• Home
  • About
  • Program
  • Logistics
  • Abstracts

Interior Alaska River Ice Breakup and Climate

Interior Alaska River Ice Breakup and Climate
Type: 
Poster
Peter Bieniek1, Uma Bhatt2
1Atmospheric Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 903 Koyukuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA, Phone (907) 474-5704, pbieniek [at] alaska [dot] edu
2University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA, bhatt [at] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu

The link between Interior Alaska river (Yukon, Tanana, and Kuskokwim Rivers) ice breakup date and the large-scale winter climate is investigated to assess seasonal predictability. Multiple rivers in Interior Alaska are examined. The climate-river relationship is examined using standard climate analysis techniques of correlation, regression, composite and time series. The mechanisms that control the timing of breakup depend both on local and regional temperature and precipitation, so the analysis is carried out at hemispheric, regional, and local scales. During the warm (cold) phase of ENSO fewer (more) storms travel into the Gulf Alaska during the spring, resulting in a decrease (increase) of cloud cover and consequently increased (decreased) solar insolation reaching the surface. This results in warmer (cooler) than average surface air temperatures in spring (April-May) and an earlier (later) breakup date. Our results indicate that breakup is most strongly controlled locally by surface air temperature in spring. Additionally, low frequency variability is evident in the smoothed breakup time series, and is consistent with a previously identified regime shift in the Pacific in 1989. Our findings show that the variability of breakup in Alaska is linked to the large-scale climate through storm track processes in the Pacific; this gives insight into the predictability of breakup.

Presentation PDF

application/pdf iconDownload PDF (3.26MB)

Browse Session Abstracts

  • View abstracts for the talks in each of the plenary session
  • View abstracts for the talks in each of the parallel session
  • View abstracts for the poster presentations
  • Products
  • Attendees
  • Sponsors
  • Side Meetings
  • Video Archive
  • Press
  • ARCUS Logo
  • News
  • Organizing Committee
National Science Foundation | Division of Arctic Sciences
National Science Foundation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere
International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere
Study of Environmental Arctic Change
Study of Environmental Arctic Change
Arctic System Science Program
Arctic System Science Program
US Arctic Research Commission
US Arctic Research Commission
North Slope Science Initiative
North Slope Science Initiative
International Arctic Science Committee
International Arctic Science Committee
Arctic Ocean Sciences Board
Arctic Ocean Sciences Board
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Department of Energy
Department of Energy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
World Wildlife Fund
WWF
Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
International Study of Arctic Change
International Study of Arctic Change
ArcticNet
ArcticNet
DAMOCLES
Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the ARCUS Cooperative Agreement ARC-0618885. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.