Assessing trend and variation of Arctic sea-ice extent during 1979–2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edge
Arctic sea-ice extent (in summer) has been shrinking since the 1970s. However, we have little knowledge of the detailed spatial variability of this shrinking. In this study, we examine the (latitudinal) ice extent along each degree of longitude, using the monthly Arctic ice index data sets (1979–201...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2014-09-01
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| Series: | Polar Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/download/21249/pdf_1 |
| _version_ | 1811287263217188864 |
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| author | Wentao Xia Hongjie Xie Changqing Ke |
| author_facet | Wentao Xia Hongjie Xie Changqing Ke |
| author_sort | Wentao Xia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Arctic sea-ice extent (in summer) has been shrinking since the 1970s. However, we have little knowledge of the detailed spatial variability of this shrinking. In this study, we examine the (latitudinal) ice extent along each degree of longitude, using the monthly Arctic ice index data sets (1979–2012) from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Statistical analysis suggests that: (1) for summer months (July–October), there was a 34-year declining trend in sea-ice extent at most regions, except for the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland and Svalbard, with retreat rates of 0.0562–0.0898 latitude degree/year (or 6.26–10.00 km/year, at a significance level of 0.05); (2) for sea ice not geographically muted by the continental coastline in winter months (January–April), there was a declining trend of 0.0216–0.0559 latitude degree/year (2.40–6.22 km/year, at a significance level of 0.05). Regionally, the most evident sea-ice decline occurred in the Chukchi Sea from August to October, Baffin Bay and Greenland Sea from January to May, Barents Sea in most months, Kara Sea from July to August and Laptev Sea and eastern Siberian Sea in August and September. Trend analysis also indicates that: (1) the decline in summer ice extent became significant (at a 0.05 significance level) since 1999 and (2) winter ice extent showed a clear changing point (decline) around 2000, becoming statistically significant around 2005. The Pacific–Siberian sector of the Arctic accounted for most of the summer sea-ice decline, while the winter recovery of sea ice in the Atlantic sector tended to decrease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:15:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bebc2b91994741f8b0045f068a7788b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1751-8369 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:15:36Z |
| publishDate | 2014-09-01 |
| publisher | Norwegian Polar Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polar Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-bebc2b91994741f8b0045f068a7788b52022-12-22T03:04:56ZengNorwegian Polar InstitutePolar Research1751-83692014-09-0133011310.3402/polar.v33.2124921249Assessing trend and variation of Arctic sea-ice extent during 1979–2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edgeWentao Xia0Hongjie Xie1Changqing Ke2 Laboratory for Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA Laboratory for Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, ChinaArctic sea-ice extent (in summer) has been shrinking since the 1970s. However, we have little knowledge of the detailed spatial variability of this shrinking. In this study, we examine the (latitudinal) ice extent along each degree of longitude, using the monthly Arctic ice index data sets (1979–2012) from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Statistical analysis suggests that: (1) for summer months (July–October), there was a 34-year declining trend in sea-ice extent at most regions, except for the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland and Svalbard, with retreat rates of 0.0562–0.0898 latitude degree/year (or 6.26–10.00 km/year, at a significance level of 0.05); (2) for sea ice not geographically muted by the continental coastline in winter months (January–April), there was a declining trend of 0.0216–0.0559 latitude degree/year (2.40–6.22 km/year, at a significance level of 0.05). Regionally, the most evident sea-ice decline occurred in the Chukchi Sea from August to October, Baffin Bay and Greenland Sea from January to May, Barents Sea in most months, Kara Sea from July to August and Laptev Sea and eastern Siberian Sea in August and September. Trend analysis also indicates that: (1) the decline in summer ice extent became significant (at a 0.05 significance level) since 1999 and (2) winter ice extent showed a clear changing point (decline) around 2000, becoming statistically significant around 2005. The Pacific–Siberian sector of the Arctic accounted for most of the summer sea-ice decline, while the winter recovery of sea ice in the Atlantic sector tended to decrease.http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/download/21249/pdf_1NSIDC ice indexArcticsea-ice extentice-edge latitude |
| spellingShingle | Wentao Xia Hongjie Xie Changqing Ke Assessing trend and variation of Arctic sea-ice extent during 1979–2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edge Polar Research NSIDC ice index Arctic sea-ice extent ice-edge latitude |
| title | Assessing trend and variation of Arctic sea-ice extent during 1979–2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edge |
| title_full | Assessing trend and variation of Arctic sea-ice extent during 1979–2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edge |
| title_fullStr | Assessing trend and variation of Arctic sea-ice extent during 1979–2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edge |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing trend and variation of Arctic sea-ice extent during 1979–2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edge |
| title_short | Assessing trend and variation of Arctic sea-ice extent during 1979–2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edge |
| title_sort | assessing trend and variation of arctic sea ice extent during 1979 2012 from a latitude perspective of ice edge |
| topic | NSIDC ice index Arctic sea-ice extent ice-edge latitude |
| url | http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/download/21249/pdf_1 |
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