Arctic circulation regimes

Between 1948 and 1996, mean annual environmental parameters in the Arctic experienced a wellpronounced decadal variability with two basic circulation patterns: cyclonic and anticyclonic alternating at 5 to 7 year intervals. During cyclonic regimes, low sea-level atmospheric pressure (SLP) dominated...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Main Authors: Proshutinsky, Andrey, Dukhovskoy, Dmitry, Timmermans, Mary Louise, Krishfield, Richard, Bamber, Jonathan L.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2015
Subjects:
Arctic climate variability
Circulation regimes
Freshwater and heat content
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Greenland
Sea ice
Subarctic
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1983/052fb8f2-21df-4c2c-8b27-28a517270ac9
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/052fb8f2-21df-4c2c-8b27-28a517270ac9
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0160
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/53775755/reprint_Proc_Roy_Soc.pdf
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84941248153&partnerID=8YFLogxK
Description
Summary:Between 1948 and 1996, mean annual environmental parameters in the Arctic experienced a wellpronounced decadal variability with two basic circulation patterns: cyclonic and anticyclonic alternating at 5 to 7 year intervals. During cyclonic regimes, low sea-level atmospheric pressure (SLP) dominated over the Arctic Ocean driving sea ice and the upper ocean counterclockwise; the Arctic atmosphere was relatively warm and humid, and freshwater flux from the Arctic Ocean towards the subarctic seas was intensified. By contrast, during anticylonic circulation regimes, high SLP dominated driving sea ice and the upper ocean clockwise. Meanwhile, the atmosphere was cold and dry and the freshwater flux from the Arctic to the subarctic seas was reduced. Since 1997, however, the Arctic system has been under the influence of an anticyclonic circulation regime (17 years) with a set of environmental parameters that are atypical for this regime. We discuss a hypothesis explaining the causes and mechanisms regulating the intensity and duration of Arctic circulation regimes, and speculate how changes in freshwater fluxes from the Arctic Ocean and Greenland impact environmental conditions and interrupt their decadal variability.

Similar Items