Regional Arctic sea ice variations as predictor for winter climate conditions

Seasonal prediction skill of winter mid and high northern latitudes climate from sea ice variations in eight different Arctic regions is analyzed using detrended ERA-interim data and satellite sea ice data for the period 1980–2013. We find significant correlations between ice areas in both September and November and winter sea level pressure, air temperature and precipitation. The prediction skill is improved when using November sea ice conditions as predictor compared to September. This is particularly true for predicting winter NAO-like patterns and blocking situations in the Euro-Atlantic area. We find that sea ice variations in Barents Sea seem to be most important for the sign of the following winter NAO—negative after low ice—but amplitude and extension of the patterns are modulated by Greenland and Labrador Seas ice areas. November ice variability in the Greenland Sea provides the best prediction skill for central and western European temperature and ice variations in the Laptev/East Siberian Seas have the largest impact on the blocking number in the Euro-Atlantic region. Over North America, prediction skill is largest using September ice areas from the Pacific Arctic sector as predictor. Composite analyses of high and low regional autumn ice conditions reveal that the atmospheric response is not entirely linear suggesting changing predictive skill dependent on sign and amplitude of the anomaly. The results confirm the importance of realistic sea ice initial conditions for seasonal forecasts. However, correlations do seldom exceed 0.6 indicating that Arctic sea ice variations can only explain a part of winter climate variations in northern mid and high latitudes.     

不同类型ENSO事件对初冬北极海冰的影响

基于1951—2019年NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、Hadley环流中心海温、海冰密集度资料,通过合成分析和诊断温度异常方程,研究不同类型ENSO对初冬北极海冰的影响。结果表明,EP La Ni1a发展年初冬(11—12月),巴伦支—喀拉海海冰异常减少;CP La Ni1a发展初冬,巴伦支—喀拉海海冰异常增加。EP和CP型El Ni1o对初冬北极海冰的影响类似：格陵兰海海冰异常减少,而哈德逊—巴芬湾海冰异常增加。不同类型ENSO对初冬北极海冰的影响主要通过产生不同的大气遥相关,引起同期和前期的海表气温异常而实现。     

MPI-ESM-LR模式中RCP8.5情景下春季北极海冰突变对东亚夏季降水的影响

利用MPI-ESM-LR模式RCP8.5情景下海冰浓度、降水、海表面温度、500 hPa位势高度和850 hPa风场等数据,对比分析了一次北极海冰突变前后春季海冰与东亚夏季降水关系的差异,并探究其可能成因。结果表明:1)北极海冰突变导致北极海冰浓度(Sea Ice Concentration,SIC)和ENSO对东亚夏季降水的影响均发生变化。突变前SIC和ENSO共同影响降水年际变化;突变后ENSO主导降水EOF的第一模态,SIC主导降水EOF的第二模态;2)北极海冰突变前,ENSO和SIC通过500 hPa经向波列,影响整个东亚地区的850 hPa风场,最终导致三极子型降水模态。突变后,ENSO通过500 hPa经向波列,影响华南地区的850 hPa风场,导致降水的偶极子空间模态,从而主导降水EOF的第一模态;同时SIC通过东亚地区500 hPa纬向波列,影响北方850 hPa风场,最终主导降水EOF的第二模态。3)北极海冰突变后,ENSO和SIC对东亚夏季降水的影响存在区域差异。北极海冰突变前,ENSO和SIC共同影响南北方降水;北极海冰突变后,SIC主要影响北方降水,ENSO主要影响南方降水。     

Decadal‐to‐interdecadal fluctuations of arctic sea‐ice cover and the atmospheric circulation during 1954–1994

Abstract

The relationship between the Arctic and subarctic sea‐ice concentration (SIC) anomalies, particularly those associated with the decadal‐scale Greenland and Labrador Seas “Ice and Salinity Anomalies (ISAs) “, and the overlying atmospheric circulation fluctuations is investigated using the singular value decomposition (SVD) and composite map analysis methods. The data analyzed are monthly SIC and sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies, which cover the northern hemisphere poleward of 45°N and extend over the 41‐year period 1954–1994.

