Arctic storms and sea ice drift are linked

GREENBELT, Md., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says the rising frequency and intensity of Arctic storms during the last half century is accelerating the rate of Arctic sea ice drift.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration researcher Sirpa Hakkinen of the Goddard Space Flight Center and colleagues from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute not only linked climate to storminess, but their data also connect increasing trends in arctic storminess and the movement of arctic ice.

"What I find truly intriguing about confirming the link between the rise in storminess and increased sea ice drift is the possibility that new sinks for carbon dioxide may emerge from this relationship that could function as negative feedback for global warming," said Hakkinen.

The researchers analyzed 56 years of storm track data and confirmed an accelerating trend in storm activity in the Arctic from 1950 to 2006.

Acknowledging ice as a harbinger of climate change, they then analyzed ice drift data from the same period. The team found the pace of sea ice movement from Siberia to the Atlantic Ocean accelerated in both summer and winter during the period.

The findings are reported in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.