Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport
The timing of melt onset affects the surface energy uptake throughout the melt season. Yet the processes triggering melt and causing its large interannual variability are not well understood. Here we show that melt onset over Arctic sea ice is initiated by positive anomalies of water vapor, clouds,...
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ftpubman:oai:pure.mpg.de:item_2318779 2023-08-20T04:04:10+02:00 Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport Mortin, J. Svensson, G. Graversen, R. Kapsch, M. Stroeve, J. Boisvert, L. 2016-06-28 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-0942-0 http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-0949-2 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1002/2016GL069330 http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-0942-0 http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-0949-2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Geophysical Research Letters info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2016 ftpubman https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069330 2023-08-01T23:00:02Z The timing of melt onset affects the surface energy uptake throughout the melt season. Yet the processes triggering melt and causing its large interannual variability are not well understood. Here we show that melt onset over Arctic sea ice is initiated by positive anomalies of water vapor, clouds, and air temperatures that increase the downwelling longwave radiation (LWD) to the surface. The earlier melt onset occurs; the stronger are these anomalies. Downwelling shortwave radiation (SWD) is smaller than usual at melt onset, indicating that melt is not triggered by SWD. When melt occurs early, an anomalously opaque atmosphere with positive LWD anomalies preconditions the surface for weeks preceding melt. In contrast, when melt begins late, clearer than usual conditions are evident prior to melt. Hence, atmospheric processes are imperative for melt onset. It is also found that spring LWD increased during recent decades, consistent with trends toward an earlier melt onset. ©2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Sea ice Max Planck Society: MPG.PuRe Arctic Geophysical Research Letters 43 12 6636 6642 |
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Max Planck Society: MPG.PuRe |
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ftpubman |
language |
English |
description |
The timing of melt onset affects the surface energy uptake throughout the melt season. Yet the processes triggering melt and causing its large interannual variability are not well understood. Here we show that melt onset over Arctic sea ice is initiated by positive anomalies of water vapor, clouds, and air temperatures that increase the downwelling longwave radiation (LWD) to the surface. The earlier melt onset occurs; the stronger are these anomalies. Downwelling shortwave radiation (SWD) is smaller than usual at melt onset, indicating that melt is not triggered by SWD. When melt occurs early, an anomalously opaque atmosphere with positive LWD anomalies preconditions the surface for weeks preceding melt. In contrast, when melt begins late, clearer than usual conditions are evident prior to melt. Hence, atmospheric processes are imperative for melt onset. It is also found that spring LWD increased during recent decades, consistent with trends toward an earlier melt onset. ©2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mortin, J. Svensson, G. Graversen, R. Kapsch, M. Stroeve, J. Boisvert, L. |
spellingShingle |
Mortin, J. Svensson, G. Graversen, R. Kapsch, M. Stroeve, J. Boisvert, L. Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
author_facet |
Mortin, J. Svensson, G. Graversen, R. Kapsch, M. Stroeve, J. Boisvert, L. |
author_sort |
Mortin, J. |
title |
Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
title_short |
Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
title_full |
Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
title_fullStr |
Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
title_full_unstemmed |
Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
title_sort |
melt onset over arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-0942-0 http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-0949-2 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic Sea ice |
op_source |
Geophysical Research Letters |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1002/2016GL069330 http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-0942-0 http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-0949-2 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069330 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
43 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
6636 |
op_container_end_page |
6642 |
_version_ |
1774714569565929472 |