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https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2016-28
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2016-28
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
02 Mar 2016
Status: this preprint was under review for the journal TC. A revision for further review has not been submitted.
Brief Communication: Does it matter exactly when the Arctic will become ice-free?
Abstract. Following the 2015 UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Paris there is renewed interest in understanding and avoiding potentially dangerous climate change. The loss of Arctic sea ice is one of the most directly visible aspects of climate change and the question is frequently asked: when can we expect the Arctic to be ice-free in summer? We argue here that this question may not be the most useful one to inform decisions on climate change mitigation or adaptation in the Arctic. The development of a community-wide consensus on a robust definition of "ice-free", may reduce confusion in the community and amongst the public.
How to cite. Ridley, J. K., Wood, R. A., Keen, A. B., Blockley, E., and Lowe, J. A.: Brief Communication: Does it matter exactly when the Arctic will become ice-free?, The Cryosphere Discuss. [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2016-28, in review, 2016.
Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
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Status: closed (peer review stopped)
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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RC1: 'Review of: Does it matter exactly when the Arctic will become ice-free?', Anonymous Referee #1, 04 Apr 2016
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RC2: 'Review of Ridley et al.', Anonymous Referee #2, 28 Apr 2016
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EC1: 'Editors Comments', Julienne Stroeve, 02 May 2016
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
- Printer-friendly version
- Supplement
-
RC1: 'Review of: Does it matter exactly when the Arctic will become ice-free?', Anonymous Referee #1, 04 Apr 2016
-
RC2: 'Review of Ridley et al.', Anonymous Referee #2, 28 Apr 2016
-
EC1: 'Editors Comments', Julienne Stroeve, 02 May 2016
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J. K. Ridley
Met Office Hadley Centre, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UK
R. A. Wood
Met Office Hadley Centre, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UK
A. B. Keen
Met Office Hadley Centre, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UK
E. Blockley
Met Office Hadley Centre, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UK
J. A. Lowe
Met Office Hadley Centre, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UK
Short summary
The internal variability in model projections of Arctic sea ice extent is high. As a consequence an ensemble of projections from a single model can show considerable scatter in the range of dates for an "ice-free" Arctic. This paper investigates if the scatter can be reduced for a variety of definitions of "ice-free". Daily GCM data reveals that only a high emissions scenario results in the optimal definition of five conservative years in with ice extent is below one million square kilometer.
The internal variability in model projections of Arctic sea ice extent is high. As a consequence...