An international research team, including Korea, has presented a new perspective through climate model experiments that aerosols can act not only as simple coolants but also as catalysts that alter atmospheric circulation, accelerating Arctic sea ice melting.
The international joint research team led by Professor Yoon Jin-ho from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) has identified that aerosols caused by human activities strengthen the North Pacific High and consequently accelerate sea ice loss in the Arctic, the team noted on the 14th. The research findings were published online on the 25th in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.
The fine particles, such as dust and sulfates, generated by human activities, termed "aerosols," have a cooling effect by reflecting sunlight and are thus known to be a factor in suppressing global warming.
To confirm the role of aerosols, the researchers conducted experiments under three scenarios: one with only greenhouse gases, one with only aerosols, and one with both greenhouse gases and aerosols. As a result, it was found that when greenhouse gases act alongside aerosols, the loss of Arctic sea ice is significantly accelerated. Rather than offsetting the warming effect of greenhouse gases, aerosols exhibit a combined effect.
In fact, the increase in fine dust in the Asian region between 1980 and 2020 has strengthened the high pressure over the North Pacific, resulting in enhanced southerly winds that allow warmer sea water to flow more into the Arctic. This has caused a rise in sea temperature in the Chukchi Sea to the west of the Arctic, leading to faster melting of sea ice. The Chukchi Sea is the region where sea ice has decreased the most rapidly in the Arctic.
The research team explained that "the changes in atmospheric circulation caused by aerosols in the now-warmer marine environment due to greenhouse gases transport more heat to the Arctic, further accelerating sea ice loss compared to when greenhouse gases act alone."
The team also mentioned that models incorporating both greenhouse gases and aerosols can more accurately predict the actual changes in Arctic sea ice compared to models that only consider greenhouse gases. In particular, the predictive accuracy in the western Chukchi Sea area was 4.4% higher, accounting for more than half (about 52%) of the overall sea ice change, showing results much closer to reality than when only greenhouse gases were considered (about 29%).
This study provides new evidence that aerosols, previously considered as "cooling substances," can accelerate sea ice loss. Given that air pollution and Arctic climate change are interconnected, it is essential that future climate modeling adequately consider the interactions between aerosols, atmospheric circulation, and heat transport. In particular, the increased emissions of fine dust due to industrialization in East Asia can impact Arctic sea ice loss, indicating the need for international cooperation.
Professor Yoon Jin-ho remarked that "this study shows that human activities can have a significant impact on the Arctic environment in indirect ways" and emphasized, "It is crucial to reflect the indirect effects of aerosols in future climate modeling and the establishment of international environmental policies."
References
Communications Earth & Environment (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02577-7