Arctic Winds Research Articles

Odden Ice Melt Linked to Labrador Sea Ice Expansions and the Great Salinity Anomalies of 1970–1995

AbstractIn each of the last three decades of the 20th century there were unprecedented expansions of sea‐ice over the Labrador Sea basin and influxes of cold fresh water into the subpolar gyre (SPG) which have been described as the Great Salinity Anomalies (GSAs). Employing data for sea surface temperature, salinity, and sea‐ice cover, we propose that these events were downstream consequences of the expansion and subsequent melting of so‐called “Odden” ice formed over the deep basin of the Greenland‐Iceland‐Norway (GIN) Sea in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and additional to the normal East Greenland shelf sea‐ice. We extend previous findings that Odden ice expansions were linked to winter episodes of high atmospheric pressure north of Greenland that directed freezing Arctic winds across the GIN Sea and may also have been associated with increased Arctic sea‐ice volume leading to enhanced ice export through Fram Strait. We show that cold water and ice derived from Odden melting in the summer passed through Denmark Strait and along the East Greenland shelf, and accumulated in the Labrador Sea, creating favorable conditions for winter ice formation during particularly cold years in southwest Greenland. Meltwater from Odden and Labrador Sea ice appeared to break out into the SPG in the fall of 1982 and 1984 respectively and this cold water represents the likely source of the 1982–1985 GSA. These findings further our understanding of the physical processes linking ice formation and melt with ocean circulation in this key component of the climate system.

Discrepancies between observations and climate models of large-scale wind-driven Greenland melt influence sea-level rise projections

While climate models project that Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) melt will continue to accelerate with climate change, models exhibit limitations in capturing observed connections between GrIS melt and changes in high-latitude atmospheric circulation. Here we impose observed Arctic winds in a fully-coupled climate model with fixed anthropogenic forcing to quantify the influence of the rotational component of large-scale atmospheric circulation variability over the Arctic on the temperature field and the surface mass/energy balances through adiabatic processes. We show that recent changes involving mid-to-upper-tropospheric anticyclonic wind anomalies – linked with tropical forcing – explain half of the observed Greenland surface warming and ice loss acceleration since 1990, suggesting a pathway for large-scale winds to potentially enhance sea-level rise by ~0.2 mm/year per decade. We further reveal fingerprints of this observed teleconnection in paleo-reanalyses spanning the past 400 years, which heightens concern about model limitations to capture wind-driven adiabatic processes associated with GrIS melt.

An Optimal Atmospheric Circulation Mode in the Arctic Favoring Strong Summertime Sea Ice Melting and Ice–Albedo Feedback

Abstract The rapid decline of summer Arctic sea ice over the past few decades has been driven by a combination of increasing greenhouse gases and internal variability of the climate system. However, uncertainties remain regarding spatial and temporal characteristics of the optimal internal atmospheric mode that most favors summer sea ice melting on low-frequency time scales. To pinpoint this mode, we conduct a suite of simulations in which atmospheric circulation is constrained by nudging tropospheric Arctic (60°–90°N) winds within the Community Earth System Model, version 1 (CESM1), to those from reanalysis. Each reanalysis year is repeated for over 10 model years using fixed greenhouse gas concentrations and the same initial conditions. Composites show the strongest September sea ice losses are closely preceded by a common June–August (JJA) barotropic anticyclonic circulation in the Arctic favoring shortwave absorption at the surface. Successive years of strong wind-driven melting also enhance declines in Arctic sea ice through enhancement of the ice–albedo feedback, reaching a quasi-equilibrium response after repeated wind forcing for over 5–6 years, as the effectiveness of the wind-driven ice–albedo feedback becomes saturated. Strong melting favored by a similar wind pattern as observations is detected in a long preindustrial simulation and 400-yr paleoclimate reanalysis, suggesting that a summer barotropic anticyclonic wind pattern represents the optimal internal atmospheric mode maximizing sea ice melting in both the model and natural world over a range of time scales. Considering strong contributions of this mode to changes in Arctic climate, a better understanding of its origin and maintenance is vital to improving future projections of Arctic sea ice.

