Articles | Volume 25, issue 21
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15047-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15047-2025
Research article
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07 Nov 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 07 Nov 2025

Observed and modeled Arctic airmass transformations during warm air intrusions and cold air outbreaks

Manfred Wendisch, Benjamin Kirbus, Davide Ori, Matthew D. Shupe, Susanne Crewell, Harald Sodemann, and Vera Schemann

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Cited articles

Ali, S. M. and Pithan, F.: Following moist intrusions into the Arctic using SHEBA observations in a Lagrangian perspective, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 146, 3522–3533, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3859, 2020.  a
Batrak, Y. and Müller, M.: On the warm bias in atmospheric reanalyses induced by the missing snow over Arctic sea-ice, Nat. Commun., 10, 4170, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11975-3, 2019. a
Bekryaev, R. V., Polyakov, I. V., and Alexeev, V. A.: Role of polar amplification in long–term surface air temperature variations and modern Arctic warming, J. Climate, 23, 3888–3906, https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JCLI3297.1, 2010. a
Bintanja, R., van der Wiel, K., van der Linden, E. C., Reusen, J., Bogerd, L., Krikken, F., and Selten, F. M.: Strong future increases in Arctic precipitation variability linked to poleward moisture transport, Sci. Adv., 6, eaax6869, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax6869, 2020. a, b
Bossioli, E., Sotiropoulou, G., Methymaki, G., and Tombrou, M.: Modeling extreme warm-air advection in the Arctic during summer: The effect of mid-latitude pollution inflow on cloud properties, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 126, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033291, 2021. a
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Editorial statement
Increasing temperatures in the Arctic over recent decades have been interpreted as 'Arctic amplification' of the warming due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases. Understanding the mechanisms for such amplification has become a major research priority. Often the approach is 'event-based', focusing on the structure and frequency of 'cold-air outbreaks' (CAOs) and 'warm-air intrusions' (WAIs) which potentially exchange heat between the Arctic and the mid-latitudes. This paper describes results from a carefully planned observational campaign using the HALO high-altitude research aircraft, in which flight paths were planned in conjunction with weather forecast information so that certain air masses were sampled more than once, giving information on transformation of the air mass properties. Complementary model studies are used to allow interpretation of the observations and assessment of the model capability. This paper, beyond its specific conclusions, is, through its comprehensive combination of observations and modelling, likely to set the standard for future research on this important topic.
Short summary
Aircraft observations of air parcels moving into and out of the Arctic are reported. From the data, heating and cooling as well as drying and moistening of the air masses along their way into and out of the Arctic could be measured for the first time. These data are used to evaluate if weather prediction models are able to accurately represent these air mass transformations. This work helps to model the future Arctic climate changes, which may have an impact for mid-latitude weather as well.
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