Publication Abstracts

Zheng et al. 2022

Zheng, C., M. Ting, Y. Wu, N. Kurtz, C. Orbe, P. Alexander, R. Seager, and M. Tedesco, 2022: Turbulent heat flux, downward longwave radiation and large-scale atmospheric circulation associated with the wintertime Barents-Kara Sea extreme sea ice loss events. J. Climate, 35, no. 12, 3747-3765, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0387.1.

We investigate wintertime extreme sea ice loss events on synoptic to subseasonal time scales over the Barents-Kara Sea, where the largest sea ice variability is located. Consistent with previous studies, extreme sea ice loss events are associated with moisture intrusions over the Barents-Kara Sea, which are driven by the large-scale atmospheric circulation. In addition to the role of downward longwave radiation associated with moisture intrusions, which is emphasized by previous studies, our analysis shows that strong turbulent heat fluxes are associated with extreme sea ice melting events, with both turbulent sensible and latent heat fluxes contributing, although turbulent sensible heat fluxes dominate. Our analysis also shows that these events are connected to tropical convective anomalies. A dipole pattern of convective anomalies with enhanced convection over the Maritime Continent and suppressed convection over the central to eastern Pacific is consistently detected about 6-10 days prior to extreme sea ice loss events. This pattern is associated with either the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) or El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Composites show that extreme sea ice loss events are connected to tropical convection via Rossby wave propagation in the midlatitudes. However, tropical convective anomalies alone are not sufficient to trigger extreme sea ice loss events, suggesting that extratropical variability likely modulates the connection between tropical convection and extreme sea ice loss events.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{zh04400s,
  author={Zheng, C. and Ting, M. and Wu, Y. and Kurtz, N. and Orbe, C. and Alexander, P. and Seager, R. and Tedesco, M.},
  title={Turbulent heat flux, downward longwave radiation and large-scale atmospheric circulation associated with the wintertime Barents-Kara Sea extreme sea ice loss events},
  year={2022},
  journal={Journal of Climate},
  volume={35},
  number={12},
  pages={3747--3765},
  doi={10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0387.1},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - zh04400s
AU  - Zheng, C.
AU  - Ting, M.
AU  - Wu, Y.
AU  - Kurtz, N.
AU  - Orbe, C.
AU  - Alexander, P.
AU  - Seager, R.
AU  - Tedesco, M.
PY  - 2022
TI  - Turbulent heat flux, downward longwave radiation and large-scale atmospheric circulation associated with the wintertime Barents-Kara Sea extreme sea ice loss events
JA  - J. Climate
JO  - Journal of Climate
VL  - 35
IS  - 12
SP  - 3747
EP  - 3765
DO  - 10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0387.1
ER  -

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