Identification of the age and compression areas of sea ice from the AMSU satellite microwave radiometer data

A physical substantiation of the new quantitative index of sea ice scattering (Bukharov index) computed from the all-weather AMSU satellite radiometer data is considered. A high sensitivity of the scattering index to the age, thickness, and hummocking of ice in the areas of its compression is demonstrated. The daily maps of the sea ice scattering index in the Arctic are plotted. The analysis of maps enabled to reveal a new phenomenon, a steady existence of various-scale areas of short-range deformations of the sea ice in the Arctic. A new technique is proposed of the identification of age, relative thickness, and compression areas of ice using the maps of minimum and maximum values of the scattering index.     

A year-round monitoring of sea ice properties from the AMSU satellite microwave radiometer data

A new approach to the year-round daily monitoring of sea ice properties based on the multispectral measurements of the AMSU satellite radiometer is considered. It is revealed that the increase in the values of the sea ice scattering index and its anomalously high variability are observed during the warm period of the year. The analysis of main reasons influencing the variations of the sea ice scattering index in different seasons is carried out. The recommendations are proposed on the identification of ice properties on the maps of the sea ice scattering index plotted for the warm, cold, and transition periods.     

Identification of ice properties in the Sea of Okhotsk using scattering index maps

Considered are simplified model concepts allowing the use of the AMSU microwave radiometer measurement data and the maps of scattering index (SI) compiled by them for estimating the variability of the thickness of thin and young ice as well as for obtaining principally new satellite information about the areas of the possible hummocking of ice cover. Demonstrated is the essential influence of deep cyclones on the ice thickness reduction due to the ice thawing from below in the areas where waves are driven under the ice from the warmer, not frozen part of the water area. Carried out is a comparative analysis of sea ice properties identified from SI maps and the traditional maps of ice condition analysis. Noted is a possibility of the useful application of all-weather SI maps for monitoring sea ice properties in the areas of their rapid variability formed during the periods of a deep cyclone passage.     

Quantifying Arctic contributions to climate predictability in a regional coupled ocean-ice-atmosphere model

The relative importance of regional processes inside the Arctic climate system and the large scale atmospheric circulation for Arctic interannual climate variability has been estimated with the help of a regional Arctic coupled ocean-ice-atmosphere model. The study focuses on sea ice and surface climate during the 1980s and 1990s. Simulations agree reasonably well with observations. Correlations between the winter North Atlantic Oscillation index and the summer Arctic sea ice thickness and summer sea ice extent are found. Spread of sea ice extent within an ensemble of model runs can be associated with a surface pressure gradient between the Nordic Seas and the Kara Sea. Trends in the sea ice thickness field are widely significant and can formally be attributed to large scale forcing outside the Arctic model domain. Concerning predictability, results indicate that the variability generated by the external forcing is more important in most regions than the internally generated variability. However, both are in the same order of magnitude. Local areas such as the Northern Greenland coast together with Fram Straits and parts of the Greenland Sea show a strong importance of internally generated variability, which is associated with wind direction variability due to interaction with atmospheric dynamics on the Greenland ice sheet. High predictability of sea ice extent is supported by north-easterly winds from the Arctic Ocean to Scandinavia.     

Interannual variability of sea‐ice cover in Hudson bay,Baffin bay and the Labrador sea

Abstract

The spatial and temporal relationships between subarctic Canadian sea‐ice cover and atmospheric forcing are investigated by analysing sea‐ice concentration, sea‐level pressure and surface air temperature data from 1953 to 1988. The sea‐ice anomalies in Hudson Bay, Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea are found to be related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Southern Oscillation (SO). Through a spatial Student's i‐test and a Monte Carlo simulation, it is found that sea‐ice cover in both Hudson Bay and the Baffin Bay‐Labrador Sea region responds to a Low/Wet episode of the SO (defined as the period when the SO index becomes negative) mainly in summer. In this case, the sea‐ice cover has a large positive anomaly that starts in summer and continues through to autumn. The ice anomaly is attributed to the negative anomalies in the regional surface air temperature record during the summer and autumn when the Low/Wet episode is developing. During strong winter westerly wind events of the NAO, the Baffin Bay‐Labrador Sea ice cover in winter and spring has a positive anomaly due to the associated negative anomaly in surface air temperature. During the years in which strong westerly NAO and Low/Wet SO events occur simultaneously (as in 1972/73 and 1982/83), the sea ice is found to have large positive anomalies in the study region; in particular, such anomalies occurred for a major portion of one of the two years. A spectral analysis shows that sea‐ice fluctuations in the Baffin Bay‐Labrador Sea region respond to the SO and surface air temperature at about 1.7‐, 5‐ and 10‐year periods. In addition, a noticeable sea‐ice change was found (i.e. more polynyas occurred) around the time of the so‐called “climate jump” during the early 1960s. Data on ice thickness and on ice‐melt dates from Hudson Bay are also used to verify some of the above findings.     

