An outstanding example of cooperation between Arctic and non-Arctic countries in cryosphere and climate research: Sino-Finnish cooperation for more than 30 years

The cryosphere is interconnected with other components of the climate system through global exchange of water,energy,and carbon.Long-term sustainable and pragmatic scientific and technological cooperation on the cryosphere and climatology in polar and sub-polar regions between China and Finland began in the 1980s.The fields of bilateral cooperation include joint training of young scientists,joint field observations,climatological and ecological researches of polar and sub-polar sea ice,glaciers and frozen lakes,etc.The year 2020 marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Finland.In order to celebrate the great achievements by Chinese and Finnish scientists in the fieldsof cryosphere and climate research,the Advances in Polar Science invited scientists from both sides to jointly organize a Special Issue entitled“Sino-Finnish cooperation on cryosphere and climatology in polar and sub-polar regions”.In this Special Issue,we have collected 10 papers,with most papers created jointly by scientists of both sides.The fruitful scientific achievement is strongly benefited from the sustainability of cooperation.Monitoring,research,prediction,mitigation,and adaptation to the climate change in the polar and sub-polar regions will definitively stay in the focus for many decades to come.A new era of Finnish-Chinese scientific collaboration on cryosphere has begun.

Hybrid-Vlasov simulation of soft X-ray emissions at the Earth’s dayside magnetospheric boundaries

Solar wind charge exchange produces emissions in the soft X-ray energy range which can enable the study of near-Earth space regions such as the magnetopause,the magnetosheath and the polar cusps by remote sensing techniques.The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)and Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)missions aim to obtain soft Xray images of near-Earth space thanks to their Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)instruments.While earlier modeling works have already simulated soft X-ray images as might be obtained by SMILE SXI during its mission,the numerical models used so far are all based on the magnetohydrodynamics description of the space plasma.To investigate the possible signatures of ion-kinetic-scale processes in soft Xray images,we use for the first time a global hybrid-Vlasov simulation of the geospace from the Vlasiator model.The simulation is driven by fast and tenuous solar wind conditions and purely southward interplanetary magnetic field.We first produce global X-ray images of the dayside near-Earth space by placing a virtual imaging satellite at two different locations,providing meridional and equatorial views.We then analyze regional features present in the images and show that they correspond to signatures in soft X-ray emissions of mirrormode wave structures in the magnetosheath and flux transfer events(FTEs)at the magnetopause.Our results suggest that,although the time scales associated with the motion of those transient phenomena will likely be significantly smaller than the integration time of the SMILE and LEXI imagers,mirror-mode structures and FTEs can cumulatively produce detectable signatures in the soft X-ray images.For instance,a local increase by 30%in the proton density at the dayside magnetopause resulting from the transit of multiple FTEs leads to a 12%enhancement in the line-of-sight-and time-integrated soft X-ray emissivity originating from this region.Likewise,a proton density increase by 14%in the magnetosheath associated with mirror-mode structures can result in an enhancement in the soft X-ray signal by 4%.These are likely conservative estimates,given that the solar wind conditions used in the Vlasiator run can be expected to generate weaker soft X-ray emissions than the more common denser solar wind.These results will contribute to the preparatory work for the SMILE and LEXI missions by providing the community with quantitative estimates of the effects of small-scale,transient phenomena occurring on the dayside.

Deformations at Earth’s dayside magnetopause during quasi-radial IMF conditions:Global kinetic simulations and Soft X-ray Imaging

