adjustment processes: The decelerated zonal-mean zonal wind anomalies propagate gradually from the subarctic to midlatitudes in about one month. The equivalent barotropic AO dipole pattern develops in January because of wave–mean flow interaction and firmly establishes itself in February following the weakening and warming of the stratospheric polar vortex. This connection between sea ice loss and the AO mode is robust on time scales ranging from interannual to decadal. Therefore, the recent winter AO weakening and the corresponding midlatitude climate change may be partly associated with the early winter sea ice loss in the Barents and Kara Seas.

Photogrammetric retrieval and analysis of small scale sea ice topography during summer melt

The paper presents a setup for photogrammetric retrievals of small scale sea ice surface topography using low-altitude aerial imagery. The setup features two digital cameras, a combined GPS receiver/inertial navigation system (INS) unit, and a laser range finder. The components are fit in a single aerodynamic enclosure mounted outside a helicopter cabin. Results from its first deployment during the field campaign on Arctic sea ice north of Svalbard during summer 2012 are shown. Comparison of photogrammetrically derived digital elevation models (DEMs) with in situ measurements of sea ice topography made on melting first year sea ice demonstrated the ability of the method to accurately recover the topography of sea ice including melt ponds with depths down to at least 0.3m. The inter-comparison of the photogrammetrically derived DEM and in situ measured elevations yielded estimates of a root mean square error (RMS) of about 0.04m and bias of 0.03m, both for sea ice freeboard and melt pond depths. The bimodality of the probability density function of measured melt pond depths was also accurately reproduced in the reconstructed DEM. Discrepancies between the measured and DEM distributions were within the range of the inferred uncertainty of the photogrammetric and in situ techniques, with some of the bias likely associated with sea ice melt during the time elapsed between in situ and aerial measurements.

Dentine oxygen isotopes (δ (18)O) as a proxy for odontocete distributions and movements.

Spatial variation in marine oxygen isotope ratios (δ 18O) resulting from differential evaporation rates and precipitation inputs is potentially useful for characterizing marine mammal distributions and tracking movements across δ 18O gradients. Dentine hydroxyapatite contains carbonate and phosphate that precipitate in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with body water, which in odontocetes closely tracks the isotopic composition of ambient water. To test whether dentine oxygen isotope composition reliably records that of ambient water and can therefore serve as a proxy for odontocete distribution and movement patterns, we measured δ 18O values of dentine structural carbonate (δ 18 OSC) and phosphate (δ 18 OP) of seven odontocete species (n = 55 individuals) from regional marine water bodies spanning a surface water δ 18O range of several per mil. Mean dentine δ 18 OSC (range +21.2 to +25.5‰ VSMOW) and δ 18 OP (+16.7 to +20.3‰) values were strongly correlated with marine surface water δ 18O values, with lower dentine δ 18 OSC and δ 18 OP values in high‐latitude regions (Arctic and Eastern North Pacific) and higher values in the Gulf of California, Gulf of Mexico, and Mediterranean Sea. Correlations between dentine δ 18 OSC and δ 18 OP values with marine surface water δ 18O values indicate that sequential δ 18O measurements along dentine, which grows incrementally and archives intra‐ and interannual isotopic composition over the lifetime of the animal, would be useful for characterizing residency within and movements among water bodies with strong δ 18O gradients, particularly between polar and lower latitudes, or between oceans and marginal basins.

Species-rich meta-communities of the diatom order Thalassiosirales in the Arctic and northern Atlantic Ocean

The marine planktonic diatom order Thalassiosirales are used as climate proxies with reported characteristic temperate and Polar species. However, a systematic analysis of the genetic variability and species limits is lacking. Here, we combined molecular and morphological approaches to identify Thalassiosirales from 7 Beaufort Sea sea-ice samples and 27 water-column samples collected from across the Canadian Arctic at different times of the year and the Scotia Shelf, North Atlantic in spring. While many species were found in both oceanic regions, there were two distinct Thalassiosirales communities: the first from sea ice and ice-influenced water columns and the second Arctic late summer and North Atlantic spring communities. Thalassiosirales formed genetically coherent Boreal-Arctic meta-communities, inclusive of intra-specific variants. Genetic similarity between the Arctic and North Atlantic meta-communities would be reinforced by counter-clockwise dominant surface current systems. Local patterns of spatial and temporal distributions of planktonic thalassiosiroids were best explained by latitudinal gradients and phosphate and silicate concentrations, suggesting that climate-mediated changes in Arctic and North Atlantic hydrography could have a marked effect on species distribution. Our analysis also revealed a need for taxonomic revision of several species complexes reported from the region before they can be reliably used as bio-indicators.

