Terrestrial sources of summer arctic moisture and the implication for arctic temperature patterns

This research investigates the geographic origins of summer Arctic water vapor to improve the understanding and prediction of Arctic climate change. Using the Community Earth System Model version 1.3 with online numerical water tracers, the study reveals that the land surface contributes 56% of total summer Arctic vapor, with 47% originating from central and eastern Eurasia. Near-surface Arctic temperatures, especially between 90°E-150°E (including the Laptev Sea), are significantly influenced by these land-based vapor concentrations. Anomalous high land-based vapor concentrations, particularly in the Laptev Sea region, often correlate with anomalous near-surface poleward flow from Siberia, linked to internal variability like the Arctic Dipole anomaly.

Tyler S. Harrington, Jiang Zhu, Christopher B. Skinner