Arctic glaciers record wavier circumpolar winds

[en] Glaciers in the Arctic respond sensitively to climate change, recording the polar amplification of global warming with increasing mass loss. Here, we use glacier mass balances in Svalbard and northern Arctic Canada to categorize tropospheric variability and the associated summer circulation over the Arctic. We establish a link between annual glacier mass balances and their respective atmospheric forcings since 1950 using GRACE/GRACE-FO satellite data (2002–2021), as well as regional climate models and reanalysis data (1950–2019). We find that asynchronous behaviour of mass balance between the regions has become very likely since the early 2000s, exceeding the range of previous decadal variability. Related tropospheric circulation exhibits more meridional patterns, a greater influence of meridional heat advection and a wavier summer circulation. The traceable impact on glacier mass balances emphasizes the importance of dynamic next to thermodynamic climate changes for the future of glacier mass loss, Arctic ecology and societal impacts.

Research center :

Sphères - SPHERES

Disciplines :

Earth sciences & physical geography

Author, co-author :

Sasgen, I.

Salles, A.

Wegmann, M.

Wouters, B.

Fettweis, Xavier ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géographie > Climatologie et Topoclimatologie

Noël, Brice ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géographie > Climatologie et Topoclimatologie

Beck, C.

Language :

English

Title :

Arctic glaciers record wavier circumpolar winds

Publication date :

10 February 2022

Journal title :

Nature Climate Change

ISSN :

1758-678X

eISSN :

1758-6798

Publisher :

Nature Publishing Group, United Kingdom

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Tags :

CÉCI : Consortium des Équipements de Calcul Intensif

Additional URL :

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01275-4

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
CÉCI - Consortium des Équipements de Calcul Intensif [BE]

Available on ORBi :

since 14 February 2022

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