The role of clouds and sea ice in the Arctic amplification and the warming suppression in East Antarctica under global warming

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K00523
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental dynamic analysis
• Research Institution: National Institute of Polar Research
• Principal Investigator: Yamanouchi Takashi 国立極地研究所, その他部局等, 名誉教授 (00141995)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 地球温暖化 / 北極 / 南極 / 雲 / 海氷 / 放射 / 大気循環 / 子午面逆転循環

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The role of clouds and sea ice in the Arctic amplification and the warming suppression in East Antarctica under global warming was investigated.
From the observation data in the Arctic and Antarctic, it was confirmed that the warming of the polar region occasionally occurred with the clouds enhancements, and downward longwave radiation increases. This phenomenon was not simply the increase and development of clouds, but derived by the change in the atmospheric circulation field, which causes the polar vortex to meander (often due to blocking) and the ridge to intrude into the high latitude side, resulting in high temperature and humidity. The mechanism that promotes the development of clouds and warms the poles through the increase in longwave radiation has been clarified. The results suggested that this contribution was greater on the Arctic, due to the presence of high-altitude Antarctic continent.

Free Research Field

大気科学・極域気候学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

地球温暖化の中で北極や南極はどうなっているのか、その変化の影響はどうなのかといったことが問われている。北極では気温の急上昇や海氷域の急減など極めて顕著な変化が起こりつつある。一方、南極本体である東南極では目立った温暖化は起こっていない。この違いはなぜなのだろうか、その原因を調べ、ある程度の説明はついた。
今後、温暖化が進行して行く中で、北極と南極はどのように変化して行くのか、についてはある程度の見通しを得ることができた。これらが、さらに我々の生活する中緯度や世界中にどのような影響を与えていくかをあきらかにしなければならない。