Differing roles of North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter Eurasian Arctic sea-ice interannual-to-decadal variability

Abstract In recent decades, winter Arctic sea-ice concentration (SIC) has experienced a most prominent decline over Barents-Kara Seas (BKS). However, what regulates the time scale and spatial structure of the SIC variability over the Eurasian Arctic is unclear. Here, we find that the SIC variability...

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Main Authors: Jiaqi Shi, Binhe Luo, Dehai Luo, Yao Yao, Tingting Gong, Yimin Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-03-01
Series:npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00605-5
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author Jiaqi Shi
Binhe Luo
Dehai Luo
Yao Yao
Tingting Gong
Yimin Liu
author_facet Jiaqi Shi
Binhe Luo
Dehai Luo
Yao Yao
Tingting Gong
Yimin Liu
author_sort Jiaqi Shi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract In recent decades, winter Arctic sea-ice concentration (SIC) has experienced a most prominent decline over Barents-Kara Seas (BKS). However, what regulates the time scale and spatial structure of the SIC variability over the Eurasian Arctic is unclear. Here, we find that the SIC variability over the Eurasian Arctic exhibits two major modes: decadal dipole mode with antiphase variation between the BKS and East Greenland (EG), and interannual monopole mode with in-phase variation between the BKS and EG. This decadal mode mainly results from interdecadal changes in ocean heat transports (OHTs) through Barents Sea Opening (BSO) and EG, lagging the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation by 7–16 years. The positive SIC dipole mode with a decrease over the BKS and an increase over the EG is also tied to the negative Arctic Oscillation comprised of Ural blocking and the negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). However, the SIC loss of the interannual monopole mode mainly stems from the positive Arctic dipole comprised of Ural blocking and positive NAO through interannual changes in the BSO OHT and atmospheric moisture or heat transport. We further highlight that interannual atmospheric transports and BSO OHT associated with the Arctic dipole contribute to ~66% and ~34% of the interannual variability of the Eurasian Arctic SIC during 1960-2017, respectively. On decadal timescales, the relative contributions of atmospheric transports associated with Arctic Oscillation and OHT to the Eurasian Arctic SIC variability are ~19% and ~81%, respectively. Especially, the contribution of decadal atmospheric transports is significantly intensified during 2000–2017.
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spelling doaj.art-d48811d5c5b8419ba96e1aa659a206572024-03-10T12:09:16ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222024-03-017111310.1038/s41612-024-00605-5Differing roles of North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter Eurasian Arctic sea-ice interannual-to-decadal variabilityJiaqi Shi0Binhe Luo1Dehai Luo2Yao Yao3Tingting Gong4Yimin Liu5Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory of Ocean Circulation and Waves, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesLASG, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of ScienceAbstract In recent decades, winter Arctic sea-ice concentration (SIC) has experienced a most prominent decline over Barents-Kara Seas (BKS). However, what regulates the time scale and spatial structure of the SIC variability over the Eurasian Arctic is unclear. Here, we find that the SIC variability over the Eurasian Arctic exhibits two major modes: decadal dipole mode with antiphase variation between the BKS and East Greenland (EG), and interannual monopole mode with in-phase variation between the BKS and EG. This decadal mode mainly results from interdecadal changes in ocean heat transports (OHTs) through Barents Sea Opening (BSO) and EG, lagging the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation by 7–16 years. The positive SIC dipole mode with a decrease over the BKS and an increase over the EG is also tied to the negative Arctic Oscillation comprised of Ural blocking and the negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). However, the SIC loss of the interannual monopole mode mainly stems from the positive Arctic dipole comprised of Ural blocking and positive NAO through interannual changes in the BSO OHT and atmospheric moisture or heat transport. We further highlight that interannual atmospheric transports and BSO OHT associated with the Arctic dipole contribute to ~66% and ~34% of the interannual variability of the Eurasian Arctic SIC during 1960-2017, respectively. On decadal timescales, the relative contributions of atmospheric transports associated with Arctic Oscillation and OHT to the Eurasian Arctic SIC variability are ~19% and ~81%, respectively. Especially, the contribution of decadal atmospheric transports is significantly intensified during 2000–2017.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00605-5
spellingShingle Jiaqi Shi
Binhe Luo
Dehai Luo
Yao Yao
Tingting Gong
Yimin Liu
Differing roles of North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter Eurasian Arctic sea-ice interannual-to-decadal variability
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
title Differing roles of North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter Eurasian Arctic sea-ice interannual-to-decadal variability
title_full Differing roles of North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter Eurasian Arctic sea-ice interannual-to-decadal variability
title_fullStr Differing roles of North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter Eurasian Arctic sea-ice interannual-to-decadal variability
title_full_unstemmed Differing roles of North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter Eurasian Arctic sea-ice interannual-to-decadal variability
title_short Differing roles of North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter Eurasian Arctic sea-ice interannual-to-decadal variability
title_sort differing roles of north atlantic oceanic and atmospheric transports in the winter eurasian arctic sea ice interannual to decadal variability
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00605-5
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