Trends and variability of sea ice in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, 1953–2001

The extent and duration of sea ice in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait has a major impact on the timing and strength of the marine production along West Greenland. The advance and retreat of the sea ice follows a predictable pattern, with maximum extent typically in March. We examine the area of sea ice in March in three overlapping study regions centred on Disko Bay on the west coast of Greenland. Sea ice concentration estimates derived from satellite passive microwave data are available for the years 1979-2001. We extend the record back in time by digitizing ice charts from the Danish Meteorological Institute, 1953-1981. There is reasonable agreement between the chart data and the satellite data during the three years of overlap: 1979-1981. We find a significant increasing trend in sea ice for the 49-year period (1953-2001) for the study regions that extend into Davis Strait and Baffin Bay. The cyclical nature of the wintertime ice area is also evident, with a period of about 8 to 9 years. Correlation of the winter sea ice concentration with the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index shows moderately high values in Baffin Bay. The correlation of ice concentration with the previous winter's NAO is high in Davis Strait and suggests that next winter's ice conditions can be predicted to some extent by this winter's NAO index.     

High resolution simulations of Arctic sea ice, 1979–1993

To evaluate improvements in modelling Arctic sea ice, we compare results from two regional models at 1/12° horizontal resolution. The first is a coupled ice-ocean model of the Arctic Ocean, consisting of an ocean model (adapted from the Parallel Ocean Program, Los Alamos National Laboratory [LANL]) and the "old" sea ice model. The second model uses the same grid but consists of an improved "new" sea ice model (LANL/CICE) with a simple ocean mixed layer. Both models are forced with European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data for 1979–1993. A comparison of the two sea ice models focuses on the winter of 1987 to emphasize the internal ice stress and to minimize biases towards a particular Arctic climate regime. The "new" sea ice model gives improved ice deformation and drift fields. These improvements are associated at least in part with the multi-category representation of the ice thickness distribution and more realistic parameterization of the ice strength. Long, narrow features in ice divergence and shear fields resemble those observed in SAR imagery, except that their average width is overestimated, possibly due to insufficient horizontal resolution. We also compare the mean sea ice drift and its decadal variability in two "old" sea ice models at different horizontal resolutions: 18-km and 9-km. We find no significant change in ice drift between the two models, except in areas of significant ice-ocean interactions due to more realistic ocean currents and water mass properties in the 9-km model.     

April sea ice extent in the Barents Sea, 1850–2001

Three observational data sets are used to construct a continuous record (1850-2001) of April ice edge position in the Barents Sea: two sets of Norwegian ice charts (one from 1850 to 1949 and the other from 1966 to 2001) and Soviet aircraft reconnaissance ice extent charts from 1950 to 1966. The 152-year April ice extent series is subdivided into three sub-periods: 1850-1899, 1900-1949 and 1950-2001. For each of these study sub-periods, a mean April ice edge and a set of anomalies (differences in position between a given April and the mean April ice edge) are computed. The calculations show the mean ice edge position retreated north-eastward over the 152-year period, with the greater retreat seen in the changes from the 1850-1899 sub-period to the 1900-1949 sub-period. The distribution of the standard deviation of the ice edge anomaly over the linear distance along the mean ice edge shows no substantial difference between any of the three periods of the study. Within each study period, the maximum variation is observed in the sector bounded by the 25°E and 49° E meridians, which covers the main pathway of the warmer water flow from the Norwegian Sea.     