Multi-scale taxonomic diversity of marine harpacticoids: Does it differ at high and low latitudes?

We used a comprehensive database comprising a worldwide distribution of 3074 species of marine benthic harpacticoid copepods to explore Arctic (north to 60°N) and tropical (32°S–32°N) faunas. In addition to species and genus richness, we compared the number of observed genera with that expected from a neutral model (random samples from a corresponding species pool). This analysis was performed at three scales: global (Arctic vs. tropics), regional (three Arctic and four tropical regions) and local (78 assemblages). Overall, more than three times as many species and twice as many genera were found in the tropics compared with the Arctic. The number of taxa restricted to a given zone (“climatic endemics”) was much higher in the tropics. All zonal and regional faunas had significantly fewer genera than expected (phylogenetic clumping), but this depletion was more substantial in the Arctic. Phylogenetically, younger families included fewer widely distributed genera and were more species rich at low latitudes, in conformity with the “Out of tropics” hypothesis. At the local level, there was no latitudinal difference in the average species richness. However, the Arctic assemblages comprised considerably fewer genera than expected, whereas phylogenetic diversity in the tropics only slightly deviated from the expected level. Thus, compared with the tropics, the Arctic harpacticoid fauna shows lower global but similar local species diversity and a lower level of endemicity. The Arctic fauna also shows stronger phylogenetic clumping at all scales, indicating multiple underlying processes of species filtering (evolutionary and ecological).

Mapping of the air–sea CO2 flux in the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas: Basin-wide distribution and seasonal to interannual variability

We produced 204 monthly maps of the air–sea CO2 flux in the Arctic north of 60°N, including the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas, from January 1997 to December 2013 by using a self-organizing map technique. The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in surface water data were obtained by shipboard underway measurements or calculated from alkalinity and total inorganic carbon of surface water samples. Subsequently, we investigated the basin-wide distribution and seasonal to interannual variability of the CO2 fluxes. The 17-year annual mean CO2 flux shows that all areas of the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas were net CO2 sinks. The estimated annual CO2 uptake by the Arctic Ocean was 180 TgC yr−1. The CO2 influx was strongest in winter in the Greenland/Norwegian Seas (>15 mmol m−2 day−1) and the Barents Sea (>12 mmol m−2 day−1) because of strong winds, and strongest in summer in the Chukchi Sea (∼10 mmol m−2 day−1) because of the sea-ice retreat. In recent years, the CO2 uptake has increased in the Greenland/Norwegian Sea and decreased in the southern Barents Sea, owing to increased and decreased air–sea pCO2 differences, respectively.

Climatic anomalous patterns associated with the Arctic and Polar cell strength variations

The Arctic cell as a reversed and closed loop next to the Polar cell has been recently revealed in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). In this paper, we study the interannual variability of the Arctic and Polar cell strengths during 1979–2012, and their influence on surface air temperature (SAT), precipitation, and sea-ice concentration (SIC) at mid- and high-latitudes of the NH. We show that there is a significant negative correlation between the Arctic and Polar cell strengths. Both the Arctic and Polar cell strengths can well indicate the recurring climatic anomalies of SAT, precipitation, and SIC in their extreme winters. The surface large-scale cold–warm and dry–wet anomalous patterns in these extreme winters are directly linked with the vertical structure of height and temperature anomalies in the troposphere. Results suggest that the past climatic anomalies are better indicated by the strength anomalies of the Polar and Arctic cells than the traditional indices of mid-high latitude pattern such as the Arctic Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation. This study illustrates a three-dimensional picture of atmospheric variable anomalies in the troposphere that result in surface climatic anomalies.

Shipborne observations of atmospheric black carbon aerosol particles over the Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, and North Pacific Ocean during September 2014

AbstractMeasurements of refractory black carbon (rBC) aerosol particles using a highly sensitive online single particle soot photometer were performed on board the R/V Mirai during a cruise across the Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, and North Pacific Ocean (31 August to 9 October 2014). The measured rBC mass concentrations over the Arctic Ocean in the latitudinal region > 70°N were in the range 0–66 ng/m3 for 1 min averages, with an overall mean value of 1.0 ± 1.2 ng/m3. Single‐particle‐based observations enabled the measurement of such low rBC mass concentrations. The effects of long‐range transport from continents to the Arctic Ocean were limited during the observed period, which suggests that the low rBC concentration levels would prevail over the Arctic Ocean. An analysis of rBC mixing states showed that particles with a nonshell/noncore structure made a significant contribution to the rBC particles detected over the Arctic Ocean.

