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Advances in Arctic Atmospheric Research

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Arctic Climate Change

Part of the book series: Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library ((ATSL,volume 43))

Abstract

The previous decade and a half saw major advances in understanding of the Arctic atmosphere and the ability to project future climate states based on reanalysis datasets, field studies, and climate models. Limitations continue to be the lack of direct observations of the Arctic troposphere. The balance of evidence now argues for an anthropogenic component to Arctic change. Today, we see positive Arctic-wide temperature trends in all seasons with an Arctic amplification relative to lower latitude changes, but with strong regional modulations from natural variability. These include a positive index of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) in the early 1990s, a record negative phase of the AO during the winter of 2009/2010, and increased prominence of an Arctic Dipole (AD) climate pattern. The negative AO period showed linkages between Arctic and subarctic weather. Despite deficiencies in climate models used for the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), all models project increased temperatures and sea ice loss by mid-century, amplified through Arctic feedback processes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, 98115-6349, USA

    James E. Overland

  2. CIRES/University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309-0449, USA

    Mark C. Serreze

Authors
  1. James E. Overland
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  2. Mark C. Serreze
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Correspondence to James E. Overland .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Polar- und Meeresforschung, Alfred-Wegener-Institut für, Bremerhaven, Germany

    Peter Lemke

  2. Alfred Wegener Institute, Am Handelshafen 12, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany

    Hans-Werner Jacobi

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Overland, J.E., Serreze, M.C. (2012). Advances in Arctic Atmospheric Research. In: Lemke, P., Jacobi, HW. (eds) Arctic Climate Change. Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library, vol 43. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2027-5_2

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