Wind-SST-Sea Ice Relations in the Marginal Ice Zone of the Chukchi-Beaufort Seas

Abstract:

Surface wind is a critical parameter impacting surface turbulent fluxes, in addition to its driving role in various dynamic processes in the climate and environment system. To untangle complex atmosphere-sea ice-ocean interactions, it is important to understand relationship between surface wind and highly variable and heterogeneous ocean and sea ice properties, in particular in a rapidly changing marginal ice zone of the Arctic. In this study, the newly developed Chukchi-Beaufort High-resolution Atmospheric Reanalysis (CBHAR) is used to analyze the relations between surface wind, sea surface temperature (SST), and sea ice coverage in the Chukchi-Beaufort Seas. Our analysis focuses on September and October when both open water and sea ice are present with comparable percentages of the coverage. The results indicate a significant negative correlation occurring for open water or open water dominated areas and a positive correlation over consolidated sea ice covered areas among the relations between surface wind and SST. Composite analysis further reveals that synoptic-scale storms play an important role in forming the correlative relations.