Brief Communication: Trends in sea ice extent north of Svalbard and its impact on cold air outbreaks as observed in spring 2013
An analysis of Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) satellite data reveals that the Whaler's Bay polynya north of Svalbard was considerably larger in the three winters from 2012 to 2014 compared to the previous 20 years. This increased polynya size leads to strong atmospheric convection...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2014-09-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/1757/2014/tc-8-1757-2014.pdf |
| Summary: | An analysis of Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) satellite data reveals that the Whaler's Bay polynya north of Svalbard was
considerably larger in the three winters from 2012 to 2014 compared to the previous 20
years. This increased polynya size leads to strong atmospheric convection during cold air
outbreaks in a region north of Svalbard that was typically ice-covered in the last decades. The
change in ice cover can strongly influence local temperature conditions. Dropsonde measurements
from March 2013 show that the unusual ice conditions generate extreme convective boundary layer
heights that are larger than the regional values reported in previous studies. |
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| ISSN: | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |