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Precession modulates the poleward expansion of atmospheric circulation to the Arctic Ocean

Author

Listed:
  • Yi Zhong

    (Southern University of Science and Technology
    Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Zhengyao Lu

    (Lund University
    Nanjing University)

  • Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr

    (Frei Universität Berlin)

  • Jimin Yu

    (Laoshan Laboratory
    Australian National University
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Keiji Horikawa

    (University of Toyama)

  • Mark J. Dekkers

    (Utrecht University)

  • Juan C. Larrasoaña

    (Campus de Arrosadia
    Campus Aula Dei)

  • Peter D. Clift

    (University College London)

  • Michael E. Weber

    (University of Bonn)

  • Flor Vermassen

    (Stockholm University)

  • Sev Kender

    (University of Exeter)

  • Chijun Sun

    (University of California Davis)

  • Hu Yang

    (Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai))

  • Xianfeng Wang

    (Nanyang Technological University)

  • Camilla S. Andresen

    (1350)

  • Yanguang Liu

    (Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR)
    Shandong University of Science and Technology)

  • Haiwei Zhang

    (Xi’an Jiaotong University)

  • Zhengyang Dai

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Lu Niu

    (Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung)

  • Jingyu Zhang

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Xuguang Feng

    (Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR))

  • Debo Zhao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Wenyue Xia

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Sheng Yang

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Hai Li

    (Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou))

  • Qingsong Liu

    (Southern University of Science and Technology
    Shanghai Sheshan National Geophysical Observatory)

Abstract

Under sustained global warming, Arctic climate is projected to become more responsive to changes in North Pacific meridional heat transport as a result of teleconnections between low and high latitudes, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we reconstruct subarctic humidity changes over the past 400 kyr to investigate the role of low-to-high latitude interactions in regulating Arctic hydroclimate. Our reconstruction is based on precipitation-driven sediment input variations in the Subarctic North Pacific (SANP), which reveal a strong precessional cycle in subarctic humidity under the relatively low eccentricity variations that dominated the past four glacial-interglacial cycles. Combined with climate model simulations, we highlight that precession drives meridional shifts in the northern rim of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) and modulates the efficiency of heat and water vapor transfer to the SANP and Arctic regions. Our findings suggest that projections of a northward shift of the NPSG in response to future global warming will lead to wetter conditions in the Arctic Ocean and enhanced sea-ice loss.

Suggested Citation

  • Yi Zhong & Zhengyao Lu & Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr & Jimin Yu & Keiji Horikawa & Mark J. Dekkers & Juan C. Larrasoaña & Peter D. Clift & Michael E. Weber & Flor Vermassen & Sev Kender & Chijun Sun & Hu Yan, 2025. "Precession modulates the poleward expansion of atmospheric circulation to the Arctic Ocean," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56542-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56542-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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