Transient Climate Response to Arctic Sea Ice Loss with Two Ice-Constraining Methods

Abstract The impact of Arctic sea ice loss on the ocean and atmosphere is investigated focusing a gradual reduction by 20% annual mean, occurring within 30 years, starting from present-day conditions. Two ice-constraining methods are explored to melt in coupled climate model, while keeping conditions for external forcing. first method uses albedo, which modifies incoming surface shortwave radiation. second thermal conductivity, changes heat conduction flux inside ice. Reduced conductivity inhibits oceanic cooling winter basal growth, reducing seasonality thickness. For similar area loss, decreasing albedo induces larger warming than especially spring. Both produce impacts, but with smaller anomalies when conductivity. In Arctic, leads an increase North Atlantic water inflow Barents Sea eastern salinity decreases gyre intensifies Beaufort Sea. Atlantic, subtropical shifts southward meridional overturning circulation weakens. A dipole level pressure sets up over northern Siberia resembles negative phase Oscillation. tropics, intertropical convergence zone as South Ocean warms. addition, Walker reorganizes southeastern Pacific cools.