Accelerated decline in the Arctic sea ice cover

Comiso, Josefino C.; Parkinson, Claire L.; Gersten, Robert; Stock, Larry

doi:10.1029/2007gl031972

Cited by 1,503 publications

(1,082 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…But also large amounts of sea-ice are produced on the shelves by a change from ice-free conditions in summer to freeze-up in autumn and a nearly continuous production of sea-ice in polynyas during winter (Martin and Cavalieri 1989;Bareiss and Görgen, 2005). Between 1979 and 2007, Arctic ice cover declined by ~11 % per decade, and in summer 2007 it was about 37 % less than the average for this period (Comiso et al, 2008). Because of this decline in ice cover, large areas of the ocean especially on the shelves have been free of sea-ice for prolonged periods of time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin of freshwater and polynya water in the Arctic Ocean halocline in summer 2007

Bauch

Loeff

Andersen

et al. 2011

Progress in Oceanography

189

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin of freshwater and polynya water in the Arctic Ocean halocline in summer 2007

Bauch

Loeff

Andersen

et al. 2011

Progress in Oceanography

189

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“…Furthermore, the Northern Hemisphere supported only ephemeral ice growth until the end of the late Pliocene warm interval (~2.7 Ma), when the first extensive northern ice sheets shifted the planet from a unipolar glacial state into its current state of bipolar glaciation (Gupta and Thomas, 2003;Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005;Raymo et al, 2006). The current weakening of the Northern Hemisphere cryosphere, as expressed through declining perennial sea ice coverage and rapid polar warming (Serreze et al, 2007;Comiso et al, 2008;Stroeve et al, 2012), suggests a planetary future for which the Pliocene is an increasingly apt analog. When viewed through the lens of the past, it is apparent that predictions of our immediate future depend on our understanding of this period of Pliocene warmth (Jansen et al, 2007).…”

Section: Interval Of Focusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diatom evidence for the onset of Pliocene cooling from AND-1B, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Riesselman

Dunbar

2013

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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“…The primary source of this heating is the two-fold rise in ocean-absorbed solar radiation (Perovich et al, 2007) that results from rapidly declining summer sea ice extent (Comiso et al, 2008;Steele et al, 2010). Recent studies in the Canada Basin show that this absorbed solar heating is partitioned 0.23/0.77 between ocean heat storage and latent heat loss (basal ice melt), respectively (Toole et al, 2010;Gallaher et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field observations and results of a 1-D boundary layer model for developing near-surface temperature maxima in the Western Arctic

Gallaher

Stanton

Shaw

et al. 2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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Gallaher, SG et al 2017 Field observations and results of a 1-D boundary layer model for developing near-surface temperature maxima in the Western Arctic. Elem Sci Anth, 5: 11, pp. 1-21, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.195 IntroductionRecent changes in the Arctic ice-ocean system have led to an increase in upper ocean heating. The primary source of this heating is the two-fold rise in ocean-absorbed solar radiation (Perovich et al., 2007) that results from rapidly declining summer sea ice extent (Comiso et al., 2008;Steele et al., 2010). Recent studies in the Canada Basin show that this absorbed solar heating is partitioned 0.23/0.77 between ocean heat storage and latent heat loss (basal ice melt), respectively (Toole et al., 2010;Gallaher et al., 2016). Most of the oceanic heat is accumulated in near-surface temperature maximum (NSTM) features. The NSTM is defined as an upper ocean (< 50 m) temperature maximum that: 1) is at least 0.2°C above freezing (δT); 2) has a salinity < 31; and 3) resides above a cooler water layer by at least 0.1°C (Jackson et al., 2010). Jackson et al. (2010) attribute NSTM development to the absorption of solar radiation in shallow, stratified layers beneath melting sea ice and open water during summer. Steele et al. (2011) present an additional formation process caused by cooling of the near-surface ocean under open water areas in late summer, which leaves behind a warmer subsurface layer. Although NSTM heat is gained in the summer, the release of this heat often occurs in later seasons. Observations in the Canada Basin show that the NSTM often survives into fall, and that heat from this layer can be mixed into the surface mixed layer to delay or slow freeze up (Steele et al., 2008;Jackson et al., 2010;Steele et al., 2011;Timmermans, 2015).Early studies of the NSTM during AIDJEX (Maykut and McPhee, 1995) and SHEBA (McPhee et al., 1998) found that the layer was present directly below the summer surface mixed layer, at depths between 25 and 35 m. However, the Canada Basin upper ocean is freshening (McPhee et al., 2009) Summer sea ice extent in the Western Arctic has decreased significantly in recent years resulting in increased solar input into the upper ocean. Here, a comprehensive set of in situ shipboard, on-ice, and autonomous ice-ocean measurements were made of the early stages of formation of the near-surface temperature maximum (NSTM) in the Canada Basin. These observations along with the results from a 1-D turbulent boundary layer model indicate that heat storage associated with NSTM formation is largely due to the absorption of penetrating solar radiation just below a protective summer halocline. The depth of the summer halocline was found to be the most important factor for determining the amount of solar radiation absorbed in the NSTM layer, while halocline strength controlled the amount of heat removed from the NSTM by turbulent transport. Observations using the Naval Postgraduate School Turbulence Frame show that the NSTM was able to persist despite periods of i...

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Accelerated decline in the Arctic sea ice cover

Cited by 1,503 publications

References 19 publications

Origin of freshwater and polynya water in the Arctic Ocean halocline in summer 2007

Origin of freshwater and polynya water in the Arctic Ocean halocline in summer 2007

Diatom evidence for the onset of Pliocene cooling from AND-1B, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Field observations and results of a 1-D boundary layer model for developing near-surface temperature maxima in the Western Arctic

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