Walsh, J.E., Ballinger, T.J., Euskirchen, E.S. , Hanna, E., Mard, J., Overland, J.E., Tangen, H. and Vihma, T. (2020) Extreme weather and climate events in northern areas: A review. Earth Science Reviews, 209 . p. 103324. ISSN 0012-8252
Full content URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103324
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Earth Science Reviews revision July 2020 w line numbers.docx - Whole Document 1MB |
Item Type: | Article |
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Item Status: | Live Archive |
Abstract
The greatest impacts of climate change on ecosystems, wildlife and humans often arise from extreme events rather than changes in climatic means. Northern high latitudes, including the Arctic, experience a variety of climate-related extreme events, yet there has been little attempt to synthesize information on extreme events in this region. This review surveys work on various types of extreme events in northern high latitudes, addressing (1) the evidence for variations and changes based on analyses of recent historical data and (2) projected changes based primarily on studies utilizing global climate models. The survey of extreme weather and climate events includes temperature, precipitation, snow, freezing rain, atmospheric blocking, cyclones, and wind. The survey also includes cryospheric and biophysical impacts: sea ice rapid loss events, Greenland Ice Sheet melt, floods, drought, wildfire, coastal erosion, terrestrial ecosystems, and marine ecosystems. Temperature and sea ice rank at the high end of the spectra of evidence for change and confidence in future change, while drought, flooding and cyclones rank at the lower end. Research priorities identified on the basis of this review include greater use of high-resolution models and observing system enhancements that target extreme events. There is also a need for further work on attribution, impacts on ecosystems and humans, and thresholds or tipping points that may be triggered by extreme events in high latitudes.
Key words: climate, weather, extremes, storms, northern regions
Keywords: | climate, weather, extremes, northern regions |
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Subjects: | F Physical Sciences > F860 Climatology |
Divisions: | College of Science > School of Geography |
ID Code: | 41736 |
Deposited On: | 17 Aug 2020 10:26 |
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