The Role of Diabatic Processes in the Low-Level Dynamics of Arctic Summer Cyclones: Insights from field campaign data and model simulations

Oral Presentation

Arctic cyclones can be associated with strong surface winds, high ocean waves and the melting and break-up of the increasingly mobile sea ice. They are thus the primary weather hazard in the summer-time Arctic, where human activity is on the rise. Here we present an investigation into the role of diabatic processes in the development and maintenance of the low-level jet flowing on the cold side of their bent-back front (i.e, the cold conveyor belt), one of the key features of those cyclones. To do so, we use aircraft data collected near Svalbard during a field campaign conducted in August 2022 and output from dedicated model simulations, including from tools such as potential vorticity and temperature tracers. Particular focus is placed on the identification of the physical processes driving changes into the dynamics and thermodynamics of cyclone structures (e.g. via mechanisms such as frictional and diabatic potential vorticity generation) and on the effects of turbulent fluxes near the ocean and ice surface.