Sea-ice-loss slowdown modulates the sea surface salinification in the Kara–Laptev Seas since the 2008 summer

• Published in: Environmental Research Letters
• Main Authors: Yi, Daling Li, Fan, Ke, He, Shengping, Wang, Peng
• Other Authors: National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Innovation Group Project of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Research Council of Norway, MAPARC
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: IOP Publishing 2024
• Subjects: Arctic; Kara-Laptev; laptev; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad5fa7; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ad5fa7; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ad5fa7/pdf

Abstract Recent studies have revealed the slowed Arctic sea-ice loss, but its climate effect on the ocean system remains unclear. By examining reanalysis datasets, we illustrate a paradoxical regime shift characterized by sustained ice loss and surface salinification in the Kara–Laptev Seas (KLS) during boreal summer since 2008. A notable phase transition from surface freshening during one period (1997–2008) with rapid sea-ice melting to salinification during another period (2009–2020) with gentle sea-ice melting has been identified in the KLS. Using a mixed-layer salinity budget, we characterized quantitatively the role of ice melting in driving salinification across different seas. We show that the salinification observed post-2008 mainly arises from the weakened summer sea-ice-ocean freshwater input, particularly the localized reduction in ice volume during June–August. This recent salinification in the KLS likely maintains a relatively stable state in the thinner seasonal sea-ice prevailing in the new Arctic.