Arctic sea ice decline contributes to thinning lake ice trend in northern Alaska

• Published in: Environmental Research Letters
• Main Authors: Vladimir A Alexeev, Christopher D Arp, Benjamin M Jones, Lei Cai
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 2016
• Subjects: Arctic; sea ice decline; winter climate; freshwater ice; thermokarst lakes; Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; TD1-1066; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Arctic Lake; Arctic Ocean; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice; Thermokarst; Alaska
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/074022; https://doaj.org/article/6df03148b1214a02869070f36a69a205

Field measurements, satellite observations, and models document a thinning trend in seasonal Arctic lake ice growth, causing a shift from bedfast to floating ice conditions. September sea ice concentrations in the Arctic Ocean since 1991 correlate well ( r = +0.69, p < 0.001) to this lake regime shift. To understand how and to what extent sea ice affects lakes, we conducted model experiments to simulate winters with years of high (1991/92) and low (2007/08) sea ice extent for which we also had field measurements and satellite imagery characterizing lake ice conditions. A lake ice growth model forced with Weather Research and Forecasting model output produced a 7% decrease in lake ice growth when 2007/08 sea ice was imposed on 1991/92 climatology and a 9% increase in lake ice growth for the opposing experiment. Here, we clearly link early winter ‘ocean-effect’ snowfall and warming to reduced lake ice growth. Future reductions in sea ice extent will alter hydrological, biogeochemical, and habitat functioning of Arctic lakes and cause sub-lake permafrost thaw.