Bering Strait Ocean Heat Transport Drives Decadal Arctic Variability in a HighResolution Climate Model
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AbstractWe investigate the role of ocean heat transport (OHT) in driving the decadal variability of the Arctic climate by analyzing the preindustrial control simulation of a highresolution climate model. While the OHT variability at 65N is greater in the Atlantic, we find that the decadal variability of Arcticwide surface temperature and sea ice area is much better correlated with Bering Strait OHT than Atlantic OHT. In particular, decadal Bering Strait OHT variability causes significant changes in local sea ice cover and airsea heat fluxes, which are amplified by shortwave feedbacks. These heat flux anomalies are regionally balanced by longwave radiation at the top of the atmosphere, without compensation by atmospheric heat transport (Bjerknes compensation). The sensitivity of the Arctic to changes in OHT may thus rely on an accurate representation of the heat transport through the Bering Strait, which is difficult to resolve in coarseresolution ocean models.
