The Arctic is the northern hemisphere heat sink that establishes latitudinal pressure gradients which drive the general circulation of the atmosphere. The Arctic typically conjures up mental images of a region dominated by extreme cold, snow cover and floating sea ice; but Arctic climates are quite diverse, both by season and region. This diversity reflects the pronounced seasonal cycle in solar radiation receipts, regional aspects of the atmospheric circulation and the contrasting thermal properties of different surface types. The most formal definition of the Arctic is the region north of the Arctic circle, approximately 66.5°N. At this latitude the sun does not rise above the horizon at the winter solstice and does not fall below the horizon at the summer solstice. However, climate conditions of Arctic “flavor” can be found south of the Arctic Circle, while surprisingly mild winter temperatures extend well north in the Atlantic sector. Other definitions of the Arctic include the...
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Cross-references
Aleutian Low
Antarctic Climates
Asia, Climates of Siberia, Central and East Asia
Cloud Climatology
Energy Budget Climatology
North American High
Ocean Circulation
Siberian High
Snow and Snow Cover
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Serreze, M.C. (2005). Arctic Climates. In: Oliver, J.E. (eds) Encyclopedia of World Climatology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht . https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3266-8_15
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