Satellite Multi-Sensor Data Analysis of Unusually Strong Polar Lows over the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in October 2017

Abstract

Polar lows (PLs) are intense mesoscale weather systems that often cause severe storm winds in the Nordic Seas but were considered as being exceedingly rare in the Pacific Arctic region before sea ice decline. Here, we explore four PLs observed on 18–22 October 2017 in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas—an area with an exceptionally sparse observation network. The study is based on the combined use of the satellite microwave measurements, as well as infrared imagery, the ERA5, MERRA-2 and NCEP-CFSv2 reanalysis data sets. An unusually strong PLs pair developed near the marginal ice zone during a marine-cold air outbreak in anomalously low sea ice extent conditions. PLs pair moved southward as a mesocyclonic system called the “merry-go-round”, under the upper-level tropospheric vortex with a cold core. Multi-sensor satellite measurements show that, in the mature stage, a PL pair had near-surface wind speeds (W) close to hurricane force—over 30 m/s. Comparison analysis of W distributions within the strongest PL showed that all reanalysis data sets reasonably reproduce the PL median wind speed but underestimate its extreme values by 15–23%. The reanalysis data sets detected only two PLs with horizontal scales of over 220 km. Tracks of identified PLs for all data sets are in good agreement with the ones obtained from satellite images capturing the main features of the mesoscale weather system propagation. For the track of the strongest PL event, ERA5 exhibited the most accordance with satellite observations with a tracking error of 50–60 km.

Polar low research: recent developments and promising courses of research

“…ERA5 captures more PLs than its predecessor, ERA-Interim (Stoll et al, 2021). Nevertheless, ERA5 underestimates near-surface wind speed associated with PLs (Haakenstad et al, 2021;Gurvich et al, 2022;Køltzow et al, 2022). The Copernicus Arctic Regional Reanalysis (CARRA, Yang et al, 2020), which uses ERA5 as lateral boundary conditions, has a 2.5-km grid mesh and 65 vertical levels, and provides 3-hourly output.…”

“…In the Northern Hemisphere, most PLs develop at latitudes poleward of 50°N in the North Atlantic and 40°N in the North Pacific (Stoll, 2022; Figure 2A). Although rare, some PLs develop in the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean (e.g., Gurvich et al, 2022). In the Southern Hemisphere, most PLs develop near the sea ice edge, between 50°S and 65°S (Stoll, 2022; Figure 2B).…”

Assessment of Extreme Ocean Winds within Intense Wintertime Windstorms over the North Pacific Using SMAP L-Band Radiometer Observations

“…Concurrently, multi-sensor satellite measurements provide valuable information about atmospheric water vapor and cloud liquid water content, sea surface temperature distribution, and ocean winds. Combining imagery from multiple sensors-operating in both optical and microwave wavelength spectra-can clarify the position, intensity, and stage of development of mesoscale and synoptic-scale weather systems [25][26][27], including extratropical cyclones [28][29][30].…”