THE INFLUENCE OF THE ARCTIC PACK ICE ON CLIMATE

• Main Author: Fletcher,J. O.
• Other Authors: RAND CORP SANTA MONICA CALIF
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1966
• Subjects: Meteorology; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *ICE ISLANDS; CLIMATE; ARCTIC REGIONS; ARCTIC OCEAN; ICE; HEAT TRANSFER; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Ice; permafrost; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0627985; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0627985

An assessment is made of each component of the heat budgets of the surface and of the earth--atmosphere system in the central Arctic, both for an ice-covered ocean and for an ice-free ocean. The annual patterns of atmospheric heat loss for both conditions are obtained as residuals; the relation of these patterns to general atmospheric circulation and glacier accumulation is discussed. It is shown that atmospheric cooling in the Arctic is closely related to certain indices of atmospheric circulation. An ice-free Arctic Ocean would probably be associated with atmospheric circulation more vigorous in summer at subarctic latitudes and of comparable vigor in winter. The cool summers and warm, moist winters would be highly conducive to glacier growth. (Author)