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)is a joint mission of the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS).Primary goals are investigating the dynamic response of the Earth's magnetosphere to the solar wind(SW)impact via simultaneous in situ magnetosheath plasma and magnetic field measurements,X-Ray images of the magnetosheath and magnetic cusps,and UV images of global auroral distributions.Magnetopause deformations associated with magnetosheath high speed jets(HSJs)under a quasi-parallel interplanetary magnetic field condition are studied using a threedimensional(3-D)global hybrid simulation.Soft X-ray intensity calculated based on both physical quantities of solar wind proton and oxygen ions is compared.We obtain key findings concerning deformations at the magnetopause:(1)Magnetopause deformations are highly coherent with the magnetosheath HSJs generated at the quasi-parallel region of the bow shock,(2)X-ray intensities estimated using solar wind h+and self-consistentO7+ions are consistent with each other,(3)Visual spacecraft are employed to check the discrimination ability for capturing magnetopause deformations on Lunar and polar orbits,respectively.The SMILE spacecraft on the polar orbit could be expected to provide opportunities for capturing the global geometry of the magnetopause in the equatorial plane.A striking point is that SMILE has the potential to capture small-scale magnetopause deformations and magnetosheath transients,such as HSJs,at medium altitudes on its orbit.Simulation results also demonstrate that a lunar based imager(e.g.,Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager,LEXI)is expected to observe a localized brightening of the magnetosheath during HSJ events in the meridian plane.These preliminary results might contribute to the pre-studies for the SMILE and LEXI missions by providing qualitative and quantitative soft X-ray estimates of dayside kinetic processes.

Influence of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation on Antarctic surface air temperature during 1900 to 2015

The importance of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation(AMO)and Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation(IPO)in influencing zonally asymmetric changes in Antarctic surface air temperature(SAT)has been established.However,previous studies have primarily concentrated on examining the combined impact of the contrasting phases of the AMO and IPO,which have been dominant since the advent of satellite observations in 1979.This study utilizes long-term reanalysis data to investigate the impact of four combinations of+AMO+IPO,–AMO–IPO,+AMO–IPO,and–AMO+IPO on Antarctic SAT over the past 115 years.The+AMO phase is characterized by a spatial mean temperature amplitude of up to 0.5℃over the North Atlantic Ocean,accompanied by positive sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies in the tropical eastern Pacific and negative SST anomalies in the extratropical-mid-latitude western Pacific,which are indicative of the+IPO phase.The Antarctic SAT exhibits contrasting spatial patterns during the+AMO+IPO and+AMO–IPO periods.However,during the–AMO+IPO period,apart from the Antarctic Peninsula and the vicinity of the Weddell Sea,the entire Antarctic region experiences a warming trend.The most pronounced signal in the SAT anomalies is observed during the austral autumn,whereas the combination of–AMO and–IPO exhibits the smallest magnitude across all the combinations.The wavetrain excited by the SST anomalies associated with the AMO and IPO induces upper-level and surface atmospheric circulation anomalies,which alter the SAT anomalies.Furthermore,downward longwave radiation anomalies related to anomalous cloud cover play a crucial role.In the future,if the phases of AMO and IPO were to reverse(AMO transitioning to a negative phase and IPO transitioning to a positive phase),Antarctica could potentially face more pronounced warming and accelerated melting compared to the current observations.

Recent advances in studies on changes in Arctic sea ice microstructure and implications to thermodynamic modeling

The study of Arctic sea ice has traditionally been focused on large-scale such as reductions of ice coverage,thickness,volumes and sea ice regime shift.Research has primarily concentrated on the impact of large-scale external factors such as atmospheric and oceanic circulations,and solar radiation.Additionally,Arctic sea ice also undergoes rapid micro-scale evolution such as gas bubbles formation,brine pockets migration and massive formation of surface scattering layer.Field studies like CHINARE(2008-2018)and MOSAiC(2019-2020)have confirmed these observations,yet the full understanding of those changes remain insufficient and superficial.In order to cope better with the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean,this study reviews the recent advances in the microstructure of Arctic sea ice in both field observations and laboratory experiments,and looks forward to the future objectives on the microscale processes of sea ice.The significant porosity and the cyclical annual and seasonal shifts likely modify the ice's thermal,optical,and mechanical characteristics,impacting its energy dynamics and mass balance.Current thermodynamic models,both single-phase and dual-phase,fail to accurately capture these microstructural changes in sea ice,leading to uncertainties in the results.The discrepancy between model predictions and actual observations strongly motivates the parameterization on the evolution in ice microstructure and development of next-generation sea ice models,accounting for changes in ice crystals,brine pockets,and gas bubbles under the background of global warming.It helps to finally achieve a thorough comprehension of Arctic sea ice changes,encompassing both macro and micro perspectives,as well as externaland internal factors.

Brightness temperature simulation of subarctic lake-ice evolution by HIGHTSI and SMRT model

Microwave brightness temperature(TB)can be used to retrieve lake ice thickness in the Arctic and subarctic regions.However,the accuracy of the retrieval is affected by the physical properties of lake ice.To improve the understanding of how lake ice affects TB,numerical modeling was applied.This study combined a physical thermodynamic ice model HIGHTSI with a microwave radiation transfer model SMRT to simulate the TB and lake ice evolution in 2002-2011 in Hulun Lake,China.The reanalyzed meteorological data were used as atmospheric forcing.The ice season was divided into the growth period,the slow growth period,and the ablation period.The simulations revealed that TB was highly sensitive to ice thickness during the ice season,especially vertical polarization measurement at 18.7 GHz.The quadratic polynomial fit for ice thickness to TB outperformed the linear fit,regardless of whether lake ice contained bubbles or not.A comparison of the simulated TB with space-borne TB showed that the simulated TB had the best accuracy during the slow growth period,with a minimum RMSE of 4.6 K.The results were influenced by the bubble radius and salinity.These findings enhance comprehension of the interaction between lake ice properties(including ice thickness,bubbles,and salinity)and TB during ice seasons,offering insights to sea ice in the Arctic and subarctic freshwater observations.

夏季北冰洋浮冰-水道热力学特征现场观测研究

中国第3次北极科学考察期间于2008年8月20-28日首次开展了浮冰-水道系统热力学特征的现场观测。观测结果表明,观测期间气温低于0℃,调查区域正从消融期向生长期过渡,至8月23日水道逐渐封冻。之后表层薄冰对应320—950nm区间的总反照率为0.46(±0.03),水道内水温垂向梯度逐渐减小,水道内和冰底的水温逐渐下降。至8月底,浮冰底部进入融冰末期;侧部仍处于融冰期,平均融冰速率对应的平均融解潜热通量为21(±6)W/m2;对观测区的海冰而言,至8月下旬,相对于底部和表面的生消,侧部融化对其物质平衡贡献较大。

北极夏季海冰反照率的观测和数值模拟试验

在中国第3次北极科学考察浮冰站开展了积雪/海冰反照率观测。本文对观测结果进行了分析,并结合一维高分辨雪/冰模式（HIGHTSI）对3个常用的反照率参数化方案在天气尺度的表现进行了评估。观测期间测站反照率变化范围0.75~0.85,其天气尺度变化同天气和表面冰、雪状况紧密相关,降雪和吹雪过程可改变表面积雪厚度及水平分布,进而显著影响反照率。考虑雪、冰厚度变化时,模式能很好的再现反照率的变化趋势,但难以准确模拟出反照率的日变化。

大视场偏振多光谱相机的在轨辐射定标研究进展

大视场偏振多光谱相机比传统的光谱相机多探测角度和偏振两个维度的信息,尤其在气溶胶遥感监测领域,具有很大优势,所以在2020年前后全球将大量发射搭载该类载荷的卫星。作为定量化程度很高的光学载荷,在轨定标一直受到很大的重视。因受限于缺乏星上定标设备和低空间分辨率特点,使用自然景物作为替代参考光源进行在轨辐射定标。多角度偏振相机内部的辐射传递过程复杂,需要进行辐射定标的相机参数有多个。辐射定标系数包括辐射强度和偏振两种类型多个参数,使用的自然景物类型多,导致多种定标方法组合、并行发展。2018年新发射的高分五号卫星是我国第一颗,也是同期国际上唯一搭载偏振运行载荷的卫星,在其后国际上也会有多颗卫星搭载同类型传感器上天,有必要梳理替代定标的研究进展情况。文章系统介绍了大视场偏振多光谱相机的一般光学结构及其光谱设置等重要技术参数,梳理了相机的辐射传递模型。划分了绝对辐射强度、相对辐射强度和偏振参数三类来描述不同定标系数的在轨定标方法和原理。针对特定的待定标系数,介绍了在轨替代定标所需选用的自然景物目标和定标的流程方法。形成了大视场偏振多光谱相机在轨辐射定标的方法系统。并汇总了定标结果检验的一般方法。新的大视场偏振多光谱相机的在轨辐射定标,将继承原有研究基础,使用特殊自然景物开展定标。在后续的同类遥感相机在轨定标工作中,也可以充分借助同一个卫星平台上的其他载荷及其星上定标器、借助地面人工光源等方法开展新形式的在轨辐射定标。我国、欧洲以及美国等规划了新型偏振相机航天发射计划,面向未来几年的我国和欧美诸多同类相机,结合作者研究基础,对未来在轨定标方法进行了初步设计和展望。偏振类型的多光谱相机主要服务于大气颗粒物遥感监测,对我国当前关注的大气环境问题非常重要。卫星发射后持续的在轨辐射定标是保障卫星遥感产品反演精度的必要条件。系统的在轨定标研究梳理和在轨定标未来方法的初步设计将为后续卫星遥感应用系统提供方法和模型参考。

