Cloud Radiative Effects Slow Sea Ice Changes During Summer Arctic Dipole Anomaly

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Haotian Zhang, Chuanfeng Zhao, Yan Xia, Annan Chen, Yikun Yang, Jie Yang, Xin Zhao, Yulei Chi, Hongtao Xu, Shouyi Zhong
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2024
• Subjects: Arctic dipole anomaly; sea ice thickness; cloud radiative effect; cloud variation; Geophysics. Cosmic physics; QC801-809; Beaufort Sea; Chukchi; Chukchi Sea; East Siberian Sea; Greenland; Greenland Sea; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111205; https://doaj.org/article/c498c08a439f47359b6d35a358c10870

Abstract Over the past 30 years, the Arctic Dipole Anomaly (DA) has repeatedly led to record lows in summer sea ice extent, with cloud radiative effects (CRE) playing a crucial regulatory role. Here, we reveal the CRE variations between positive and negative DA events and elucidate the slowing impacts of CRE on sea ice thickness (SIT) changes. The DA triggers robust meridional winds and transpolar drift, markedly reducing SIT in the Beaufort Sea (BeS), Chukchi Sea (CS), and East Siberian Sea (ESS), while increasing it in the Greenland Sea (GS). CRE significantly slow SIT changes, contributing +14.4, +4.4, +16.4, and −26.7 cm to changes from June to August, against total changes of −55.9, −29.4, −39.8, and +42.8 cm in September over BeS, CS, ESS, and GS, respectively. This study underscores the key impacts of CRE on sea ice variation, emphasizing their significance in the polar climate system.