Impact of the Pacific sector sea ice loss on the sudden stratospheric warming characteristics

Abstract

The atmospheric response to Arctic sea ice loss remains a subject of much debate. Most studies have focused on the sea ice retreat in the Barents-Kara Seas and its troposphere-stratosphere influence. Here, we investigate the impact of large sea ice loss over the Chukchi-Bering Seas on the sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) phenomenon during the easterly phase of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation through idealized large-ensemble experiments based on a global atmospheric model with a well-resolved stratosphere. Although culminating in autumn, the prescribed sea ice loss induces near-surface warming that persists into winter and deepens as the SSW develops. The resulting temperature contrasts foster a deep cyclonic circulation over the North Pacific, which elicits a strong upward wavenumber-2 activity into the stratosphere, reinforcing the climatological planetary wave pattern. While not affecting the SSW occurrence frequency, the amplified wave forcing in the stratosphere significantly increases the SSW duration and intensity, enhancing cold air outbreaks over the continents afterward.

Analysis of Planetary Scale Waves Using Idealized Sudden Stratospheric Warming Simulations in Different Dynamical Cores

“…It is important to note that our simulations were based on idealized test cases, and although an unusual performance of the FV core was evident, the real‐world applicability of these results is uncertain. In real general circulation model (GCM) simulations, significant contributions may come from physics parameterizations such as gravity wave drag (Marsh et al., 2013) and the sea‐ice effect (Zhang et al., 2022). To fully understand the impact of the dynamical core on real‐world SSWs, further research that includes various large‐scale evaluations and long‐duration simulations is necessary.…”

Enhanced Subseasonal Variability of Spring Temperature Over Eastern China in 2022: Initial Role of Extremely Heavy Arctic Sea Ice in Previous Winter

“…The subseasonal “stretched” stratospheric polar vortex variations modified by abnormal states of Arctic sea ice and Eurasian snow cover is linked with the recent winter extreme cold across parts of Asia and North America (Cohen et al., 2021). It was also shown that SICs losses in the North Pacific could increases the SSW duration and intensity, and then enhance cold air outbreaks over the continents (J. R. Zhang et al., 2022). Thus, how spring stratospheric polar vortex subseasonal modes influence SAT over EC and how their linkage is modulated by Arctic SIC variations are of importance to address in the future.…”

Signature of Sudden Stratospheric Warming in the Pole and Its Antipode

“…The SSW‐induced effects extend well beyond the polar stratosphere and their impacts are well detected from oceans to the ionosphere (Goncharenko et al., 2010; Liu et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2022). Some studies have shown that even as a predictor of several tropospheric weather events, stratospheric harbingers may be used (Baldwin & Dunkerton, 2001; Julian & Labitzke, 1965; Quiroz, 1977).…”