Onset of surface melt over sea ice is a factor in the duration of the melt season. Onset is often triggered by advection of warm, moist air from lower latitudes. This is especially characteristic of early dates of onset, but such events have also been hypothesized to precondition the ice for an earlier onset even when they don’t act as the trigger. The importance of atmospheric advection to the melt season is well-recognized by the community. Less attention has been given to the potential limitations of these events and to what alternate mechanisms may also be important for initiation, which is the subject of this presentation. We discuss two case studies.

In the first case, atmospheric advection from the North Atlantic in late May 2020 caused onset to occur over a wide area of the sea ice north of Greenland, including the floe being measured by the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition. Approximately 6 weeks prior, in April, an anomalously warm advection event also impacted the MOSAiC floe and was responsible for ~40% of the total warming the ice underwent that spring. Using a diffusion model for the ice forced by surface temperatures that both include (observationally) and exclude (synthetically) the April event, we show that its influence relative to its absence was reduced by ~80% within 10 days. The result is explained by a negative feedback that suppresses conduction within the ice when warming events occur. Consequently, despite the apparent influential nature of the April event suggested by the observations, the ice temperatures would likely have been similar several weeks before onset if the April event had not occurred. This implies there are limitations to such events in preconditioning the sea ice for early onset.

Our second case examines data collected from a buoy in the Beaufort Sea during a regional onset event observed in June 2022. In this case, the air that caused melt at the buoy came from the north during a period of generally zonal flow of the polar jet (and lack of poleward moisture transport). Analysis of back trajectories indicates that the air had a residence time in the Arctic of 7-10 days prior to causing melt. The air began at mid-tropospheric levels near the pole then circulated around persistent, large-scale high pressure over the East Siberian Sea, descending along its track. Reanalysis data suggests the adiabatic contribution to the subsidence was sufficient to warm the air to the freezing point when it reached the surface, moving southward across the Beaufort Sea. This case indicates that subsidence is a mechanism internal to the Arctic that is capable of causing melt onset, though its climatological significance remains an open question.

How to cite: Cox, C., Solomon, A., Persson, O., Shupe, M., Gallagher, M., Walden, V., Town, M., Perovich, D., Webster, S., and Anderson, J.: Perspectives on limitations and mechanisms for atmospheric initiation of onset of the summer melt season over sea ice, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6663, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6663, 2024.

The spring season in the Arctic Ocean has gained relatively little attention with detailed observations from expeditions, due to difficulties to navigate in the ice at this time of the year. This paper reviews experiences from the ARTofMELT (Atmospheric rivers and the onset of sea-ice melt) expedition in spring of 2023.

ARTofMELT had two objectives: To study processes leading up to the onset of the sea-ice melt and to explore links to so-called atmospheric rivers (ARs). ARs are spatially and temporally distinct inflows of warm and moist air from farther south. To fulfill these goals, we instrumented the Swedish research icebreaker Oden and planned to locate her in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean north of Svalbard from early May to mid-June. Oden was equipped with advanced meteorological instrumentation including standard meteorology and 6-horly radiosoundings, radar and lidars for cloud and wind measurements, and a surface flux tower with eddy-covariance. An advanced suite of atmospheric chemistry and aerosol observations were also deployed along with water isotope measurements, and also sampled and profiled the upper ocean structure. To identify upcoming ARs, we used ensemble forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) at lead time up to seven days, to allow time to navigate the icebreaker to optimal positions and establish ice camps. While carrying out most of the observations on board, in-situ observations on the ice provide valuable details on the impact of ARs on the ice. On ice camps we therefore deployed a surface energy budget station and an ROV surveying the ice from below and also flew a tethered balloon HELIKITE system from the aft of the ship. Additionally, we also used the helicopter to deploy scientists on the ice (sampling snow, ice and water) and deploying buoys, and for flying the HELIPOD instrument package.

ARTofMELT left Svalbard on 8 May and returned on 15 June. Starting with quite cold later winter conditions there was a brief warming period around mid-May, with an AR that brought air temperatures above the melting point twice (19 and 20 May). This was interrupted by a major storm, followed by a cooler period. From the end of May the surface started to gain heat, culminating in the onset of the melt at a second AR on 10 June. Both ARs were documented from ice stations.

A major uncertainty was the navigation in the ice during late winter and this also tuned out to be the most difficult part of the deployment. The ice was thick and hard to break, the size of the largest ice floes was much larger than expected and short-term variations of the ice pressure made navigation very difficult. The maximum latitude obtained was ~80.5 °N, hence, we stayed in the Fram Strait ice pack. Also, only two brief ARs were encountered, less than expected. In spite of this we were able to gain a large amount of unique observations, both from the icebreaker when in transit and from two ice camps.

