Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport

Mortin, Jonas; Svensson, Gunilla; Graversen, Rune G.; Kapsch, Marie‐Luise; Stroeve, Julienne C.; Boisvert, Linette N.

doi:10.1002/2016gl069330

i

Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport

2016
By Mortin, Jonas ; Svensson, Gunilla ; Graversen, Rune G. ; ...

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Journal Title:

Geophysical Research Letters
Personal Author:

Mortin, Jonas ; Svensson, Gunilla ; Graversen, Rune G. ; Kapsch, Marie‐Luise ; Stroeve, Julienne C. ; Boisvert, Linette N.
NOAA Program & Office:

NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service) ; CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences) ; NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information)
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.
Source:

Geophysical Research Letters, 43(12), 6636-6642
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl069330
ISSN:

0094-8276 ; 1944-8007
Format:

pdf
Publisher:

American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Document Type:

Journal Article
Rights Information:

Other
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Library
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:1dca616b922a9593781e074843ceb7040b369a0410152ce2a5509d5f8b7c7657b3cebdc79492cbfab1024a974d9b7be2855b41b7d9364a5201a39b8dd714e9c1
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/68039/noaa_68039_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 3.68 MB ]

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