The role of cyclones in snow accumulation on sea ice
Abstract
Snow is the most reflective, and also the most insulating, natural material on Earth. Consequently, it governs the growth and melt of sea ice, depending on snow's thickness and physical properties. Snow on sea ice is primarily established by major snowfall events associated with cyclonic systems. In this work, we investigate the role of cyclone activity in snow accumulation on Arctic sea ice using a combination of numerical modeling and observational data. We employ a cyclone tracker algorithm to reanalysis data to quantify the seasonal buildup of the snowpack due to cyclonic systems over the 1979-2017 period. This work focuses on examining the regional and seasonal differences in cyclone activity that contribute to unique snow conditions. Years with anomalous snow conditions are highlighted with additional analysis of Operation IceBridge and ice mass balance buoy data, and linked to the temporal and spatial patterns of cyclones derived from the reanalysis data. We conduct numerical model simulations of cyclone events during these years of anomalous snow conditions to provide insight into the effects of cyclone intensity and life cycle on snow accumulation events. These findings provide new information on the significance of cyclone activity for snow on sea ice, and motivate improved observations and model treatment of weather events in the Arctic.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.C33F1647W
- Keywords:
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- 0750 Sea ice;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 0799 General or miscellaneous;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 9315 Arctic region;
- GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONDE: 1621 Cryospheric change;
- GLOBAL CHANGE