How to cite: Tjernström, M., Zieger, P., and Murto, S. and the ARTofMELT Science Team: Arctic spring and the onset of sea-ice melt: Early impressions from the ARTofMELT expedition, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15627, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15627, 2024.

A trend towards earlier sea-ice melt is detected in many ice-covered regions in the Arctic. The timing of the melt onset has a strong impact on the sea-ice energy budget. Melt onset changes the radiative properties of the ice due to increasing snow wetness and meltwater. So far, satellite passive microwave data are used to detect the melt onset. We analyzed transmitted radiation spectra as collected underneath drifting sea-ice using a remotely operated vehicle during the ARTofMELT expedition in the Fram Strait in spring 2023. We colocated those spectra with measurements of snow depth, sea ice and surface topography, chlorophyll-a concentration in the water column, and with aerial images. This combined dataset enables us to track down possible subsurface pathways and accumulation pools of meltwater. Areas of low snow load and depressed surface topography are characterized by higher transmitted radiation compared to areas with a thick snow cover. Those areas overlapped with areas that showed the first signs of surface melt. Chlorophyll-a concentrations varied only slightly in magnitude and did not match with the heterogeneous pattern of snow depth and ice topography. Here we discuss how to disentangle the influences of chlorophyll a and the subsurface meltwater on the spectral shape of transmitted radiation. We propose that upon successful disentanglement, the spectra can be used as an indicator for subsurface melting. Our study suggests that sea-ice melting starts subsurface and that measurements of transmitted solar radiation spectra could be used to identify the melt onset prior to surface melting. This can provide an interesting complementary information on melt occurrence and on the location of the water in the snowpack in addition to satellite passive microwave data.

How to cite: Anhaus, P., Katlein, C., Nicolaus, M., Planat, N., and Schiller, M.: Is spring melting in the Arctic detectable by under-ice radiation?, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-5124, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5124, 2024.

In May-June 2023 the ARTofMELT 2023 expedition took place, with the aim to capture the melt onset in the Arctic Ocean. For the sea ice dynamics part of the cruise, in-situ observations were collected to co-inside with satellite observations, enabling studies of changes in drift patterns, capture the breakup of ice floes and studies of changes in backscatter signatures in satellite images as a consequence of melt onset. 

Seven OpenMETbuoys-v2021 and three SIMBA buoys, were placed on four first-year ice floes, away from the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ). The OpenMETbuoys, equipped with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems), gyro, and accelerometer, facilitated horizontal motion, rotation, potential deformation, and wave action analysis. SIMBA buoys, with GNSS and thermistor strings, focused on temperature effects connected to melt onset. Three OpenMETbuoys and one SIMBA buoy were deployed on two larger floes. The two remaining drifters were deployed on individual floes. Deploying multiple buoys on each floe allowed detailed examination of small-scale drift changes, convergence, divergence, rotational patterns, frequencies, and connections to satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. This deployment provides insights into the remaining wave energy in the pack ice. 

Low noise Radarsat Constellation Missions (RCM) SAR images in dual polarization (HH+VV or HH+HV) were acquired to overlap with the campaign in space and time. The temperature sensors onboard the SIMBA buoys enables us to connect changes in  backscatter values in the SAR images from the winter conditions into the early melt season and help define limitations for the SAR sea ice drift retrieval algorithm. 

Initial findings from wave and GNSS data offer insights into the condition of ice floes, including dislocation, disintegration, melting, and interactions with neighboring floes. The dislocation of the floes is indicated by the physical dissociation of the buoys present on the same floe. The OpenMETbuoys' recorded wave height and wave period indicate the drifter's location: on ice, in a transition phase on a small piece of ice or floating in the water between pieces of brash ice, or in open water.

Regarding the two bigger floes, on the first one, the drifters were launched 2023-05-22. An OpenMET drifter was dislocated from the rest of the floe on the 26th of May, and was in the transition phase on the 1st of July. The two remaining drifters were separated on the 29th of May. The last OpenMET drifter reached the transition phase on the 25th of May. The drifters on the second floe were launched 2023-05-28. The first dislocation occurred on the 8th of June, the second one on the 18th of June. The two remaining OpenMET drifters on this floe reached the transition phase on the 13th of June and 15th of June. The third floe contained a SIMBA drifter launched 2023-06-06 and the fourth one an OpenMETbuoy launched 2023-05-28. The latter reached the transition phase on the 10th of June.

