Cause of Beaufort Sea low ice condition in the summer of 2019

Wei Shuo; Zhang Yongli; Nie Hongtao; Wei Hao

doi:10.12284/hyxb2022077

Volume 44 Issue 5

Jun. 2022

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Wei Shuo，Zhang Yongli，Nie Hongtao, et al. Cause of Beaufort Sea low ice condition in the summer of 2019[J]. Haiyang Xuebao，2022, 44(5)：92–101 doi: 10.12284/hyxb2022077

Citation:

Wei Shuo，Zhang Yongli，Nie Hongtao, et al. Cause of Beaufort Sea low ice condition in the summer of 2019[J]. Haiyang Xuebao，2022, 44(5)：92–101 doi: 10.12284/hyxb2022077

Citation:

Wei Shuo，Zhang Yongli，Nie Hongtao, et al. Cause of Beaufort Sea low ice condition in the summer of 2019[J]. Haiyang Xuebao，2022, 44(5)：92–101 doi: 10.12284/hyxb2022077

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Cause of Beaufort Sea low ice condition in the summer of 2019

doi: 10.12284/hyxb2022077

School of Marine Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Received Date: 2021-08-10
Rev Recd Date: 2021-11-11

Available Online: 2022-03-24

Publish Date: 2022-06-15

Abstract

Abstract

The dramatic change of sea ice in the Beaufort Sea has an important impact on the regional ecosystem and economic activities. Based on the sea ice concentration released by the National Ice and Snow Center of the United States, the mechanism of extremely low summer sea ice in the Beaufort Sea in 2019 is discussed. The sea ice area in the melt season (May–September) of 2019 is 1.38×10⁵ km², far lower than the average of 2.28×10⁵ km² from 1998 to 2020. According to the statistics of the sea ice area in the preceding autumn (October–December 2018) and winter (January–April 2019) of 2019, there is no significant difference between the 2019 and the average results of 1998–2019, so it is not the main reason for the extremely low ice event. Combining the data of sea ice drift field, sea ice thickness, 10 m wind field, and net sea surface heat flux, it is found that the sea ice in May of 2019 decreased by 2.33×10⁵ km², which is the largest of sea ice loss in May since 1998, accounting for 62% of the loss of sea ice area in the melt season. Different from the mechanism of extremely low summer sea ice area in 1998, 2008, 2012, and 2016, decreasing sea ice thickness and abnormally strong wind field in May 2019 contribute to the rapid sea ice export, resulting in the formation of open water in the south of Beaufort Sea on May 16, 2019. The abnormally high sea surface net heat flux makes the sea ice melt more, resulting in the abnormal phenomenon of sea ice in the summer of 2019. With the continuous thinning of sea ice thickness, the response of sea ice to wind field is stronger and stronger, and the time of sea ice retreat is advanced, the phenomenon of extremely low summer ice condition in the Beaufort Sea may appear more frequently.
- Beaufort Sea,
- sea ice area,
- abnormal year,
- mechanism analysis

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References(42)

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