Polar oceans and sea ice in a changing climate

 

Polar oceans and sea ice cover 15% of the Earth's ocean surface, and the environment is changing rapidly at both poles. Improving knowledge on the interactions between the atmospheric and oceanic realms in the polar regions, a SOLAS project key focus, is essential to understanding the Earth system in the context of climate change. However, our ability to monitor the pace and magnitude of changes in the polar regions and evaluate their impacts for the rest of the globe is limited by both remoteness and sea-ice coverage. Open questions in this coupled system will be best resolved by leveraging ongoing international and multidisciplinary programs, such as efforts led by SOLAS, to link research across the ocean-sea ice-atmosphere interface. In this synthesis article, within the SOLAS Special Feature "Boundary Shift: The Air-Sea Interface in a Changing Climate" we connect disciplinary silos to provide an integrated perspective on air-sea interactions in polar regions, and how these regions contribute to and respond to climate change.

Reference: Willis, M.D., Lannuzel, D., Else, B., et al. (2023). Polar oceans and sea ice in a changing climate. Elem. Sci. Anth., 11(1), 00056. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00056