How to cite: Desjonquères, T., Eriksson, L. E. B., Johansson, M., Demchev, D., Karlsen, T., Vihma, T., and Cheng, B.: Sea ice drift and wave pattern analysis of the early melt onset during the ARTofMELT cruise 2023, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12340, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12340, 2024.

A 6-week long expedition ARTofMELT (Atmospheric rivers and the onset of Arctic sea-ice melt) with the Swedish Icebreaker Oden took place in the Arctic Ocean during late winter and spring of 2023. The aim was to collect observations and study processes leading up to the sea-ice melt onset. One of the targets was to assess the role of atmospheric rivers (ARs), i.e., southerly warm and moist-air injections, in advancing the melt-timing. This paper presents the synoptic situation during the expedition, based on observations measured onboard Oden and reanalysis data (ERA5). Additionally, the origin and paths of airmasses reaching Oden are determined using 7-day backward trajectories computed with the Lagrangian analysis tool LAGRANTO. The meteorological conditions were quite dynamic during these 35 days, strongly influenced by several (at least 6) surface cyclones passing Oden and only two warming events accompanied by rather weak ARs were observed, the latter one leading to the melt onset at the end of the expedition.

Based on meteorological conditions from 6-hourly launched radiosoundings, the expedition can be divided into six periods. The first short period encompasses the first days of the expedition, when Oden was located at the marginal ice zone. The winds were variable, mainly southerly, and it was moist with slightly below-freezing temperatures. As Oden was moving northwestwards, a one-week cold (~-15 - -10) and dry period followed. This period was mainly governed by northerly winds, guided by a persistent family of surface cyclones located over the Laptev and Kara Seas. The first major storm, that coincided with an atmospheric blocking over Scandinavia, was related to a cyclone forming to the southwest of Greenland and moving northeast, bringing winds over 25 m/s as it hit Oden on 13 May.  Northerly winds followed after the stormed had passed, guided by a surface pressure dipole between a high over Greenland and a low over the Arctic Ocean.

The first one-week long ice camp was built at the end of the second period, extending into the third period. A low-pressure over Greenland and high-pressure and an upper-level blocking over Scandinavia resulted in a pathway for a transient warm-air mass from the south, and melting was observed for the first-time. However, this warming was only temporary, as temperatures dropped below freezing after the AR had passed. Several weaker storms governed this third milder period, ending with the second major storm associated with a cyclone on 25 May. Again, winds turned northerly after the storm passed, which made the entry to the fourth longer, colder and drier period. The second 2-week long ice camp was established at the beginning of this period and expanded over the two last periods. These captured the forecasted (6 June) and the real melt onset (10 June). A surface pressure dipole with a high over Greenland and a low over the Arctic Ocean dominated at the beginning of the fifth period, and warm but dry air aloft was observed. As the winds turned southerly, the melt-onset period was characterized as warm and moist.

How to cite: Murto, S. and Tjernström, M.: Synoptic situation during the ARTofMELT 2023 spring expedition, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-11158, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-11158, 2024.

In the Arctic climate system, the onset of melting is a crucial point, and timing is still difficult to predict. Therefore, the expedition ARTofMELT was dedicated to exploring atmospheric conditions and processes that are involved in triggering the onset of melting.

The helicopter borne sensor system HELIPOD was deployed in this expedition to measure the spatial variability of atmospheric dynamics, radiation, aerosols, trace gases and surface properties on a horizontal scale up to 40 km around the icebreaker ODEN. During the ARTofMELT23 expedition, the HELIPOD conducted 12 measurement flights in the FRAM strait around 80° North and the prime meridian between 9 May and 9 June 2023 with 26.5 hours in the air. The flights covered an area of about 20 NM around the location of the icebreaker ODEN and a vertical range from 50 m to 2700 m above sea level. The flight patterns were aligned parallel and perpendicular to dominating directions as the sea ice edge and the wind direction. In one case a cloud layer edge apparently structured the atmospheric situation. The flights covered pre-melt onset conditions, refreezing situations and the melt onset. Synoptic air mass changes were probed as well.    

The presentation gives an overview of the temporal changes of the ambient conditions during the research flights, and a first assessment of the flights during transient weather situations.

How to cite: Pätzold, F., Bretschneider, L., Asmussen, M., Altstädter, B., Jäkel, E., Stapel, H., Sperzel, T., Wendisch, M., Wehner, B., Käthner, R., and Lampert, A.: Helicopter borne measurements during melt onset in the Fram strait as part of ARTofMELT23, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19946, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19946, 2024.

