Tundra burning in 2007: did sea ice matter?

A regional atmospheric model (Weather Research and Forecast, WRF) is used in a study of the potential role of low sea ice extent in 2007 for anomalously dry conditions on Alaskan North Slope. The model is driven by NCEP/NCAR reanalysis for two years: 1996 and 2007 with different sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean and different intensity of fires in Alaska. Experiments reveal that large-scale atmospheric circulation plays a major role in setting soil moisture conditions on Alaska North Slope. The sea ice in the summer does not seem to have a major local effect near the North Slope, although it can play a role in forcing large-scale atmospheric patterns, contributing to anomalous hydrologic conditions.