The SVD₁ (first) mode of the coupled variability, which accounts for 57% of the square covariance, is for the most part an atmosphere‐to‐ice forcing mode characterized by the decadal timescale. The aforementioned ISA anomalies are clearly captured by this mode whose SIC anomalies are dominated by a strong dipole across Greenland. However, as part of the same mode, there is also a weaker SIC dipole in the northern North Pacific which has opposite‐signed anomalies in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. It is also shown that there exists a significant negative correlation between the decadal SIC variability in the Greenland‐Barents Seas region associated with this mode and the North Atlantic Oscillation, whose spectrum also exhibits a quasi‐decadal signal.

The SVD₂ mode accounts for 12% of the square covariance and shows no evidence of a dominant forcing field of either SIC or SLP. This SVD mode exhibits very low frequency (interdecadal) variability, and its co‐variability is mainly concentrated in the northern North Pacific. It appears to be a high‐latitude extension of the recently investigated interdecadal North Pacific Oscillation. The spatial structure of the second mode complements the case of the first SVD mode whose co‐variability mainly occurs in the northern North Atlantic.     

Characteristics of Arctic synoptic activity, 1952–1989

Summary Synoptic activity for the Arctic is examined for the period 1952–1989 using the National Meteorological Center sea level pressure data set. Winter cyclone activity is most common near Iceland, between Svalbard and Scandinavia, the Norwegian and Kara seas, Baffin Bay and the eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago; the strongest systems are found in the Iceland and Norwegian seas. Mean cyclone tracks, prepared for 1975–1989, confirm that winter cyclones most frequently enter the Arctic from the Norwegian and Barents seas. Winter anticyclones are most frequent and strongest over Siberia and Alaska/Yukon, with additional frequency maxima of weaker systems found over the central Arctic Ocean and Greenland.During summer, cyclonic activity remains common in the same regions as observed for winter, but increases over Siberia, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the Central Aretic, related to cyclogenesis over northern parts of Eurasia and North America. Eurasian cyclones tend to enter the Aretic Ocean from the Laptev Sea eastward to the Chukchi Sea, augmenting the influx of systems from the Norwegian and Barents seas. The Siberian and Alaska/Yukon anticyclone centers disappear, with anticyclone maxima forming over the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Beaufort seas, and southeastward across Canada. Summer cyclones and anticyclones exhibit little regional variability in mean central pressure, and are typically 5–10 mb weaker than their winter counterparts.North of 65°N, cyclone and anticyclone activity peaks curing summer, and is at a minimum during winter. Trends in cyclone and anticyclone activity north of 65°N are examined through least squares regression. Since 1952, significant positive trends are found for cyclone numbers during winter, spring and summer, and for anticyclone numbers during spring, summer and autumn.With 11 Figures     

CAS FGOALS-f3-L Large-ensemble Simulations for the CMIP6 Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project

Large-ensemble simulations of the atmosphere-only time-slice experiments for the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project (PAMIP) were carried out by the model group of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System (FGOALS-f3-L). Eight groups of experiments forced by different combinations of the sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice concentration (SIC) for pre-industrial, present-day, and future conditions were performed and published. The time-lag method was used to generate the 100 ensemble members, with each member integrating from 1 April 2000 to 30 June 2001 and the first two months as the spin-up period. The basic model responses of the surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation were documented. The results indicate that Arctic amplification is mainly caused by Arctic SIC forcing changes. The SAT responses to the Arctic SIC decrease alone show an obvious increase over high latitudes, which is similar to the results from the combined forcing of SST and SIC. However, the change in global precipitation is dominated by the changes in the global SST rather than SIC, partly because tropical precipitation is mainly driven by local SST changes. The uncertainty of the model responses was also investigated through the analysis of the large-ensemble members. The relative roles of SST and SIC, together with their combined influence on Arctic amplification, are also discussed. All of these model datasets will contribute to PAMIP multi-model analysis and improve the understanding of polar amplification.     

Modeled winter sea ice variability and the North Atlantic Oscillation: a multi-century perspective

