The northern polar region is experiencing the most drastic changes due to climate change. Studies show that the sea ice in the northern part of the planet is being lost at a rapid rate because of the warming.
A new study published this month in Nature Communications shows that sea ice loss is having a long-term impact on the climate.
The research team, led by University at Albany atmospheric scientist Aiguo Dai, analyzed observational data and climate model simulations to show how fluctuations in sea ice cover can amplify multi-decadal variations in surface temperatures.
Recent and future decreases in sea ice cover have a significant influence on global climate.
Dai, a distinguished professor at UAlbany, said that their study showed for the first time that fluctuations in sea ice-air interactions can amplify multi-decadal climate variations.
The melting of the sea ice in the north is likely to have a bigger impact on the rest of the world in the coming decades.
Sea ice-air interactions.
The researchers used publicly available observational data and two novel climate model simulations through a computer hosted at the UAlbany Data Center. One simulation allowed the sea ice to fluctuate freely, while the other did not.
Climate variations were reduced by 20 to 50 percent when sea ice cover was fixed. Sea ice-air interactions are important in regulating climate variations.
The researchers ran more simulations with rising carbon dioxide levels in mind. They are looking at other possible influences of sea ice, such as the El Nio-Southern Oscillation in the tropical Pacific.
Jiechun Deng, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Information Science and Technology, worked as a research fellow with Dai at UAlbany. He is the author of the study.
Deng said that working with Prof. Dai at UAlbany was an inspiring experience. In doing so, it contributes to the ongoing debate on the role of sea ice in the recent decadal temperature trend.
amplification in the north
Dai and his team have published a number of articles in Nature Communications over the last several years that focus on changes in the climate of the north.
Dai led a study looking at the causes of the warming of the Arctic at two to three times the rest of the planet. The climate simulations used for that study showed that additional AA will not diminish until all of the sea ice in the north has melted away.
The study concluded that if surface fluxes were calculated with a fixed sea ice cover, AA would not exist.
The rapid melting of the sea ice in the northern part of the planet will continue to have a significant impact on the climate.
More information: Jiechun Deng et al, Sea ice–air interactions amplify multidecadal variability in the North Atlantic and Arctic region, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29810-7 Journal information: Nature Communications Citation: Diminishing Arctic sea ice has lasting impacts on global climate (2022, April 28) retrieved 29 April 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-04-diminishing-arctic-sea-ice-impacts.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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