The Arctic region is warming at twice the global rate due to greenhouse gases (GHG), leading to amplified Arctic warming (AA). This phenomenon, known for its potential to accelerate Arctic sea-ice melting and alter atmospheric circulation, has been attributed to various causes including local feedbacks and increased poleward energy transport. Our work suggests that winter oceanic heating over exposed Arctic waters is the main cause of AA, and that further AA will be minimal after complete winter Arctic sea ice melt. The loss of Arctic sea-ice and associated AA could potentially make our weather more extreme by reducing the meridional temperature gradient and leading to weaker daily temperature variability. This talk will discuss the causes and effects of AA under increasing GHGs.

Biography: Dr. Dai obtained his PhD in Atmospheric Science from Columbia University in 1996. From 1997-2012, he worked at NCAR. In 2012, he joined the faculty of the University at Albany, State University of New York, where he is currently a Distinguished Professor. He is a leading expert on precipitation variability and hydroclimate change. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, which are cited over 63,300 times with an H-index of 91. He is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and served as the Editor of Journal of Climate for 7 years and chaired the AMS Committee on Climate Variability and Change for 3 years.