Study uncovers how ocean-atmosphere coupling enhances Eurasian cold waves

LANZHOU -- A new study has uncovered the key role of ocean-atmosphere coupling in enhancing Eurasian cold waves triggered by Arctic sea ice loss, according to the Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources (NIEER) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The study was jointly conducted by researchers at NIEER, the University of Exeter, and Lanzhou University. The study's findings have been published in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, according to NIEER.

In the past decade, extreme winter cold waves have frequently affected the Eurasian continent, posing serious threats to people's lives and property, as well as socio-economic development.

The research team conducted two types of significant experiments: atmospheric experiments that only consider atmospheric processes, and fully coupled experiments involving the sea-air coupling process.

The fully coupled tests successfully reproduced the cold wave signals close to the observation, while the response in the atmospheric experiments was very weak, according to the study.

Further analyses indicate that the melting of sea ice triggers abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic and North Pacific through the ocean-atmosphere coupling process.

Therefore, sea-ice melting promotes northward atmospheric heat transport into the polar region, causing deep warming in the Arctic, and thus provides favorable conditions for the outbreak of cold waves, according to the study.

This study provides a key scientific basis for enhancing the extended forecast capacity of extreme cold waves and strengthening disaster prevention and mitigation measures. It also offers a new perspective into the rapid changes in the Arctic and its climate feedback mechanisms, given the background of climate change, according to the NIEER.