HR: 0800h
AN: U41C-0615    [Abstracts]
TI: Disappearing Sea-Ice and Glacier Mass Balance in the Arctic
AU: * Barrett, A P
EM: apbarret@kryos.colorado.edu
AF: CIRES-NSIDC, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 449, Boulder, CO 80309- 0449, United States
AU: Serreze, M C
EM: serreze@kryos.colorado.edu
AF: CIRES-NSIDC, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 449, Boulder, CO 80309- 0449, United States
AB: Sea-ice extent in the Arctic Ocean has decreased dramatically since 1979. Although negative trends sea-ice are largest in summer months (-9% in September), significant negative trends are seen in all months. Glaciers in the Arctic are also exhibiting increasingly negative mass balances. Anomalous open-water areas, exposed by disappearing ice, promote high surface air temperatures, especially in autumn and winter, and may increase moisture content of surface air masses. Anomalous areas of open-water are found in the Barents Sea and along the Russian coast, areas close to heavily glacierized Arctic islands of Svalbard, Franz Joseph Land, Novaya Zemlya. In this paper we examine the correspondence between records of sea ice extent and long-term records of annual and seasonal glacier mass balance from Arctic Glaciers. Positive correlations are found between summer minimum sea-ice extent and annual mass balance of Svalbard glaciers. Negative correlations are found between summer minimum sea-ice extent and the following year's winter mass balance, suggesting ice- free conditions at the end of summer may enhance winter accumulation on glaciers.
DE: 0750 Sea ice (4540)
DE: 0762 Mass balance (1218, 1223)
DE: 1621 Cryospheric change (0776)
DE: 1630 Impacts of global change (1225)
SC: Union [U]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting