Sea Ice Fraction Research Articles

Recent Arctic Ocean Surface Air Temperatures in Atmospheric Reanalyses and Numerical Simulations

AbstractSurface air temperatures have recently increased more rapidly in the Arctic than elsewhere in the world, but large uncertainty remains in the time series and trend. Over the data-sparse sea ice zone, the retrospective assimilation of observations in numerical reanalyses has been thought to offer a possible, but challenging, avenue for adequately reproducing the historical time series. Focusing on the central Arctic Ocean, output is analyzed from 12 reanalyses with a specific consideration of two widely used products: the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis (ERA-Interim, hereafter ERA-I). Among the reanalyses considered, a trend of 0.9 K decade−1 is indicated but with an uncertainty of 6%, and a large spread in mean values. There is a partitioning among those reanalyses that use fractional sea ice cover and those that employ a threshold, which are colder in winter by an average of 2 K but agree more closely with in situ observations. For reanalyses using fractional sea ice cover, discrepancies in the ice fraction in autumn and winter explain most of the differences in air temperature values. A set of experiments using the MERRA-2 background model using MERRA-2 and ERA-I sea ice and sea surface temperature indicates significant effects of boundary condition differences on air temperatures, and a preferential warm bias inherent in the MERRA-2 model sea ice representation. Differences between experiments and reanalyses suggest the available observations apply a significant constraint on reanalysis mean temperatures.

How Does the Winter Jet Stream Affect Surface Temperature, Heat Flux, and Sea Ice in the North Atlantic?

AbstractThe role of the atmospheric jet stream in driving patterns of surface heat flux, changes in sea surface temperature, and sea ice fraction is explored for the winter North Atlantic. Seasonal time-scale ensemble hindcasts from the Met Office Hadley Centre are analyzed for each winter from 1980 to 2014, which for each year includes 40 ensemble members initialized at the start of November. The spread between ensemble members that develops during a season is interpreted to represent the ocean response to stochastic atmospheric variability. The seasonal coupling between the winter atmosphere and the ocean over much of the North Atlantic reveals anomalies in surface heat loss driving anomalies in the tendency of sea surface temperature. The atmospheric jet, defined either by its speed or latitude, strongly controls the winter pattern of air–sea latent and sensible heat flux anomalies, and subsequent sea surface temperature anomalies. On time scales of several months, the effect of jet speed is more pronounced than that of jet latitude on the surface ocean response, although the effect of jet latitude is important in altering the extent of the ocean subtropical and subpolar gyres. A strong jet or high jet latitude increases sea ice fraction over the Labrador Sea due to the enhanced transport of cold air from west Greenland, while sea ice fraction decreases along the east side of Greenland due either to warm air advection or a strong northerly wind along the east Greenland coast blowing surface ice away from the Fram Strait.

The HadCM3 contribution to PlioMIP phase 2

Abstract. We present the UK's input into the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project phase 2 (PlioMIP2) using the Hadley Centre Climate Model version 3 (HadCM3). The 400 ppm CO2 Pliocene experiment has a mean annual surface air temperature that is 2.9 ∘C warmer than the pre-industrial and a polar amplification of between 1.7 and 2.2 times the global mean warming. The Pliocene Research Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping (PRISM4) enhanced Pliocene palaeogeography accounts for a warming of 1.4 ∘C, whilst the CO2 increase from 280 to 400 ppm leads to a further 1.5 ∘C of warming. Climate sensitivity is 3.5 ∘C for the pre-industrial and 2.9 ∘C for the Pliocene. Precipitation change between the pre-industrial and Pliocene is complex, with geographic and land surface changes primarily modifying the geographical extent of mean annual precipitation. Sea ice fraction and areal extent are reduced during the Pliocene, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, although they persist through summer in both hemispheres. The Pliocene palaeogeography drives a more intense Pacific and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). This intensification of AMOC is coincident with more widespread deep convection in the North Atlantic. We conclude by examining additional sensitivity experiments and confirm that the choice of total solar insolation (1361 vs. 1365 Wm−2) and orbital configuration (modern vs. 3.205 Ma) does not significantly influence the anomaly-type analysis in use by the Pliocene community.

Decomposing Shortwave Top-of-Atmosphere and Surface Radiative Flux Variations in Terms of Surface and Atmospheric Contributions

AbstractA diagnostic tool for determining surface and atmospheric contributions to interannual variations in top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflected shortwave (SW) and net downward SW surface radiative fluxes is introduced. The method requires only upward and downward radiative fluxes at the TOA and surface as input and therefore can readily be applied to both satellite-derived and model-generated radiative fluxes. Observations from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) Edition 4.0 product show that 81% of the monthly variability in global mean reflected SW TOA flux anomalies is associated with atmospheric variations (mainly clouds), 6% is from surface variations, and 13% is from atmosphere–surface covariability. Over the Arctic Ocean, most of the variability in both reflected SW TOA flux and net downward SW surface flux anomalies is explained by variations in sea ice and cloud fraction alone (r2 = 0.94). Compared to CERES, variability in two reanalyses—the ECMWF interim reanalysis (ERA-Interim) and NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2)—show large differences in the regional distribution of variance for both the atmospheric and surface contributions to anomalies in net downward SW surface flux. For MERRA-2 the atmospheric contribution is 17% too large compared to CERES while ERA-Interim underestimates the variance by 15%. The difference is mainly due to how cloud variations are represented in the reanalyses. The overall surface contribution in both ERA-Interim and MERRA-2 is smaller than CERES EBAF by 15% for ERA-Interim and 58% for MERRA-2, highlighting limitations of the reanalyses in representing surface albedo variations and their influence on SW radiative fluxes.

Antarctic clouds, supercooled liquid water and mixed phase, investigated with DARDAR: geographical and seasonal variations

Abstract. Antarctic tropospheric clouds are investigated using the DARDAR (raDAR/liDAR)-MASK products between 60 and 82∘ S. The cloud fraction (occurrence frequency) is divided into the supercooled liquid-water-containing cloud (SLC) fraction and its complementary part called the all-ice cloud fraction. A further distinction is made between SLC involving ice (mixed-phase clouds, MPC) or not (USLC, for unglaciated SLC). The low-level (<3 km above surface level) SLC fraction is larger over seas (20 %–60 %), where it varies according to sea ice fraction, than over continental regions (0 %–35 %). The total SLC fraction is much larger over West Antarctica (10 %–40 %) than it is over the Antarctic Plateau (0 %–10 %). In East Antarctica the total SLC fraction – in summer for instance – decreases sharply polewards with increasing surface height (decreasing temperatures) from 40 % at the coast to <5% at 82∘ S on the plateau. The geographical distribution of the continental total all-ice fraction is shaped by the interaction of the main low-pressure systems surrounding the continent and the orography, with little association with the sea ice fraction. Opportunistic comparisons with published ground-based supercooled liquid-water observations at the South Pole in 2009 are made with our SLC fractions at 82∘ S in terms of seasonal variability, showing good agreement. We demonstrate that the largest impact of sea ice on the low-level SLC fraction (and mostly through the MPC) occurs in autumn and winter (22 % and 18 % absolute decrease in the fraction between open water and sea ice-covered regions, respectively), while it is almost null in summer and intermediate in spring (11 %). Monthly variability of the MPC fraction over seas shows a maximum at the end of summer and a minimum in winter. Conversely, the USLC fraction has a maximum at the beginning of summer. However, monthly evolutions of MPC and USLC fractions do not differ on the continent. This suggests a seasonality in the glaciation process in marine liquid-bearing clouds. From the literature, we identify the pattern of the monthly evolution of the MPC fraction as being similar to that of the aerosols in coastal regions, which is related to marine biological activity. Marine bioaerosols are known to be efficient ice-nucleating particles (INPs). The emission of these INPs into the atmosphere from open waters would add to the temperature and sea ice fraction seasonalities as factors explaining the MPC fraction monthly evolution.

