Western Arctic wintertime mixed-phase clouds: Observed modulation by sea ice conditions, long-term variabilities and trends
- 1Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Rostock University (Ostseebad Kühlungsborn, Germany)
- 2Leipzig University (Leipzig, Germany)
Abstract
To assess the long-term interaction between sea ice conditions and Arctic mixed-phase cloud (MPC) properties, fourteen winter seasons of observations from the North Slope of Alaska are analysed. MPC properties are contextualized with respect to sea ice conditions by identifying the most relevant upstream sea ice sector influencing the observed clouds. A conical sector with a 6° azimuthal width and a 50 km radius, based on the direction of maximum water vapour transport (WVT) within the atmospheric boundary layer, is considered. The height of the WVT is used as indicator of its interaction with the cloud, enabling classification as either cloud-coupled or decoupled. MPC properties are further classified according to the presence of high or low pressure systems and analysed as a function of sea ice concentration (SIC). Results indicate which MPC properties exhibit significant changes as SIC decreases. The long-term time series reveal both positive and negative trends in MPC properties, depending on the WVT coupling status and the prevailing atmospheric pressure system. Statistically significant positive trends are found, suggesting increases in sea ice-MPC coupled liquid water path (+35.0±0.9 g m ⁻² per decade), cloud base height (+44.0±0.7 m per decade) and cloud top temperature (+2.2±0.7 K per decade) under low pressure weather systems. Additionally, the evolution of MPC properties display cyclical characteristics, which are hypothesized to be in phase with climate oscillations like ENSO or PDO. Although the results support this hypothesis, establishing a direct causal link remains non-trivial.
Versions
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BibTeX
@article{garfias2026western,
title = {{Western Arctic wintertime mixed-phase clouds: Observed modulation by sea ice conditions, long-term variabilities and trends}},
author = {Pablo Saavedra Garfias and Heike Kalesse-Los},
journal = {Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5194/acp-26-14843-2026},
url = {https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/26/14843/2026/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Western Arctic wintertime mixed-phase clouds: Observed modulation by sea ice conditions, long-term variabilities and trends
AU - Pablo Saavedra Garfias
AU - Heike Kalesse-Los
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
DO - 10.5194/acp-26-14843-2026
UR - https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/26/14843/2026/
AB - To assess the long-term interaction between sea ice conditions and Arctic mixed-phase cloud (MPC) properties, fourteen winter seasons of observations from the North Slope of Alaska are analysed. MPC properties are contextualized with respect to sea ice conditions by identifying the most relevant upstream sea ice sector influencing the observed clouds. A conical sector with a 6° azimuthal width and a 50 km radius, based on the direction of maximum water vapour transport (WVT) within the atmospheric boundary layer, is considered. The height of the WVT is used as indicator of its interaction with the cloud, enabling classification as either cloud-coupled or decoupled. MPC properties are further classified according to the presence of high or low pressure systems and analysed as a function of sea ice concentration (SIC). Results indicate which MPC properties exhibit significant changes as SIC decreases. The long-term time series reveal both positive and negative trends in MPC properties, depending on the WVT coupling status and the prevailing atmospheric pressure system. Statistically significant positive trends are found, suggesting increases in sea ice-MPC coupled liquid water path (+35.0±0.9 g m ⁻² per decade), cloud base height (+44.0±0.7 m per decade) and cloud top temperature (+2.2±0.7 K per decade) under low pressure weather systems. Additionally, the evolution of MPC properties display cyclical characteristics, which are hypothesized to be in phase with climate oscillations like ENSO or PDO. Although the results support this hypothesis, establishing a direct causal link remains non-trivial.
SN - 1680-7324
ER -