Detection of Anthropogenic CO_(2) Emission Signatures with TanSat CO_(2) and with Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor(S5P)NO_(2) Measurements:First Results

China’s first carbon dioxide(CO_(2))measurement satellite mission,TanSat,was launched in December 2016.This paper introduces the first attempt to detect anthropogenic CO_(2) emission signatures using CO_(2) observations from TanSat and NO_(2) measurements from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument(TROPOMI)onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor(S5P)satellite.We focus our analysis on two selected cases in Tangshan,China and Tokyo,Japan.We found that the TanSat XCO_(2) measurements have the capability to capture the anthropogenic variations in the plume and have spatial patterns similar to that of the TROPOMI NO_(2) observations.The linear fit between TanSat XCO_(2) and TROPOMI NO_(2) indicates the CO_(2)-to-NO_(2) ratio of 0.8×10^(-16) ppm(molec cm^(-2))^(-1) in Tangshan and 2.3×10^(-16) ppm(molec cm^(-2))^(-1) in Tokyo.Our results align with the CO_(2)-to-NOx emission ratios obtained from the EDGAR v6 emission inventory.

An assessment of arctic sea ice concentration retrieval based on “HY-2” scanning radiometer data using field observations during CHINARE-2012 and other satellite instruments

A retrieval algorithm of arctic sea ice concentration （SIC） based on the brightness temperature data of “HY-2” scanning microwave radiometer has been constructed. The tie points of the brightness temperature were selected based on the statistical analysis of a polarization gradient ratio and a spectral gradient ratio over open water （OW）, first-year ice （FYI）, and multiyear ice （MYI） in arctic. The thresholds from two weather filters were used to reduce atmospheric effects over the open ocean. SIC retrievals from the “HY-2” radiom-eter data for idealized OW, FYI, and MYI agreed well with theoretical values. The 2012 annual SIC was calcu-lated and compared with two reference operational products from the National Snow and Ice Data Center （NSIDC） and the University of Bremen. The total ice-covered area yielded by the “HY-2” SIC was consistent with the results from the reference products. The assessment of SIC with the aerial photography from the fifth Chinese national arctic research expedition （CHINARE） and six synthetic aperture radar （SAR） images from the National Ice Service was carried out. The “HY-2” SIC product was 16% higher than the values de-rived from the aerial photography in the central arctic. The root-mean-square （RMS） values of SIC between “HY-2” and SAR were comparable with those between the reference products and SAR, varying from 8.57% to 12.34%. The “HY-2” SIC is a promising product that can be used for operational services.