The relationship between winter sea ice variability and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is examined for the time period 1860–2300. This study uses model output to extend recently reported observational results to multi-century time scales. Nine ensemble members are used in two Global Climate Models with forcing evolving from pre-industrial conditions through the so-called A1B scenario in which carbon dioxide stabilizes at 720 ppm by 2100. Throughout, the NAO generates an east-west dipole pattern of sea ice concentration (SIC) anomalies with oppositely signed centers of action over the Labrador and Barents Seas. During the positive polarity of the NAO, SIC increases over the Labrador Sea due to wind-driven equatorward advection of ice, and SIC decreases over the Barents Sea due to wind-driven poleward transport of heat within the mixed layer of the ocean. Although this NAO-driven SIC variability pattern can always be detected, it accounts for a markedly varying fraction of the total sea ice variability depending on the strength of the forced sea ice extent trend. For the first half of the 20th century or 1990 control conditions, the NAO-driven SIC pattern accounts for almost a third of the total SIC variance. In the context of the long term winter sea ice retreat from 1860 to 2300, the NAO-driven SIC pattern is robustly observable, but accounts for only 2% of the total SIC variance. The NAO-driven SIC dipole retreats poleward with the retreating marginal ice zone, and its Barents Sea center of action weakens. Results presented here underscore the idea that the NAO’s influence on Arctic climate is robustly observable, but time dependent in its form and statistical importance.     

Simulated impact of vegetation on climate across the North American monsoon region in CCSM3.5

The influence of prescribed changes in vegetation on the climate of the North American monsoon region is examined using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model Version 3.5 (NCAR CCSM3.5). Initial value ensemble experiments are performed in which the vegetation cover fraction over the North American monsoon region is reduced by 0.2 and the intra-annual climatic response is assessed probabilistically in each one-year ensemble experiment. Changes in the surface radiation budget include decreases in sensible and latent heat fluxes and increases in upward longwave and downward shortwave radiation fluxes, with small net changes in surface albedo. The climatic responses to reduced vegetation cover fraction include year-round increases in ground and surface air temperature, a dampened hydrologic cycle with decreased springtime evaporation, springtime and autumnal precipitation, and autumnal cloud cover, and enhanced atmospheric subsidence in late autumn. Decreased vegetation shifts the monsoon season over the Southwest United States earlier in the year. Within the North American monsoon region, the most robust vegetation feedbacks to climate are found over woody landscapes.     

Competition of NAO regime changes and increasing greenhouse gases and aerosols with respect to Arctic climate projections

Regional magnitudes and patterns of Arctic winter climate changes in consequence of regime changes of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are analyzed using a regional atmospheric climate model. The regional model has been driven with data of positive and negative NAO phases from a control simulation as well as from a time-dependent greenhouse gas and aerosol scenario simulation. Both global model simulations include a quite realistic interannual variability of the NAO with pronounced decadal regime changes and no or rather weak long-term NAO trends. The results indicate that the effects of NAO regime changes on Arctic winter temperatures and precipitation are regionally significant over most of northwestern Eurasia and parts of Greenland. In this regard, mean winter temperature variations of up to 6 K may occur over northern Europe. Precipitation and synoptic variability are also regionally modified by NAO regime changes, but not as significantly as temperatures. However, the climate changes associated with the NAO are in some regions clearly stronger than those attributed to enhanced greenhouse gases and aerosols, indicating that projected global changes of the atmospheric composition and internal circulation changes are competing with each other in their importance for the Arctic climate evolution in the near future. The knowledge of the future NAO trend on decadal and longer time scales appears to be vitally important in terms of a regional assessment of climate scenarios for the Arctic.     

东南沿海地区降水与全球海温变化的关系

为了解近50年来东南沿海地区降水与海温变化的关系,对该地区降水与全球海表温度进行了奇异值分解（SVD）。结果表明：印度洋、南海及赤道东太平洋地区是对东南沿海地区降水有影响的关键区域。东南沿海地区秋冬季的降水总体上来说对前期海温变化的响应不敏感,而东南沿海地区夏季降水受前期海温的影响较为明显,尤其是上年夏季北印度洋、南海地区海温的变化对当年降水有明显影响。因此,在预测东南沿海地区夏季降水时应该重点考虑上年夏季北印度洋及南海地区海温的变化情况。     

一个反映中国大陆冬季气温变化的东亚冬季风指数的统计预测方法

利用中国160个站逐月温度、NCEP再分析和NOAA-CIRES20世纪再分析等资料, 采用统计分析方法, 就反映中国 东部大陆冬季一致性气温变化模态的能力方面, 对多种东亚冬季风指数进行了评估, 探讨了影响东亚冬季风强弱的主要前期因子及其相应的影响过程, 并据此建立了一个预测冬季风指数的预测模型。研究结果表明:1981 年前、后两个阶段, 朱艳峰 2008年定义的东亚冬季风指数都可以很好地反映中国东部大部分地区的冬季气温异常;北美大陆西侧北太平洋中纬度地区 (35°-50°N,145°-130°W)的前期秋季(9-10月)海温、北极喀拉海地区(75°-82°N,65°-85°E)的前秋海冰密集度和东亚中 纬度地区(30°-50°N,80°-140°E)的前秋高空(300-200hPa)温度异常都具有较强的持续性, 异常信号可从前秋一直持续到 冬季, 进而影响东亚冬季风的强度;根据上述3个前期因子建立了东亚冬季风统计预测模型, 评估发现该模型具有较强的预测 能力, 可用于冬季风强度以及相应的中国东部大陆冬季气温的定性预测。     

