Influence of sea-ice loss on Arctic warming is shaped by varying temperatures in the Pacific Ocean
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_508707_en.html?utm_source=exeter.ac.uk&utm_medium=billboard&utm_campaign=HomeSeaIce[font face=Serif][font size=5]Influence of sea-ice loss on Arctic warming is shaped by varying temperatures in the Pacific Ocean[/font]
[font size=4]The crucial role that sea-ice loss plays in rapid Arctic warming is regulated by variable climate patterns taking place in the Pacific Ocean, a pioneering new study has found.[/font]
[font size=3]The Arctic amplification phenomenon refers to the faster rate of warming in the Arctic compared to places farther south. Arctic amplification has been linked to a spike in the number of persistent cold spells experienced in recent years over Europe and North America.
New research led by University of Exeter expert Dr James Screen and published in leading scientific journal Nature Climate Change has shown that the influence of sea-ice loss on warming in the far north during winter is dependent on a recurring ocean temperature pattern in the North Pacific.
The study used observations and new climate model experiments to show that the warming effect of sea-ice loss is dependent on the PDOs phase: the same amount of sea-ice loss leads to greater Arctic warming in the negative phase of the PDO compared to the positive phase.
Date: 2 May 2016[/font][/font]