BCC_CSM对全球海冰面积和厚度模拟及其误差成因分析

本文评估了国家气候中心发展的BCC_CSM模式对全球海冰的模拟能力,结果表明:该气候系统模式能够较好地模拟出全球海冰面积和厚度的时空分布特征,且南半球海冰模拟能力优于北半球。通过对比分析发现:年平均海冰面积模拟误差最大的区域位于鄂霍次克海、白令海和巴伦支海等海区,年平均海冰厚度分布与观测相近,在北半球冬季模拟的厚度偏薄;从海冰季节变化来看,模拟的夏季海冰面积偏低,冬季偏高;从海冰年际变化来看,近60年南北半球海冰面积模拟都比观测偏多,但南半球偏多幅度较小,然而北半球海冰年际变化趋势的模拟却好于南半球。另外,通过对海冰模拟误差成因分析,发现模拟的净辐射能量收入偏低使得海温异常偏冷,是导致北半球冬季海冰模拟偏多的主要原因。     

The Impact of Sediment-Laden Snow and Sea Ice in the Arctic on Climate

Sea ice formed over shallow Arctic shelves often entrains sediments resuspended from the sea floor. Some of this sediment-laden ice advects offshore into the Transpolar Drift Stream and the Beaufort Gyre of the Arctic Basin. Through the processes of seasonal melting at the top surface, and the freezing of clean ice on the bottom surface, these sediments tend, over time, to concentrate at the top of the ice where they can affect the surface albedo, and thus the absorbed solar radiation, when the ice is snow free. Similarly, wind-blown dust can reduce the albedo of snow. The question that is posed by this study is what is the impact of these sediments on the seasonal variation of sea ice, and how does it then affect climate? Experiments were conducted with a coupled energy balance climate-thermodynamic sea ice model to examine the impact of including sediments in the sea ice alone and in the sea ice and overlying snow. The focus of these experiments was the impact of the radiative and not the thermal properties of the sediments. The results suggest that if sea ice contains a significant amount of sediments which are covered by clean snow, there is only a small impact on the climate system. However, if the snow also contains significant sediments the impact on sea ice thickness and surface air temperature is much more significant.     

Climate tendencies of changes in multiyear sea ice thickness in the Arctic Basin (1970–2005)

The area integral of the sea ice thickness in the Arctic Basin is estimated from the measurements of sea ice surface fluctuations at drift-ice stations. The 1970–1990 linear trend is indicative of an approximately 10-cm reduction in the average sea ice thickness over the entire Arctic Basin, which makes 3% of the average ice thickness (about 3 m). Seasonal changes made 40 cm. The amplitude of variations of the average ice thickness in that period is 20 cm with a period of changes of approximately 6–8 years. The observations were interrupted during 1991–2003 and then resumed in 2004. During 1990–2005, the old ice thickness over the entire Arctic Basin decreased, on average, by 110 cm.     

近年来国外海冰模式发展的回顾

海冰是气候系统中的重要成员，而海冰模式是描述海冰物理过程、模拟和预报海冰演变的有力工具。根据国外发表的文献，对海冰模式从动力学、热力学和厚度分布三个方面的研究进行了回顾，对海冰模拟的研究具有一定的借鉴作用。     

The role of sea ice in the temperature-precipitation feedback of glacial cycles

The response of the hydrological cycle to climate variability and change is a critical open question, where model reliability is still unsatisfactory, yet upon which past climate history can shed some light. Sea ice is a key player in the climate system and in the hydrological cycle, due to its strong albedo effect and its insulating effect on local evaporation and air-sea heat flux. Using an atmospheric general circulation model with specified sea surface temperature and sea-ice distribution, the role of sea ice in the hydrological cycle is investigated under last glacial maximum (LGM) and present day conditions, and by studying its contribution to the “temperature-precipitation feedback”. By conducting a set of sensitivity experiments in which the albedo and thickness of the sea ice are varied, the various effects of sea ice in the hydrological cycle are isolated. It is demonstrated that for a cold LGM like state, a warmer climate (as a result of reduced sea-ice cover) leads to an increase in snow precipitation over the ice sheets. The insulating effect of the sea ice on the hydrological cycle is found to be larger than the albedo effect. These two effects interact in a nonlinear way and their total effect is not equal to summing their separate contribution.     

Formation and dynamics of melt waters of the sea ice cover

The model is constructed based on the concepts of the character of thermal evolution of the sea ice cover thickness. The dynamics of the ice thickness and that of the melt water forming in the ice cover are considered at the stage of melting. The space limitation of the marine environment for the ice is taken into account both for the stage of the ice cover formation and for the stage of its melting. The model is investigated analytically. The parametric identification of the model and the estimation of its adequacy are performed based on sampling distributions of the ice cover thickness in the Sea of Japan.     

Studying the effects of vortices flowing around seamounts on ice properties from satellite microwave data

The changes are considered in the computation and map representation of the scattering index (SI) of thick first-year ice identified from the MTVZA-GYa radiometer data. For the first time improved ice SI maps enabled detecting the zones of the low values of sea ice SI which were steadily formed in the same areas over the Lomonosov and Gakkel ridges. It is demonstrated that the intense local ice drift formed under the influence of the vortices flowing around seamounts, may be a reason for the formation of such zones. The cases are considered when the zones of the low values of ice SI were of synoptic scale (up to 1200 km) and could have been the result of the independent influence of the vortices flowing around seamounts and strong surface wind. The utility of new SI maps is noted for monitoring the areas where the vortices flowing around seamounts may considerably modify propeties of the sea ice cover.     

秋季北极海冰对中国冬季气温的影响

利用海冰资料、中国地面气候资料、环流特征量资料及NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,研究了秋季北极海冰变化对中国冬季平均气温、日气温变率以及异常低温天气的影响。分析结果表明,秋季北极海冰异常偏多年中国冬季常为暖冬;异常偏少年中国冬季常为冷冬,且异常低温天气出现频率更高,常发生低温灾害事件。秋季北极海冰通过影响后期的北半球极涡、东亚冬季风和西伯利亚高压进而影响中国冬季的平均气温,且通过影响冬季异常强西伯利亚高压的出现频次,影响中国冬季异常低温天气的发生频次。合成分析结果表明,秋季北极海冰异常偏少年的冬季,中国以北亚欧大陆高纬度的偏北风较强,且中国及其以北的中高纬度地区空气异常偏冷,导致极地和高纬度的冷空气易向南爆发,造成中国冬季气温偏低,异常低温天气频发。     

Effective sea ice area based on a thickness threshold

As Arctic sea ice declines in response to climate change, a shift from thick multiyear ice to a thinner ice cover is occurring. With this transition, ice thicknesses approach a threshold below which ice no longer insulates the atmosphere from oceanic surface fluxes. While this is well known, there are no estimates of the magnitude of this threshold, nor of the proportion of sea ice area that is below this threshold as ice thins. We determine this threshold by simulating the atmospheric response to varying thicknesses, ranging from 0.0 to 2.0 m and determine that threshold to be 0.40–0.50 m. The resulting “effective” ice area is 4–14% lower than reported total ice area, as 0.39–0.97 × 10⁶ km² of the total ice area falls below the threshold throughout the twentieth century, including during notable ice minima. The atmosphere above large non-insulating ice-covered regions is susceptible to more than 2 °C of warming despite ice presence. Observed mean Arctic Ocean ice thickness is projected to fall below this threshold as early as the mid-2020s. Studies on ocean–atmosphere interactions in relation to sea ice area should focus on this insulating sea ice area, where ice is at least 0.40–0.50 m thick, and treat ice regions below 0.40–0.50 m thickness with caution.

     

渤海的海冰数值预报

根据渤海气候和冰情特点,在已有海冰模式研究基础上,提出模拟海冰增长、消融和漂移的动力－热力学模式。模式冰厚分布由开阔水、平整冰和堆积冰三要素表示。该模式已与数值天气预报模式、大气边界层模式、潮流模式联结,并于１９９０年到１９９６年在国家海洋环境预报中心进行渤海和北黄海冰情预报。其数值预报产品包括冰厚、密度集、冰速、冰外缘线、冰脊参数、局地冰厚以及接近石油平台的冰漂移轨迹等,传送到国家海洋预报台和渤海石油公司等有关用户。为了客观评价模式和检验预报结果,在逐日预报后进行统计检验。本文概述渤海冰情、卫星遥感应用、冰模式及其预报结果和检验。     

On the role of the Arctic sea ice in seasonal variability of carbon dioxide concentration in Northern latitudes

For the first time, based on direct observations of carbon dioxide concentration at modern Russian drifting stations, the role of the Arctic sea ice in maximum seasonal changes in carbon dioxide distribution is considered. Carbon dioxide is generated during growth of ice mass at the sea ice undersurface and is absorbed at the surface of melting sea ice. The time of ice growth is three or four times greater than that of its melting in summer months, and, as result, the time of carbon dioxide generation is longer that that of its uptake. Consequently, the Arctic Ocean is a source of carbon dioxide on the mean annual scale (the effect of Arctic “breathing”). Experiments in a freezing chamber confirm these conclusions.     

Some measurements and observations of very old sea ice and brackish ice,Ward Hunt Ice Shelf,N.W.T.