Warm and moist intrusions (WAMIs) into the central Arctic, predominantly observed in winter and early spring, are becoming more frequent, significantly affecting the region’s near-surface energy budget. This study focuses on the deposition pulses of black carbon (BC) triggered by WAMIs and their subsequent impact on snow properties and melting during the summer, using a modeling approach and comprehensive datasets from the 2019–2020 Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition. Our findings reveal that WAMIs induce episodes of intense BC wet deposition in the central Arctic shoulder season (Nov–Apr) due to transported pollution and moisture. We demonstrate that WAMIs result in exceptionally high BC deposition (> 4 orders of magnitude compared to typical winter/spring conditions) across an area of nearly 1 million km², approximately 20% of the central Arctic Ocean. Furthermore, we establish a direct connection between these winter/spring BC deposition pulses and subsequent summer increases in absorbed solar energy (> 4 W/m²) and snowpack melt rate (+15%). Despite their sporadic occurrence (only 8% of the time), WAMIs play a significant role in the central Arctic surface energy budget through the BC snow albedo effect.

How to cite: Angot, H., Réveillet, M., and Schmale, J. and the MOSAiC team: Impact of warm and moist intrusions on black carbon deposition and summer snow melt in the central Arctic, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-5372, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5372, 2024.

The Arctic is a particularly vulnerable region on Earth, where climate change takes place at an intense pace. Clouds represent an essential element within the Arctic atmosphere and play a crucial role in the regional radiative balance. The physical properties of clouds are tightly interlinked with the presence of aerosols that can serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and as ice nucleating particles (INPs), which facilitate the formation of cloud droplets and ice crystals, respectively. Consequently, they affect cloud thickness, lifetime, and albedo.

More studies propose that various biological aerosols e.g., aerosolized microbial cells, proteinaceous compounds and fragments actively contribute to cloud processes serving as INPs active at high subzero temperatures (>-15°C). However, our understanding of microorganisms responsible for producing compounds serving as INPs, their source environments, and their level of activity, remains highly uncertain.

Given the profound impact of climate change in the Arctic region, understanding the role of biological INPs in the atmosphere becomes particularly critical during Arctic melt season. Here, we present an overview of bioaerosol observations and sources tracking from the recent Arctic expedition ”Atmospheric rivers and the onset of Arctic melt” (ARTofMELT 2023).

Biological INPs are thought to originate from the ocean and meltwater sources during the Arctic Spring and Summer. To assess the potential contribution of these sources to INP active aerosols, aerosols were generated from bulk seawater and sea ice melt water with a temperature-controlled sea spray simulation chamber. The presence of microorganisms in the bulk water and aerosol was quantified using flow cytometry and qPCR while the composition of the microbial communities was determined by amplicon sequencing. Additionally, fluorescent bioaerosols generated by the chamber were  analyzed using a Multiparameter Bioaerosol Spectrometer (MBS). Simultaneously, ambient air samples were analyzed for the presence of microbial cells, bioaerosols, and the composition of the collected microbial community. The ice nucleating properties of water, sea ice melt, and aerosols from the chamber and ambient aerosol were also measured to determine their relevance for Arctic cloud formation.

Preliminary results from the ambient measurements revealed low concentrations of airborne bacterial cells and highly active INPs. From the sea spray simulations, we found that ice melt, snow melt and seawater samples generated a high flux of bacterial cells which were accompanied by INPs active predominantly at low freezing temperatures (<-15°C). Therefore, it seems that the local sea spray is not a likely source of proteinaceous INPs detected in the Arctic spring atmosphere, which will be further explored through bacterial community analysis. Our results will thus provide comprehensive insights into the contribution of local and long-range transported sources of bioaerosols to the Arctic.

How to cite: Schmidt, J. S., Glasius, M., Mavis, C., Creamean, J., Freitas, G., Zieger, P., Finster, K., and Šantl-Temkiv, T.: The composition and sources of airborne bacteria and proteinaceous Ice Nucleating Particles in the High Arctic marine region during Spring, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17193, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17193, 2024.

The Arctic has been experiencing a rise in ambient temperature several times higher than the global average. This warming trend has led to a continuous decline in sea ice coverage and snowpack prevalence. Aerosol sources, such as those from the open ocean and tundra, have become more prevalent throughout the year. These sources emit primary biological aerosol particles (bioaerosols) some of which exhibit ice nucleating properties at high temperatures (>-15C). Ice nucleating particles (INPs) play a crucial role in cloud ice formation, affecting cloud physical and optical properties, as well as their lifetime. Consequently, this has a substantial impact on the Arctic climate. 