Extreme Cold Events from East Asia to North America in Winter 2020/21:Comparisons,Causes,and Future Implications

Three striking and impactful extreme cold weather events successively occurred across East Asia and North America during the mid-winter of 2020/21.These events open a new window to detect possible underlying physical processes.The analysis here indicates that the occurrences of the three events resulted from integrated effects of a concurrence of anomalous thermal conditions in three oceans and interactive Arctic-lower latitude atmospheric circulation processes,which were linked and influenced by one major sudden stratospheric warming(SSW).The North Atlantic warm blob initiated an increased poleward transient eddy heat flux,reducing the Barents-Kara seas sea ice over a warmed ocean and disrupting the stratospheric polar vortex(SPV)to induce the major SSW.The Rossby wave trains excited by the North Atlantic warm blob and the tropical Pacific La Nina interacted with the Arctic tropospheric circulation anomalies or the tropospheric polar vortex to provide dynamic settings,steering cold polar air outbreaks.The long memory of the retreated sea ice with the underlying warm ocean and the amplified tropospheric blocking highs from the midlatitudes to the Arctic intermittently fueled the increased transient eddy heat flux to sustain the SSW over a long time period.The displaced or split SPV centers associated with the SSW played crucial roles in substantially intensifying the tropospheric circulation anomalies and moving the jet stream to the far south to cause cold air outbreaks to a rarely observed extreme state.The results have significant implications for increasing prediction skill and improving policy decision making to enhance resilience in“One Health,One Future”.

Crucial physical characteristics of sea ice in the Arctic section of 143°–180°W during August and early September 2008

Sea-ice physical characteristics were investigated in the Arctic section of 143^-180~W during Au- gust and early September 2008. Ship-based observations show that both the sea-ice thickness and concentration recorded during southward navigation from 30 August to 6 September were remark- ably less than those recorded during northward navigation from 3 to 30 August, especially at low latitudes. Accordingly, the marginal ice zone moved from about 74.0~N to about 79.5~N from mid-August to early September. Melt-pond coverage increased with increasing latitude~ peaking at 84.4~N, where about 27% of ice was covered by melt ponds. Above this latitude, melt-pond coverage decreased evidently as the ice at high latitudes experienced a relatively short melt season and commenced its growth stage by the end of August. Regional mean ice thickness increased from 0.8 （~=0.5） m at 75.0~N to 1.5 （＋0.4） m at 85.0~N along the northward navigation while it decreased rapidly to 0.6 （-t-0.3） m at 78.0~N along the southward navigation. Because of relatively low ice concentration and thin ice in the investigated Arctic sector, both the short-term ice stations and ice camp could only be set up over multiyear sea ice. Observations of ice properties based on ice cores collected at the short-term ice stations and the ice camp show that all investigated floes were essentially isothermal with high temperature and porosity, and low density and salinity. Most ices had salinity below 2 and mean density of 800-860 kg/m3. Significant ice loss in the investigated Arctic sector during the last 15 a can be identified by comparison with the previous observations.

Sea ice thickness analyses for the Bohai Sea using MODIS thermal infrared imagery

Level ice thickness distribution pattern in the Bohai Sea in the winter of 2009-2010 was investigated in this paper using MODIS night-time thermal infrared imagery. The cloud cover in the imagery was masked out manually. Level ice thickness was calculated using MODIS ice surface temperature and an ice surface heat balance equation. Weather forcing data was from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts （ECMWF） analyses. The retrieved ice thickness agreed reasonable well with in situ observations from two off-shore oil platforms. The overall bias and the root mean square error of the MODIS ice thickness are -1.4 cm and 3.9 cm, respectively. The MODIS results under cold conditions （air temperature 〈 -10~C） also agree with the estimated ice growth from Lebedev and Zubov models. The MODIS ice thickness is sensitive to the changes of the sea ice and air temperature, in particular when the sea ice is relatively thin. It is less sensitive to the wind speed. Our method is feasible for the Bohai Sea operational ice thickness analyses during cold freezing seasons.

