Tropical cyclone activity over western North Pacific favors Arctic sea ice increase

Liangying Zeng; Yao Ha; Chuanfeng Zhao; Haixia Dai; Yimin Zhu; Yijia Hu; Xiaoyu Zhu; Zhiyuan Ding; Yudi Liu; Zhong Zhong

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-53991-y

Tropical cyclone activity over western North Pacific favors Arctic sea ice increase

Nat Commun. 2024 Nov 5;15(1):9564. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53991-y.

Authors

Liangying Zeng^{1

2}, Yao Ha^{3

4

5}, Chuanfeng Zhao⁶, Haixia Dai^{1

2}, Yimin Zhu^{1

2

7}, Yijia Hu^{1

2}, Xiaoyu Zhu^{1

2}, Zhiyuan Ding^{1

2}, Yudi Liu^{1

2}, Zhong Zhong^{8

9

10}

Affiliations

¹ College of Meteorology and Oceanography, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, China.
² Key Laboratory of High Impact Weather, China Meteorological Administration, Changsha, China.
³ College of Meteorology and Oceanography, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, China. [email protected].
⁴ Key Laboratory of High Impact Weather, China Meteorological Administration, Changsha, China. [email protected].
⁵ Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Climate Change, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. [email protected].
⁶ Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China.
⁷ Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Climate Change, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
⁸ College of Meteorology and Oceanography, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, China. [email protected].
⁹ Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Climate Change, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. [email protected].
¹⁰ Key Laboratory for Virtual Geographic Environment, School of Geography Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China. [email protected].

PMID: 39500932
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53991-y

Abstract

Teleconnections between the tropics and the Arctic have attracted a lot of scientific interest. However, the mechanisms by which tropical synoptic-scale systems influence the variability of Arctic sea ice remain unknown. In this study, we highlight the impacts of tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the western North Pacific (WNP) on Arctic Sea Ice Concentration (SIC) using observational evidence and climate model simulation experiments. Our findings demonstrate significant positive correlations between Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) in the WNP and SIC in the Arctic-Pacific Sector (APS), particularly when considering a 30-day lag. The TC activity over the WNP induces Rossby wave train propagation towards the Arctic, leading to anomalous cyclonic circulation over the upper troposphere of the APS. The anomalous cyclone over the Arctic, on one hand, signifies the deepening of the Arctic polar vortex and diminishes adiabatic warming over the APS, subsequently inducing cooling and drying of the lower Arctic air. This process reduces downward longwave radiation, promoting an increase in September APS SIC. On the other hand, the anomalous cyclone over the Arctic hinders the export of sea ice and local melting processes throughout the Fram Strait. These findings contribute to a deeper comprehension of tropics-Arctic teleconnections.

Abstract

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