Seasonal and inter-annual variations of the primary types of the Arctic sea-ice drifting patterns

• Main Authors: Xiaoyu, Wang, Jinping, Zhao
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2012
• Subjects: Oceans; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Advances in Polar Science; Polar Science; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2450/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2450/1/A20120202.pdf

Monthly mean sea ice motion vectors and monthly mean sea level pressure (SLP) for the period of 1979—2006 are investigated to understand the spatial and temporal changes of Arctic sea-ice drift. According to the distinct differences in monthly mean ice velocity field as well as in the distribution of SLP, there are four primary types in the Arctic Ocean: Beaufort Gyre+Transpolar Drift, Anticyclonic Drift, Cyclonic Drift and Double Gyre Drift. These four types account for 81% of the total, and reveal distinct seasonal variations. The Cyclonic Drift with a large-scale anticlockwise ice motion pattern trends to prevail in summer while the Anticyclonic Drift with an opposite pattern trends to prevail in winter and spring. The prevailing seasons for the Beaufort Gyre+Transpolar Drift are spring and autumn, while the Double Gyre Drift trends to prevail in winter, especially in February. The annual occurring times of the Anticyclonic Drift and the Cyclonic Drift are closely correlated with the yearly mean Arctic Oscillation (AO) index, with a correlation coefficient of -0.54 and 0.54 (both significant with the confident level of 99%), respectively. When the AO index stays in a high positive (negative) condition, the sea-ice motion in the Arctic Ocean demonstrates a more anticlockwise (clockwise) drifting pattern as a whole. When the AO index stays in a neutral condition, the sea-ice motion becomes much more complicated and more transitional types trend to take place.