On the Increasing Importance of Air-Sea Exchanges in a Thawing Arctic: A Review

• Published in: Atmosphere Vol. 9; no. 2; p. 41
• Main Authors: Taylor, Patrick C., Hegyi, Bradley M., Boeke, Robyn C., Boisvert, Linette N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Langley Research Center MDPI 26.01.2018; MDPI AG
• Subjects: Ablation; Advection; Aerodynamics; Air; Air temperature; Air-water exchanges; Arctic Amplification; Arctic climate change; Arctic climate changes; Arctic climates; Arctic sea ice; Atmosphere; Atmospheric circulation; Boundary layer temperatures; Boundary layers; Carbon dioxide; Climate change; Climate effects; Climate variability; Clouds; Earth; Eddy kinetic energy; Energy budget; Energy transfer; Exchanging; Fluxes; Humidity; Ice; Ice cover; Ice environments; latent heat; Meteorology And Climatology; Momentum; ocean heat storage; ocean mixed-layer; Ocean mixing; Ocean surface; Oceans; Polar environments; Predictions; Sea ice; Sea surface temperature; sensible heat; Surface energy; surface energy budget; Surface properties; Surface roughness; Surface temperature; surface turbulent fluxes; Temperature effects; Thawing; Trends; Turbulence; Turbulent energy; Turbulent fluxes; Variability; Wind speed; Arctic Ocean; Arctic region
• ISSN: 2073-4433; 2073-4433
• DOI: 10.3390/atmos9020041

Forty years ago, climate scientists predicted the Arctic to be on of Earth’s most sensitive climate regions and thus extremely vulnerable to increased CO2. The rapid and unprecedented changes observed in the Arctic confirm this prediction, which has consequences that ripple through the global climate system. Especially significant, sea ice loss is altering the exchange of mass, energy, and momentum between the atmosphere and Arctic Ocean. A thick, extensive, and multiyear ice cover has historically limited such exchanges, however, the summertime Arctic Ocean is expected to be nearly ice‐free within 15 years increasing the potential for air‐sea exchange. Changes in surface turbulent fluxes can alter the Arctic surface energy budget, sea ice, clouds, boundary layer temperature and humidity, and atmospheric and oceanic circulations. This paper reviews current knowledge of surface turbulent fluxes across the Arctic Ocean and the known effects on climate. We conclude that Arctic air‐sea energy exchanges are becoming an increasingly consequential factor driving Arctic climate. Arctic Ocean surface turbulent energy exchanges are not smooth and steady but rather irregular and episodic, considering this nature of air‐sea energy exchanges is essential for improving Arctic climate projections. New field data focusing on the episodic nature of air‐sea exchange will accelerate our understanding of Arctic climate change.