Understanding Arctic amplification of climate change through air-mass transformations

Informacje na temat projektu

A3M-transform

Identyfikator umowy o grant: 101076205

DOI

10.3030/101076205

Data podpisania przez KE 24 Marca 2023

Data rozpoczęcia 1 Października 2023

Data zakończenia 30 Września 2028

Finansowanie w ramach

• European Research Council (ERC)

Koszt całkowity

€ 1 468 938,00

Wkład UE

€ 1 468 938,00

Koordynowany przez

ALFRED-WEGENER-INSTITUT HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR POLAR- UND MEERESFORSCHUNG
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - A3M-transform (Understanding Arctic amplification of climate change through air-mass transformations)

Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-10-01 do 2026-03-31

Podsumowanie kontekstu i ogólnych celów projektu

We want to understand why Arctic climate (temperature and precipitation) change is amplified compared to the global mean, and how the exchange and transformation of air masses couples the Arctic to the global climate system. To achieve this, we link observations and modelling of small-scale processes in Arctic clouds and boundary-layers to a large-scale dynamical and themodynamical understanding of the Arctic's role in the climate system.

In particular, we use drifting balloons that record the evolution of temperature and humidity in air masses that are transported from mid-latitudes to the Arctic. We combine these observations with modelling data to understand the processes that drive changes in temperature and humidity, and to understand how the transport and cooling of these air masses link the Arctic to the global climate system.

As a result of our project, we expect to be able to better understand and constrain Arctic climate change and its amplification compared to lower latitudes.

Prace wykonane od początku projektu do końca okresu sprawozdawczego oraz najważniejsze dotychczasowe rezultaty

We have conducted two balloon campaigns from Svalbard and obtained several valuable case studies of air flow and air mass transformation from the open ocean to the sea-ice covered Arctic. To best use the data, we have developed a scheme to correct the raw data for radiation biases and the instrument time lag.
In parallel, we have analyzed data from land-based observatories to understand changes in the diurnal temperature range, i.e. differences between minimum and maximum temperatures, evaluated the representation of cold and warm Arctic air masses in climate models and investigated air-mass transformation using aircraft campaigns and km-scale atmospheric models.

Innowacyjność oraz oczekiwany potencjalny wpływ (w tym dotychczasowe znaczenie społeczno-gospodarcze i szersze implikacje społeczne projektu)

We have shown that the diurnal temperature range (DTR) is strongly affected by the melting and freezing of snow and moisture on or in the ground, and that this effect is relevant for DTR trends and their representation in climate models. Our results could be used to evaluate the representation of atmosphere-surface coupling over land in further research.
Our evaluation of climate models with data from Svalbard has shown that models with two-moment microphysics, i.e. models that track the evolution of the number of cloud particles over time, better represent the occurence of high moisture content in the air. This needs to be further demonstrated in operational and climate models to make an impact on modelling practices.