Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport
Abstract 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,...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2016-06-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069330 |
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| author | Jonas Mortin Gunilla Svensson Rune G. Graversen Marie‐Luise Kapsch Julienne C. Stroeve Linette N. Boisvert |
| author_facet | Jonas Mortin Gunilla Svensson Rune G. Graversen Marie‐Luise Kapsch Julienne C. Stroeve Linette N. Boisvert |
| author_sort | Jonas Mortin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-abd37889cfaf4811880f868cbceed99e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-abd37889cfaf4811880f868cbceed99e2025-08-20T03:10:24ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-06-0143126636664210.1002/2016GL069330Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transportJonas Mortin0Gunilla Svensson1Rune G. Graversen2Marie‐Luise Kapsch3Julienne C. Stroeve4Linette N. Boisvert5Department of Meteorology and Bolin Centre for Climate Research Stockholm University Stockholm SwedenDepartment of Meteorology and Bolin Centre for Climate Research Stockholm University Stockholm SwedenDepartment of Physics and Technology UiT Arctic University of Norway Tromsø NorwayMax‐Planck‐Institute for Meteorology Hamburg GermanyNational Snow and Ice Data Center, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USAEarth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park Maryland USAAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069330Arctic sea icemelt onsetremote sensingclimate variabilitypolar meteorology |
| spellingShingle | Jonas Mortin Gunilla Svensson Rune G. Graversen Marie‐Luise Kapsch Julienne C. Stroeve Linette N. Boisvert Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport Geophysical Research Letters Arctic sea ice melt onset remote sensing climate variability polar meteorology |
| title | Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
| title_full | Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
| title_fullStr | Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
| title_full_unstemmed | Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
| title_short | Melt onset over Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
| title_sort | melt onset over arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport |
| topic | Arctic sea ice melt onset remote sensing climate variability polar meteorology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069330 |
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