Zmiany zlodzenia Morza Karskiego w latach 1979-2015. Podejście systemowe

Praca omawia zmiany powierzchni lodów na Morzu Karskim i mechanizmy tych zmian. Scharakteryzowano przebieg zmian zlodzenia, ustalając momenty skokowego zmniejszenia się letniej powierzchni lodów. Rozpatrzono wpływ cyrkulacji atmosferycznej, zmian temperatury powietrza i zmian zasobów ciepła w wodach na zmiany zlodzonej tego morza. Analizy wykazały, że wszystkie zmienne opisujące zarówno stan zlodzenia jak i stan elementów klimatycznych są ze sobą wzajemnie powiązane przez różnego rodzaju sprzężenia zwrotne. W rezultacie tworzy się rekurentny system, w którym zmiany powierzchni lodów, wpływając na przebieg innych elementów systemu (temperaturę powietrza, temperaturę wody powierzchniowej) w znacznej części same sterują swoim rozwojem. Zmiennością całego tego systemu sterują zmiany intensywności cyrkulacji termohalinowej (THC) na Atlantyku Północnym, dostarczając do niego zmienne ilości energii (ciepła). Reakcja systemu zlodzenia Morza Karskiego na zmiany natężenia THC następuje z 6.letnim opóźnieniem.

The work discusses the changes in the ice extent on the Kara Sea in the years 1979-2015, i.e. in the period for which there are reliable satellite data. The analysis is based on the average monthly ice extent taken from the database AANII (RF, St. Peterburg). 95% of the variance of average annual ice extent explains the variability of the average of ice extent in ‘warm' season (July-October). Examination of features of auto-regressive course of changes in ice extent shows that the extent of the melting ice area between June and July (marked in the text RZ07-06) can reliably predict the ice extent on the Kara Sea in August, September, October and November as well as the average ice extent in a given year. Thus the changes in ice extent can be treated as a result of changes occurring within the system. Analysis of the relationship of changes in ice extent and variable RZ07-06 with the features of atmospheric circulation showed that only changes in atmospheric circulation in the Fram Strait (Dipole Fram Strait; variable DCF03-08) have a statistically significant impact on changes in ice extent on the Kara Sea and variable RZ07-06. The analysis shows no significant correlation with changes in ice extent or AO (Arctic Oscillation), or NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation). Variable RZ07-06 and variable DCF03-08 are strongly correlated and their changes follow the same pattern. Analysis of the relationship of changes in ice extent and variable RZ07-06 with changes in air temperature (the SAT) showed the presence of strong relationships. These correlations differ significantly depending on the region; they are much stronger with changes in air temperature in the north than in the south of the Kara Sea. Temperature of cold period (average temperature from November to April over the Kara Sea, marked 6ST11-04) has a significant effect on the thickness of the winter ice and in this way the thickness of ice in the next melting season becomes part of the "memory" (retention) of past temperature conditions. The thickness of the winter ice has an impact on the value of the variable RZ07-06 and on changes in ice extent during the next ‘warm’ season. As a result, 6ST11-04 explains 62% of the observed variance of the annual ice extent on the Kara Sea. SAT variability in the warm period over the Kara Sea (the average of the period July-October, marked 6ST07-10) explains 73% of the variance of annual ice extent. SAT variability of the N part of the Kara Sea (Ostrov Vize, Ostrov Golomjannyj), which explains 72-73% of the variance ice extent during this period, has particularly strong impact on changes in ice extent during warm period. These stations are located in the area where the transformed Atlantic Waters import heat to the Kara Sea. Analysis of the impact of changes in sea surface temperature (SST) variability on sea ice extent indicated that changes in SST are the strongest factor that has influence on ice extent. The variability of annual SST explains 82% of the variance of annual ice extent and 58% of the variance of the variable RZ07-06. Further analysis showed that the SAT period of warm and annual SAT on the Kara Sea are functions of the annual SST (water warmer than the air) but also ice extent. On the other hand, it turns out that the SST is in part a function of ice extent. All variables describing the ice extent and its changes as well as variables describing the nature of the elements of hydro-climatic conditions affecting the changes in ice extent (atmospheric circulation, SAT, SST) are strongly and highly significantly related (Table 9) and change in the same pattern. In this way, the existence of recursion system is detected where the changes in ice extent eventually have influence on ‘each other’ with some time shift. The occurrence of recursion in the system results in very strong autocorrelation in the course of inter-annual changes in ice extent. Despite the presence of recursion, factors most influencing change in ice extent, i.e. the variability in SST (83% of variance explanations) and variability in SAT were found by means of multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance. Their combined impact explains 89% of the variance of the annual ice extent on the Kara Sea and 85% of the variance of ice extent in the warm period. The same rhythm of changes suggests that the system is controlled by an external factor coming from outside the system. The analyses have shown that this factor is the variability in the intensity of the thermohaline circulation (referred to as THC) on the North Atlantic, characterized by a variable marked by DG3L acronym. Correlation between the THC signal and the ice extent and hydro-climatic variables are stretched over long periods of time (Table 10). The system responds to changes in the intensity of THC with a six-year delay, the source comes from the tropical North Atlantic. Variable amounts of heat (energy) supplied to the Arctic by ocean circulation change heat resources in the waters and in SST. This factor changes the ice extent and sizes of heat flux from the ocean to the atmosphere and the nature of the atmospheric circulation, as well as the value of the RZ07-06 variable, which determines the rate of ice melting during the ‘warm’ season. A six-year delay in response of the Kara Sea ice extent to the THC signal, compared to the known values of DG3L index to the year 2016, allows the approximate estimates of changes in ice extent of this sea by the year 2023. In the years 2017 to 2020 a further rapid decrease in ice extent will be observed during the ‘warm' period (July-October), in this period in the years 2020-2023 ice free conditions on the Kara Sea will prevail. Ice free navigation will continue from the last decade of June to the last decade of October in the years 2020-2023. Since the THC variability includes the longterm, 70-year component of periodicity, it allows to assume that by the year 2030 the conditions of navigation in the Kara Sea will be good, although winter ice cover will reappear.