Sustained ocean changes contributed to sudden Antarctic sea ice retreat in late 2016.

ABSTRACT: After nearly three decades of observed increasing trends of Antarctic sea ice extent, in September-October-November 2016, there was a dramatic decrease. Here we document factors that contributed to that decrease. An atmosphere-only model with a specified positive convective heating anomaly in the eastern Indian/western Pacific Ocean, representing the record positive precipitation anomalies there in September-October-November 2016, produces an anomalous atmospheric Rossby wave response with mid- and high latitude surface wind anomalies that contribute to the decrease of Antarctic sea ice extent. The sustained decreases of Antarctic sea ice extent after late 2016 are associated with a warmer upper Southern Ocean. This is the culmination of a negative decadal trend of wind stress curl with po

SUBMITTER: Meehl GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6312884 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature