Relationships between Arctic Sea Ice and Clouds during Autumn

The connection between sea ice variability and cloud cover over the Arctic seas during autumn is investigated by analyzing the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) products and the Television and Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) Polar Pathfinder satellite datase...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of climate 2008-09, Vol.21 (18), p.4799-4810
Main Authors: Schweiger, Axel J., Lindsay, Ron W., Vavrus, Steve, Francis, Jennifer A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arctic clouds
Arctic sea ice
Atmospheric boundary layer
Atmospheric temperature
Autumn
Boundary layers
Climate change
Cloud amount
Cloud cover
Cloud physics
Clouds
Correlation analysis
Datasets
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Experiments
External geophysics
Feedback
Humidity profiles
Hypotheses
Ice
Ice conditions
Ice cover
Ice removal
Infrared analysis
Marine
Meteorology
Monte Carlo simulation
Oceans
Physics of the oceans
Precipitation
Radiation
Satellite observation
Satellites
Sea ice
Seas
Seasons
Static stability
Stratus clouds
Summer
Surface temperature
Temperature structure
Variability
Vertical stability
Winter
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Summary:The connection between sea ice variability and cloud cover over the Arctic seas during autumn is investigated by analyzing the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) products and the Television and Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) Polar Pathfinder satellite datasets. It is found that cloud cover variability near the sea ice margins is strongly linked to sea ice variability. Sea ice retreat is linked to a decrease in low-level cloud amount and a simultaneous increase in midlevel clouds. This pattern is apparent in both data sources. Changes in cloud cover can be explained by changes in the atmospheric temperature structure and an increase in near-surface temperatures resulting from the removal of sea ice. The subsequent decrease in static stability and deepening of the atmospheric boundary layer apparently contribute to the rise in cloud level. The radiative effect of this change is relatively small, as the direct radiative effects of cloud cover changes are compensated for by changes in the temperature and humidity profiles associated with varying ice conditions.
ISSN:0894-8755
1520-0442
DOI:10.1175/2008jcli2156.1