南北极海冰变化及其影响因素的对比分析

海冰是海洋-大气交互系统的重要组成部分,与全球气候系统间存在灵敏的响应和反馈机制。本文选用欧洲空间局发布的1992—2008年海冰密集度数据分析了南北极海冰在时间和空间上的变化规律与趋势,并结合由美国环境预报中心(National Centers for Environmental Prediction,NCEP)和美国大气研究中心(National Center for Atmospheric Research, NCAR)联合制作的NCEP/NCAR气温数据和ENSO指数探讨了南北极海冰变化的影响因素。结果表明,北极海冰面积呈明显的减少趋势,其中夏季海冰最小月的减少更快。北冰洋中央海盆区、巴伦支海、喀拉海、巴芬湾和拉布拉多海的减少最明显。南极海冰面积呈微弱增加趋势,罗斯海、太平洋扇区和大西洋扇区的海冰增加。北极海冰面积与气温有显著的滞后1个月的负相关关系(P0.01)。北极升温显著,北冰洋中央海盆区、喀拉海、巴伦支海、巴芬湾和楚科奇海升温趋势最大,海冰减少很明显。南极在南大西洋、南太平洋呈降温趋势,海冰增加。北极海冰减少与39个月之后ONI的下降、40个月之后SOI的上升密切相关;南极海冰增加与7个月之后ONI的下降、6个月之后SOI的上升存在很好的响应关系。南北极海冰变化与三次ENSO的强暖与强冷事件有很好的对应关系。     

Climatic and atmospheric teleconnection indices and western Arctic sea ice variability

This study examines the sea ice cover minima in the western Arctic in the context of several climatic mechanisms known to impact its variability. The September latitude of western Arctic sea ice is measured along 11 equally-spaced longitudes extending from 176º?W to 126º?W in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, 1953–2010. Indices of seasonal atmospheric and oceanic teleconnections and annual mean Northern Hemisphere temperatures (NHT) and CO₂ concentration are orthogonalized using rotated principal component analysis, forming predictors regressed onto the sea ice latitude data at each longitude using stepwise multiple linear regression. Prior to 1998, small amounts of September ice edge variance are explained by teleconnections such as the Arctic Dipole, Arctic Oscillation, and Pacific-North American Pattern. NHTs begin explaining large amounts of ice edge variance starting in 1998. For the 1953–2010 period, up to 68% of the ice edge variance is explained at 161°?W in the Chukchi Sea, mostly by NHTs. With the exception of the three easternmost longitudes (136–126°?W), the teleconnections and NHTs explain over 50% of the regional ice edge variance. Increases in both NHTs and ice retreat since the mid-1990s account for the large explained variances observed in regression analyses extending into recent years.     

Climate states and variability of Arctic ice and water dynamics during 1946–1997

Recently observed changes in the Arctic have highlighted the need for a better understanding of Arctic dynamics. This research addresses that need and is also motivated by the recent finding of two regimes of Arctic ice - ocean wind-driven circulation. In this paper, we demonstrate that during 1946-1997 the Arctic environmental parameters have oscillated with a period of 10-15 years. Our results reveal significant differences among atmosphere, ice, and ocean processes during the anticyclonic and cyclonic regimes in the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas. The oscillating behaviour of the Arctic Ocean we call the Arctic Ocean Oscillation (AOO). Based on existing data and results of numerical experiments, we conclude that during the anticyclonic circulation regime the prevailing processes lead to increases in atmospheric pressure, in ice concentration and ice thickness, river runoff, and surface water salinity - as well as to decreases in air temperature, wind speed, number of storms, precipitation, permafrost temperatures, coastal sea level, and surface water temperature. During the cyclonic circulation regime the prevailing processes lead to increased air and water temperatures, wind speed, number of storms,open water periods, and to decreases in ice thickness and ice concentration, river runoff, atmospheric pressure, and water salinity. The two-climate regime theory may help answer questions related to observed decadal variability of the Arctic Ocean and to reconcile the different conclusions among scientists who have analysed Arctic data obtained during different climate states.     

