UCSD Study - Loss Of Arctic Sea Ice May Be Directly Impacting Winds & Weather At The Equator
Melting Arctic sea ice has fundamentally and profoundly altered polar ecosystems in recent decades, creating warmer temperatures on land and disrupting the behavior of marine mammals and ice-obligate species. But now new research suggests that melting sea ice is also influencing weather systems as far away as the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Patterns originating in those tropical waters include El Niño and La Niña, which shape the weather experienced on every continent, meaning, if the new study is correct, that Arctic ice loss could have global ramifications.
At the end of summer 2019, Arctic sea ice extent was tied with 2007 and 2016 as the second lowest since satellite records began in 1979. Compared to the 1981-2010 average, ice extent has declined by a third, and volume has also dropped precipitously. A study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds this accelerating sea ice melt could be linked to the intensification of Central Pacific trade winds, the emergence of El Niño events, and a weakening of the North Pacific Aleutian Low Circulation — a semi-permanent low pressure system that drives post-tropical cyclones and generates strong storms.
Using computer analysis of historical sea ice data, two researchers at the University of California, San Diego identified which atmospheric phenomena seemed to be changing alongside the retreat of Arctic ice. Notably, they found that as the ice vanished, Central Pacific trade winds intensified.
The scientists hypothesize that the melting ice triggers a series of events that shoot cold air toward the equator via the upper atmosphere: In the absence of sea ice, the warming ocean creates a rising column of air that travels vertically to the boundary of the troposphere and stratosphere, where it is then pushes south, flowing through the mid-latitudes and on to the equator.
EDIT
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/01/melting-arctic-sea-ice-may-be-altering-winds-weather-at-equator-study/
