A Fram Strait cyclone: Properties and impact on ice drift as measured by aircraft and buoys

Brümmer, Burghard; Müller, Gerald; Hoeber, Heinrich

doi:10.1029/2002jd002638

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(30 reference statements)

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“…An area of reduced ice concentration in the Canada basin in August 1981 was linked to westerly winds associated with a persistent cyclone situated to the NE [ Barry and Maslanik , 1989]. Furthermore, a cyclone can fracture the underlying sea ice and create conditions favorable for local‐scale ice divergence during and immediately following the passage of the cyclone [ Brúmmer et al , 2003]. This may introduce coupling between the ocean‐sea ice‐atmosphere system where increased upward energy and moisture fluxes from the ocean may lead to the intensification of cyclones.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric forcing of the Beaufort Sea ice gyre: Surface pressure climatology and sea ice motion

Asplin¹,

Lukovich²,

Barber³

2009

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] The Beaufort Gyre (BG) typically rotates anticyclonically and exerts an important control on Arctic Sea ice dynamics. Previous studies have shown reversals in the BG to rotate cyclonically during summer months and, in recent decades, throughout the annual cycle. In this investigation, we explore the synoptic climatology of atmospheric forcing and its relationship to sea ice motion and BG reversals. A catalog of daily synoptic weather types is generated for the Beaufort Sea Region covering the period 1979 to 2006 using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis mean sea level pressure data, principle components, and k-means cluster analyses. Mean synoptic type frequency, persistence, and duration values are calculated for each synoptic type and contrasted between the summer and winter seasons. Daily synoptic types are linked to changes in sea ice vorticity by using correlation analysis on lagged sea ice vorticity data. Lag correlations are found between synoptic types and sea ice vorticity smoothed over a 12-week running mean and show that cyclonic types, which promote southerly or easterly atmospheric circulation over the southern Beaufort Sea, commonly precede summer reversals. Furthermore, significant seasonal within-type variability in sea ice vorticity is detected within the synoptic types illustrating the importance of seasonal variability on these processes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric forcing of the Beaufort Sea ice gyre: Surface pressure climatology and sea ice motion

Asplin¹,

Lukovich²,

Barber³

2009

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…This flux is the principal mechanism by which freshwater inputs to the Arctic Ocean from river runoff, Bering Strait inflow, and net precipitation over the Arctic Ocean are balanced. The flux is closely linked to the SLP gradient in the vicinity of the strait [ Brummer et al , 2003], which varies with the strength and location of the IL and high‐latitude pressure trough.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of winter cyclone activity in the northern North Atlantic: Insights from observations and regional modeling

2007

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Fields from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis are used in conjunction with simulations from Polar MM5 to examine regional processes contributing to cyclone development in the sub‐Arctic/Arctic sector of the North Atlantic. Strong deepening of systems (>6 hPa/6 hours) is especially common south of the tip of Greenland and in the vicinity of the mean Icelandic Low (IL). A secondary maximum is located just south of Svalbard. Composite analyses of strongly deepening systems in these areas point to the influence of pronounced preexisting low‐level temperature gradients linked to ocean currents, the sea ice margin and ocean‐land contrasts. The area of preferred deepening near Svalbard corresponds to the northernmost penetration of open water in the North Atlantic. Impacts of Greenland's orography are prominent in the synoptic complexity of the region. Typical synoptic situations, examined as case studies, include splitting, or “bifurcation” of cyclones at the southern tip of Greenland; orographic cyclogenesis in the lee of Greenland, at the location of the mean IL; and deepening of preexisting systems near the IL. Orographic influences are clearly captured in Polar MM5 simulations for which control runs of the three cases are compared to runs for which the orography of Greenland is removed.

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“…Fram Strait sea ice export is highly variable from day to day and from year to year (Vinje 2001;Brummer et al 2001Brummer et al , 2003Kwok 2009). Such high variability affects other components of the Arctic climate system: for example, anomalous Fram Strait export has been linked to the ''Great Salinity Anomaly'' in the North Atlantic (Dickson et al 1988) and to the recent decline of summer sea ice extent (Rigor and Wallace 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To examine the link between sea ice export and atmospheric circulation patterns in more detail, Brummer et al (2003) analyzed how a single cyclone passing through Fram Strait influences sea ice motion. They found that ice velocity increased by a factor of three during the passage of the cyclone, and that the ratio of ice drift to wind speed also increased.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric forcing of Fram Strait sea ice export: a closer look

et al. 2009

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Fram Strait is the primary region of sea ice export from the Arctic and therefore plays an important role in regulating the amount of sea ice and freshwater within the Arctic. We investigate the variability of Fram Strait sea ice motion and the role of atmospheric circulation forcing using daily data during the period 1979-2006. The most prominent atmospheric driver of anomalous sea ice motion across Fram Strait is an east-west dipole pattern of Sea Level Pressure (SLP) anomalies with centers of action located over the Barents Sea and Greenland. This pattern, also observed in synoptic studies, is associated with anomalous meridional winds across Fram Strait and is thus physically consistent with forcing changes in sea ice motion. The association between the SLP dipole pattern and Fram Strait ice motion is maximized at 0-lag, persists year-round, and is strongest on time scales of 10-60 days. The SLP dipole pattern is the second empirical orthogonal function (EOF) of daily SLP anomalies in both winter and summer. When the analysis is repeated with monthly data, only the Barents center of the SLP dipole remains significantly correlated with Fram Strait sea ice motion. However, after removing the leading EOF of monthly SLP variability (e.g., the North Atlantic Oscillation), the full east-west dipole pattern is recovered. No significant SLP forcing of Fram Strait ice motion is found in summer using monthly data, even when the leading EOF is removed. Our results highlight the importance of high frequency atmospheric variability in forcing Fram Strait sea ice motion.

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A Fram Strait cyclone: Properties and impact on ice drift as measured by aircraft and buoys

Cited by 18 publications

References 19 publications

Atmospheric forcing of the Beaufort Sea ice gyre: Surface pressure climatology and sea ice motion

Atmospheric forcing of the Beaufort Sea ice gyre: Surface pressure climatology and sea ice motion

Characteristics of winter cyclone activity in the northern North Atlantic: Insights from observations and regional modeling

Atmospheric forcing of Fram Strait sea ice export: a closer look

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