Cyclone Impact on Arctic Sea Ice: Told by the Floes

Arctic cyclones are an integral part of the polar climate system. They import moisture and energy from the midlatitudes, as well as impact the underlying surface through dynamical interactions. The rapid warming in the Arctic and related sea ice decline, is making it more important than ever to better understand the tightly coupled interactions between Arctic sea ice and episodic weather events, such as cyclones.

This work uses a Lagrangian ice parcel database with coincident sea ice and atmospheric variables to study the impact extreme cyclones have on the Arctic Sea ice. The database includes daily 25km ice parcel tracks and associated atmospheric and sea ice conditions including cyclone track data from 2002-2021. The cyclones affecting the sea ice are divided into extreme, normal, and weak cases based on their central pressure and average wind speeds. The atmospheric conditions (precipitation, temperature, radiative balance) over the affected ice parcels are then contrasted between the different cyclone groups, and the sea ice response to the passing cyclone is assessed by examining the change in albedo, SIC, sea ice thickness, snow depth over the ice parcel. The results have often shown a varied response to a passing cyclone with a decreasing SIC before/early in the cyclone’s passing, and an increasing SIC after the cyclone passes. This varied response will be the focus of this presentation.

Results will be presented for individual seasons, locations, and surrounding SIC to provide a better understanding of the different processes and elements that affect this bimodal cyclone impact on the sea ice.