Cold Air Outbreaks in Winter over the Continental United States and Its Possible Linkage with Arctic Sea Ice Loss
The mechanism for the paradox of global warming and successive cold winters in mid-latitudes remains controversial. In this study, the connection between Arctic sea ice (ASI) loss and frequent cold air outbreaks in eastern Continental United States (CONUS) is explored. Two distinct periods of high a...
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ftchinacasciocas:oai:ir.qdio.ac.cn:337002/184352 2024-04-28T08:06:41+00:00 Cold Air Outbreaks in Winter over the Continental United States and Its Possible Linkage with Arctic Sea Ice Loss Wang, Yanshuo Yang, Yuxing Huang, Fei Ding, Shuoyi Chen, Xiaodan Xu, Peiqiang 2024 http://ir.qdio.ac.cn/handle/337002/184352 https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010063 英语 eng MDPI ATMOSPHERE http://ir.qdio.ac.cn/handle/337002/184352 doi:10.3390/atmos15010063 Arctic sea ice loss cold air outbreaks in eastern CONUS polar vortex weakened potential vorticity gradient Environmental Sciences & Ecology Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Sciences AMPLIFICATION 期刊论文 2024 ftchinacasciocas https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010063 2024-04-08T00:16:49Z The mechanism for the paradox of global warming and successive cold winters in mid-latitudes remains controversial. In this study, the connection between Arctic sea ice (ASI) loss and frequent cold air outbreaks in eastern Continental United States (CONUS) is explored. Two distinct periods of high and low ASI (hereafter high- and low-ice phases) are identified for comparative study. It is demonstrated that cold air outbreaks occur more frequently during the low-ice phase compared to that during the high-ice phase. The polar vortex is weakened and shifted southward during the low-ice phase. Correspondingly, the spatial pattern of 500 hPa geopotential height (GPH), which represents the mid-tropospheric circulation, shows a clear negative Arctic Oscillation-like pattern in the low-ice phase. Specifically, positive GPH anomalies in the Arctic region with two centers, respectively located over Greenland and the Barents Sea, significantly weaken the low-pressure system centered around the Baffin Island, and enhance Ural blocking in the low-ice phase. Meanwhile, the high ridge extending from Alaska to the west coast of North America further intensifies, while the low trough over eastern CONUS deepens. As a result, the atmospheric circulation in North America becomes more conductive to frigid Arctic air outbreaks. It is concluded that the ASI loss contributes to more cold air outbreaks in winter in eastern CONUS through the polar vortex weakening with southward displacement of the polar vortex edge, which lead to the weakening of the meridional potential vorticity gradient between the Arctic and mid-latitude and thus are conducive to the strengthening and long-term maintenance of the blocking high. Report Arctic Baffin Island Baffin Barents Sea Global warming Greenland Sea ice Alaska Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences: IOCAS-IR Atmosphere 15 1 63 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences: IOCAS-IR |
op_collection_id |
ftchinacasciocas |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic sea ice loss cold air outbreaks in eastern CONUS polar vortex weakened potential vorticity gradient Environmental Sciences & Ecology Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Sciences AMPLIFICATION |
spellingShingle |
Arctic sea ice loss cold air outbreaks in eastern CONUS polar vortex weakened potential vorticity gradient Environmental Sciences & Ecology Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Sciences AMPLIFICATION Wang, Yanshuo Yang, Yuxing Huang, Fei Ding, Shuoyi Chen, Xiaodan Xu, Peiqiang Cold Air Outbreaks in Winter over the Continental United States and Its Possible Linkage with Arctic Sea Ice Loss |
topic_facet |
Arctic sea ice loss cold air outbreaks in eastern CONUS polar vortex weakened potential vorticity gradient Environmental Sciences & Ecology Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Sciences AMPLIFICATION |
description |
The mechanism for the paradox of global warming and successive cold winters in mid-latitudes remains controversial. In this study, the connection between Arctic sea ice (ASI) loss and frequent cold air outbreaks in eastern Continental United States (CONUS) is explored. Two distinct periods of high and low ASI (hereafter high- and low-ice phases) are identified for comparative study. It is demonstrated that cold air outbreaks occur more frequently during the low-ice phase compared to that during the high-ice phase. The polar vortex is weakened and shifted southward during the low-ice phase. Correspondingly, the spatial pattern of 500 hPa geopotential height (GPH), which represents the mid-tropospheric circulation, shows a clear negative Arctic Oscillation-like pattern in the low-ice phase. Specifically, positive GPH anomalies in the Arctic region with two centers, respectively located over Greenland and the Barents Sea, significantly weaken the low-pressure system centered around the Baffin Island, and enhance Ural blocking in the low-ice phase. Meanwhile, the high ridge extending from Alaska to the west coast of North America further intensifies, while the low trough over eastern CONUS deepens. As a result, the atmospheric circulation in North America becomes more conductive to frigid Arctic air outbreaks. It is concluded that the ASI loss contributes to more cold air outbreaks in winter in eastern CONUS through the polar vortex weakening with southward displacement of the polar vortex edge, which lead to the weakening of the meridional potential vorticity gradient between the Arctic and mid-latitude and thus are conducive to the strengthening and long-term maintenance of the blocking high. |
format |
Report |
author |
Wang, Yanshuo Yang, Yuxing Huang, Fei Ding, Shuoyi Chen, Xiaodan Xu, Peiqiang |
author_facet |
Wang, Yanshuo Yang, Yuxing Huang, Fei Ding, Shuoyi Chen, Xiaodan Xu, Peiqiang |
author_sort |
Wang, Yanshuo |
title |
Cold Air Outbreaks in Winter over the Continental United States and Its Possible Linkage with Arctic Sea Ice Loss |
title_short |
Cold Air Outbreaks in Winter over the Continental United States and Its Possible Linkage with Arctic Sea Ice Loss |
title_full |
Cold Air Outbreaks in Winter over the Continental United States and Its Possible Linkage with Arctic Sea Ice Loss |
title_fullStr |
Cold Air Outbreaks in Winter over the Continental United States and Its Possible Linkage with Arctic Sea Ice Loss |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cold Air Outbreaks in Winter over the Continental United States and Its Possible Linkage with Arctic Sea Ice Loss |
title_sort |
cold air outbreaks in winter over the continental united states and its possible linkage with arctic sea ice loss |
publisher |
MDPI |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://ir.qdio.ac.cn/handle/337002/184352 https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010063 |
genre |
Arctic Baffin Island Baffin Barents Sea Global warming Greenland Sea ice Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Baffin Island Baffin Barents Sea Global warming Greenland Sea ice Alaska |
op_relation |
ATMOSPHERE http://ir.qdio.ac.cn/handle/337002/184352 doi:10.3390/atmos15010063 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010063 |
container_title |
Atmosphere |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
63 |
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1797576077071089664 |