8
4 Summary
There are indications that the Arctic sea ice regime has entered a new era, although
the Arctic Ocean is in continuous transition towards a completely ice-free summer
(i.e. being a fully seasonal sea-ice system). Nevertheless, the shift from an ice pack
composed of older thicker ice to a largely thinner and seasonal ice pack, has already
resulted in shifts and changes in the functioning of the ice pack, and likely also its
response and sensitivity to external forcing. This not only has affected the physical
system but is also likely to affect the ice-associated ecosystem. This calls for a critical evaluation if all the key sea-ice processes are well represented in current climate
models, which are used to predict future conditions.
References
Alexeev VA, Walsh JE, Ivanov VV, Semenov VA, Smirnov AV (2017) Warming in the Nordic Seas,
North Atlantic storms and thinning Arctic Sea ice. Environ Res Lett 12(8):084011. https://doi.
org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7a1d
Arrigo KR, van Dijken GL (2015) Continued increases in Arctic Ocean primary production. Progr
Oceanogr 136:60–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2015.05.002
Arrigo KR, Perovich DK, Pickart RS, Brown ZW, van Dijken GL, Lowry KE, Mills MM, Palmer
MA, Balch WM, Bahr F, Bates NR, Benitez-Nelson C, Bowler B, Brownlee E, Ehn JK, Frey
KE, Garley R, Laney SR, Lubelczyk L, Mathis J, Matsuoka A, Mitchell BG, Moore GWK,
Ortega-Retuerta E, Pal S, Polashenski CM, Reynolds RA, Schieber B, Sosik HM, Stephens M,
Swift JH (2012) Massive phytoplankton blooms under Arctic Sea ice. Science 336(6087):1408–
1408. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1215065
Assmy P, Fernández-Méndez M, Duarte P, Meyer A, Randelhoff A, Mundy CJ, Olsen LM, Kauko
HM, Bailey A, Chierici M, Cohen L, Doulgeris AP, Ehn JK, Fransson A, Gerland S, Hop H,
Hudson SR, Hughes N, Itkin P, Johnsen G, King JA, Koch BP, Koenig Z, Kwasniewski S,
Laney SR, Nicolaus M, Pavlov AK, Polashenski CM, Provost C, Rösel A, Sandbu M, Spreen
G, Smedsrud LH, Sundfjord A, Taskjelle T, Tatarek A, Wiktor J, Wagner PM, Wold A, Steen
H, Granskog MA (2017) Leads in Arctic pack ice enable early phytoplankton blooms below
snow-covered sea ice. Sci Rep 7:40850. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep40850
Barber DG, Babb DG, Ehn JK, Chan W, Matthes L, Dalman LA, Campbell Y, Harasyn ML, Firoozy
N, Theriault N, Lukovich JV, Zagon T, Papakyriakou T, Capelle DW, Forest A, Gariepy A
(2018) Increasing mobility of high Arctic Sea ice increases marine hazards off the East Coast of
Newfoundland. Geophys Res Lett 45(5):2370–2379. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076587
Bintanja R, Selten FM (2014) Future increases in Arctic precipitation linked to local evaporation
and sea-ice retreat. Nature 509(7501):479–482. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13259
Duarte P, Meyer A, Olsen LM, Kauko HM, Assmy P, Rösel A, Itkin P, Hudson SR, Granskog MA,
Gerland S, Sundfjord A, Steen H, Hop H, Cohen L, Peterson AK, Jeffery N, Elliott SM, Hunke
EC, Turner AK (2017) Sea ice thermohaline dynamics and biogeochemistry in the Arctic
Ocean: empirical and model results. J Geophys Res Biogeosci 122(7):1632–1654. https://doi.
org/10.1002/2016JG003660
Dupont F (2012) Impact of sea-ice biology on overall primary production in a biophysical model
of the pan-Arctic Ocean. J Geophys Res 117:C00D17. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JC006983
Fernández-Méndez M, Olsen LM, Kauko HM, Meyer A, Rösel A, Merkouriadi I, Mundy CJ, Ehn
JK, Johansson AM, Wagner PM, Ervik Å, Sorrell BK, Duarte P, Wold A, Hop H, Assmy P
(2018) Algal hot spots in a changing Arctic Ocean: sea-ice ridges and the snow-ice interface.
