NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS ON INFLUENCES OF VARIATION OF SEA ICE THICKNESS AND EXTENT ON ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION^*

By using a 2-layer AGCM designed by Institute of Atmospheric Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences.this paper investigates influences of thickness and extent variations in Arctic sea ice on the atmosphere circulation,particularly on climate variations in East Asia.The simulation results have indicated that sea ice thickness variation in the Arctic exhibits significant influences on simulation results,particularly on East Asian monsoon.A nearly reasonable distribution of sea ice thickness in the model leads directly to stronger winter and summer monsoon over East Asia.and improves the model's simulation results for Siberia high and Icelandic low in winter.On the other hand,sea ice thickness variation can excite a teleconnection wave train across Asian Continent,and in low latitudes,the wave propagates from the western Pacific across the equator to the eastern Pacific.In addition,the variation of sea ice thickness also influences summer convective activitiesover the low latitudes including South China Sea and around the Philippines.Effects of winter sea ice extents in the Barents Sea on atmospheric circulation in the following spring and summer are also significant.The simulation result shows that when winter sea ice extent in the target region is larger (smaller) than normal.(1)in the following spring (averaged from April to June).positive (negative) SLP anomalies occupy the northern central Pacific.which leads directly to weakened (deepened)Aleutian low.and further favors the light (heavy) sea ice condition in the Bering Sea:(2)in the following summer,thermal depression in Asian Continent is deepened (weakened).and the subtropical high in the northwestern Pacific shifts northward(southward) from its normal position and to be strengthened (weakened).