Mountaineering Risk, Safety and Security

The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the underlying mountaineering risks, safety and security issues found in the traditional activity known as mountaineering. The paper also highlights some of the commonly known and distinguished terms of mountaineering.
 Mountaineering is the art of moving through the mountains using a set of technical ‘mountaineering’ skills. In Europe, it is often called alpinism when done in the Alps, apart from known as trekking, hiking or even fell walking. It includes traditional outdoor rock climbing in a mountain setting, multi-day rock climbing, skiing, snow-shoeing, a multi-day journey in the mountains, whether camping or in lodges. Mountaineering is not necessarily restricted to the greater mountain ranges as many countries with low altitude mountains have many citizens that go ‘mountaineering’ inside their borders.
 There are no predetermined heights at which a hill becomes a mountain; many geographers state that a mountain is greater than 300m (1,000 feet) above sea level, but the Oxford English Dictionary puts the hill limit at 600m asl. Another consideration is the latitude of the ‘hills’. For example, the hills of Scotland, although the highest being Ben Nevis at 1345m asl, are considerably further north than the Pyrenees with its highest mountain, Pic Aneto, at 3404m asl. The arctic winds, the northern European winds and the south-westerly gales are as harsh as any found in the higher ranges.

Climate Change Is Intensifying Arctic Ocean Currents

Melting ice means that strong Arctic winds create more energetic currents in the Beaufort Gyre.

Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties

Insulation is an essential component of nest structure that helps provide incubation requirements for birds. Many species of waterfowl breed in high latitudes where rapid heat loss can necessitate a high energetic input from parents and use down feathers to line their nests. Common eider Somateria mollissima nest down has exceptional insulating properties but the microstructural mechanisms behind the feather properties have not been thoroughly examined.Here, we hypothesized that insulating properties of nest down are correlated to down feather (plumule) microstructure. We tested the thermal efficiency (fill power) and cohesion of plumules from nests of two Icelandic colonies of wild common eiders and compared them to properties of plumules of wild greylag goose Anser anser. We then used electron microscopy to examine the morphological basis of feather insulating properties. We found that greylag goose down has higher fill power (i.e. traps more air) but much lower cohesion (i.e. less prone to stick together) compared to common eider down. These differences were related to interspecific variation in feather microstructure. Down cohesion increased with the number of barbule microstructures (prongs) that create strong points of contact among feathers. Eider down feathers also had longer barbules than greylag goose down feathers, likely increasing their air‐trapping capacity. Feather properties of these two species might reflect the demands of their contrasting evolutionary history. In greylag goose, a temperate, terrestrial species, plumule microstructure may optimize heat trapping. In common eiders, a diving duck that nests in arctic and subarctic waters, plumule structure may have evolved to maximize cohesion over thermal insulation, which would both reduce buoyancy during their foraging dives and enable nest down to withstand strong arctic winds.

Thermal Regime Effect on Gas-Transport Lines in the Persian Gulf

Summary Sea lines transporting gas toward the north (Iran) and south (Qatar and Saudi Arabia) and originating from fields located in the central parts of the Persian Gulf exhibit different thermal regimes. The lowest reported arrival temperatures of the gas were 18 and 11°C for the sea lines transporting gas to the northern and southern shores, respectively. The difference between the two is significant and could radically alter the hydrate-mitigation strategy and the associated economics. Metocean data reported in this study and from previous studies (Appendix A) show that the northern part of the Persian Gulf, which is also deeper, attains a well-mixed state during winter months. During this phase, the arrival temperature of the gas for South Pars (SP) sea lines decreases steadily and goes through a minimum at approximately the middle of February every year. In the southern region, the sea is shallow and water is more saline. Sinking of saline water when exposed to cool and dry ambient winter conditions is probably responsible for the reported abrupt decrease in arrival temperatures in the case of the Karan gas line. The immediate recovery of the same may be caused by the local wind/tide conditions. The likely origins of the observed lowest temperatures in the north and south regions are Arctic winds of short duration and desert winds of fairly long duration, respectively. This study summarizes hydrate-inhibition practices for these sea lines, and indicates a possibility of using the sea lines as “indirect thermometers” to provide important physical oceanographic data for long terms in a limited but economical way with fewer interruptions.

Arctic winds of change

The Earth's climate evolves in response to both externally forced changes and internal variability. Now research suggests that both drivers combine to set the pace of Arctic warming caused by large-scale sea-ice loss.

