Arctic Climate Variability

ISBN-13: 9783836408028 / Angielski / Miękka / 2007 / 132 str.

Torben Koenigk

Opis

Arctic sea ice plays an important role in the global climate system due to itshigh reflectivity of solar radiance, isolation effects and melting- and freezingprocesses. Sea ice export through Fram Strait is the largest source of ice exportfrom the Arctic into the North Atlantic Ocean. The author uses a globalclimate model to analyze Arctic climate variability with special focus on theArctic sea ice export and its impact on northern hemispheric climate. TheFram Strait sea ice export shows pronounced interannual and decadal variability,which is mainly caused by variations of wind stress and sea ice thicknessin Fram Strait. The physical mechanisms of these variations are investigated.Large Fram Strait sea ice export events affect oceanic and atmospheric climateconditions in the Labrador Sea one and two years later. Hence, FramStrait sea ice export shows a high potential for predictability of climate in theLabrador Sea. This book is addressed to readers with physical and mathematicalknowledge interested in Arctic climate.