Fig. 3: Physical processes underlying the Arctic sea ice and regional fire teleconnection.

a Zonally averaged (170 °W to 60 °W; as shown in g) temperature (T; color shading; unit: K) difference in autumn and early winter (September to December) between the years with minimum (SIC−) and maximum sea-ice concentration (SIC+) based on the original ERA5 reanalysis data. The time average of zonally averaged temperature in the SIC+ years is also shown (contours; unit: K). b As in a, but for the temperature difference between the years with minimum (SICnotrd−) and maximum sea-ice concentration (SICnotrd+) based on the detrended ERA5 reanalysis data. c As in a, but for the temperature difference between the experiments with minimum (SICexp−) and maximum sea-ice concentration (SICexp+) based on the CESM-RESFire simulations. d–f As in a–c, but for zonally averaged zonal wind (U; color shading; unit: m s⁻¹) difference based on the original ERA5 reanalysis data, the detrended ERA5 reanalysis data, and the CESM-RESFire simulations, respectively. g–i As in a–c, but for wind circulation at 500 hPa (arrows; unit: m s⁻¹) and total precipitation rate (PREC; color shading; unit: mm d⁻¹) differences based on the original ERA5 reanalysis data, the detrended ERA5 reanalysis data, and the CESM-RESFire simulations, respectively. j–l As in a–c, but for surface relative humidity (cyan contours with negative values in dashed lines; unit: %) and surface air temperature (SAT; color shading; unit: K) differences based on the original ERA5 reanalysis data, the detrended ERA5 reanalysis data, and the CESM-RESFire simulations, respectively. Stipples in a–l show regions that are significantly different from 0 at the 0.1 significance level of a two-sided t-test.