The impact of climatic and atmospheric teleconnections on the brine inventory over the Laptev Sea shelf between 2007 and 2011

AbstractExport of brine‐enriched water from Siberian shelves is thought to be a key parameter in maintaining the Arctic Halocline, which isolates the fresh and cold surface water from the warm Atlantic water and thus prevent dramatic change in the Arctic sea‐ice thermodynamic. In this study, we used 5 years of oxygen isotope and hydrological summer surveys to better understand the factors controlling the brine inventory and distribution over the Laptev Sea shelf. The inventory was maximal in 2011 and 2007 and minimal in 2010. The brine inventory interannual variations are coherent with the winter Arctic Oscillation index that was maximal in 2011 and 2007 and minimal in 2010, which is known to modulate Arctic winds and sea‐ice export pattern. While we should remain cautious since our record is limited to 5 years, our results suggest that the combined effect of the Arctic Oscillation and of the Arctic Dipole is the main factor controlling the annual variations in the inventory of brine‐enriched waters from the Laptev Sea shelf between 2007 and 2011, especially during extreme negative Arctic Oscillation and Arctic Dipole conditions as in 2010.

Extreme Weather Conditions: Military Medicine Responds to a Korean War Winter.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the M-1951 Cold-Wet Uniform (extreme cold), from base layers through outer garments. This cold-weather gear replaced the World War II era M-1943 to become standard issue for American soldiers during the Korean War. The Cold-Wet Uniform could be supplemented with a heavy parka, a component of the Cold-Dry Uniform. The parka could replace the field jacket, or be worn on top of it. The Army Medical Department had good reason for documenting the new uniform and publicizing its development through photographs like the two featured here. In the fall of 1950, American soldiers and their commanding officers were unprepared for their first Korean winter, when temperatures could plunge to more than 30 degrees below zero and arctic winds from Siberia yielded deadly consequences. A Life magazine article from February 1951 reported that more than 5,000 U.S. troops in Korea suffered from frostbite that first winter. For some, evacuation and medical care was timely, but others lost feet and hands, as well as fingers and toes. Army surgeons realized that many frostbite diagnoses during World War II had, in fact, been trench foot and that their treatment programs were not designed to manage the dangers of a truly severe winter. Without proper prevention and treatment, soldiers fell prey to frostbite in catastrophic numbers, leaving their units less effective in the field. The Medical Corps responded swiftly to the need. New treatment regimens were developed for troops in the field and severe cases were transferred to Percy Jones Army Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan, where doctors worked to save gangrenous limbs that would have almost certainly been amputated during the last war. But medical care was only one part of the solution. The Quartermaster Corps also designed uniforms to protect soldiers from extreme cold while allowing them to perform their duties as much as possible. This included layers of head coverings, protection for the hands, and the “Mickey Mouse” boots designed to withstand extreme cold. Today, this work is continued by organizations such as the U.S. Army Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Massachusetts, where experts focus their research on the health and performance of the warfighter in extreme conditions. Their most recent publications note that frostbite still accounts for the largest number of cold injuries per year; however, their guidance on countermeasures and risk assessment far exceed the resources available in fall 1950. The early research and development initiated during the Korean War reflects the continued missions of military medical research assets to provide their soldiers and civilians with the necessary equipment to carry out missions in all climates and conditions, all over the world.

The climatological distribution of extreme Arctic winds and implications for ocean and sea ice processes

AbstractSome of the strongest near‐surface winds on Earth form in the Arctic and sub‐Arctic due to intense midlatitude cyclones and mesoscale processes, and these strong surface winds have important impacts on ocean and sea ice processes. We examine the climatological distribution of over‐ocean, near‐surface wind speeds within a Pan‐Arctic domain for 18 years (1990–2007) in four gridded data sets: the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Interim reanalysis (ERA‐I), the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis, version 2 of the Common Ocean‐Ice Reference Experiment data set, and a regional climate simulation generated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model run at 50 km (WRF50) horizontal resolution with ERA Interim as lateral boundary conditions. We estimate probability density functions, the annual cycle, and map the 50th and 99th percentile winds. We then perform the same statistical analysis of winds for 2 years when 10 km WRF data are available (June 2005 to May 2007); despite the much shorter time period, the Pan‐Arctic statistics are very similar to those from the 18 year analysis. We repeat the wind speed statistical analysis within a subdomain surrounding Greenland and find that WRF10 has consistently larger maximum wind speeds, but this difference only appears at wind speed percentiles higher than 99%. Differences in the 99th percentile wind speeds are spatially heterogeneous. An investigation of surface fluxes within WRF50 and WRF10 reveals unrealistically large sensible heat fluxes along the sea ice edge, and the geographic distribution and magnitude of these fluxes is shown to be sensitive to sea ice representation in WRF.

