Precipitation Shifts over Western North America as a Result of Declining Arctic Sea Ice Cover: The Coupled System Response

Abstract

Changes in Arctic sea ice cover have the potential to impact midlatitude climate. A previous sensitivity study utilizing the National Center for Atmospheric Research?s (NCAR) atmospheric general circulation model [AGCM; Community Climate Model, version 3 (CCM3)] to explore climate sensitivity to declining Arctic sea ice cover suggested that, as Arctic sea ice cover is reduced, precipitation patterns over western North America will shift toward dryer conditions in southwestern North America and wetter conditions in northwestern North America. Here, three complementary lines of research validate and explore the robustness of this possible climate change impact: 1) repetition of the previous sensitivity study (specified constant Arctic sea ice cover and atmospheric CO2) with an updated version of the NCAR AGCM [third Community Atmosphere Model (CAM3)], 2) investigation of the climate response to dynamically reduced Arctic sea ice cover (driven by a quadrupling of atmospheric CO2) in the coupled NCAR Community Climate System Model (CCSMv3), and 3) analysis of similar results from six other coupled climate system models. Results from the CAM3 sensitivity study are similar to those from the original study with declining Arctic sea ice cover driving up to 25% less mean annual precipitation (MAP) over southwestern North America and up to an 8% increase in MAP over northwestern North America. The seven coupled models also reproduce this same general pattern. At the time of CO2 quadrupling, Arctic sea ice cover is reduced (up to 90% in boreal winter) and MAP over southwestern North America decreases by up to 30% while MAP in northwestern North America increases by up to 40%. These results represent a significant shift in the precipitation pattern over western North America and support the findings of the original sensitivity study in suggesting that, as future reductions in Arctic sea ice cover take place, there will be a substantial impact on water resources in western North America.