Articles | Volume 16, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1299-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1299-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Apr 2022
Research article |
| 11 Apr 2022
| 11 Apr 2022
Rectification and validation of a daily satellite-derived Antarctic sea ice velocity product
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania,
Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, Institute for Marine and
Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Alexander D. Fraser
Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, Institute for Marine and
Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Noriaki Kimura
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo,
Kashiwa, Japan
Chen Zhao
Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, Institute for Marine and
Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Petra Heil
Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS
7050, Australia
Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, Institute for Marine and
Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
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Paola Papapetros, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, David E. Gwyther, Fabio Boeira Dias, Sue Cook, and Chen Zhao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3435, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3435, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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Ocean simulations are used to investigate how freshwater flow beneath Antarctic ice shelves influences melting and seafloor change. Results show that impacts depend strongly on where and how freshwater enters the ocean and on local temperature and salinity conditions. Sediment transport can also modify seafloor shape and reduce melting, improving understanding of processes that affect ice shelf stability and Antarctic ice loss.
Robert A. Massom, Phillip A. Reid, Stephen G. Warren, Bonnie Light, Donald K. Perovich, Luke G. Bennetts, Petteri Uotila, Siobhan P. O'Farrell, Michael H. Meylan, Klaus M. Meiners, Pat Wongpan, Alexander D. Fraser, Alessandro Toffoli, Giulio Passerotti, Peter G. Strutton, Sean M. T. Chua, and Melissa Fedrigo
The Cryosphere, 20, 3271–3298, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3271-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3271-2026, 2026
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This paper advances understanding of why and how Antarctic sea ice can retreat so rapidly each summer, and identifies critical gaps in climate models, by highlighting 3 previously-neglected wave-driven processes and 5 associated feedbacks that accelerate seasonal ice melting and link physics to biology (wave flooding, wave pulverisation and wave greening). There are major implications for Earth’s radiation budget, Antarctic ecosystems and the accuracy of future sea-ice and climate projections.
Keigo D. Takahashi, Ryosuke Makabe, Masayoshi Sano, Kazuki Nakata, Noriaki Kimura, Daiki Nomura, Michiyo Yamamoto-Kawai, Ryo Matsuda, Natsumi Nojiro, Masato Ito, Shintaro Takao, Naho Horimoto-Miyazaki, Aiko Tachibana, Norio Kurosawa, Takeshi Tamura, Mizuki Komatsu, Kay I. Ohshima, Kohei Mizobata, Shigeru Aoki, and Masato Moteki
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2645, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2645, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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We collected sea ice in summer and identified factors affecting the particulate organic carbon and nitrogen content and stable isotope ratios. The results suggested nutrient and organic matter influenced the isotope ratios in sea ice. Using the hydrography and sea-ice data, we estimated the particulate organic carbon supply from sea ice. This supply accounted for >14% of phytoplankton production near ice edge, highlighting the importance of sea-ice derived materials for lower trophic levels.
Daniel Patrick Atwater, Pat Wongpan, Siobhan O’Farrell, Will Hobbs, Paul Spence, Mathieu Plante, Jean-Francois Lemieux, Alexander C. Bradley, Caitlin Adams, and Alexander D. Fraser
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1541, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1541, 2026
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This study improves how Antarctic landfast sea ice is represented in a computer model. By testing different settings and adding a new map of grounded icebergs, we found a setup that closely matches the observed location and seasonal cycle of this type of sea ice. We also show that most of the simulated landfast sea ice depends on grounded icebergs for support. These results provide a practical way to improve climate models without harming their broader sea ice performance.
Noriaki Kimura and Hiroyasu Hasumi
The Cryosphere, 20, 2331–2349, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2331-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2331-2026, 2026
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Measuring sea ice thickness is difficult using satellite data, but it is crucial for understanding climate change. This study introduces a new method that estimates ice thickness by tracking where and when sea ice formed and calculating how much it likely grew based on daily weather conditions. The results agreed well with underwater measurements. This method helps map ice thickness across the Arctic and may support estimates of other hard-to-measure sea ice features.
Kaihong Jiao, Alexander D. Fraser, Johannes Lohse, Pat Wongpan, Caitlin Adams, and Alexander C. Bradley
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-179, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-179, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
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Grounded icebergs anchor Antarctic sea ice and support marine ecosystems, yet their continent-wide distribution was previously unknown. Using satellite radar imagery and an automated artificial intelligence tool, we mapped nearly 39,000 stationary icebergs. We discovered that tiny, frequently overlooked icebergs actually dominate both the total number and area. This public dataset offers a crucial new baseline for modelling coastal ice stability and understanding broader environmental changes.
Xinlong Liu, Stuart Paul Corney, Rachel Louise Tilling, and Petra Heil
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-662, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-662, 2026
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Antarctic sea-ice thickness from satellites depends on how snow is treated. We compared four widely used CryoSat-2 radar products for winters 2013–2018 on the same map grid. All show similar large-scale patterns, but each gives systematically higher or lower values, with the biggest differences in the snowier western Weddell Sea. Year-to-year changes are similar across products, yet these offsets can shift thickness estimates, so users should account for product choice and snow assumptions.
Marta Stentella, Ghislain Picard, Petra Heil, Jacqueline Boutin, Emmanuel Dinnat, and Stuart Corney
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6437, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6437, 2026
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Passive microwave radiometers are the primary tool for monitoring Antarctic sea ice, but their reliability decreases in the marginal ice zone between the pack ice and the open ocean. We simulate satellite observations to assess the impact of varying physical parameters on sea ice concentration retrievals. The largest errors are due to wet snow, roughened ocean surfaces, and thin ice. These findings can improve how we interpret satellite observations and forecast sea ice changes.
Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Narendra Nelli, Petra Heil, Jonathan D. Wille, Irina V. Gorodetskaya, and Robert A. Massom
The Cryosphere, 20, 1–28, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1-2026, 2026
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This study investigates the role of atmospheric dynamics in sea-ice thickness and snow depth at a coastal site in East Antarctica using in situ measurements and numerical modeling. The snow thickness variability is impacted by atmospheric forcing, with significant contributions from precipitation, Foehn effects, blowing snow, and episodic warm and moist air intrusions, which led to changes of up to 0.08 m within a day for a field that is in the range of 0.02–0.18 m during July–November 2022.
Jean Rabault, Joey Voermans, Takehiko Nose, Graig Sutherland, Alexander Babanin, Takuji Waseda, Tsubasa Kodaira, Atle Jensen, Lars Willas Dreyer, Øyvind Breivik, Gaute Hope, Malte Müller, Zhaohui Cheng, Lichuan Wu, Aleksey Marchenko, Brian Ward, Kai H. Christensen, Petra Heil, and Karsten Trulsen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2507.19034, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2507.19034, 2025
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We observe harmonics of the main incoming wave peak in sea ice motion data. These harmonics match non-linear 3-wave interactions predicted from the dispersion relation. This may indicate that wave in ice triads are empirically observed, which suggests that non-linear energy transfers play a role in wave in ice propagation.
Johanna Beckmann, Ronja Reese, Felicity S. McCormack, Sue Cook, Lawrence Bird, Dawid Gwyther, Daniel Richards, Matthias Scheiter, Yu Wang, Hélène Seroussi, Ayako Abe‐Ouchi, Torsten Albrecht, Jorge Alvarez‐Solas, Xylar S. Asay‐Davis, Jean‐Baptiste Barre, Constantijn J. Berends, Jorge Bernales, Javier Blasco, Justine Caillet, David M. Chandler, Violaine Coulon, Richard Cullather, Christophe Dumas, Benjamin K. Galton‐Fenzi, Julius Garbe, Fabien Gillet‐Chaulet, Rupert Gladstone, Heiko Goelzer, Nicholas R. Golledge, Ralf Greve, G. Hilmar Gudmundsson, Holly Kyeore Han, Trevor R. Hillebrand, Matthew J. Hoffman, Philippe Huybrechts, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Ann Kristin Klose, Petra M. Langebroek, Gunter R. Leguy, William H. Lipscomb, Daniel P. Lowry, Pierre Mathiot, Marisa Montoya, Mathieu Morlighem, Sophie Nowicki, Frank Pattyn, Antony J. Payne, Tyler Pelle, Aurélien Quiquet, Alexander Robinson, Leopekka Saraste, Erika G. Simon, Sainan Sun, Jake P. Twarog, Luke D. Trusel, Benoit Urruty, Jonas Van Breedam, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Chen Zhao, and Thomas Zwinger
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4069, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4069, 2025
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Antarctica holds enough ice to raise sea levels by many meters, but its future is uncertain. Warm ocean water melts ice shelves from below, letting inland ice flow faster into the sea. By 2300, Antarctica could add 0.6–4.4 m to sea levels. Our study identifies two key factors—how strongly shelves melt and how the ice responds. These explain much of the range, and refining them in models may improve future predictions.