Spatio-temporal variations in hexachlorobenzene partitioning in a near shore Antarctic marine environment from a one-dimensional coupled ecosystem-chemical distribution model

Abstract Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is an example of a persistent organic pollutant (POP) that is relatively abundant and widespread in near shore Antarctic marine environments. By definition, POPs may distribute with an ecosystem, bioaccumulating and potentially reaching hazardous levels in some organisms. Modelling approaches may provide insight into this behaviour and complement physical sampling that is difficult in such environments. Here, a dynamic, trophically complex ecosystem (biological) model comprising biological groups from plankton to apex predators is coupled to a mass conserving, fugacity based chemical distribution model with vertical resolution of the seawater compartment. The model accommodates seasonal variations in solar irradiance, sea ice coverage, and boundary layer air temperature. The greatest proportion of the HCB is predicted to be in sediment with comparatively little intra-annual variation. For biota, highest lipid based concentrations are in aerial seabirds, baleen whales and seals but considerable seasonal variation is apparent. The POPcline, the water depth where vertical HCB concentration gradient is greatest, is coupled with the base of the mixed layer throughout the Antarctic year. Seasonal partitioning of POPs in Antarctic environments is shown to be subject to oscillating or “flip-flop” dynamics with significantly different controlling factors in summer and winter. In summer, HCB in the surface waters, where most of the biological activity is occurring, is isolated from the sediments that contain most of the POP mass. During winter however, fractional sea ice cover increases turbulent diffusion and the mixed layer and POPcline deepen increasing homogenisation in water column. Surface waters are more likely to come into direct contact with sediments, and biota such as krill migrate to the ocean floor and feed on detritus produced from summer plankton blooms that has since sunk to the ocean floor.

Global Climate Simulated by the Seoul National University Atmosphere Model Version 0 with a Unified Convection Scheme (SAM0-UNICON)

AbstractAs a contribution to phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), the global climate simulated by an atmospheric general circulation model (GCM), the Seoul National University Atmosphere Model version 0 with a Unified Convection Scheme (SAM0-UNICON), is compared with observation and climates simulated by the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) and Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1), on which SAM0-UNICON is based. Both SAM0-UNICON and CESM1 successfully reproduce observed global warming after 1970. The global mean climate simulated by SAM0-UNICON is roughly similar to that of CAM5/CESM1. However, SAM0-UNICON improves the simulations of the double intertropical convergence zone, shortwave cloud forcing, near-surface air temperature, aerosol optical depth, sea ice fraction, and sea surface temperature (SST), but is slightly poorer for the simulation of tropical relative humidity, Pacific surface wind stress, and ocean rainfall. Two important biases in the simulated mean climate in both models are a set of horseshoe-shaped biases of SST, sea level pressure, precipitation, and cloud radiative forcings in the central equatorial Pacific and a higher sea ice fraction in the Arctic periphery and Southern Hemispheric circumpolar regions. Both SAM0-UNICON and CESM1 simulate the observed El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) reasonably well. However, compared with CAM5/CESM1, SAM0-UNICON performs better in simulating the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), diurnal cycle of precipitation, and tropical cyclones. The aerosol indirect effect (AIE) simulated by SAM0-UNICON is similar to that from CAM5 but the magnitudes of the individual shortwave and longwave AIEs are substantially reduced.

Polar Cooling Effect Due to Increase of Phytoplankton and Dimethyl-Sulfide Emission

The effects of increased dimethyl-sulfide (DMS) emissions due to increased marine phytoplankton activity are examined using an atmosphere-ocean coupled climate model. As the DMS emission flux from the ocean increases globally, large-scale cooling occurs due to the DMS-cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)-cloud albedo interactions. This cooling increases as DMS emissions are further increased, with the most pronounced effect occurring over the Arctic, which is likely associated with a change in sea-ice fraction as sea ice mediates the air-sea exchange of the radiation, moisture and heat flux. These results differ from recent studies that only considered the bio-physical feedback that led to amplified Arctic warming under greenhouse warming conditions. Therefore, climate negative feedback from DMS-CCN-cloud albedo interactions that involve marine phytoplankton and its impact on polar climate should be properly reflected in future climate models to better estimate climate change, especially over the polar regions.