During the ARTofMELT2023 expedition (“Atmospheric Rivers and the Onset of Sea Ice Melt 2023”) conducted aboard the Swedish icebreaker Oden in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean, we assessed the relative importance of several natural bioaerosol sources, such as sea ice, snow melt (to simulate melt ponds) and bulk ocean water. This involved several sea spray simulation chamber and nebulizer experiments, referred to as “source experiments”. The aerosol particles generated in the 61 source experiments conducted were analyzed using single-particle ultraviolet fluorescence spectroscopy along with other complementary aerosol measurements. These included particle size, black carbon content, particle chemical composition, as well as the microbial community and INP concentration of emitted particles. Additionally, filter samples were obtained for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. 

Our findings indicate that sea ice and snow melt are more significant sources of bioaerosols compared to the bulk ocean water, including the sea surface microlayer, indicating the potential importance of melt ponds as a local Arctic bioaerosol source. Furthermore, we found significant differences in the chemical composition, black carbon content and size distribution of the various analyzed aerosol sources.

How to cite: Freitas, G., Adachi, K., Asplund, J., Creamean, J., Mattsson, F., Mavis, C., Nilsson, L., Salter, M., Spiecker Schmidt, J., Šantl-Temkiv, T., and Zieger, P.: Characteristics of natural Arctic aerosols emitted from a wide range of local sources during ARTofMELT2023, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19851, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19851, 2024.

The Arctic Ocean is one of the most rapidly changing environments on the planet as sea ice extent and thickness have declined extensively over the last 40 years. It is predicted that by 2050, Arctic summers will become mostly ice-free, and the Arctic Ocean will be dominated by seasonally annual, rather than multiyear, sea ice. Arctic sea ice serves as a mediator of biogeochemical processes globally, though the impacts of increased ice melt and water column freshening on Arctic biogeochemistry are uncertain. Specifically, declining sea ice raises significant concerns regarding the future carbon uptake potential of the Arctic and the buffering capacity, or alkalinity, of seawater. Boron (B) is a major element in seawater, and in the form of the borate ion, it serves as the third largest contributor to alkalinity. Boron concentrations in the open ocean are typically conservative and accounted for through relationships with other water components, such as with salinity (S) in the boron to salinity ratio (B/S). Well established B/S ratios have been defined for the open ocean; however, salinity variability can create discrepancies in the open ocean boron corrections for alkalinity. In 2021, work in the marginal ice zone of the Bering and Chukchi Seas revealed non-conservative boron behavior and significant alkalinity system inaccuracies based on the deviation in computed B/S ratios in ice cores and brine. In this study, we investigate the B/S ratio in ice melt zone waters, snow, brine, annual, and multiyear sea ice from the eastern Arctic basin. A total of 169 samples were collected during the onset on melt (May-June 2023) on the ARTofMELT expedition across a range of salinities (2 - 63). High salinity samples (S>29) included 1 lead, 7 brine, 16 under-ice, and 28 open ocean water samples. Low salinity samples (S<29) included 1 brine, 10 snow, and 106 ice core samples. Excluding snow, results indicate deviations from the accepted open ocean B/S ratio (0.1336 mg/kg). For both the entire high salinity sample set and the open ocean subset within it, the B/S average value (0.1304 ± 0.001 mg/kg) was lower. For low salinity samples, the average B/S value (0.1328 ± 0.003) was higher than the high salinity sample value but still lower than the accepted field value. The range of B/S ratios was much larger in low salinity samples (0.1260-0.1425 mg/kg) than high salinity samples (0.1275-0.1350 mg/kg); however, both ranges were significantly smaller than the 2021 B/S ratio range (0.0900-0.1850 mg/kg). The smaller deviation from the accepted B/S ratio in this study resulted in carbon system analysis inaccuracies less than 2 µmol/kg across the entire salinity range. We present the computed B/S ratios and the differences in these datasets using the δ¹⁸O isotopic ratios to understand the heterogeneity of western, annual ice in the marginal ice zone and eastern, multiyear ice in pack ice regions. The marked distinction in the datasets allows potential insight into boron concentrations and the conversion of total alkalinity to carbonate alkalinity across current and future systemic climate-change shifts in the Arctic.

How to cite: Rush, S., Lee, C.-H., Lee, K., Vlahos, P., and Barrett, L.: Non-conservative nature of Boron in low salinity Arctic ice and ice melt zones, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-3662, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-3662, 2024.