Lake effect: Tales of large lakes, arctic winds, and recurrent snows by MarkMonmonier, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, 2013, 272 pp., cloth $US24.95 (ISBN 978‐0‐8156‐1004‐5).

The Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe canadienVolume 59, Issue 2 p. e39-e39 Reviews / Comptes rendus Lake effect: Tales of large lakes, arctic winds, and recurrent snows by Mark Monmonier, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, 2013, 272 pp., cloth $US24.95 (ISBN 978-0-8156-1004-5). Mryka Hall-Beyer, Mryka Hall-Beyer University of CalgarySearch for more papers by this author Mryka Hall-Beyer, Mryka Hall-Beyer University of CalgarySearch for more papers by this author First published: 28 April 2015 https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12180Citations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume59, Issue2Summer / été 2015Pages e39-e39 RelatedInformation

Review of Lake Effect: Tales of Large Lakes, Arctic Winds, and Recurrent Snows

Review of Lake Effect: Tales of Large Lakes, Arctic Winds, and Recurrent Snows

Lake Effect: Tales of Large Lakes, Arctic Winds, and Recurrent Snows by Mark Monmonier (review)

Lake Effect: Tales of Large Lakes, Arctic Winds, and Recurrent Snows by Mark Monmonier (review)

How the Madden‐Julian Oscillation affects North American weather

The unusual weather in the United States during the winter of 2013–2014—when the West stayed hot and dry, the Northeast was battered by Arctic winds, and the South was blanketed in snow—was caused in part by an atmospheric phenomenon that blocked normal weather patterns from reaching the West Coast. The jet stream, forced to flow around a stable high‐pressure system, became curvier than normal. Over the eastern Pacific, the jet stream flowed far to the north before turning south over Alaska, bringing cold Arctic air to the Midwest.

Lake effect: tales of large lakes, arctic winds, and recurrent snows

Lake effect: tales of large lakes, arctic winds, and recurrent snows

Characteristics of Arctic winds at CANDAC-PEARL (80° N, 86° W) and Svalbard (78° N, 16° E) for 2006–2009: radar observations and comparisons with the model CMAM-DAS

Abstract. Operation of a Meteor Wind Radar (MWR) at Eureka, Ellesmere Island (80° N, 86° W) began in February 2006; this is the location of the Polar Environmental and Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL), operated by the "Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change" (CANDAC). The first 36 months of wind data (82–97 km) are here combined with contemporaneous winds from the Meteor Wind Radar at Adventdalen, Svalbard (78° N, 16° E), to provide the first evidence for substantial interannual variability (IAV) of longitudinally spaced observations of mean/background winds and waves at such High Arctic latitudes. The influences of "Sudden Stratospheric Warmings" (SSW) are also apparent. Monthly meridional (north-south, NS) 3-year means for each location/radar demonstrate that winds (82–97 km) differ significantly between Canada and Norway, with winter-equinox values generally northward over Eureka and southward over Svalbard. Using January 2008 as case study, these oppositely directed meridional winds are related to mean positions of the Arctic mesospheric vortex. The vortex is from the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model, with its Data Assimilation System (CMAM-DAS). The characteristics of "Sudden stratospheric Warmings" SSW in each of the three winters are noted, as well as their uniquely distinctive short-term mesospheric wind disturbances. Comparisons of the mean winds over 36 months at 78 and 80° N, with those within CMAM-DAS, are featured. E.g. for 2007, while both monthly mean EW and NS winds from CMAM/radar are quite similar over Eureka (82–88 km), the modeled autumn-winter NS winds over Svalbard (73–88 km) differ significantly from observations. The latter are southward, and the modeled winds over Svalbard are predominately northward. The mean positions of the winter polar vortex are related to these differences.

