Climate Relevant interactions and feedbacks: the key role of sea ice and Snow in the polar and global climate system

Sea ice and snow cover, together with clouds, regulate Earth’s climate by reflecting and absorbing solar radiation. Sea ice and its snow cover play an active role in controlling the OIA exchange of heat, momentum, nutrients, organic/inorganic matter, aerosols and gases (including CO 2 ). Transitioning to a warmer world with sea ice-free conditions for portions of the year represents a fundamental change in the functioning of the polar ocean-atmosphere system. Further, sea ice influences global deep ocean circulation, constitutes an active component of the polar ocean ecosystem, provides key resources for people within the Arctic (including Indigenous peoples), and affects human activities (e.g. shipping, resource extraction). It is therefore essential to fill key gaps in knowledge of how the coupled OIA system functions within the polar regions and the Earth system.
The overarching objective of CRiceS is to deliver improved understanding of the physical, chemical, and biogeochemical interactions within the OIA system, new knowledge of polar and global climate, and enhanced ability of society to respond to climate change. The unique and broad interdisciplinary expertise within CRiceS allows us to quantify the characteristics and functioning of the OIA system in the past, present and future (across diverse timescales) and its role from regional to global spatial scales. Knowledge at these scales is essential for developing improved understanding of how OIA physical and chemical processes control polar and global climate.