Observed and modelled snow and ice thickness in the Arctic Ocean with CHINARE buoy data

Sea ice and the snow pack on top of it were investigated using Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition （CHINARE） buoy data. Two polar hydrometeorological drifters, known as Zeno ice stations, were deployed during CHINARE 2003. A new type of high-resolution Snow and Ice Mass Balance Arrays, known as SIMBA buoys, were deployed during CHINARE 2014. Data from those buoys were applied to investigate the thickness of sea ice and snow in the CHINARE domain. A simple approach was applied to estimate the average snow thickness on the basis of Zeno temperature data. Snow and ice thicknesses were also derived from vertical temperature profile data based on the SIMBA buoys. A one-dimensional snow and ice thermodynamic model （HIGHTSI） was applied to calculate the snow and ice thickness along the buoy drift trajectories. The model forcing was based on forecasts and analyses of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts （ECMWF）. The Zeno buoys drifted in a confined area during 2003-2004. The snow thickness modelled applying HIGHTSI was consistent with results based on Zeno buoy data. The SIMBA buoys drifted from 81. 1°N, 157.4°W to 73.5°N, 134.9°W in 15 months during 2014-2015. The total ice thickness increased from an initial August 2014 value of 1.97 m to a maximum value of 2.45 in before the onset of snow melt in May 2015; the last observation was approximately 1 m in late November 2015. The ice thickness based on HIGHTSI agreed with SIMBA measurements, in particular when the seasonal variation of oceanic heat flux was taken into account, but the modelled snow thickness differed from the observed one. Sea ice thickness derived from SIMBA data was reasonably good in cold conditions, but challenges remain in both snow and ice thickness in summer.

Model simulations of the annual cycle of the landfast ice thickness in the East Siberian Sea

The annual cycle of the thickness and temperature of landfast sea ice in the East Siberian Sea has been examined using a one-dimensional thermodynamic model. The model was calibrated for the year August 2012-July 2013, forced using the data of the Russian weather station Kotel＇ny Island and ECMWF reanalyses. Thermal growth and decay of ice were reproduced well, and the maximum annual ice thickness and breakup day became 1.64 m and the end of July. Oceanic heat flux was 2 W.m^-2 in winter and raised to 25 W.m^-2 in summer, albedo was 0.3-0.8 depending on the surface type （snow/ice and wet/dry）. The model outcome showed sensitivity to the albedo, air temperature and oceanic heat flux. The modelled snow cover was less than 10 cm having a small influence on the ice thickness. In situ sea ice thickness in the East Siberian Sea is rarely available in publications. This study provides a method for quantitative ice thickness estimation by modelling. The result can be used as a proxy to understand the sea ice conditions on the Eurasian Arctic coast, which is important for shipping and high-resolution Arctic climate modelling.

Satellite Measurements of the Madden–Julian Oscillation in Wintertime Stratospheric Ozone over the Tibetan Plateau and East Asia

We investigate the Madden-Julian Oscillation （MJO） signal in wintertime stratospheric ozone over the Tibetan Plateau and East Asia using the harmonized dataset of satellite ozone profiles. Two different MJO indices -- the all-season Real-Time multivariate MJO index （RMM） and outgoing longwave radiation-based MJO index （OMI） -- are used to compare the MJO- related ozone anomalies. The results show that there are pronounced eastward-propagating MJO-related stratospheric ozone anomalies （mainly within 20-200 hPa） over the subtropics, The negative stratospheric ozone anomalies are over the Tibetan Plateau and East Asia in MJO phases 4-7, when MJO-related tropical deep convective anomalies move from the equatorial Indian Ocean towards the western Pacific Ocean. Compared with the results based on RMM, the MJO-related stratospheric column ozone anomalies based on OM1 are stronger and one phase ahead. Further analysis suggests that different sampling errors, observation principles and retrieval algorithms may be responsible for the discrepancies among different satellite measurements. The MJO-related stratospheric ozone anomalies can be attributed to the MJO-related circulation anomalies, i.e., the uplifted tropopanse and the northward shifted westerly jet in the upper troposphere. Compared to the result based on RMM, the upper tropospheric westerly jet may play a less important role in generating the stratospheric column ozone anomalies based on OMI. Our study indicates that the circulation-based MJO index （RMM） can better characterize the MJO- related anomalies in tropopause pressure and thus the MJO influence on atmospheric trace gases in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, especially over subtropical East Asia.