Многосторонние международные соглашения, регулирующие правовой режим Арктики

The modern international legal regime of the Arctic is regulated by multilateral international treaties at all levels of legal regulation: universal, regional and subregional. Universal international treaties regulate the legal status of various objects environment, define the legal status of maritime areas or regulate certain types of human activity, including in relation to the Arctic region. Regional multilateral treaties are concluded between the Arctic states on specific issues of environmental protection and emergency rescue activities. Subregional treaties concluded between states of the Western Arctic for the coordination and optimization of intergovernmental cooperation in the Barents (Euro-Arctic) region. In addition, each of the levels of international legal regulation of the regime of the Arctic has certain drawbacks. Universal international treaties that apply to the Arctic sea areas do not always take into account their specific features. Regional international treaties don´t cover complete circle of relations developing between the Arctic states in the course of their cooperation. Subregional treaties apply only to the Western Arctic, and do not regulate the activities of States in the Eastern Arctic and Central Arctic (North Pole region).

Arctic sea ice and warm season North American extreme surface air temperatures

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 67:15-29 (2016) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01349 Arctic sea ice and warm season North American extreme surface air temperatures Dagmar Budikova1,*, Leonardo Chechi2 1Department of Geography-Geology, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4400, USA 2Agronomy, Universidade federal da Fronteira Sul (Federal University of South Border), Erechim, RS 99700-000, Brazil *Corresponding author: dbudiko@ilstu.edu ABSTRACT: A growing amount of evidence points to a notable linkage between the changing Arctic cryosphere and weather in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Recent studies propose a series of mechanisms that make plausible the connection between Arctic amplification/sea ice decline and extreme weather. Using composite analyses, this study examines associations between the frequency of occurrence of boreal summer daily extreme surface air temperatures across North America and simultaneous mean Arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) conditions during the period 1979-2013. Four distinct regions show coherent relationships including large sections of the eastern USA, Canada and the Canadian Arctic, central North America, southeast USA, and the west coast from southern Canada to Alaska. Across the eastern USA and Canada, as well as in western North America, the connections are principally shaped by low ice conditions with an expected decline in the incidence of cool nights/days and an increase in the incidence of warm nights/days. The ice-temperature relationships observed in the other regions are mostly shaped by high ice conditions. Synoptic analyses indicate the associations to be reflected in mean summer surface air temperature (SAT) and surface anomaly flows, as well as in the 500 and 200 hPa geopotential height flow and mean zonal wind anomaly patterns. Areas with the greatest atmospheric flow modifications have been generally associated with regions that display most notable extreme temperature frequency modifications. KEY WORDS: Arctic ice · Summer extreme temperature · North America Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Budikova D, Chechi L (2016) Arctic sea ice and warm season North American extreme surface air temperatures. Clim Res 67:15-29. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01349 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 67, No. 1. Online publication date: January 12, 2016 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2016 Inter-Research.

Evaluation of Four Reanalysis Surface Albedo Data Sets in Arctic Using a Satellite Product

Surface albedo has been widely used in studying energy budgets and climate dynamics in the Arctic region. Previous efforts have focused on using reanalysis albedo data, but their uncertainties remain unknown. In this letter, we evaluated four popularly used reanalysis surface albedo products, namely, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Interim Reanalysis (ERA-Interim), the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), and the Japanese 55-Year Reanalysis (JRA-55), over the Arctic Ocean using satellite-retrieved product (CLARA-SAL) from 1982 to 2009. Owing to the flawed parameterization scheme or problematic model inputs, reanalysis products are unable to capture both the interannual variation and long-term reduction of surface albedo in the Arctic. This results in a large bias in the decline of shortwave radiative forcing at both surface (from −11.74 to −38.25 W m−2) and top of atmosphere (from −5.35 to −20.19 W m−2). The most significant underestimation occurred in the melt season and after sea-ice melting acceleration started since 1996, in the central Arctic Basin north of 80° N, which is likely due to the failure in simulating the influence of thinning ice and decreasing snow depth. The JRA-55 albedo product outperformed the other three products, which is likely due to the employment of observed sea-ice concentration on the parameterization scheme. On the other hand, the other three reanalysis products, namely, ERA-Interim, MERRA, and CFSR, are unable to effectively track the interannual variation of surface albedo and significantly underestimate (from −0.016 to −0.021 relative to −0.048, by one-third to half) the decreasing surface albedo.

