Generated using version 3.1.2 of the official AMS L ATEX template 1 The Atmospheric Response to Three Decades of Observed Arctic 2

• Main Authors: Sea Ice Loss, James A. Screen, Ian Simmonds, Clara Deser, Robert Tomas
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.384.3637; http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cas/cdeser/Docs/submitted.screen.arctic_seaice_loss.pdf

Arctic sea ice is declining at an increasing rate with potentially important repercussions. In order to understand better the atmospheric changes that may have occurred in response to Arctic sea ice loss, we present results from atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments in which the only time-varying forcings prescribed were observed variations in Arctic sea ice and accompanying changes in Arctic sea surface temperatures from 1979 to 2009. We utilize two independent AGCMs in order to assess the robustness of the response across different models. The results suggest that the atmospheric impacts of Arctic sea ice loss have been manifest mostly strongly within the maritime and coastal Arctic, and in the lowermost atmosphere. Sea ice loss has driven increased energy transfer from the ocean to the atmosphere, enhanced warming and moistening of the lower troposphere and has decreased the strength of the surface inversion; all these changes are most pronounced in autumn and early winter (September-December). The early winter (November-December) atmospheric circulation response resembles the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO); however, the NAO-type response is quite weak and is often masked by intrinsic (unforced)