Difference between the North Atlantic and Pacific meridional overturning circulation in response to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract. The role of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in maintaining the large-scale overturning circulation in the Atlantic and Pacific is investigated using a coupled atmosphere–ocean model. For the present day with a realistic topography, model simulation shows a strong Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) but a near absence of the Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC), which are in good agreement with the present observations. In contrast, the simulation without the TP depicts a collapsed AMOC and a strong PMOC that dominates deep-water formation. The switch in deep-water formation between the two basins results from changes in the large-scale atmospheric circulation and atmosphere–ocean feedback over the Atlantic and Pacific. The intensified westerly winds and increased freshwater flux over the North Atlantic cause an initial slowdown of the AMOC, while the weakened East Asian monsoon circulation and associated decreased freshwater flux over the North Pacific give rise to the initial intensification of the PMOC. The further decreased heat flux and the associated increase in sea-ice fraction promote the final AMOC collapse over the Atlantic, while the further increased heat flux leads to the final PMOC establishment over the Pacific. Although the simulations were performed in a cold world, it still importantly implicates that the uplift of the TP alone could have been a potential driver for the reorganization of PMOC–AMOC between the late Eocene and early Oligocene.

Improved Representation of Surface Spectral Emissivity in a Global Climate Model and Its Impact on Simulated Climate

Surface longwave emissivity can be less than unity and vary significantly with frequency. However, most climate models still assume a blackbody surface in the longwave (LW) radiation scheme of their atmosphere models. This study incorporates realistic surface spectral emissivity into the atmospheric component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM), version 1.1.1, and evaluates its impact on simulated climate. By ensuring consistency of the broadband surface longwave flux across different components of the CESM, the top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) energy balance in the modified model can be attained without retuning the model. Inclusion of surface spectral emissivity, however, leads to a decrease of net upward longwave flux at the surface and a comparable increase of latent heat flux. Global-mean surface temperature difference between the modified and standard CESM simulation is 0.20 K for the fully coupled run and 0.45 K for the slab-ocean run. Noticeable surface temperature differences between the modified and standard CESM simulations are seen over the Sahara Desert and polar regions. Accordingly, the climatological mean sea ice fraction in the modified CESM simulation can be less than that in the standard CESM simulation by as much as 0.1 in some regions. When spectral emissivities of sea ice and open ocean surfaces are considered, the broadband LW sea ice emissivity feedback is estimated to be −0.003 W m−2 K−1, assuming flat ice emissivity as sea ice emissivity, and 0.002 W m−2 K−1, assuming coarse snow emissivity as sea ice emissivity, which are two orders of magnitude smaller than the surface albedo feedback.

The Arctic System Reanalysis, Version 2

AbstractThe Arctic is a vital component of the global climate, and its rapid environmental evolution is an important element of climate change around the world. To detect and diagnose the changes occurring to the coupled Arctic climate system, a state-of-the-art synthesis for assessment and monitoring is imperative. This paper presents the Arctic System Reanalysis, version 2 (ASRv2), a multiagency, university-led retrospective analysis (reanalysis) of the greater Arctic region using blends of the polar-optimized version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (Polar WRF) Model and WRF three-dimensional variational data assimilated observations for a comprehensive integration of the regional climate of the Arctic for 2000–12. New features in ASRv2 compared to version 1 (ASRv1) include 1) higher-resolution depiction in space (15-km horizontal resolution), 2) updated model physics including subgrid-scale cloud fraction interaction with radiation, and 3) a dual outer-loop routine for more accurate data assimilation. ASRv2 surface and pressure-level products are available at 3-hourly and monthly mean time scales at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Analysis of ASRv2 reveals superior reproduction of near-surface and tropospheric variables. Broadscale analysis of forecast precipitation and site-specific comparisons of downward radiative fluxes demonstrate significant improvement over ASRv1. The high-resolution topography and land surface, including weekly updated vegetation and realistic sea ice fraction, sea ice thickness, and snow-cover depth on sea ice, resolve finescale processes such as topographically forced winds. Thus, ASRv2 permits a reconstruction of the rapid change in the Arctic since the beginning of the twenty-first century–complementing global reanalyses. ASRv2 products will be useful for environmental models, verification of regional processes, or siting of future observation networks.

