Cyclones And Sea Ice: Studying the Feedbacks

September 2012 set yet another record in the minimum Arctic sea ice extent observed since the beginning of the satellite era. The disappearing Arctic sea ice is one of the most vivid examples of observed climate change. At the same time, there is considerable ambiguity concerning the role of atmospheric forcing on sea ice variability and the different ways affecting it. Many studies in both hemispheres have demonstrated statistical relationships, and yet analysis of September 2012 sea ice record minimum has suggested that it would have occurred even without the “Great Arctic cyclone”, an unprecedented cyclone developed in the Arctic region in early August of 2012. In this context the poster presented will report on early results of an analysis of sea ice retreat and synoptic climate in the Russian sector of the Arctic over a 70 year period. This analysis provides a basis for understanding the critical processes affecting the recent large ice shifts and its connexion with the cyclonic activity in the Arctic basin.