Front Mar Sci 5:75. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00075
M. A. Granskog et al.
4 Summary
There are indications that the Arctic sea ice regime has entered a new era, although
the Arctic Ocean is in continuous transition towards a completely ice-free summer
(i.e. being a fully seasonal sea-ice system). Nevertheless, the shift from an ice pack
composed of older thicker ice to a largely thinner and seasonal ice pack, has already
resulted in shifts and changes in the functioning of the ice pack, and likely also its
response and sensitivity to external forcing. This not only has affected the physical
system but is also likely to affect the ice-associated ecosystem. This calls for a critical evaluation if all the key sea-ice processes are well represented in current climate
models, which are used to predict future conditions.
References
Alexeev VA, Walsh JE, Ivanov VV, Semenov VA, Smirnov AV (2017) Warming in the Nordic Seas,
North Atlantic storms and thinning Arctic Sea ice. Environ Res Lett 12(8):084011. https://doi.
org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7a1d
Arrigo KR, van Dijken GL (2015) Continued increases in Arctic Ocean primary production. Progr
Oceanogr 136:60–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2015.05.002
Arrigo KR, Perovich DK, Pickart RS, Brown ZW, van Dijken GL, Lowry KE, Mills MM, Palmer
MA, Balch WM, Bahr F, Bates NR, Benitez-Nelson C, Bowler B, Brownlee E, Ehn JK, Frey
KE, Garley R, Laney SR, Lubelczyk L, Mathis J, Matsuoka A, Mitchell BG, Moore GWK,
Ortega-Retuerta E, Pal S, Polashenski CM, Reynolds RA, Schieber B, Sosik HM, Stephens M,
Swift JH (2012) Massive phytoplankton blooms under Arctic Sea ice. Science 336(6087):1408–
1408. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1215065
Assmy P, Fernández-Méndez M, Duarte P, Meyer A, Randelhoff A, Mundy CJ, Olsen LM, Kauko
HM, Bailey A, Chierici M, Cohen L, Doulgeris AP, Ehn JK, Fransson A, Gerland S, Hop H,
Hudson SR, Hughes N, Itkin P, Johnsen G, King JA, Koch BP, Koenig Z, Kwasniewski S,
Laney SR, Nicolaus M, Pavlov AK, Polashenski CM, Provost C, Rösel A, Sandbu M, Spreen
G, Smedsrud LH, Sundfjord A, Taskjelle T, Tatarek A, Wiktor J, Wagner PM, Wold A, Steen
H, Granskog MA (2017) Leads in Arctic pack ice enable early phytoplankton blooms below
snow-covered sea ice. Sci Rep 7:40850. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep40850
Barber DG, Babb DG, Ehn JK, Chan W, Matthes L, Dalman LA, Campbell Y, Harasyn ML, Firoozy
N, Theriault N, Lukovich JV, Zagon T, Papakyriakou T, Capelle DW, Forest A, Gariepy A
(2018) Increasing mobility of high Arctic Sea ice increases marine hazards off the East Coast of
Newfoundland. Geophys Res Lett 45(5):2370–2379. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076587
Bintanja R, Selten FM (2014) Future increases in Arctic precipitation linked to local evaporation
and sea-ice retreat. Nature 509(7501):479–482. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13259
Duarte P, Meyer A, Olsen LM, Kauko HM, Assmy P, Rösel A, Itkin P, Hudson SR, Granskog MA,
Gerland S, Sundfjord A, Steen H, Hop H, Cohen L, Peterson AK, Jeffery N, Elliott SM, Hunke
EC, Turner AK (2017) Sea ice thermohaline dynamics and biogeochemistry in the Arctic
Ocean: empirical and model results. J Geophys Res Biogeosci 122(7):1632–1654. https://doi.
org/10.1002/2016JG003660
Dupont F (2012) Impact of sea-ice biology on overall primary production in a biophysical model
of the pan-Arctic Ocean. J Geophys Res 117:C00D17. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JC006983
Fernández-Méndez M, Olsen LM, Kauko HM, Meyer A, Rösel A, Merkouriadi I, Mundy CJ, Ehn
JK, Johansson AM, Wagner PM, Ervik Å, Sorrell BK, Duarte P, Wold A, Hop H, Assmy P
(2018) Algal hot spots in a changing Arctic Ocean: sea-ice ridges and the snow-ice interface.
Front Mar Sci 5:75. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00075
M. A. Granskog et al.