In search of an elusive Antarctic circumpolar wave in sea ice extents: 1978–1996

For ease in discerning an Antarctic circumpolar wave in the perimeter of the ice pack, we construct a time series of the sea ice extents (essentially the area within the ice perimeter) in 1-degree longitudinal sectors for the period 1978–1996, as observed with the multichannel microwave imagers on board the NASA Nimbus 7 and the DOD (Dept. of Defense) DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) F8. F11, and F13 satellites. After converting the time series into complex numbers by means of a Hilbert transform, we decompose the time series of the 360 sectors into its complex principal components (CPCs), effectively separating the spatial and temporal values. Then we decompose the real and imaginary parts of the temporal portions of the first three CPCs (complex principal compenents) by Empirical Mode Decomposition into their intrinsic modes, each representing a narrow frequency band, resulting in a collection of three CPCs for each intrinsic mode. Finally, we reconstruct the data in two different ways. First, we low-pass filter the data by combining all of the intrinsic modes of each CPC with periods longer than two years, which we designate as low-pass filtered. Next, we select the intrinsic mode of each CPC with periods of approximately four years, which we designate the quasiquadrennial (QQ) modes. The low-pass filtered time series shows eastward propagating azimuthal motion in the Ross and Weddell Seas, but no clearly circumpolar motion. The QQ time series, on the other hand, clearly shows castward propagating circumpolar waves, but with occasional retrograde motion to the west.     

Recent variations of Antarctic temperature, sea ice and ozone

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Spatial-temporal characters of Antarctic sea ice variation

Using sea ice concentration dataset covering the period of 1968-2002 obtained from the Hadley Center of UK, this paper investigates characters of Antarctic sea ice variations .The finding demonstrates that the change of mean sea-ice extent is almost consistent with that of sea-ice area, so sea-ice extent can be chosen to go on this research. The maximum and the minimum of Antarctic sea ice appear in September and February respectively. The maximum and the maximal variation of sea ice appear in Weddell Sea and Ross Sea, while the minimum and the minimal variation of sea-ice appear in Antarctic Peninsula. In recent 35 years, as a whole, Antarctic sea ice decreased distinctly. Moreover, there are 5 subdivision characteristic regions considering their different variations. Hereinto, the sea-ice extent of Weddell Sea and Ross Sea regions extends and area increases, while the sea-ice extent of the other three regions contracts and area decreases. They are all of obvious 2-4 years and 5-7 years significant oscillation periods. It is of significance for further understanding the sea-ice-air interaction in Antarctica region and discussing the relationship between sea-ice variation and atmospheric circulation.     

Fabric and crystal characteristics of Bohai and Arctic sea ice

The fabrics and crystals of Bohai one year ice show that the noncontinuous ice growth rate enables the level ice layers with different amount of air bubbles to be formed in lower part of an ice sheet which was clearly seen from CT technology; typical grain ice and columnar ice occur in the grey ice which grows in stable water; thaw refrozen ice and rafted ice have their specific crystal characters. On the Arctic sea ice, the ice core located at 72°24.037′N, 153°33.994′W and 2.2 m in length was a 3 year ice floe and a new sort of crystal was found, which is defined as refrozen clastic pieces. The crystal profile of the ice core 4.86 m in length located at 74°58.614′N, 160°31.830′W shows the evidence that ice ridge changed into hummock.     

Mass balance and area changes of four High Arctic plateau ice caps, 1959–2002

Abstract Small, stagnating ice caps at high latitudes are particularly sensitive to climatic fluctuations, especially with regard to changes in ablation season temperature. We conducted mass balance measurements and GPS area surveys on four small High Arctic plateau ice caps from 1999–2002. We compared these measurements with topographic maps and aerial photography from 1959, and with previously published data. Net mass balance (b_n) of Murray Ice Cap was ?0.49 (1999), ?0.29 (2000), ?0.47 (2001), and ?0.29 (2002), all in meters of water equivalent (m w.eq.). The mass balance of nearby Simmons Ice Cap was also negative in 2000 (b_n=?0.40 m w.eq.) and in 2001 (b_n=?0.52 m w.eq.). All four ice caps experienced substantial marginal recession and area reductions of between 30 and 47% since 1959. Overall, these icecaps lost considerable mass since at least 1959, except for a period between the mid‐1960s and mid‐1970s characterized regionally by reduced summer melt, positive mass balance, and ice cap advance. The regional equilibrium line altitude (ELA) is located, on average, above the summits of the ice caps, indicating that they are remnants of past climatic conditions and out of equilibrium with present climate. The ice caps reached a Holocene maximum and were several times larger during the Little Ice Age (LIA) and their current recession reflects an adjustment to post‐LIA climatic conditions. At current downwasting rates the ice masses on the Hazen Plateau will completely disappear by, or soon after, the mid‐21st century.     

