Enhanced Wintertime Convergence of Atmospheric and Oceanic Heat Transports in the Barents Sea Region under Present Climate Warming

A distinctive feature of the Barents Sea climate system is a suggested positive feedback in the ocean–sea ice–atmosphere system that can enhance regional climate variations. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of this positive feedback for the advective heat fluxes in the winter season using the ORAS4 ocean reanalysis and ERA5 atmospheric reanalysis data for the period 1959–2017. Based on the signs of the linear trends of the oceanic heat transport, two periods were identified for the analysis: 1959–1987 and 1987–2017. Composite maps of surface wind fields indicate an increase in the effectiveness of the positive feedback in the Barents Sea region during the present period relative to the previous one. This is manifested in the strengthening of the southern winds over the southeastern part of the sea in years with the maximum oceanic heat transport and in the weakening of the northern winds over the northwestern part of the sea in years with the minimum oceanic heat transport. The convergence of the atmospheric sensible heat transport over the Barents Sea has a maximum in the lower troposphere, 1000–900 hPa. An increasing synchronization of the convergence of atmospheric and oceanic heat transports in the Barents Sea region, derived in this study, contributes to an acceleration of the local warming.