Work

Role of North Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures in Linking Summer Beaufort Sea Ice to Preceding‐Winter ENSO

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Interannual variability of the Beaufort Sea (BFS) ice notably affects the oceanic circulation, pelagic and sympagic ecosystems, and navigation activities. However, key physical pathways regulating interseasonal connections between the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and BFS ice concentration anomalies in early‐summer (May–July) remain unclear. Here, we established that winter (December‐January‐February) ENSO events, identified by the Niño 3 index, explained approximately 25% of BFS ice interannual variability in summer. We demonstrated that ENSO‐induced North Pacific sea surface temperature (NPSST) anomalies persist into summer, triggering poleward‐propagating Rossby waves by strengthening transient eddy vorticity forcing. The resulting anticyclonic and associated easterly anomalies over the BFS drive westward ice drift and subsequent ice reduction. ENSO‐pacemaker simulations confirmed the causal relationship, estimating that NPSSTs contribute 61% to the ENSO‐induced BFS ice anomalies in early summer. Our results emphasize the crucial role of NPSSTs for the ENSO‐Arctic teleconnection, with important implications for seasonal sea‐ice predictability.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2025gl120872

Authors: Shutao Cao, Anmin Duan, Xu Yuan, Yuzhuo Peng, Ruizao Sun

Institutions: Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Jimei University, China Meteorological Administration

Language: English

Topic: Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics

Subfield: Atmospheric Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life below water, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,190