2002—2011年南极海冰变化的遥感分析

基于2002—2011年南极地区AMSR-E逐日海冰密集度数据, 计算相应时间段内的海冰外缘线和海冰面积, 分析了南极地区这10年来各时间尺度上的海冰变化, 揭示了海冰变化的时空特征。结果表明: 2002— 2011年南极海冰外缘线、海冰面积分别增加了3.64%、3.8%, 总体上呈现增加的趋势, 其中2008年海冰面积最大。罗斯海、西太平洋和威德尔海的海冰面积呈现增加趋势, 而印度洋和别林斯高晋海/阿蒙森海的海冰面积则趋于减小。南极海冰面积一般夏季最小、冬季最大, 相同季节海冰面积变化波动较小, 不同海区只是变化范围不同。南极一年冰增长速度较低, 平均每年增加约0.1×106 km2, 且大范围地分布在南极大陆(除威德尔海外)周围。多年冰平均每年减少0.05×106 km2, 且多处于威德尔海。海冰面积变化与气温有负相关关系。     

Isolation of novel psychrophilic bacteria from Arctic sea ice

The phylogenetic diversity of culturable psychrophilic bacteria associ ated with sea ice from the high latitude regions of Canadian Basin and Chukchi S ea,Arctic,was investigated.A total of 34 psychropilic strains were isolated u sing three methods of(Ⅰ)dilution plating(at 4 ℃),(Ⅱ)bath culturing(at-1 ℃)and dilution plating,and(Ⅲ)cold shock(-20 ℃ for 24 h),bath culturin g and dilution plating under aerobic conditions.Sea-ice samples were exposed to-20 ℃ for 24 h that might reduce the number of common microorganisms and encou rag e outgrowth of psychrophilic strains.This process might be able to be introduce d to isolation psychrophilic bacteria from other environmental samples in future study.16S rDNA nearly full-length sequence analysis revealed that psychrophil i c strains felled in two phylogenetic divisions,γ-proteobacteria(in the gen era Colwellia、Marinobacter、Shewanella、Glaciecola、Marinomonas and Pseudoalt eromon as) and Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides(Flavobacterium and Psychrof lexus).Fi fteen of bacterial isolates quite likely represented novel species(16S rDNA seq uence similarity below 98%).One of strains(BSi20002)from Canadian Basin showe d 100% sequence similarity to that of Marinobacter sp.ANT8277 isolated from the Antarctic Weddell sea ice,suggesting bacteria may have a bipolar distribution at the species level.     

The role of declining Arctic sea ice in recent decreasing terrestrial Arctic snow depths