Linking Inuit knowledge and meteorological station observations to understand changing wind patterns at Clyde River, Nunavut

Connecting indigenous and scientific observations and knowledge has received much attention in the Arctic, not least in the area of climate change. On some levels, this connection can be established relatively easily, linking observations of similar phenomena or of various effects stemming from the same cause. Closer examinations of specific environmental parameters, however, can lead to far more complex and difficult attempts to make those connections. In this paper we examine observations of wind at Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada. For Inuit, many activities are governed by environmental conditions. Wind, in particular, is identified by Inuit as one of the most important environmental variables, playing a key role in driving sea ice, ocean, and weather conditions that can either enable or constrain hunting, travel, or other important activities. Inuit observe wind patterns closely, and through many means, as a result of their close connection to the land and sea. Inuit in many parts of Nunavut are reporting changes in wind patterns in recent years. At Clyde River, a community on the eastern coast of Baffin Island, Inuit have observed that at least three key aspects of wind have changed over the last few decades: wind variability, wind speed, and wind direction. At the same time, wind observations are also available from an operational weather station located at Clyde River. An analysis of this information shows little change in wind parameters since the mid-1970s. Though the station data and Inuit observations correspond in some instances, overall, there is limited agreement. Although the differences in the two perspectives may point to possible biases that may exist from both sources—the weather station data may not be representative of the region, Inuit observations or explanations may be inaccurate, or the instrumental and Inuit observations may not be of the same phenomena—they also raise interesting questions about methods for observing wind and the nature of Arctic winds.

On the recent warming of the southeastern Bering Sea shelf

Abstract During the last decade, the southeastern Bering Sea shelf has undergone a warming of ∼3 °C that is closely associated with a marked decrease of sea ice over the area. This shift in the physical environment of the shelf can be attributed to a combination of mechanisms, including the presence over the eastern Bering Sea shelf of a relatively mild air mass during the winter, especially from 2000 to 2005; a shorter ice season caused by a later fall transition and/or an earlier spring transition; increased flow through Unimak Pass during winter, which introduces warm Gulf of Alaska water onto the southeastern shelf; and the feedback mechanism whereby warmer ocean temperatures during the summer delay the southward advection of sea ice during winter. While the relative importance of these four mechanisms is difficult to quantify, it is evident that for sea ice to form, cold arctic winds must cool the water column. Sea ice is then formed in the polynyas during periods of cold north winds, and this ice is advected southward over the eastern shelf. The other three mechanisms can modify ice formation and melt, and hence its extent. In combination, these four mechanisms have served to temporally and spatially limit ice during the 5-year period (2001–2005). Warming of the eastern Bering Sea shelf could have profound influences on the ecosystem of the Bering Sea—from modification of the timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom to the northward advance of subarctic species and the northward retreat of arctic species.

Atmospheric Forcing on the Barents Sea Winter Ice Extent

Abstract The atmospheric forcing on the Barents Sea ice extent during winter [December–February (DJF)] has been investigated for the period 1967–2002. The time series for the sea ice extent is updated and includes the winter of 2005, which marks a new record low in the wintertime Barents Sea ice extent, and a linear trend of −3.5% decade−1 in the ice extent was found. Covariability between the Barents Sea ice extent and the atmospheric mean seasonal flow and the synoptic cyclones has been discussed separately. For the mean flow, linear correlations and regression analysis reveal that anomalous northerly (southerly) winds prevail in the Nordic Seas during winters with extensive (sparse) Barents Sea ice extent. Some of the variability in the mean flow is captured by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO); however, the wintertime link between the Barents Sea ice extent and the NAO is moderate. By studying the cyclone activity in the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere using a dataset of individual cyclones, two regions that influence the wintertime Barents Sea ice extent were identified. The variability in the northward-moving cyclones traveling into the Arctic over East Siberia was found to covary strongly with the Barents Sea ice extent. The main mechanism is believed to be the change in the Arctic winds and in ice advection connected to the cyclones. In addition, cyclone activity of northward-moving cyclones over the western Nordic Seas was identified to strongly influence the Barents Sea ice extent. This relationship was particularly strong on decadal time scales and when the ice extent lagged the cyclone variability by 1–2 yr. The lag indicates that the mechanism is related to the cyclones’ ability to modulate the inflow of Atlantic water into the Nordic Seas and the transport time of oceanic heat anomalies from the Nordic Seas into the Barents Sea. Multiple regression indicates that the two mechanisms may explain (or at least covary with) 46% of the wintertime Barents Sea variance over the 1967–2002 period and that 79% of the decadal part of the ice variability may be predicted 2 yr ahead using information about the decadal cyclone variability in the Nordic Seas.