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Eurasian snow cover variability in relation to warming trend and Arctic Oscillation

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Abstract

Two distinct modes of snow cover variability over Eurasia are investigated using cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) analysis. The first mode of Eurasian snow cover extent (SCE) represents a seasonally asymmetric trend between spring and fall. The spring SCE shows a decreasing trend, while the fall SCE particularly in October exhibits a clear increasing trend. This seasonally asymmetric trend of SCE is closely linked to Arctic sea ice decline accompanied by warming in the northern Eurasia. The decreased SCE during spring is primarily attributed to the warm air temperature anomalies, while the increased SCE in October results from the loss of sea ice and the ensuing moisture transport to the atmosphere, which is realized as increased snow in October. The second mode of Eurasian SCE, on the other hand, is closely related to Arctic Oscillation (AO), which is a dominant mode of Northern Hemisphere atmospheric variability. The snow cover variability over Europe during winter is largely affected by AO variability, rather than the warming signal represented by the first CSEOF mode. Detailed descriptions of the two distinct modes of Eurasian SCE and their interactions with oceanic and atmospheric variables are presented along with possible implications for future climate.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the APEC Climate Center. WK was supported by RP-Grant 2015 of Ewha Womans University and Meteorological Administration Research and Development Program under Grant KMIPA2015-6110. KYK acknowledges a support from SNU-Yonsei Research Cooperation Program through Seoul National University in 2015.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Climate Prediction Team, APEC Climate Center, Busan, Korea

    Sae-Rim Yeo

  2. Center for Climate/Environment Change Prediction Research, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea

    WonMoo Kim

  3. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

    Kwang-Yul Kim

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  1. Sae-Rim Yeo
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  2. WonMoo Kim
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  3. Kwang-Yul Kim
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Correspondence to Sae-Rim Yeo.

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Yeo, SR., Kim, W. & Kim, KY. Eurasian snow cover variability in relation to warming trend and Arctic Oscillation. Clim Dyn 48, 499–511 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3089-4

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