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Limited predictability of extreme decadal changes in the Arctic Ocean freshwater content

Schmith, Torben ; Olsen, Steffen M. ; Ringgaard, Ida M. and May, Wilhelm LU (2018) In Climate Dynamics 51(9-10). p.3927-3942
Abstract

Predictability of extreme changes in the Arctic Ocean freshwater content and the associated release into the subpolar North Atlantic up to one decade ahead is investigated using a CMIP5-type global climate model. The perfect-model setup consists of a 500 year control run, from which selected 10 year long segments are predicted by initialized, perturbed ensemble predictions. Initial conditions for these are selected from the control run to represent large positive or negative decadal changes in the total freshwater content in the Arctic Ocean. Two different classes of ensemble predictions are performed, one initialized with the ‘observed’ ocean globally, and one initialized with the model climatology in the Arctic Ocean and with the... (More)

Predictability of extreme changes in the Arctic Ocean freshwater content and the associated release into the subpolar North Atlantic up to one decade ahead is investigated using a CMIP5-type global climate model. The perfect-model setup consists of a 500 year control run, from which selected 10 year long segments are predicted by initialized, perturbed ensemble predictions. Initial conditions for these are selected from the control run to represent large positive or negative decadal changes in the total freshwater content in the Arctic Ocean. Two different classes of ensemble predictions are performed, one initialized with the ‘observed’ ocean globally, and one initialized with the model climatology in the Arctic Ocean and with the observed ocean elsewhere. Analysis reveals that the former yields superior predictions 1 year ahead as regards both liquid freshwater content and sea ice volume in the Arctic Ocean. For prediction years two and above there is no overall gain in predictability from knowing the initial state in the Arctic Ocean and damped persistence predictions perform just as well as the ensemble predictions. Areas can be identified, mainly in the proper Canadian and Eurasian basins, where knowledge of the initial conditions gives a gain in predictability of liquid freshwater content beyond year two. Total freshwater export events from the Arctic Ocean into the subpolar North Atlantic have no predictability even 1 year ahead. This is a result of the sea ice component not being predictable and LFW being on the edge of being predictable for prediction time 1 year.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arctic ocean, Freshwater, Predictability, Sea ice
in
Climate Dynamics
volume
51
issue
9-10
pages
3927 - 3942
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85042194824
ISSN
0930-7575
DOI
10.1007/s00382-018-4120-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6beb52cd-5b06-481d-a9f7-91f903e1fe1e
date added to LUP
2018-03-06 08:24:10
date last changed
2022-04-25 06:00:13
@article{6beb52cd-5b06-481d-a9f7-91f903e1fe1e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Predictability of extreme changes in the Arctic Ocean freshwater content and the associated release into the subpolar North Atlantic up to one decade ahead is investigated using a CMIP5-type global climate model. The perfect-model setup consists of a 500 year control run, from which selected 10 year long segments are predicted by initialized, perturbed ensemble predictions. Initial conditions for these are selected from the control run to represent large positive or negative decadal changes in the total freshwater content in the Arctic Ocean. Two different classes of ensemble predictions are performed, one initialized with the ‘observed’ ocean globally, and one initialized with the model climatology in the Arctic Ocean and with the observed ocean elsewhere. Analysis reveals that the former yields superior predictions 1 year ahead as regards both liquid freshwater content and sea ice volume in the Arctic Ocean. For prediction years two and above there is no overall gain in predictability from knowing the initial state in the Arctic Ocean and damped persistence predictions perform just as well as the ensemble predictions. Areas can be identified, mainly in the proper Canadian and Eurasian basins, where knowledge of the initial conditions gives a gain in predictability of liquid freshwater content beyond year two. Total freshwater export events from the Arctic Ocean into the subpolar North Atlantic have no predictability even 1 year ahead. This is a result of the sea ice component not being predictable and LFW being on the edge of being predictable for prediction time 1 year.</p>}},
  author       = {{Schmith, Torben and Olsen, Steffen M. and Ringgaard, Ida M. and May, Wilhelm}},
  issn         = {{0930-7575}},
  keywords     = {{Arctic ocean; Freshwater; Predictability; Sea ice}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9-10}},
  pages        = {{3927--3942}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Climate Dynamics}},
  title        = {{Limited predictability of extreme decadal changes in the Arctic Ocean freshwater content}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4120-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00382-018-4120-8}},
  volume       = {{51}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}