Atmospheric Profiles, Clouds and the Evolution of Sea Ice Cover in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas: Atmospheric Observations and Modeling as Part of the Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys

• Main Authors: Schweiger, Axel, Lindsay,Ron, Zhang,Jinlun, Zheng,Liu, Lawrence,Dale A, Maslanik,James
• Other Authors: University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory Seattle United States
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Chukchi Sea; Chukchi; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD1041493; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD1041493

The goal of this project was to examine the role of sea-ice and atmospheric interactions in the retreat of the SIZ. As sea ice retreats further, changes in lower atmospheric temperature, humidity, winds, and clouds are likely to result from changed sea ice concentrations and ocean temperatures. We conducted a combination of targeted measurements and modeling experiments as part of the atmospheric component of the Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Survey project (SIZRS). Combined with oceanographic and sea ice components of the SIZRS project. The projects identified biases in standard forecasting and reanalysis products relative to aircraft observed vertical atmospheric profiles. The biases, particularly a misrepresentation of the lower level atmospheric were found to be related to excessive vertical mixing in global models. We also examined the variability of clouds over the Beaufort/Chukchi sea area. We found a strong connection with synoptic variability and a strong connection of melt-onset with clear, warm advection events.