Global Coupled Climate Response to Polar Sea Ice Loss: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Ice‐Constraining Approaches
Abstract Coupled ocean‐atmosphere models have been utilized to investigate the global climate response to polar sea ice loss using different approaches to constrain ice concentration and thickness. The goal of this study is to compare two commonly used methods within a single model framework: ice al...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085788 |
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| author | Lantao Sun Clara Deser Robert A. Tomas Michael Alexander |
| author_facet | Lantao Sun Clara Deser Robert A. Tomas Michael Alexander |
| author_sort | Lantao Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Coupled ocean‐atmosphere models have been utilized to investigate the global climate response to polar sea ice loss using different approaches to constrain ice concentration and thickness. The goal of this study is to compare two commonly used methods within a single model framework: ice albedo reduction, which is energy conserving, and ice‐flux nudging, which is not energy conserving. The two approaches generate virtually identical equilibrium global climate responses to the same seasonal cycle of sea ice loss. However, while ice‐flux nudging is able to control the sea ice state year‐round, albedo reduction is most effective during summer and lessens the effects of climate change in winter due to the underestimation of sea ice loss. These evaluations have implications for the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project (PAMIP), which proposes a set of coordinated coupled model experiments but without a defined protocol on how to constrain sea ice. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2fe535a94b714ab49235a1dbd0b2e888 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-2fe535a94b714ab49235a1dbd0b2e8882025-08-20T03:49:32ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072020-02-01473n/an/a10.1029/2019GL085788Global Coupled Climate Response to Polar Sea Ice Loss: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Ice‐Constraining ApproachesLantao Sun0Clara Deser1Robert A. Tomas2Michael Alexander3Department of Atmospheric Science Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USANational Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USANational Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USANOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Physical Science Division Boulder CO USAAbstract Coupled ocean‐atmosphere models have been utilized to investigate the global climate response to polar sea ice loss using different approaches to constrain ice concentration and thickness. The goal of this study is to compare two commonly used methods within a single model framework: ice albedo reduction, which is energy conserving, and ice‐flux nudging, which is not energy conserving. The two approaches generate virtually identical equilibrium global climate responses to the same seasonal cycle of sea ice loss. However, while ice‐flux nudging is able to control the sea ice state year‐round, albedo reduction is most effective during summer and lessens the effects of climate change in winter due to the underestimation of sea ice loss. These evaluations have implications for the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project (PAMIP), which proposes a set of coordinated coupled model experiments but without a defined protocol on how to constrain sea ice.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085788ice‐constraining approachespolar sea ice loss effectclimate models |
| spellingShingle | Lantao Sun Clara Deser Robert A. Tomas Michael Alexander Global Coupled Climate Response to Polar Sea Ice Loss: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Ice‐Constraining Approaches Geophysical Research Letters ice‐constraining approaches polar sea ice loss effect climate models |
| title | Global Coupled Climate Response to Polar Sea Ice Loss: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Ice‐Constraining Approaches |
| title_full | Global Coupled Climate Response to Polar Sea Ice Loss: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Ice‐Constraining Approaches |
| title_fullStr | Global Coupled Climate Response to Polar Sea Ice Loss: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Ice‐Constraining Approaches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global Coupled Climate Response to Polar Sea Ice Loss: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Ice‐Constraining Approaches |
| title_short | Global Coupled Climate Response to Polar Sea Ice Loss: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Ice‐Constraining Approaches |
| title_sort | global coupled climate response to polar sea ice loss evaluating the effectiveness of different ice constraining approaches |
| topic | ice‐constraining approaches polar sea ice loss effect climate models |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085788 |
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