Recorded presentation1.1
Partitioning of recent surface temperature trends in the Arctic
Yinghui Liu, CIMSS/Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; and J. Key and X. Wang
A method is presented to assess the influences of changes in Arctic cloud cover and sea ice concentration on the recent surface temperature trend in the Arctic, allowing for a more robust diagnosis of causes for surface warming or cooling. Seasonal trends in satellite-derived Arctic surface temperature under clear, cloudy, and all-sky conditions are examined for the period from 1982 to present. The satellite-derived trends are evaluated with trends in the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-40 Reanalysis product and surface-based weather station measurements in the Arctic. The all-sky surface temperature trend is divided into multiple parts, which include a linear combination of the surface temperature trends under clear and cloudy conditions, the trend caused by changes in cloud cover combined with the clear/cloudy surface temperature difference, and the trend as a function of sea ice concentration changes. The relative importance of these components is evaluated in the four seasons.
Session 1, Polar Weather and Climate Variations (Present)
Monday, 18 May 2009, 8:30 AM-10:00 AM, Capitol Ballroom AB
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