Articles | Volume 18, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-995-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-995-2024
Research article
 | 
05 Mar 2024
Research article |  | 05 Mar 2024

Why is summertime Arctic sea ice drift speed projected to decrease?

Jamie L. Ward and Neil F. Tandon

Data sets

Overview of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) experimental design and organization (https://esgf-node.llnl.gov/projects/cmip6) Veronika Eyring et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-1937-2016

Ubiquity of human-induced changes in climate variability (https://www.cesm.ucar.edu/community-projects/lens2/data-sets) Keith B. Rodgers et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-1393-2021

Download
Short summary
Over the long term, the speed at which sea ice in the Arctic moves has been increasing during all seasons. However, nearly all climate models project that sea ice motion will decrease during summer. This study aims to understand the mechanisms responsible for these projected decreases in summertime sea ice motion. We find that models produce changes in winds and ocean surface tilt which cause the sea ice to slow down, and it is realistic to expect such changes to also occur in the real world.