Atmospheric Variability and Sea-Ice Changes in the Southern Hemisphere
The Antarctic sea ice concentration (SIC) plays a crucial role in global climate dynamics by influencing atmospheric and oceanic circulation. This study examines SIC variability and its relationship with major climate modes, including the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific-South American (...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/3/284 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849341689876971520 |
|---|---|
| author | Carlos Diego Gurjão Luciano Ponzi Pezzi Claudia Klose Parise Flávio Barbosa Justino Camila Bertoletti Carpenedo Vanúcia Schumacher Alcimoni Comin |
| author_facet | Carlos Diego Gurjão Luciano Ponzi Pezzi Claudia Klose Parise Flávio Barbosa Justino Camila Bertoletti Carpenedo Vanúcia Schumacher Alcimoni Comin |
| author_sort | Carlos Diego Gurjão |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Antarctic sea ice concentration (SIC) plays a crucial role in global climate dynamics by influencing atmospheric and oceanic circulation. This study examines SIC variability and its relationship with major climate modes, including the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific-South American (PSA) pattern, Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and Antarctic Dipole (ADP). Using NSIDC satellite-derived sea ice data and ERA5 reanalysis from 1980 to 2022, we analyzed SIC anomalies in the Weddell, Ross, and Bellingshausen and Amundsen (B&A) Seas, assessing their response to climatic forcings across different timescales. Our findings reveal strong linkages between SIC variability and large-scale atmospheric circulation. ENSO-related teleconnections drive a dipolar SIC response, with warming in the Pacific sector and cooling in the Atlantic during El Niño, and the opposite pattern during La Niña. PSA and ADP further modulate this response by altering Rossby wave propagation and heat fluxes, leading to significant SIC fluctuations. The ADP emerges as a dominant driver of interannual SIC anomalies, showing an out-of-phase relationship between the Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean. Regional SIC trends exhibit contrasting patterns: the Ross Sea shows a significant positive SIC trend, while the B&A and Weddell Seas experience persistent negative anomalies due to enhanced meridional heat transport and stronger westerly winds. SAM strongly influences SIC, particularly in the Atlantic sector, with delayed responses of up to six months, likely due to ice-albedo feedbacks and ocean memory effects. These results enhance our understanding of Antarctic sea ice variability and its sensitivity to large-scale climate oscillations. Given the observed trends and ongoing climate change, further research is needed to assess how these processes will evolve under future warming scenarios. This study highlights the importance of continuous satellite observations and high-resolution climate modeling for improving projections of Antarctic sea ice behavior and its implications for the global climate system. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bd85aaf2f4af475ea971da2abd3091e0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-bd85aaf2f4af475ea971da2abd3091e02025-08-20T03:43:34ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-02-0116328410.3390/atmos16030284Atmospheric Variability and Sea-Ice Changes in the Southern HemisphereCarlos Diego Gurjão0Luciano Ponzi Pezzi1Claudia Klose Parise2Flávio Barbosa Justino3Camila Bertoletti Carpenedo4Vanúcia Schumacher5Alcimoni Comin6Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilLaboratory of Ocean and Atmosphere Studies (LOA), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Earth Observation and Geoinformatics Division, São José dos Campos 12227-010, SP, BrazilLaboratory for Climate Studies and Modelling (LACLIMA), Department of Oceanography and Limnology, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilCenter for Studies on Climate Change and Variability (NUVEM), Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81531-990, PR, BrazilCenter for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies, National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos 12227-010, SP, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilThe Antarctic sea ice concentration (SIC) plays a crucial role in global climate dynamics by influencing atmospheric and oceanic circulation. This study examines SIC variability and its relationship with major climate modes, including the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific-South American (PSA) pattern, Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and Antarctic Dipole (ADP). Using NSIDC satellite-derived sea ice data and ERA5 reanalysis from 1980 to 2022, we analyzed SIC anomalies in the Weddell, Ross, and Bellingshausen and Amundsen (B&A) Seas, assessing their response to climatic forcings across different timescales. Our findings reveal strong linkages between SIC variability and large-scale atmospheric circulation. ENSO-related teleconnections drive a dipolar SIC response, with warming in the Pacific sector and cooling in the Atlantic during El Niño, and the opposite pattern during La Niña. PSA and ADP further modulate this response by altering Rossby wave propagation and heat fluxes, leading to significant SIC fluctuations. The ADP emerges as a dominant driver of interannual SIC anomalies, showing an out-of-phase relationship between the Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean. Regional SIC trends exhibit contrasting patterns: the Ross Sea shows a significant positive SIC trend, while the B&A and Weddell Seas experience persistent negative anomalies due to enhanced meridional heat transport and stronger westerly winds. SAM strongly influences SIC, particularly in the Atlantic sector, with delayed responses of up to six months, likely due to ice-albedo feedbacks and ocean memory effects. These results enhance our understanding of Antarctic sea ice variability and its sensitivity to large-scale climate oscillations. Given the observed trends and ongoing climate change, further research is needed to assess how these processes will evolve under future warming scenarios. This study highlights the importance of continuous satellite observations and high-resolution climate modeling for improving projections of Antarctic sea ice behavior and its implications for the global climate system.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/3/284teleconnectionsENSOantarctic dipolePSAclimate changesea ice concentration |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Diego Gurjão Luciano Ponzi Pezzi Claudia Klose Parise Flávio Barbosa Justino Camila Bertoletti Carpenedo Vanúcia Schumacher Alcimoni Comin Atmospheric Variability and Sea-Ice Changes in the Southern Hemisphere Atmosphere teleconnections ENSO antarctic dipole PSA climate change sea ice concentration |
| title | Atmospheric Variability and Sea-Ice Changes in the Southern Hemisphere |
| title_full | Atmospheric Variability and Sea-Ice Changes in the Southern Hemisphere |
| title_fullStr | Atmospheric Variability and Sea-Ice Changes in the Southern Hemisphere |
| title_full_unstemmed | Atmospheric Variability and Sea-Ice Changes in the Southern Hemisphere |
| title_short | Atmospheric Variability and Sea-Ice Changes in the Southern Hemisphere |
| title_sort | atmospheric variability and sea ice changes in the southern hemisphere |
| topic | teleconnections ENSO antarctic dipole PSA climate change sea ice concentration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/3/284 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carlosdiegogurjao atmosphericvariabilityandseaicechangesinthesouthernhemisphere AT lucianoponzipezzi atmosphericvariabilityandseaicechangesinthesouthernhemisphere AT claudiakloseparise atmosphericvariabilityandseaicechangesinthesouthernhemisphere AT flaviobarbosajustino atmosphericvariabilityandseaicechangesinthesouthernhemisphere AT camilabertoletticarpenedo atmosphericvariabilityandseaicechangesinthesouthernhemisphere AT vanuciaschumacher atmosphericvariabilityandseaicechangesinthesouthernhemisphere AT alcimonicomin atmosphericvariabilityandseaicechangesinthesouthernhemisphere |