Spring Arctic Oscillation-western North Pacific connection in CMIP5 models

This study evaluates the simulation of the spring Arctic Oscillation (AO)-western North Pacific linkage based on the 16 state-of-the-art climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5. The validation focuses on the predominant process connecting the spring AO with the East Asian summer monsoon: the formation and persistence of the spring AO-associated cyclonic anomaly over western North Pacific (WPCA) from spring to summer. The results indicate that 8 of 16 models can reproduce both the formation and persistence of the WPCA. Because the formation of the WPCA is directly related to the existence of the spring upper-level North Pacific atmospheric dipole (NPAD), the analyses suggest that a given model can reproduce the spring AO-associated NPAD if the model is capable of simulating the spring AO-associated deceleration of the subtropical westerly jet and the transient eddy activities around the westerly jet exit. Furthermore, the westerly jet anomalies are closely related to the simulated mean state of the westerly jet and the AO Pacific component, which could be further attributed to the simulated sea surface temperature biases over the equatorial Western Pacific.

Trends and variability in rain‐on‐snow events

AbstractWe analyzed rain‐on‐snow (ROS) events in two reanalysis products. ROS events are a relatively rare phenomenon outside of a few regional maxima including western Eurasia, the higher elevations of western North America, the northeastern United States, and southeastern Canada. ROS events occur at the high latitudes, especially away from the continental interior, and no robust trends were found in the frequency of ROS events. We also explored the variability of ROS events with dominant large climate modes. The most robust relationship was found with the Arctic Oscillation or North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO). The most notable variability associated with the AO/NAO was a northeast/southwest dipole feature across western Eurasia. More ROS events were found for northeastern Europe for the positive phase of the AO/NAO due to the increased frequency of rainfall. However, more ROS events were found for Central Europe for the negative phase of the AO/NAO due to the increased frequency of snow cover.

Reflections on the anticipated mass deportation of Soviet Jews

This paper investigates questions surrounding a purported plan (believed to have been interrupted and not resumed after Stalin’s death in March 1953) for the mass deportation of 2 million Soviet Jews from the European part of the country to desolate areas of Siberia, Kazakhstan, and the Arctic North. More specifically, it asks: (1) Was there such a plan, orchestrated by Stalin? (2) Were preparations undertaken to implement the plan, particularly the compilation of lists of potential Jewish deportees, assembly of cattle car echelons for their transportation, and construction of barracks at destinations? The author begins by briefly tracing the history of Stalin’s anti-Semitic campaign after World War II, summarizing the liquidation of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee and the Doctors’ Plot in light of the mounting anti-Semitic campaign in the country, which reached alarming proportions during the “seven-week” period prior to Stalin’s last days. In addition to an in-depth review of Russian-language sources, the paper also is based on contacts with authors and observers with access to state archives and a private archival collection. The latter, still in a state of relative disorganization, could become a link to resolving the question of whether the plan and preparations for the anticipated mass deportation had taken place.

Linking interannual variability in extreme Greenland blocking episodes to the recent increase in summer melting across the Greenland ice sheet

ABSTRACTAtmospheric blocking commonly occurs over the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, resulting from the development of persistent areas of high pressure that lead to warmer‐than‐average surface temperatures west of the high centre. While the variability and trends in anticyclonic circulation patterns (including blocking) over Greenland have been previously documented, an analysis of the most extreme blocking events within the observational record is lacking. In this study, a historical climatology of extreme Greenland blocking episodes (GBEs) from 1958 to 2013 is examined within the context of anomalous anticyclonic circulation patterns over the North Atlantic region during recent years. Based on a combination of the ERA‐40 (1958–1978) and ERA‐Interim (1979–2013) reanalysis data sets, the Greenland Blocking Index (GBI) is used to quantify 500 hPa geopotential height anomalies for the identification of extreme GBEs. The annual rate of extreme blocking days has doubled since 1958, reaching an average of approximately 20 days per year by 2013. The frequency and, to some extent, duration of extreme GBEs were unprecedentedly high from 2007 to 2013 compared to the 56‐year period of record, with a majority of the increase occurring during the spring (MAM) and summer (JJA). A multiple linear regression analysis reveals that interannual variability in extreme blocking and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) are the two predominant drivers of surface meltwater production across the entire Greenland ice sheet (GrIS), but Arctic sea ice extent and North Atlantic cyclone activity can also influence the extent of summer melting over portions of the GrIS. Thus, in addition to the larger‐scale atmospheric and oceanic variability, smaller‐scale features such as extratropical cyclones can play a significant role in modulating GrIS surface melting each summer.

Ethnocultural Traditions in the Art of the Arctic North and Sakha Republic (Yakutia)

Creative artists of the Arctic are discussed, including an Inuit sculptor, a Yukagir graphic artist, a Dolgan painter, and numerous artists representing the legacy of Sakha (Yakut) art. While emphasis is on contemporary artists, significant historical figures and themes are mentioned. The recent generation of modern artists are united by a new reading of mythological narratives and ancient tales, a desire to find in them the historical roots of their people, and love for their land. Some represent a trend the author terms “ethnomodern.”

