Large-scale atmospheric circulation plays a vital role in regulating the Arctic sea ice extent (SIE) changes. Spring atmospheric circulation anomaly could precondition for a noticeable decline in SIE in the following summer. Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Arctic Dipole (AD) anomaly modes are well demonstrated in previous studies. In this study, we outline the effectiveness of another important circulation pattern, namely the Barents-Beaufort Oscillation in leading to sea ice reduction. The spring BBO in its positive phase (i.e., BBO+) can change the summer SIE over the western Pacific-Arctic sector (PAS), including Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The two seas are the regions undergoing the rapidest shrinkage over the past decades. We also found that the decadal variability of BBO seems to be associated with the ocean activities at low latitudes. The frequent occurrence of BBO+ after 2000 is partly attributable to the phase shift in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) since mid-1990s.
 

sea ice, arctic