Atmospheric and hydrospheric characteristics in contrasting Arctic and intracontinental regions of Northern Eurasia and possible mutual influences

Floods and droughts have increased in Northern Eurasia, probably caused by hydrological changes in other regions. We explore such hypothetical teleconnections by investigating environmental changes in two contrasting harsh environments: the Arctic Kara Sea and the arid Aral–Caspian region. Using long-term data from daily remote microwave sensing, we describe seasonal dynamics of temperature and moisture regimes in the two regions and hypothesize their inter-relationships from new analyses of wind data. For the first time, daily L-band satellite data were used to determine open water in the Kara Sea and long-term seasonal dynamics of brightness temperatures were used to relate variations in the ongoing aridization of the Aral Sea area and abnormal spring floods in the south of Western Siberia. Using soil moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite data, we discovered a previously unrecorded 4-year cyclicity of open-water periods for the Arctic seas and northern parts of the Caspian and Aral Seas. This cyclicity could impact climate forecasting in Northern Eurasia with significant societal implications. The main aim of this paper is to present new analyses that suggest possible mechanisms for teleconnections between the two contrasting harsh environments of Northern Eurasia. The hypothetical teleconnections now need to be tested.