The dramatic decline in Arctic sea ice cover is anticipated to influence atmospheric temperatures and circulation patterns. These changes will affect the terrestrial climate beyond the boundary of the Arctic, consequently modulating terrestrial snow cover. Therefore, an improved understanding of the relationship between Arctic sea ice and snow depth over the terrestrial Arctic is warranted. We examined responses of snow depth to the declining Arctic sea ice extent in September, during the period of 1979–2006. The major reason for a focus on snow depth, rather than snow cover, is because its variability has a climatic memory that impacts hydrothermal processes during the following summer season. Analyses of combined data sets of satellite measurements of sea ice extent and snow depth, simulated by a land surface model (CHANGE), suggested that an anomalously larger snow depth over northeastern Siberia during autumn and winter was significantly correlated to the declining September Arctic sea ice extent, which has resulted in cooling temperatures, along with an increase in precipitation. Meanwhile, the reduction of Arctic sea ice has amplified warming temperatures in North America, which has readily offset the input of precipitation to snow cover, consequently further decreasing snow depth. However, a part of the Canadian Arctic recorded an increase in snow depth driven locally by the diminishing September Arctic sea ice extent. Decreasing snow depth at the hemispheric scale, outside the northernmost regions (i.e., northeastern Siberia and Canadian Arctic), indicated that Arctic amplification related to the diminishing Arctic sea ice has already impacted the terrestrial Arctic snow depth. The strong reduction in Arctic sea ice anticipated in the future also suggests a potential long-range impact on Arctic snow cover. Moreover, the snow depth during the early snow season tends to contribute to the warming of soil temperatures in the following summer, at least in the northernmost regions.     

2005年北极冰川首期GPS监测

2005年7月至8月,中国北极黄河站第二次科学考察期间,科考队员针对黄河站附近首次队踏勘选定的两条典型冰川(AustreLov啨nbreen和Pedersenbreen),开展了以监测冰川物质平衡和冰川运动为主要内容的研究课题。本文分析了利用差分GPS进行北极冰川运动监测的可行性和优越性;初步处理了首期GPS监测的数据,并进行了精度分析,得出了较为满意的结果;针对北极冰川特殊的地理环境,探讨了在北极冰川上进行GPS测量应该注意的问题。     

Relationship of Arctic sea ice and Northern Hemispheric 500 hPa Polar vortices

Using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis monthly 500 hPa height data on a 2.5 latitude-longitude grid and 1°×1° sea ice data,the polar vortex area,intensity index and arctic sea ice area index are calculated respectively,and the meridional distribution,period variation and the abrupts in the long range trend are analyzed to study their relationship.The results show that the meridional distribution of sea ice and polar vortex h-ave distinctive difference,the relative positions of them are different in the eastern and western hemispheres,and exept they have periods of 4 months,quasi half year,quasi year,4-5 years and 10 years commonly,and each of them has its own respective variation as well.The sea ice area is decreasing apparently since 1980's,so is the polar vortex area,but their abrupt changge time are different totally.The area of sea ice and polar vortex has prominent positive correlation,but the relationship of sea ice intensity,polar vortex intensity,polar vortex area is complicated.     

Decadal decrease of Antarctic sea ice extent inferred from whaling records revisited on the basis of historical and modern sea ice records

In previous work, whaling catch positions were used as a proxy record for the position of the Antarctic sea ice edge and mean sea ice extent greater than the present one spanning 2.8° latitude was postulated to have occurred in the pre-1950s period, compared to extents observed since 1973 from microwave satellite imagery. The previous conclusion of an extended northern latitude for ice extent in the earlier epoch applied only to the January (mid-summer) period. For this summer period, however, there are also possible differences between ship and satellite-derived measurements. Our work showed a consistent summer offset (November-December), with the ship-observed ice edge 1 - 1.5° north of the satellite-derived ice edge. We further reexamine the use of whale catch as an ice edge proxy where agreement was claimed between the satellite ice edge (1973-1987) and the ship whale catch positions. This examination shows that, while there may be a linear correlation between ice edge position and whale catch data, the slope of the line deviates from unity and the ice edge is also further north in the whale catch data than in the satellite data for most latitudes. We compare the historical (direct) record and modern satellite maps of ice edge position accounting for these differences in ship and satellite observations. This comparison shows that only regional perturbations took place earlier, without significant deviations in the mean ice extents, from the pre-1950s to the post-1970s. This conclusion contradicts that previously stated from the analysis of whale catch data that indicated Antarctic sea ice extent changes were circumpolar rather than regional in nature between the two periods.