The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 12, issue 3
Articles | Volume 12, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1103-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1103-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 12, issue 3
Research article
 | 
28 Mar 2018
Research article |  | 28 Mar 2018

Atmospheric influences on the anomalous 2016 Antarctic sea ice decay

Elisabeth Schlosser, F. Alexander Haumann, and Marilyn N. Raphael

Data sets

The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system (https:// www.ecmwf.int/en/research/climate-reanalysis/era-interim) D. P. Dee, S. M. Uppala, A. J. Simmons, P. Berrisford, P. Poli, S. Kobayashi, U. Andrae, M. A. Balmaseda, G. Balsamo, P. Bauer, P. Bechtold, A. C. M. Beljaars, L. van de Berg, J. Bidlot, N. Bormann, C. Delsol, R. Dragani, M. Fuentes, A. J. Geer, L. Haimberger, S. B. Healy, H. Hersbach, E. V. Hólm, L. Isaksen, P. Kållberg, M. Köhler, M. Matricardi, A. P. McNally, B. M. Monge‐Sanz, J.‐J. Morcrette, B.‐K. Park, C. Peubey, P. de Rosnay, C. Tavolato, J.‐N. Thépaut, and F. Vitart https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.828

Observation-based SAM index G. J. Marshall https://legacy.bas.ac.uk/met/gjma/sam.html

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Short summary
The atmospheric influence on the unusually early and strong decrease in Antarctic sea ice in the austral spring 2016 was investigated using data from the global forecast model of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts. Weather situations related to warm, northerly flow conditions in the regions with large negative anomalies in sea ice extent and area were frequent and explain to a large part the observed melting. Additionally, oceanic influences might play a role.
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