Abstract

Using ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio measurements, sea ice and brackish ice have been identified in a 10‐m ice core from Ward Hunt Ice Shelf. Brackish ice constitutes 62% of the core, and sea ice the remainder. The sea ice and brackish ice occur in alternating layers of 2–4 m thickness. The mean salinity of brackish ice (0.22) is an order of magnitude lower than that of the sea ice (1.26). The discrete sea and brackish ice layers and their individual salinity populations have been maintained apparently while the ice has aged and been raised about 40–50 m from the bottom of the ice shelf to its surface, a process taking roughly 400–500 years. Thin sections of the brackish ice reveal variable textures and an almost complete absence of cellular substructure that is associated with brine inclusion and retention in modern sea ice. Thin sections of the old sea ice show evidence of the former cellular substructure that appears to have been altered from the original. The discrete salinity populations and variable textures are briefly discussed.     

冰雹云降水过程中微波亮温的变化特征

通过冰雹云模式模拟的一次冰雹云降水过程中降水粒子廓线和微波辐射传输模式结合,分析了冰雹云发展的不同阶段的微物理含量垂直结构变化及其对微波亮温的影响,得到以下几点结论:1)如果微波通道受到降水粒子散射和辐射的共同作用,如降水云早期的85 GHz亮温,成熟期的19 GHz亮温及消散期的37 GHz亮温,由于辐射和散射信息互相抵消,致使亮温随雨强的变化较复杂,这些通道亮温和雨强的相关性明显降低,不宜被用来反演地面雨强。2)根据19 GHz亮温随地面雨强或冰相粒子柱含量的改变,可以大致确定降雨云的不同阶段:在发展阶段,主要是降雨层以上的冰相粒子,尤其霰粒影响19 GHz亮温,致使其亮温与冰相粒子柱含量具有较好的负相关,而与地面雨强相关性较差;在成熟阶段,主要受雨水上层逐渐增加的辐射和冰相粒子散射共同作用,使得19GHz亮温与地面雨强和冰相粒子柱含量的相关性都不太好;在消散阶段,19 GHz亮温主要受较强的雨水辐射影响,与地面雨强和冰相粒子柱含量均有着较高的正相关。3)37 GHz是相对比较稳定的通道,其亮温与地面雨强有较好的线性关系,尤其与冰相粒子柱含量相关性更好,因此是反演地面雨强和冰相粒子柱含量的最佳通道。85 GHz亮温对降雨云体的中高层结构较为敏感,使得其亮温随地面雨强增加而降低的变化比较离散,不如37 GHz的集中。     

SIMULATION ON CLIMATIC VARIATION OF ARCTIC SEA ICE THROUGH AN ICE-OCEAN COUPLED MODEL*

An ocean model developed by the Institute of Marine Research and the University of Bergen in Norway (BOM) and a state-of-the-art sea ice model developed by NCAR (CSIM4) are coupled, Considering influences of 9 major rivers,forced by the NCEP reanalysis atmospheric fields and the Levitus surface salinity,the Arctic sea ice climatic variation from January 1949 to December.1999 was simulated through the coupled model.The comparison of simulated results and observations shows that:(1)the long-term ice concentration variation tendencies are in consistent with the observations in the divisional ocean regions;(2)simulated ice thickness horizontal distribution is reasonable.Simulated ice thickness has a decreasing tendency in the central Arctic,which agrees with the submarine observations.Simulated annually maximum ice thickness is highly related to observed fast-ice thickness off the Russian coast;and (3)sea ice area/volume fluxes through the Fram Strait are in accord with the satellite-derived data.Generally,the coupled model successfully simulated the Arctic Ocean sea ice climatic variation.     

A source of hail embryos

Abstract

The sensitivity of the annual cycle of ice cover in Baffin Bay to short‐wave radiation is investigated. The Princeton Ocean Model (POM) is used and is coupled with a multi‐category, dynamic‐thermodynamic sea‐ice model in which the surface energy balance governs the growth rates of ice of varying thickness. During spring and summer the short‐wave radiation flux dominates other surface heat fluxes and thus has the greatest effect on the ice melt. The sensitivity of model results to short‐wave radiation is tested using several, commonly used, shortwave parameterizations under climatological, as well as short‐term, atmospheric forcing. The focus of this paper is short‐term and annual variability. It is shown that simulated ice cover is sensitive to the short‐wave radiation formulation during the melting phase. For the Baffin Bay simulation, the differences in the resulting ice area and volume, integrated from May to November, can be as large as 45% and 70%, respectively. The parameterization of the effect of cloud cover on the short‐wave radiation can result in the sea‐ice area and volume changes reaching 20% and 30%, respectively. The variation of the cloud amount represents cloud data error, and has a relatively small effect (less then ±4%) on the simulated ice conditions. This is due to the fact that the effect of cloud cover on the short‐wave radiation flux is largely compensated for by its effect on the net near‐surface long‐wave radiation flux.