About this Research Topic
The Eurasian continent, the largest continent on Earth, is the cradle of a diverse ecological system and brilliant human civilization. Under global warming, the Eurasian climate has experienced significant changes and extremes (e.g., droughts, heatwaves, heavy rainfall, etc.) frequently strike this region, profoundly impacting the regional ecological system and human society. Therefore, deepening the comprehension of the Eurasian climate variation mechanism is of great significance. Adjacent to the Eurasian continent is the Arctic Sea; the regional sea ice could change the Arctic-midlatitude air temperature gradient and the stratospheric-tropospheric interaction, influencing the Eurasian climate. For instance, the less-than-normal Barents-Kara Sea ice tends to cause a Eurasian cold winter.
In the recent two decades, the Arctic region has featured the fastest warming rate worldwide, double the global average, and is known as the Arctic Amplification. Arctic sea ice extent, thickness, and duration are noticeably decreased, contributing to the frequent climate extremes. On the other hand, the inter-annual variability (IAV) in Arctic sea ice is obviously amplified. Such an amplified Arctic sea ice IAV further enhances various connections between sea ice and regional climate over the Eurasian continent.
However, the Arctic air-ice-sea interaction is rather complicated, and Arctic sea ice’s impacts on the Eurasian climate remain controversial. Studies have also shown relatively more considerable uncertainties in simulating Arctic sea ice’s influences. Therefore, it is crucial to deepen understanding of the changes in the Eurasian climate-Arctic sea ice connections in recent decades, which provides valuable information for monitoring the Eurasian climate changes.
In this research topic, we bring together the most updated research on the new features of the Eurasian climate-Arctic sea ice connections and the potential physical processes. This research topic encourages promising, recent, and novel research in areas including:
• The key Arctic regions with intimate relationships between sea ice and Eurasian climate/extremes;
• New features of the Eurasian climate-Arctic sea ice connections;
• Uncertainties of the Arctic Sea ice’s impacts on the Eurasian climate;
• Potential factors modulating the Eurasian climate-Arctic sea ice connections
In the recent two decades, the Arctic region has featured the fastest warming rate worldwide, double the global average, and is known as the Arctic Amplification. Arctic sea ice extent, thickness, and duration are noticeably decreased, contributing to the frequent climate extremes. On the other hand, the inter-annual variability (IAV) in Arctic sea ice is obviously amplified. Such an amplified Arctic sea ice IAV further enhances various connections between sea ice and regional climate over the Eurasian continent.
However, the Arctic air-ice-sea interaction is rather complicated, and Arctic sea ice’s impacts on the Eurasian climate remain controversial. Studies have also shown relatively more considerable uncertainties in simulating Arctic sea ice’s influences. Therefore, it is crucial to deepen understanding of the changes in the Eurasian climate-Arctic sea ice connections in recent decades, which provides valuable information for monitoring the Eurasian climate changes.
In this research topic, we bring together the most updated research on the new features of the Eurasian climate-Arctic sea ice connections and the potential physical processes. This research topic encourages promising, recent, and novel research in areas including:
• The key Arctic regions with intimate relationships between sea ice and Eurasian climate/extremes;
• New features of the Eurasian climate-Arctic sea ice connections;
• Uncertainties of the Arctic Sea ice’s impacts on the Eurasian climate;
• Potential factors modulating the Eurasian climate-Arctic sea ice connections
Keywords: sea ice, climate extremes, climate monitoring, Arctic sea ice, Eurasian climate
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