Oxygen in the Southern Ocean From Argo Floats: Determination of Processes Driving Air‐Sea Fluxes

AbstractThe Southern Ocean is of outsized significance to the global oxygen and carbon cycles with relatively poor measurement coverage due to harsh winters and seasonal ice cover. In this study, we use recent advances in the parameterization of air‐sea oxygen fluxes to analyze 9 years of oxygen data from a recalibrated Argo oxygen data set and from air‐calibrated oxygen floats deployed as part of the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project. From this combined data set of 150 floats, we find a total Southern Ocean oxygen sink of −183 ± 80 Tmol yr−1 (positive to the atmosphere), greater than prior estimates. The uptake occurs primarily in the Polar‐Frontal Antarctic Zone (PAZ, −94 ± 30 Tmol O2 yr−1) and Seasonal Ice Zone (SIZ, −111 ± 9.3 Tmol O2 yr−1). This flux is driven by wintertime ventilation, with a large portion of the flux in the SIZ passing through regions with fractional sea ice. The Subtropical Zone (STZ) is seasonally driven by thermal fluxes and exhibits a net outgassing of 47 ± 29 Tmol O2 yr−1 that is likely driven by biological production. The Subantarctic Zone (SAZ) uptake is −25 ± 12 Tmol O2 yr−1. Total oxygen fluxes were separated into a thermal and nonthermal component. The nonthermal flux is correlated with net primary production and mixed layer depth in the STZ, SAZ, and PAZ, but not in the SIZ where seasonal sea ice slows the air‐sea gas flux response to the entrainment of deep, low‐oxygen waters.

Ice–Atmosphere Feedbacks Dominate the Response of the Climate System to Drake Passage Closure

AbstractThe response of the global climate system to Drake Passage (DP) closure is examined using a fully coupled ocean–atmosphere–ice model. Unlike most previous studies, a full three-dimensional atmospheric general circulation model is included with a complete hydrological cycle and a freely evolving wind field, as well as a coupled dynamic–thermodynamic sea ice module. Upon DP closure the initial response is found to be consistent with previous ocean-only and intermediate-complexity climate model studies, with an expansion and invigoration of the Antarctic meridional overturning, along with a slowdown in North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) production. This results in a dominance of Southern Ocean poleward geostrophic flow and Antarctic sinking when DP is closed. However, within just a decade of DP closure, the increased southward heat transport has melted back a substantial fraction of Antarctic sea ice. At the same time the polar oceans warm by 4°–6°C on the zonal mean, and the maximum strength of the Southern Hemisphere westerlies weakens by ≃10%. These effects, not captured in models without ice and atmosphere feedbacks, combine to force Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) to warm and freshen, to the point that this water mass becomes less dense than NADW. This leads to a marked contraction of the Antarctic overturning, allowing NADW to ventilate the abyssal ocean once more. Poleward heat transport settles back to very similar values as seen in the unperturbed DP open case. Yet remarkably, the equilibrium climate in the closed DP configuration retains a strong Southern Hemisphere warming, similar to past studies with no dynamic atmosphere. However, here it is ocean–atmosphere–ice feedbacks, primarily the ice-albedo feedback and partly the weakened midlatitude jet, not a vigorous southern sinking, which maintain the warm polar oceans. This demonstrates that DP closure can drive a hemisphere-scale warming with polar amplification, without the presence of any vigorous Southern Hemisphere overturning circulation. Indeed, DP closure leads to warming that is sufficient over the West Antarctic Ice Sheet region to inhibit ice-sheet growth. This highlights the importance of the DP gap, Antarctic sea ice, and the associated ice-albedo feedback in maintaining the present-day glacial state over Antarctica.

Quantification of ice production in Laptev Sea polynyas and its sensitivity to thin-ice parameterizations in a regional climate model

Abstract. The quantification of sea-ice production in the Laptev Sea polynyas is important for the Arctic sea-ice budget and the heat loss to the atmosphere. We estimated the ice production for the winter season 2007/2008 (November–April) based on simulations with the regional climate model COSMO-CLM at a horizontal resolution of 5 km and compared it to remote sensing estimates. A reference and five sensitivity simulations were performed with different assumptions on grid-scale and subgrid-scale ice thickness considered within polynyas, using a tile approach for fractional sea ice. In addition, the impact of heat loss on the atmospheric boundary layer was investigated. About 29.1 km3 of total winter ice production was estimated for the reference simulation, which varies by up to +124 % depending on the thin-ice assumptions. For the most realistic assumptions based on remote sensing of ice thickness the ice production increases by +39 %. The use of the tile approach enlarges the area and enhances the magnitude of the heat loss from polynyas up to +110 % if subgrid-scale open water is assumed and by +20 % for realistic assumptions. This enhanced heat loss causes in turn higher ice production rates and stronger impact on the atmospheric boundary layer structure over the polynyas. The study shows that ice production is highly sensitive to the thin-ice parameterizations for fractional sea-ice cover. In summary, realistic ice production estimates could be retrieved from our simulations. Neglecting subgrid-scale energy fluxes might considerably underestimate the ice production in coastal polynyas, such as in the Laptev Sea, with possible consequences on the Arctic sea-ice budget.

