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Title: Increased Ocean Heat Convergence Into the High Latitudes With CO2 Doubling Enhances Polar-Amplified Warming

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074561· OSTI ID:1411911
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. State Univ. of New York, Albany, NY (United States)
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We isolate the role of the ocean in polar climate change by directly evaluating how changes in ocean dynamics with quasi-equilibrium CO2-doubling impact high-latitude climate. With CO2-doubling, the ocean heat flux convergence (OHFC) shifts poleward in winter in both hemispheres. Imposing this pattern of perturbed OHFC in a global climate model results in a poleward shift in ocean-to-atmosphere turbulent heat fluxes (both sensible and latent) and sea ice retreat; the high-latitudes warm while the midlatitudes cool, thereby amplifying polar warming. Furthermore, midlatitude cooling is propagated to the polar mid-troposphere on isentropic surfaces, augmenting the (positive) lapse rate feedback at high latitudes. Finally, these results highlight the key role played by the partitioning of meridional energy transport changes between the atmosphere and ocean in high-latitude climate change.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830; AGS-1455071
OSTI ID:
1411911
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-128892
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 44, Issue 20; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 27 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (4)

Distinct Mechanisms of Ocean Heat Transport Into the Arctic Under Internal Variability and Climate Change journal August 2018
Ocean Circulation Reduces the Hadley Cell Response to Increased Greenhouse Gases journal September 2018
The Effect of Arctic Sea Ice Loss on the Hadley Circulation journal January 2019
Interpretation of the Top-of-Atmosphere Energy Flux for Future Arctic Warming journal September 2019

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ocean
CO2
convergence
ocean heat flux convergence
OHFC
climate
Arctic
polar
polar climate change
lapse rate feedback
ocean dynamics
Bjerknes feedback
polar amplification
winter sea ice retreat