Spatial and temporal evolution of landfast ice near Zhongshan Station, East Antarctica, over an annual cycle in 2011/2012

Annual observations of first-year ice(FYI) and second-year ice(SYI) near Zhongshan Station, East Antarctica,were conducted for the first time from December 2011 to December 2012. Melt ponds appeared from early December 2011. Landfast ice partly broke in late January, 2012 after a strong cyclone. Open water was refrozen to form new ice cover in mid-February, and then FYI and SYI co-existed in March with a growth rate of 0.8 cm/d for FYI and a melting rate of 2.7 cm/d for SYI. This difference was due to the oceanic heat flux and the thickness of ice,with weaker heat flux through thicker ice. From May onward, FYI and SYI showed a similar growth by 0.5 cm/d.Their maximum thickness reached 160.5 cm and 167.0 cm, respectively, in late October. Drillings showed variations of FYI thickness to be generally less than 1.0 cm, but variations were up to 33.0 cm for SYI in March,suggesting that the SYI bottom was particularly uneven. Snow distribution was strongly affected by wind and surface roughness, leading to large thickness differences in the different sites. Snow and ice thickness in Nella Fjord had a similar "east thicker, west thinner" spatial distribution. Easterly prevailing wind and local topography led to this snow pattern. Superimposed ice induced by snow cover melting in summer thickened multi-year ice,causing it to be thicker than the snow-free SYI. The estimated monthly oceanic heat flux was ～30.0 W/m2 in March–May, reducing to ～10.0 W/m2 during July–October, and increasing to ～15.0 W/m2 in November. The seasonal change and mean value of 15.6 W/m2 was similar to the findings of previous research. The results can be used to further our understanding of landfast ice for climate change study and Chinese Antarctic Expedition services.

Observation and modelling of snow and sea ice mass balance and its sensitivity to atmospheric forcing during spring and summer 2007 in the Central Arctic

Snow depth and sea ice thickness were observed applying an ice mass balance buoy(IMB)in the drifting ice station Tara during the International Polar Year in 2007.Detailed in situ observations on meteorological variables and surface fluxes were taken during May to August.For this study,the operational analyses and short-term forecasts from two numerical weather prediction(NWP)models(ECMWF and HIRLAM)were extracted for the Tara drift trajectory.We compared the IMB,meteorological and surface flux observations against the NWP products,also applying a one-dimensional thermodynamic sea ice model(HIGHTSI)to calculate the snow and ice mass balance and its sensitivity to atmospheric forcing.The modelled snow depth time series,controlled by NWP-based precipitation,was in line with the observed one.HIGHTSI reproduced well the snowmelt onset,the progress of the melt,and the first date of snow-free conditions.HIGHTSI performed well also in the late August freezing season.Challenges remain to model the“false bottom”observed during the melting season.The evolution of the vertical temperature profiles in snow and ice was better simulated when the model was forced by in situ observations instead of NWP results.During the melting period,the nonlinear ice temperature profile was successfully modelled with both forcing options.During spring and the melting season,total sea ice mass balance was most sensitive to uncertainties in NWP results for the downward longwave radiation,followed by the downward shortwave radiation,air temperature,and wind speed.

Modelling on seasonal lake ice evolution in central Asian arid climate zone: a case study

The seasonal cycle of ice thickness and temperature in Lake Wuliangsuhai,a typical shallow lake in the central Asian arid climate zone,was simulated using the HIGHTSI model and the MERRA-2 data as the meteorological forcing.The average ice growth rate was 0.64 cm·d^(−1) and −1.65 cm·d^(−1) for the growth and melting stage of the ice cover,respectively.The ice thickness agreed well with the field observations conducted in winter 2017,with a correlation coefficient of 0.97.The ice temperature field also agreed with observations in both daily variations and the vertical profile,and a better agreement in the daily amplitude and profile shape of ice temperature could be achieved if field data on physical properties of snow cover andmelting ice were available.This study proved the feasibility of both the HIGHTSI model and the MERRA-2 data for modeling the ice cover evolution in Lake Wuliangsuhai,providing a basis for a deep insight into the difference of lake ice evolution between central Asian arid climate zone and polar/sub-polar regions.