Abstracts
SEARCH Open Science Meeting
October 27, 2003
Seattle, Washington, USA
Atmospheric Heat Transport as a Feedback on the Arctic Climate
Cecilia M. Bitz1, Stephen J. Vavrus2
1Polar Science Center, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th St, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA, Phone 206-543-1339, Fax 206-616-3142, bitz@apl.washington.edu
2Center for Climatic Research, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1225 West Dayton Street
, Madison, WI, 53706-1695, USA, Phone 608-265-5279 , Fax 608-263-4190 , sjvavrus@facstaff.wisc.edu
Positive feedbacks unique to the cryosphere are thought to render the Arctic particularly sensitive to anthropogenic climate forcing. But the Arctic climate is also subject to tremendous heat influx from lower latitudes via the atmosphere and ocean. In this study we assess the impact of changes in the atmospheric heat transport on the Arctic climate subject to increased greenhouse gas forcing in several global climate models. We find that by the time carbon dioxide levels double, the heat transport increases by several Watts per square meter in nearly every model we examined. The increase is especially great in spring and summer, when it can most easily enhance ice-albedo feedback. The increase is due primarily to an increase in latent heat transport resulting from the increase in the moisture content of the atmosphere at lower latitudes. Transport by sensible heat decreases owing to a decrease in the meridional temperature gradient, but in most model, it is not enough to compensate for the increase in latent heat transport.
Abstract Categories: Physical Feedbacks
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