北极海冰变化的时间和空间型

利用 4 4a(195 1～ 1994年 )北极海冰密度逐月资料 ,分析提出了一种与北极冰自然季节变化相吻合的分季法 ,并根据这种分季法 ,使用EOF分解 ,揭示了北极各季海冰面积异常的特征空间型及其对应的时间变化尺度。结果表明 :(1)北极冰面积异常变化的关键区 ,冬季 (2～ 4月 )主要位于北大西洋一侧的格陵兰海、巴伦支海和戴维斯海峡以及北太平洋一侧的鄂霍次克海和白令海 ,夏季 (8～ 10月 )则主要限于从喀拉海、东西伯利亚海、楚科奇海到波佛特海的纬向带状区域内 ,格陵兰海和巴伦支海是北极海冰面积异常变化的最重要区域 ;(2 )春 (5～ 7月 )、秋 (11月～次年 1月 )季各主要海区海冰面积异常基本呈同相变化 ,夏季东西伯利亚海、楚科奇海、波佛特海一带海冰面积异常和喀拉海呈反相变化 ,而冬季巴伦支海、格陵兰海海冰面积异常和戴维斯海峡、拉布拉多海、白令海、鄂霍次克海的海冰变化呈反相变化 ;(3)北极冰总面积过去 4 4a来确实经历了一种趋势性的减少 ,并且叠加在这种趋势变化之上的是年代尺度变化 ,其中春季 (5～ 7月 )海冰面积异常变化对年平均北极冰总面积异常变化作出了主要贡献 ;(4)位于北太平洋一侧极冰面积异常型基本具有半年的持续性 ,而位于北大西洋一侧极冰面积异常型具有半年至一年的持续性     

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.     

Precursor Role of Winter Sea-Ice in the Labrador Sea for Following-Spring Precipitation over Southeastern North America and Western Europe

The role of winter sea-ice in the Labrador Sea as a precursor for precipitation anomalies over southeastern North America and Western Europe in the following spring is investigated. In general terms, as the sea ice increases, the precipitation also increases. In more detail, however, analyses indicate that both the winter sea-ice and the sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies related to increases in winter sea-ice in the Labrador Sea can persist into the following spring. These features play a forcing role in the spring atmosphere, which may be the physical mechanism behind the observational relationship between the winter sea-ice and spring precipitation anomalies. The oceanic forcings in spring include Arctic sea-ice anomalies and SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific and high-latitude North Atlantic. Multi-model Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 and Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project simulation results show that the atmospheric circulation response to the combination of sea-ice and SST is similar to that observed, which suggests that the oceanic forcings are indeed the physical reason for the enhanced spring precipitation. Sensitivity experiments conducted using an atmospheric general circulation model indicate that the increases in precipitation over southeastern North America are mainly attributable to the effect of the SST anomalies, while the increases over Western Europe are mainly due to the sea-ice anomalies. Although model simulations reveal that the SST anomalies play the primary role in the precipitation anomalies over southeastern North America, the observational statistical analyses indicate that the area of sea-ice in the Labrador Sea seems to be the precursor that best predicts the spring precipitation anomaly.     

