Decadal climate oscillations in the Arctic: A new feedback loop for atmosphere–ice–ocean interactions

• Main Authors: Lawrence A. Mysak, Silvia A. Venegas
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1998
• Subjects: Arctic; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation; Sea ice; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.610.2950; http://lightning.sbs.ohio-state.edu/geo622/paper_ice_mysak1998.pdf

Abstract. A combined complex empirical orthogonal function analysis of 40 years of annual sea ice concen-tration (SIC) and winter sea level pressure (SLP) data reveals the existence of an approximately 10-year cli-mate cycle in the Arctic and subarctic. The cycle is characterized by a clockwise propagating signal in the SIC anomalies and a standing oscillation in the SLP anomalies, the latter being linked to a fluctuation be-tween the two phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation. To describe the formation and evolution of the SIC and SLP anomalies associated with the cycle, a simple feed-back loop is proposed.