Present-day structure and stages of tectonic evolution of Wrangel Island, Russian eastern Arctic Region

Present-day structure of Wrangel Island was formed during two main stages of Mesozoic-Cenozoic deformation. The general fold-thrust structural grain of the island, characterized by northern vergence and complicated by NW-trending right-lateral strike-slip faults, originated in the post-Triassic. Mesostructural data indicate a near-meridional orientation of regional compression. This deformation stage was related to the orogeny in the New Siberian-Chukchi Fold System, which occurred at the end of Neocomian in the pre-Aptian. The next stage was characterized by a near-meridional and NNW-SSE extension established by superposition of normal, right-lateral strike-slip, and pull-apart kinematics upon the former fold-thrust structure. Comparison of the structural and the published seismic data allows us to suggest the later stage of compression to be in the Late Cretacous-Paleocene, which is correlated to the Mid-Brookian angular unconformity in Arctic Alaska and North Chukchi Basin. Accordingly, the Cenozoic age (since Paleocene-Eocene) of the main extension and right-lateral transtension most likely corresponds to opening of the South Chukchi (Hope) Basin localized immediately to the south of the Wrangel-Herald Arch (High). The difference in structural patterns of the Silurian-Lower Devonian and the Upper Devonian (?)-Triassic rocks is evidence for deformation related to the Ellesmerian Orogeny in the Middle-Late Devonian.

Controls on Spatial and Temporal Variability in Northern Hemisphere Terrestrial Snow Melt Timing, 1979–2012

Abstract Spring snowmelt onset has occurred earlier across much of the Northern Hemisphere land area in the last four decades. Understanding the mechanisms driving spring melt has remained a challenge, particularly in its spatial and temporal variability. Here, melt onset dates (MOD) obtained from passive microwave satellite data are used, as well as energy balance and meteorological fields from NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, to assess trends in the MOD and attribute melt onset across much of Arctic and sub-Arctic Eurasia and North America during the spring snowmelt season from 1979 to 2012. Across much of the Northern Hemisphere MOD has occurred 1–2 weeks earlier over this period, with the strongest trends in western and central Russia and insignificant trends across most of North America. Trends in MOD are reflected by those in energy balance terms, with energy advection providing an increasing proportion of melt energy in regions with the strongest MOD trends. Energy advection plays a larger role in melt onset in regions where snow begins melting in March and April, while insolation and longwave radiation drives melt where the MOD occurs in May and June. This implies that there is a potential shift in snowmelt drivers toward those involved in advective processes rather than radiative processes with an earlier MOD. As the high latitudes warm and terrestrial snow cover continues to melt and disappear earlier in the spring, it is valuable to elucidate regional snowmelt sensitivities to better understand regional responses to changing climatological processes.

Thermal behaviour and the prospect spread of an invasive benthic top predator onto the Euro‐Arctic shelves

AbstractAimA focal task for invasion biology is to identify the environmental variables and biological traits that set and underpin realised and potential habitats of invasive species. Ecophysiology provides powerful empirical knowledge that connects theory with natural phenomena and may improve the accuracy of species distribution modelling. We used the introduced Kamchatka red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus of the Barents Sea as a prime case to show how thermal behaviour may drive the spreading of a marine invader in context of ocean warming. Finally, we discuss the conceivable consequences for a poleward spread of invasive top predators on native marine biota, conservation and management policies.LocationBarents Sea, Euro‐Arctic shelves, Northeast Atlantic.MethodsWe used novel and non‐manipulative tests which allowed adult red king crab to freely select and monitor ambient temperature in situ across a < 1–14 °C gradient by means of a temperature data storage tag attached to the carapace.ResultsAdult red king crab, irrespective of body size, maturation stage and nutritional state, (1) displays clear behavioural thermoregulation in a hetero‐thermal environment and, (2) conclusively selects temperatures in the coldest end of a gradient and avoids temperatures > 4 °C. The final thermal preferendum matches completely present day Arctic shelf temperatures north and east in the Barents Sea.Main conclusionsThis is the first published study on the thermal behaviour of a marine invasive top predator. Our tests and the concurrent realised habitat north‐east of Kola Peninsula suggest that the introduced red king crab is capable of invading the Euro‐Arctic shelves in less than three decades. We argue that current management practices of the introduced red king crab compromise Arctic biodiversity and conservation and, to counteract further spreading, we recommend free fisheries on this species across its entire distributional area in the Northeast Atlantic.