北极海冰的气候变化与20世纪90年代的突变

应用英国Had ley气候研究中心1968~2000年的1°×1°的北半球逐月海冰密集度资料,使用EOF分解等统计方法,探讨北极海冰的气候变化趋势、海冰的突变、海冰的季节持续性和各季的特色。结果表明:(1)自1968年以来,北极海冰的减小是北半球海冰变化的总趋势;海冰的趋势变化在海冰的年际总变化中占有相当重要的地位,可达50%左右。冬春季主要减少区域在格陵兰海、巴伦支海和白令海;夏秋季海冰减少是唯一趋势,中心在北冰洋边缘的喀拉海、拉普捷夫海、东西伯利亚海、楚科奇海、波弗特海。(2)20世纪80年代中后期北极海冰已出现减小趋势,在20世纪90年代,海冰又出现范围和面积的突然减少,中心在格陵兰海和巴伦支海;即海冰减少是加速的,其变化程度已远远超过一般的自然变化。(3)海冰有很好的季节持续性,有很强的隔季相关,也有较好的隔年相关;各季节海冰分布型之间有很好的联系,表现为海冰分布型的总体变化趋势是一致的,在海冰的减少中也体现了分布型的特征。     

Fast responses of Northern Hemisphere winter daily circulation to anthropogenic aerosols

Anthropogenic aerosols (AA) have significantly caused anomalous winter mean atmospheric circulation over the Northern Hemisphere, but the main daily patterns of winter large-scale circulation change are not well understood. Here a self-organizing map analysis is applied to identify the leading patterns in AA-induced winter daily geopotential height (Z) anomaly fields simulated by three atmospheric general circulation models, with a focus on fast adjustments. Two winter daily circulation response patterns with a synoptic time scale are found: one pattern shows concurring Z anomalies over North America and North Asia with the same sign and the Bering Sea seeing the opposite, resembling the Asia–Bering–North American teleconnection; while the other is the Arctic Oscillation-like pattern with similar Z anomalies over North Pacific and North Atlantic and the opposite over the Arctic region. The AA-induced anomalous precipitation over the tropics and anomalous synoptic eddy activities over the extratropical oceans concur to support and maintain these circulation anomaly patterns. The winter-mean climate responses to AA can be understood as a result of these daily anomaly patterns, especially over the higher latitudes. Specifically, the associated changes in surface air temperature (SAT) over the mid-high latitudes are caused by the AA-driven meridional movements of polar (cold and dry) airmass and midlatitude (warm and moist) airmass in the regions, mainly through the relevant surface downward longwave radiation. This study highlights the role of AA in altering daily weather patterns, which is not sufficiently captured by seasonal mean responses.     

Autumn atmospheric response to the 2007 low Arctic sea ice extent in coupled ocean–atmosphere hindcasts

The autumn and early winter atmospheric response to the record-low Arctic sea ice extent at the end of summer 2007 is examined in ensemble hindcasts with prescribed sea ice extent, made with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts state-of-the-art coupled ocean–atmosphere seasonal forecast model. Robust, warm anomalies over the Pacific and Siberian sectors of the Arctic, as high as 10°C at the surface, are found in October and November. A regime change occurs by December, characterized by weaker temperatures anomalies extending through the troposphere. Geopotential anomalies extend from the surface up to the stratosphere, associated to deeper Aleutian and Icelandic Lows. While the upper-level jet is weakened and shifted southward over the continents, it is intensified over both oceanic sectors, especially over the Pacific Ocean. On the American and Eurasian continents, intensified surface Highs are associated with anomalous advection of cold (warm) polar air on their eastern (western) sides, bringing cooler temperatures along the Pacific coast of Asia and Northeastern North America. Transient eddy activity is reduced over Eurasia, intensified over the entrance and exit regions of the Pacific and Atlantic storm tracks, in broad qualitative agreement with the upper-level wind anomalies. Potential predictability calculations indicate a strong influence of sea ice upon surface temperatures over the Arctic in autumn, but also along the Pacific coast of Asia in December. When the observed sea ice extent from 2007 is prescribed throughout the autumn, a higher correlation of surface temperatures with meteorological re-analyses is found at high latitudes from October until mid-November. This further emphasises the relevance of sea ice for seasonal forecasting in the Arctic region, in the autumn.     

North Pacific cyclonic and anticyclonic transients in a global warming context: possible consequences for Western North American daily precipitation and temperature extremes