Improved Sea Ice Fraction Characterization for L-Band Observations by the Aquarius Radiometers.

Radiometers operating at L-band (1.4 GHz) are used to retrieve sea surface salinity over ice-free oceans and have been used recently to study the cryosphere. One hindrance of their use in the high latitudes is the preponderance of mixed scenes, where seawater and sea ice are both present in the sensor's field of view (FOV). Accurately characterizing the scene is crucial for oceanographic and cryospheric applications. To that end, a sea ice fraction model, composed of passive microwave sea ice concentration retrievals and an instrument simulator that integrates radiative power coming from all around the antenna, is used. We investigate the model currently used operationally to derive the ice fraction affecting the Aquarius observations and show that it can be significantly improved. On the one hand, the current model tends to overestimate sea ice fraction in the marginal ice zone where observations are used for salinity retrievals. On the other hand, the current model underestimates ice fraction within the ice pack where observations are used to derive sea ice properties. For the northern hemisphere, we also find evidence of the sea ice type impact on L-band radiometric observations. We present a model to derive sea ice fractions that are in better agreement with Aquarius radiometric observations using the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 Bootstrap algorithm for sea ice concentration and using high-resolution integration over the sensor's FOV.

Machine learning-based temporal mixture analysis of hypertemporal Antarctic sea ice data

ABSTRACTHypertemporal image (HTI) is often used to exploit the seasonal characteristics of environmental phenomena such as sea ice concentration (SIC). However, it is difficult to analyse the long-term time series acquired at high temporal frequencies and over extensive areas. This study performed temporal mixture analysis (TMA), which is algebraically similar to spectral mixture analysis (SMA), but occurs in the time domain instead of the spectral domain. TMA was used to investigate the temporal characteristics of Antarctic sea ice. Because endmember (EM) selection is critical to the success of both SMA and TMA, it is important to select proper EMs from large quantities of HTI. In this study, a machine learning (ML) technique is incorporated in identifying EMs without prior information to address the limitations of previous research. A fully linear mixing model was then implemented in an attempt to produce more robust and physically meaningful abundance estimates. Experiments that quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated the proposed approaches were conducted. A TMA of high-temporal-dimensional data provides a unique summary of long-term Antarctic sea ice and noise-whitened reconstruction images via inverse processing. Furthermore, comparisons of regional sea ice fractions from experimental results enhance the understanding of the overall Antarctic sea ice changes.

Methane excess in Arctic surface water-triggered by sea ice formation and melting.

Arctic amplification of global warming has led to increased summer sea ice retreat, which influences gas exchange between the Arctic Ocean and the atmosphere where sea ice previously acted as a physical barrier. Indeed, recently observed enhanced atmospheric methane concentrations in Arctic regions with fractional sea-ice cover point to unexpected feedbacks in cycling of methane. We report on methane excess in sea ice-influenced water masses in the interior Arctic Ocean and provide evidence that sea ice is a potential source. We show that methane release from sea ice into the ocean occurs via brine drainage during freezing and melting i.e. in winter and spring. In summer under a fractional sea ice cover, reduced turbulence restricts gas transfer, then seawater acts as buffer in which methane remains entrained. However, in autumn and winter surface convection initiates pronounced efflux of methane from the ice covered ocean to the atmosphere. Our results demonstrate that sea ice-sourced methane cycles seasonally between sea ice, sea-ice-influenced seawater and the atmosphere, while the deeper ocean remains decoupled. Freshening due to summer sea ice retreat will enhance this decoupling, which restricts the capacity of the deeper Arctic Ocean to act as a sink for this greenhouse gas.

