Effects of Arctic sea-ice concentration on turbulent surface fluxes in four atmospheric reanalyses

Abstract W m - 2 for the latent heat flux and over 800 W m - 2 for the sensible heat flux per unit of SIC (change in SIC from 0 to 1), with differences between reanalyses that are as large as 300 W m - 2 for the latent heat flux and 600 W m - 2 for the sensible heat flux per unit of SIC. The sensitivity is highest for the NCEP/CFSR reanalysis. Comparing the periods 1980–2000 and 2001–2021, we find that the effect of SIC on turbulent surface fluxes has weakened owing to the increasing surface temperature of sea ice and sea-ice decline. The results also indicate signs of a decadal-scale improvement in the mutual agreement between reanalyses. The effect of SIC on turbulent surface fluxes arises mostly via the effect of SIC on atmosphere–surface differences in temperature and specific humidity, whereas the effect of SIC on wind speed (via surface roughness and atmospheric-boundary-layer stratification) partly cancels out in the turbulent surface fluxes, as the wind speed increases the magnitudes of both upward and downward fluxes.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Effects of Arctic sea-ice concentration on turbulent surface fluxes in four atmospheric reanalyses ; volume:18 ; number:2 ; year:2024 ; pages:957-976 ; extent:20 ; The Cryosphere ; 18, Heft 2 (2024), 957-976 (gesamt 20)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Uhlíková, Tereza ; Vihma, Timo ; Karpechko, Alexey Yu ; Uotila, Petteri

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/tc-18-957-2024
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2024030703282363475740
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:49 AM CEST