Seasonal and inter-annual variations of the primary types of the Arctic sea-ice drifting patterns

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1085.2012.00072

Abstract

Abstract: Monthly mean sea ice motion vectors and monthly mean sea level pressure (SLP) for the period of 1979-2006 are analyzed to investigate the spatial and temporal changes of Arctic sea-ice drift. According to the distinct differences in monthly mean ice velocity field as well as in the distribution of SLP, there are four primary sea-ice drifting types in the Arctic Ocean: Beaufort Gyre+Transpolar Drift, Anticyclonic Drift, Cyclonic Drift and Symmetric Drift. These four drifting types account for 81% of the total, and reveal distinct seasonal variations. The Cyclonic Drift with a large-scale anticlockwise ice motion pattern trends to prevail in summer while the Anticyclonic Drift with an opposite pattern trends to prevail in winter and spring. The prevailing seasons for the Beaufort Gyre+Transpolar Drift are spring and summer, while the Symmetric Drift trends to prevail in winter, especially in February. The annual occurring times of the Anticyclonic Drift and the Cyclonic Drift are closely correlated with the yearly mean Arctic Oscillation (AO) index, with a correlation coefficient of -0.54 and 0.54 (both significant with the confident level of 99%), respectively. When the AO index stays in a high positive (negative) condition, the sea-ice motion in the Arctic Ocean demonstrates a more anticlockwise (clockwise) drifting pattern as a whole. When the AO index stays in a neutral condition, the sea-ice motion becomes much more complicated and more transitional types trend to take place.

Key words: sea ice, ice drift, drifting pattern, seasonal and annual variation, Arctic Oscillation

WANG Xiaoyu & ZHAO Jinping. Seasonal and inter-annual variations of the primary types of the Arctic sea-ice drifting patterns[J]. ADVANCES IN POLAR SCIENCE, 2012, 23(2-English): 72-81.

References

[1]Arfeuille,G.,L. A. Mysak,and L. B. Tremblay.Simulation of the interannual variability of the wind-driven arctic sea-ice cover during 1958–1998[J].ClimDyn,2000,16:107-121

[2]Belchansky,GI.,D. C. Douglas,and N. G. Platonov.Spatial and temporal variations in the age structure of Arctic sea ice[J].,2005,32:-

[3]Boyd,T. J., M. Steele,R. D. Muench,and J. T. Gunn .Partial recovery of the Arctic Ocean halocline[J].,2002, 29:-

[4]Colony, R., and A. S. Thorndike.An Estimate of the Mean Field of Arctic Sea Ice Motion[J].,1984,:623-629

[5]Deser, C., J. E. Walsh, and M. S. Timlin.Arctic sea ice variability in the context of recent atmospheric circulation trends[J].J. Climate,2000,13:617-633

[6]Fowler, C..Polar Pathfinder Daily 25 km EASE-Grid Sea Ice Motion Vectors[J].,2003, updatd 2008,:-

[7]Hakkinen,S., A. Proshutinsky, and I. Ashik .Sea ice drift in the Arctic since the 1950s[J].,2008,:-

[8]Hurrell,J. W..Decadal trends in the North Atlantic Oscillation: Regional temperatures and precipitation[J].Science,1995,269:676-679

[9]Kalnay et al.The NCEP/NCAR 40-1996 reanalysis project[J].,1996,:437-470

[10]Kwok,R..Recent changes in Arctic Ocean sea ice motion associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation[J].,2000,27(6):775-778

[11]Lemke,P., J. Ren,R.B. Alley,I. Allison,J. Carrasco,G. Flato,Y. Fujii,G. Kaser,P. Mote,R.H. Thomas and T. Zhang .Observations:Changes in Snow,Ice and Frozen Ground. [J].,2007,:.-

[12]Lindsay,R.,J. Zhang,A. Schweiger,M. Steele,and H. Stren.Arctic sea ice retreat in 2007 follows thinning trend[J].,2009,22:165-176

[13]Lukovich,J. V.,and D. G. Barber .Atmospheric controls on sea ice motion in the southern Beaufort Sea[J].,2006,:-

[14]Maslanik,J.A.,C. Fowler,J. Stroeve,S. Drobot,J. Zwally,D. Yi,and W. Emery .A younger,thinner Arctic ice cover: Increased potential for rapid,extensive sea-ice loss[J].,2007,:-

[15]Maslowski,W.,B. Newton,P. Schlosser,A. Semtner,and D. Martinson.Modeling recent climate variability in the Arctic Ocean[J].Geophys. Res. Lett,2000,27(22):3743-3746

[16]Maykut,G. A..Large-Scale Heat Exchange and Ice Production in the Central Arctic[J].J. Geophys. Res,1982,87(C10):7971-7984

[17]McLaren,A. S.,M. C. Serreze,and R. G. Barry.,Seasonal variations of sea ice motion in the Canada Basin and their implications,Geophys[J].Res. Lett,1987,14(11):1123-1126

[18]Newton,R.,P. Schlosser,D. G. Martinson,and W. Maslowski.Freshwater distribution in the Arctic Ocean:Simulation with a high-resolution model and model-data comparison[J].,2008,113:-

[19]Nghiem,S.V.,I. G. Rigor,D. K. Perovich,P. Clemente-Colo′n,J. W. Weatherly,and G. Neumann.Rapid reduction of Arctic perennial sea ice[J].,2007,34(L19504):-

[20]Overland,J.E.,and M. Wang .Future regional Arctic sea ice declines[J].,2007,34(L17705):-

[21]Pfirman,S.,W. F. Haxby,R. Colony,and I. Rigor.Variability in Arctic sea ice drift[J].,2004,31(L16402):-

[22]Proshutinsky,A. Y.,and M. A. Johnson.Two circulation regimes of the wind-driven Arctic Ocean[J].,1997,102(C6)(12):493-514

[23]Rampal,P.,J. Weiss,and D. Marsan .Positive trend in the mean speed and deformation rate of Arctic sea ice,1979–2007[J].,2009,114(C05013):-

[24]Rigor,I. G.,J. M. Wallace,and R. L. Colony.Response of sea ice to the Arctic Oscillation[J].J. Climate,2002,15:2648-2663

[25]Rigor,I.G.,and J. M. Wallace.Variations in the age of Arctic sea-ice and summer sea-ice extent[J].,2004,31:-

[26]Rothrock,D.A.,Y.Yu,and G. A. Maykut .Thinning of the Arctic sea ice cover[J].,1999,26(23):-

[27]Rothrock,D.A.,J.Zhang,and Y. Yu.The arctic ice thickness anomaly of the 1990s: A consistent view from observations and models[J].,2003,108(C3),(3083):-

[28]Schlitzer, R. .[J].,2012, http://odv.awi.de.:-

[29]Screen,J.A.,I. Simmonds,and K. Keay .Dramatic interannual changes of perennial Arctic sea ice linked toabnormal summer storm activity[J].,2011,116(D15105):-

[30]Serreze,M. C.,and A. P. Barrett.The summer cyclone maximum over the central Arctic Ocean[J].J. Clim,2008,21:1048-1065

[31]Serreze,M. C.,R. G. Barry,and A. S. McLaren.Seasonal Variations in Sea Ice Motion and Effects on Sea Ice Concentration in the Canada Basin[J].,1989,94(C8):955-970

[32]Simmonds,I.,C. Burke,and K. Keay.Arctic climate change as manifest in cyclone behavior[J].,2008,21:5777-5796

[33]Sorteberg,A.,and B.Kvingedal.Atmospheric forcing on theBarents Sea winter ice extent[J].,2006,19: 4772- 4784

[34]Steele,M.,and T. Boyd.Retreat of the cold halocline layer in the Arctic Ocean[J].,1998,103(C5), :419-439

[35]Su,J.,J. Wei,X. Li,and D. Xu.Sea ice area inter-annual variability in the Pacific sector of the Arctic and its correlations with oceanographic and atmospheric main patterns. Proceedings,Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference (ISOPE-95)[J].,2011,:-

[36]Thorndike,A. S.,and R. Colony.Sea Ice Motion in Response to Geostrophic Winds[J].,1982,87(C8):5845-5852

[37]Tucker,W. B.,III,J. W. Weatherly,D. T. Eppler,L. D. Farmer,and D. L. Bentley.Evidence for rapid thinning of sea ice in the western Arctic Ocean at the end of the 1980s[J].,2001,28(14):2851-2854

[38]Vinje,T..Fram Strait ice fluxes and atmospheric circulation: 1950– 2000[J].J. Climate,2001,14:3508-3517

[39]Walsh,J .E.,W .L. Chapman,and T .L. Shy .Recent decrease of sea level pressure in the central Arctic[J].,1996,:480-486

[40]Wu, B. Y., and Mark A. Johnson .Distinct modes of winter Arctic sea ice motion and their associations with surface wind variability [J].,2010,27 (2),:211-229

[41]Wu,Q.,and X. Zhang .Observed forcing‐feedback processes between Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation and Arctic sea ice coverage[J].,2010,:-

[42]Zhang,X.,J. E.Walsh,J. Zhang,U. S. Bhatt,and M. Ikeda .Interannual variability of Arctic cyclone activity,1948– 2002[J].,2004,:2300-2317

[43]Zhao,J.,Y. Cao,and J. Shi.Core region of Arctic Oscillation and the main atmospheric events impact on the Arctic[J].,2006,:-

[44]Zhao,J.,Y. Cao,and J. Shi .Spatial variation of the Arctic Oscillation and its long-term change[J].Tellus,A,2010,:661-672

[45]Zhao,Y.,and A. K. Liu.Arctic sea-ice motion and its relation to pressure field[J].,2007,63:505-515