Trajectories of surface cyclones and anticyclones were constructed using an automated scheme by tracking local minima and maxima of mean daily sea level pressure data in the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis and the Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques coupled global climate Model (CNRM-CM3) SRES A2 integration. Mid-latitude lows and highs traveling in the North Pacific were tracked and daily frequencies were gridded. Transient activity in the CNRM-CM3 historical simulation (1950–1999) was validated against reanalysis. The GCM correctly reproduces winter trajectories as well as mean geographical distributions of cyclones and anticyclones over the North Pacific in spite of a general under-estimation of cyclones’ frequency. On inter-annual time scales, frequencies of cyclones and anticyclones vary in accordance with the Aleutian Low (AL) strength. When the AL is stronger (weaker), cyclones are more (less) numerous over the central and eastern North Pacific, while anticyclones are significantly less (more) numerous over this region. The action of transient cyclones and anticyclones over the central and eastern North Pacific determines seasonal climate over the West Coast of North America, and specifically, winter weather over California. Relationships between winter cyclone/anticyclone behavior and daily precipitation/cold temperature extremes over Western North America (the West) were examined and yielded two simple indices summarizing North Pacific transient activity relevant to regional climates. These indices are strongly related to the observed inter-annual variability of daily precipitation and cold temperature extremes over the West as well as to large scale seasonally averaged near surface climate conditions (e.g., air temperature at 2 m and wind at 10 m). In fact, they represent the synoptic links that accomplish the teleconnections. Comparison of patterns derived from NCEP-NCAR and CNRM-CM3 revealed that the model reproduces links between cyclone/anticyclone frequencies over the Northeastern Pacific and extra-tropical climate conditions but is deficient in relation to tropical climate variability. The connections between these synoptic indices and Western weather are well reproduced by the model. Under advanced global warming conditions, that is, the last half of the century, the model predicts a significant reduction of cyclonic transients throughout the mid-latitude North Pacific with the exception of the far northern and northeastern domains. Anticyclonic transients respond somewhat more regionally but consistently to strong greenhouse forcing, with notably fewer anticyclones over the Okhotsk/Kamchatka sector and generally more anticyclones in the Northeastern Pacific. These modifications of synoptic weather result in regional feedbacks, that is, regional synoptic alterations of the anthropogenic warming signal around the North Pacific. In the eastern Pacific, for example, synoptic feedbacks, having to do especially with the northward shift of the eastern Pacific storm-track (responding, in turn, to a weaker equator-to-pole temperature gradient), are favorable to more anticyclonic conditions off the American mid-latitude west coast and more cyclonic conditions at higher latitudes. These circulation feedbacks further reduce the equator-to-pole temperature gradient by favoring high-latitude mean winter warming especially over a broad wedge of the Arctic north of the Bering Sea and moderating the warming along the mid-latitude west coast of north America while also reducing precipitation frequencies from California to Northern Mexico.     

2011年极端天气和气候事件及其他相关事件的概要回顾

2011年世界各地极端天气事件频发。1月,朝鲜半岛经历1945年来最长的寒潮天气;同期,强暴风雪袭击美国,1亿人受影响;4月8日,持续干旱大风导致德国北部小镇遭遇沙尘暴;7～10月的季风强降水致使泰国遭遇自1942年以来最严重的洪灾;高温少雨致使东非地区、南美洲地区的古巴经历严重干旱;9月北极海冰的体积达历史最小。5～9月,我国平均高温日数为1961年以来历史同期次多,多地刷新高温历史极值;2011年我国平均年降水量创60年来最低,多地遭遇严重干旱;而华西和黄淮经历异常严重秋汛。     

Changes in Arctic clouds during intervals of rapid sea ice loss

We investigate the behavior of clouds during rapid sea ice loss events (RILEs) in the Arctic, as simulated by multiple ensemble projections of the 21st century in the Community Climate System Model (CCSM3). Trends in cloud properties and sea ice coverage during RILEs are compared with their secular trends between 2000 and 2049 during summer, autumn, and winter. The results suggest that clouds promote abrupt Arctic climate change during RILEs through increased (decreased) cloudiness in autumn (summer) relative to the changes over the first half of the 21st century. The trends in cloud characteristics (cloud amount, water content, and radiative forcing) during RILEs are most strongly and consistently an amplifying effect during autumn, the season in which RILEs account for the majority of the secular trends. The total cloud trends in every season are primarily due to low clouds, which show a more robust response than middle and high clouds across RILEs. Lead-lag correlations of monthly sea ice concentration and cloud cover during autumn reveal that the relationship between less ice and more clouds is enhanced during RILEs, but there is no evidence that either variable is leading the other. Given that Arctic cloud projections in CCSM3 are similar to those from other state-of-the-art GCMs and that observations show increased autumn cloudiness associated with the extreme 2007 and 2008 sea ice minima, this study suggests that the rapidly declining Arctic sea ice will be accentuated by changes in polar clouds.