A Possible Link Between Winter Arctic Sea Ice Decline and a Collapse of the Beaufort High?

Abstract A new study by Moore et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076446) highlights a collapse of the anticyclonic “Beaufort High” atmospheric circulation over the western Arctic Ocean in the winter of 2017 and an associated reversal of the sea ice drift through the southern Beaufort Sea (e...

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Main Author: Alek A. Petty
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-03-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2018GL077704
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author Alek A. Petty
author_facet Alek A. Petty
author_sort Alek A. Petty
collection DOAJ
description Abstract A new study by Moore et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076446) highlights a collapse of the anticyclonic “Beaufort High” atmospheric circulation over the western Arctic Ocean in the winter of 2017 and an associated reversal of the sea ice drift through the southern Beaufort Sea (eastward instead of the predominantly westward circulation). The authors linked this to the loss of sea ice in the Barents Sea, anomalous warming over the region, and the intrusion of low‐pressure cyclones along the eastern Arctic. In this commentary we discuss the significance of this observation, the challenges associated with understanding these possible linkages, and some of the alternative hypotheses surrounding the impacts of winter Arctic sea ice loss.
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spelling doaj-art-c87446aeabd240aa9b86fb5ef681ee362025-08-20T01:58:15ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-03-014562879288210.1002/2018GL077704A Possible Link Between Winter Arctic Sea Ice Decline and a Collapse of the Beaufort High?Alek A. Petty0Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAAbstract A new study by Moore et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076446) highlights a collapse of the anticyclonic “Beaufort High” atmospheric circulation over the western Arctic Ocean in the winter of 2017 and an associated reversal of the sea ice drift through the southern Beaufort Sea (eastward instead of the predominantly westward circulation). The authors linked this to the loss of sea ice in the Barents Sea, anomalous warming over the region, and the intrusion of low‐pressure cyclones along the eastern Arctic. In this commentary we discuss the significance of this observation, the challenges associated with understanding these possible linkages, and some of the alternative hypotheses surrounding the impacts of winter Arctic sea ice loss.https://doi.org/10.1002/2018GL077704Beaufort HighArctic amplificationArctic climateair‐sea‐ice interaction
spellingShingle Alek A. Petty
A Possible Link Between Winter Arctic Sea Ice Decline and a Collapse of the Beaufort High?
Geophysical Research Letters
Beaufort High
Arctic amplification
Arctic climate
air‐sea‐ice interaction
title A Possible Link Between Winter Arctic Sea Ice Decline and a Collapse of the Beaufort High?
title_full A Possible Link Between Winter Arctic Sea Ice Decline and a Collapse of the Beaufort High?
title_fullStr A Possible Link Between Winter Arctic Sea Ice Decline and a Collapse of the Beaufort High?
title_full_unstemmed A Possible Link Between Winter Arctic Sea Ice Decline and a Collapse of the Beaufort High?
title_short A Possible Link Between Winter Arctic Sea Ice Decline and a Collapse of the Beaufort High?
title_sort possible link between winter arctic sea ice decline and a collapse of the beaufort high
topic Beaufort High
Arctic amplification
Arctic climate
air‐sea‐ice interaction
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2018GL077704
work_keys_str_mv AT alekapetty apossiblelinkbetweenwinterarcticseaicedeclineandacollapseofthebeauforthigh
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