Study of the Impact of Ice Formation in Leads upon the Sea Ice Pack Mass Balance Using a New Frazil and Grease Ice Parameterization

AbstractLeads are cracks in sea ice that often form because of deformation. During winter months, leads expose the ocean to the cold atmosphere, resulting in supercooling and the formation of frazil ice crystals within the mixed layer. Here the authors investigate the role of frazil ice formation in leads on the mass balance of the sea ice pack through the incorporation of a new module into the Los Alamos sea ice model (CICE). The frazil ice module considers an initial cooling of leads followed by a steady-state formation of uniformly distributed single size frazil ice crystals that precipitate to the ocean surface as grease ice. The grease ice is pushed against one of the lead edges by wind and water drag that the authors represent through a variable collection thickness for new sea ice. Simulations of the sea ice cover in the Arctic and Antarctic are performed and compared to a model that treats leads the same as the open ocean. The processes of ice formation in the new module slow down the refreezing of leads, resulting in a longer period of frazil ice production. The fraction of frazil-derived sea ice increases from 10% to 50%, corresponding better to observations. The new module has higher ice formation rates in areas of high ice concentration and thus has a greater impact within multiyear ice than it does in the marginal seas. The thickness of sea ice in the central Arctic increases by over 0.5 m, whereas within the Antarctic it remains unchanged.

Weekly gridded Aquarius L-band radiometer/scatterometer observations and salinity retrievals over the polar regions – Part 1: Product description

Abstract. Passive and active observations at L band (frequency ~1.4 GHz) from the Aquarius/SAC-D mission offer new capabilities to study the polar regions. Due to the lack of polar-gridded products, however, applications over the cryosphere have been limited. We present three weekly polar-gridded products of Aquarius data to improve our understanding of L-band observations of ice sheets, sea ice, permafrost, and the polar oceans. Additionally, these products intend to facilitate access to L-band data, and can be used to assist in algorithm developments. Aquarius data at latitudes higher than 50° are averaged and gridded into weekly products of brightness temperature (TB), normalized radar cross section (NRCS), and sea surface salinity (SSS). Each grid cell also contains sea ice fraction, the standard deviation of TB, NRCS, and SSS, and the number of footprint observations collected during the seven-day cycle. The largest 3 dB footprint dimensions are 97 km × 156 km and 74 km × 122 km (along × across track) for the radiometers and scatterometer, respectively. The data is gridded to the Equal-Area Scalable Earth version 2.0 (EASE2.0) grid, with a grid cell resolution of 36 km. The data sets start in August 2011, with the first Aquarius observations and will be updated on a monthly basis following the release schedule of the Aquarius Level 2 data sets. The weekly gridded products are distributed by the US National Snow and Ice Data Center at http://nsidc.org/data/aquarius/index.html .

Factors driving mercury variability in the Arctic atmosphere and ocean over the past 30 years

AbstractLong‐term observations at Arctic sites (Alert and Zeppelin) show large interannual variability (IAV) in atmospheric mercury (Hg), implying a strong sensitivity of Hg to environmental factors and potentially to climate change. We use the GEOS‐Chem global biogeochemical Hg model to interpret these observations and identify the principal drivers of spring and summer IAV in the Arctic atmosphere and surface ocean from 1979–2008. The model has moderate skill in simulating the observed atmospheric IAV at the two sites (r ~ 0.4) and successfully reproduces a long‐term shift at Alert in the timing of the spring minimum from May to April (r = 0.7). Principal component analysis indicates that much of the IAV in the model can be explained by a single climate mode with high temperatures, low sea ice fraction, low cloudiness, and shallow boundary layer. This mode drives decreased bromine‐driven deposition in spring and increased ocean evasion in summer. In the Arctic surface ocean, we find that the IAV for modeled total Hg is dominated by the meltwater flux of Hg previously deposited to sea ice, which is largest in years with high solar radiation (clear skies) and cold spring air temperature. Climate change in the Arctic is projected to result in increased cloudiness and strong warming in spring, which may thus lead to decreased Hg inputs to the Arctic Ocean. The effect of climate change on Hg discharges from Arctic rivers remains a major source of uncertainty.