Sea ice sensitivity in the new Arctic

The dramatic decline in Arctic sea ice concentration and thickness has produced a thinner, younger, and more seasonal Arctic sea ice cover: the “New Arctic”. We use single column model simulations to assess the sensitivity of sea ice in the new Arctic to a variety of internal and external parameters including snow properties, melt pond parameterizations, oceanic heat flux, and atmospheric forcing. Simulations are forced with and compared to observations from field campaigns including MOSAiC and SHEBA, as well as synthetic forcings to explore the sensitivities. Finally, we discuss priorities for observations and model development for the New Arctic.