Characteristics of Arctic Summer Inversion and Its Correlation with Extreme Sea Ice Anomalies

Abstract

Low tropospheric temperature inversion is very common in the Arctic region. Based on the hyperspectral Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) profiles from 2002 to 2020, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics and anomalies for low tropospheric inversions in the entire Arctic, especially during the summer period. Three types of inversion are classified here, representing the inversions under the clear-sky condition (“clear” inversion), under the cloudy condition with clouds under the inversion layer top (“cloud-I” inversion), and without clouds under the inversion layer top (“cloud-II” inversion). Obvious seasonality is revealed in these three types of inversion, which is stronger in winter than in summer, as per previous studies. We further found that a “summer” peak of inversions occurs in the Arctic, notably in July. Averaged over the study region (60−90° N, 180° W−180° E), the frequencies of “cloud-I” and “cloud-II” inversions peak in July with values of about 22.1% and 34.6%, respectively. Moreover, the three inversion types all display a small “July” peak of inversion strength, ranging from 2.14 to 3.19 K. The result reveals that when the frequency and strength of summer inversions are both with high positive anomalies, there would be a drop in sea ice concentration in September. This implied that the high positive anomalies, both in inversion frequency and strength in summer, might be a predicted signal for the extreme low sea ice event in September. It is also noted that during the extreme low sea ice events in 2007 and 2020, the summer inversion has a strong positive anomaly. However, the summer inversion in 2012, when the sea ice extent also broke the low record, was not extreme as in 2007 and 2020. Further study needs to be supported by follow-up models and observations to evaluate the impact of the inversions on the sea ice.

A Warmer and Wetter Arctic: Insights From a 20‐Years AIRS Record

“…Previously, AIRS data has been used to investigate how the Arctic atmosphere is changing with sea ice loss, and how changes to the atmosphere are affecting the sea ice pack. For example, this data set has been used to: Estimate evaporation and turbulent fluxes (Boisvert, Wu, & Shie, 2015; Boisvert, Wu, Vihma, & Susskind, 2015; Boisvert et al., 2012, 2013; Taylor et al., 2018) and relationship to clouds (Monroe et al., 2021), Understand climate models representation of turbulent fluxes and constrain wintertime warming projections (Boisvert et al., 2022; Taylor et al., 2018), Investigate the impact of extreme arctic cyclones on the sea ice pack in the winter months (Blanchard‐Wrigglesworth et al., 2022; Boisvert et al., 2016), Understand sea ice changes over parcel lifecycles in a Lagrangian framework (Horvath et al., 2023), Investigate the thermodynamic state of the atmosphere in the Arctic (Devasthale et al., 2013), and temperature and moisture inversions (Devasthale et al., 2010, 2011; Pavelsky et al., 2011), and their effect on sea ice variability (Wang et al., 2022), and Investigate heat and moisture transport into the Arctic and how this affects the radiation both at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere (Devasthale et al., 2013; Sedar & Tjernnstrom, 2017; Sedlar & Devasthale, 2012), along with summer sea ice melt (You et al., 2021). …”

“…Investigate the thermodynamic state of the atmosphere in the Arctic (Devasthale et al., 2013), and temperature and moisture inversions (Devasthale et al., 2010, 2011; Pavelsky et al., 2011), and their effect on sea ice variability (Wang et al., 2022), and…”

“…Understand sea ice changes over parcel lifecycles in a Lagrangian framework (Horvath et al, 2023), 5. Investigate the thermodynamic state of the atmosphere in the Arctic (Devasthale et al, 2013), and temperature and moisture inversions (Devasthale et al, 2010(Devasthale et al, , 2011Pavelsky et al, 2011), and their effect on sea ice variability (Wang et al, 2022), and 6. Investigate heat and moisture transport into the Arctic and how this affects the radiation both at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere (Devasthale et al, 2013;Sedar & Tjernnstrom, 2017;, along with summer sea ice melt (You et al, 2021).…”