Topic: Climate
Scientists found that a patch of warm ocean in the tropics caused heavy snowfall in East Antarctica, resulting in a record ice gain. The study was led by researchers from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
A team of scientists discovered that a persistent patch of unusually warm tropical ocean helped intensify snowfall over East Antarctica. This unusual warming caused a chain of atmospheric changes that affected weather thousands of miles away in Antarctica.
The researchers found that sustained warming in the tropical warm pool during 2021-23 triggered a Rossby wave train, which is a large-scale pattern of atmospheric waves capable of transmitting changes in weather and circulation across enormous distances. This disturbance traveled toward the high southern latitudes and helped reorganize atmospheric conditions around Antarctica.
The resulting pressure pattern changed the routes taken by moisture moving through the atmosphere. In particular, it strengthened the transport of water vapor from the midlatitude Indian Ocean toward East Antarctica through atmospheric rivers. Atmospheric rivers are relatively narrow corridors in the atmosphere that can carry enormous amounts of water vapor over long distances.
Water vapor tracking simulations showed that the dipole circulation directed moist air from the midlatitude Indian Ocean toward East Antarctica and allowed more atmospheric rivers to reach the continent. This produced sustained heavy snowfall across the Queen Mary Land-Wilkes Land region, adding substantial mass to the ice sheet.
Why It Matters
This discovery is important because it shows that even in a warming world, there can be temporary periods of cooling due to unusual weather patterns. It also highlights the complex interactions between different parts of the Earth's climate system.
Key Facts
- The Antarctic Ice Sheet gained approximately 695 billion tons of mass between 2021-23.
- This is the largest Antarctic mass gain observed by the GRACE satellite missions.
- The study was led by researchers from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
- Sustained warming in the tropical warm pool during 2021-23 triggered a Rossby wave train, which affected weather patterns in Antarctica.
- Atmospheric rivers carried water vapor from the midlatitude Indian Ocean toward East Antarctica, contributing to heavy snowfall.
Key Terms
- Rossby wave train
- A large-scale pattern of atmospheric waves that can transmit changes in weather and circulation across enormous distances.
Implications
This discovery is important because it shows that even in a warming world, there can be temporary periods of cooling due to unusual weather patterns. It also highlights the complex interactions between different parts of the Earth's climate system.
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