Impact of the atmosphere on surface radiative fluxes and snowmelt in the Arctic and Subarctic

Zhang, Tingjun; Bowling, Sue Ann; Stamnes, Knut

doi:10.1029/96jd02548

Cited by 29 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Increasing solar radiation during spring provides substantial energy for snowmelt. Variations in downward longwave radiation account for interannual variability in snowmelt within the Arctic and Subarctic, as deduced from atmospheric radiative transfer modeling (Zhang et al, 1997). Zhang et al (2001) proposed that atmospheric thickness had a positive impact on downward longwave radiation, and that increasing the atmospheric thickness was sufficient to trigger the onset of snowmelt.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snow disappearance in Eastern Siberia and its relationship to atmospheric influences

Iijima

Masuda

Ohata

2006

Intl Journal of Climatology

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Abstract:In the present study, we examine the climatological features and interannual variations in snow disappearance within the Lena River Basin, Eastern Siberia, during a recent 15-year period (1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000), and the relationship of snow disappearance to atmospheric conditions. According to the climatology of the day of the year on which snow disappears, the boundary of snow disappearance within the Lena River Basin migrates rapidly northward from mid-April until early June, with minimum interannual variation occurring in the middle part of the basin. In addition, the preceding snow disappearance is apparent in the central Lena River Basin. Melting of snow within the Lena River Basin commonly occurs within 30 days of complete snow disappearance under certain atmospheric conditions: daily mean air temperature in excess of −10°C, greater than 2 hPa of water vapor pressure, and, hence, more than 170 W m −2 of downward longwave radiation under clear sky conditions. Composite analysis using a reanalysis dataset demonstrates that the increase in air temperature and water vapor that accompanies snow melting is due to wet (and warm) air advection in conjunction with enhanced water vapor convergence over the central Lena River Basin during the 30-day period prior to snow disappearance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snow disappearance in Eastern Siberia and its relationship to atmospheric influences

Iijima

Masuda

Ohata

2006

Intl Journal of Climatology

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“…The permafrost temperature has increased about 2Њ-4ЊC during the last 40-80 yr on the North Slope of Alaska (Lachenbruch and Marshall 1986), while the mean air temperature during the same period was about Ϫ12.1 Ϯ 1.1ЊC (Zhang and Osterkamp 1993). Changes in seasonal snow cover may account for the permafrost surface warming (Zhang and Osterkamp 1993). Recent measurements indicate that the permafrost surface temperature cycled consistently with the 10-11 yr sunspot cycle (Osterkamp et al 1994).…”

Section: B Influences Of High Latitudes On Global Climatementioning

confidence: 98%

“…It is not so widely recognized that the initiation and rate of melting is most strongly influenced by downwelling longwave radiation, which at high latitudes is itself dominated by the extent and character of cloud cover, and influenced to a lesser extent by the water vapor profile (Curry et al 1993;Curry 1995;Curry et al 1995;Zhang et al 1996Zhang et al , 1997. Hence, clouds play a critical role in nearly all high-latitude feedback mechanisms, as modulators of the timing and rate of change of surface albedo.…”

Section: Nsa-aao Primary Scientific Focus: Highlatitude Phenomenamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, a recent study notes that the carbon stored in the upper permafrost and active layer of northern ecosystems is equivalent to 60% of the 750 Gt of carbon now in the atmosphere . The permafrost temperature has increased about 2Њ-4ЊC during the last 40-80 yr on the North Slope of Alaska (Lachenbruch and Marshall 1986), while the mean air temperature during the same period was about Ϫ12.1 Ϯ 1.1ЊC (Zhang and Osterkamp 1993). Changes in seasonal snow cover may account for the permafrost surface warming (Zhang and Osterkamp 1993).…”

Section: B Influences Of High Latitudes On Global Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

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Review of Science Issues, Deployment Strategy, and Status for the ARM North Slope of Alaska–Adjacent Arctic Ocean Climate Research Site

et al. 1999

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Recent climate modeling results point to the Arctic as a region that is particularly sensitive to global climate change. The Arctic warming predicted by the models to result from the expected doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide is two to three times the predicted mean global warming, and considerably greater than the warming predicted for the Antarctic. The North Slope of Alaska-Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA-AAO) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is designed to collect data on temperature-ice-albedo and water vapor-cloud-radiation feedbacks, which are believed to be important to the predicted enhanced warming in the Arctic. The most important scientific issues of Arctic, as well as global, significance to be addressed at the NSA-AAO CART site are discussed, and a brief overview of the current approach toward, and status of, site development is provided. ARM radiometric and remote sensing instrumentation is already deployed and taking data in the perennial Arctic ice pack as part of the SHEBA (Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean) experiment. In parallel with ARM's participation in SHEBA, the NSA-AAO facility near Barrow was formally dedicated on 1 July 1997 and began routine data collection early in 1998. This schedule permits the U.S. Department of Energy's ARM Program, NASA's Arctic Cloud program, and the SHEBA program (funded primarily by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research) to be mutually supportive. In addition, location of the NSA-AAO Barrow facility on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration land immediately adjacent to its Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory Barrow Observatory includes NOAA in this major interagency Arctic collaboration.

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“…They offer the benefit of extended flight times during times of good weather conditions, but fall short of the UASs in terms of flexibility when sampling a targeted spatial location or in capturing gradients across boundaries. Example applications include the measurement of atmospheric composition and structure (e.g., Greenberg 1999;Pisano et al 1997;Neff et al 2008;Shupe et al 2012) and cloud microphysical properties (e.g., Duda et al 1991;Kitchen and Caughey 1981;Zhang et al 1997).…”

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confidence: 99%

A Bird’s-Eye View: Development of an Operational ARM Unmanned Aerial Capability for Atmospheric Research in Arctic Alaska

Boer

Ivey

Schmid

et al. 2018

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

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Thorough understanding of aerosols, clouds, boundary layer structure, and radiation is required to improve the representation of the Arctic atmosphere in weather forecasting and climate models. To develop such understanding, new perspectives are needed to provide details on the vertical structure and spatial variability of key atmospheric properties, along with information over difficult-to-reach surfaces such as newly forming sea ice. Over the last three years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has supported various flight campaigns using unmanned aircraft systems [UASs, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones] and tethered balloon systems (TBSs) at Oliktok Point, Alaska. These activities have featured in situ measurements of the thermodynamic state, turbulence, radiation, aerosol properties, cloud microphysics, and turbulent fluxes to provide a detailed characterization of the lower atmosphere. Alongside a suite of active and passive ground-based sensors and radiosondes deployed by the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program through the third ARM Mobile Facility (AMF-3), these flight activities demonstrate the ability of such platforms to provide critically needed information. In addition to providing new and unique datasets, lessons learned during initial campaigns have assisted in the development of an exciting new community resource.

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Impact of the atmosphere on surface radiative fluxes and snowmelt in the Arctic and Subarctic

Cited by 29 publications

References 22 publications

Snow disappearance in Eastern Siberia and its relationship to atmospheric influences

Snow disappearance in Eastern Siberia and its relationship to atmospheric influences

Review of Science Issues, Deployment Strategy, and Status for the ARM North Slope of Alaska–Adjacent Arctic Ocean Climate Research Site

A Bird’s-Eye View: Development of an Operational ARM Unmanned Aerial Capability for Atmospheric Research in Arctic Alaska

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