Joey J. Voermans, Alexander D. Fraser, Jill Brouwer, Michael H. Meylan, Qingxiang Liu, and Alexander V. Babanin
The Cryosphere, 19, 3381–3395, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3381-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-3381-2025, 2025
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Limited measurements of waves in sea ice exist, preventing our understanding of wave attenuation in sea ice under a wide range of ice conditions. Using satellite observations from ICESat-2, we observe an overall linear increase in the wave attenuation rate with distance into the marginal ice zone. While attenuation may vary greatly locally, this finding may provide opportunities for the modeling of waves in sea ice at global and climate scales when such fine detail may not be needed.
Mukund Gupta, Heather Regan, Younghyun Koo, Sean Minhui Tashi Chua, Xueke Li, and Petra Heil
The Cryosphere, 19, 1241–1257, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1241-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1241-2025, 2025
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The sea ice cover is composed of floes, whose shapes set the material properties of the pack. Here, we use a satellite product (ICESat-2) to investigate these floe shapes within the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. We find that floes tend to become smaller during the melt season, while their thickness distribution exhibits different behavior between the western and southern regions of the pack. These metrics will help calibrate models and improve our understanding of sea ice physics across scales.
Qin Zhou, Chen Zhao, Rupert Gladstone, Tore Hattermann, David Gwyther, and Benjamin Galton-Fenzi
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 8243–8265, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-8243-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-8243-2024, 2024
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We introduce an accelerated forcing approach to address timescale discrepancies between the ice sheets and ocean components in coupled modelling by reducing the ocean simulation duration. The approach is evaluated using idealized coupled models, and its limitations in real-world applications are discussed. Our results suggest it can be a valuable tool for process-oriented coupled ice sheet–ocean modelling and downscaling climate simulations with such models.
Yu Wang, Chen Zhao, Rupert Gladstone, Thomas Zwinger, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, and Poul Christoffersen
The Cryosphere, 18, 5117–5137, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5117-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5117-2024, 2024
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Our research delves into the future evolution of Antarctica's Wilkes Subglacial Basin (WSB) and its potential contribution to sea level rise, focusing on how basal melt is implemented at the grounding line in ice flow models. Our findings suggest that these implementation methods can significantly impact the magnitude of future ice loss projections. Under a high-emission scenario, the WSB ice sheet could undergo massive and rapid retreat between 2200 and 2300.
Kazuya Kusahara, Daisuke Hirano, Masakazu Fujii, Alexander D. Fraser, Takeshi Tamura, Kohei Mizobata, Guy D. Williams, and Shigeru Aoki
The Cryosphere, 18, 43–73, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-43-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-43-2024, 2024
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This study focuses on the Totten and Moscow University ice shelves, East Antarctica. We used an ocean–sea ice–ice shelf model to better understand regional interactions between ocean, sea ice, and ice shelf. We found that a combination of warm ocean water and local sea ice production influences the regional ice shelf basal melting. Furthermore, the model reproduced the summertime undercurrent on the upper continental slope, regulating ocean heat transport onto the continental shelf.
Hélène Seroussi, Vincent Verjans, Sophie Nowicki, Antony J. Payne, Heiko Goelzer, William H. Lipscomb, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Cécile Agosta, Torsten Albrecht, Xylar Asay-Davis, Alice Barthel, Reinhard Calov, Richard Cullather, Christophe Dumas, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Rupert Gladstone, Nicholas R. Golledge, Jonathan M. Gregory, Ralf Greve, Tore Hattermann, Matthew J. Hoffman, Angelika Humbert, Philippe Huybrechts, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Thomas Kleiner, Eric Larour, Gunter R. Leguy, Daniel P. Lowry, Chistopher M. Little, Mathieu Morlighem, Frank Pattyn, Tyler Pelle, Stephen F. Price, Aurélien Quiquet, Ronja Reese, Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel, Andrew Shepherd, Erika Simon, Robin S. Smith, Fiammetta Straneo, Sainan Sun, Luke D. Trusel, Jonas Van Breedam, Peter Van Katwyk, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Ricarda Winkelmann, Chen Zhao, Tong Zhang, and Thomas Zwinger
The Cryosphere, 17, 5197–5217, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5197-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5197-2023, 2023
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Mass loss from Antarctica is a key contributor to sea level rise over the 21st century, and the associated uncertainty dominates sea level projections. We highlight here the Antarctic glaciers showing the largest changes and quantify the main sources of uncertainty in their future evolution using an ensemble of ice flow models. We show that on top of Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, Totten and Moscow University glaciers show rapid changes and a strong sensitivity to warmer ocean conditions.
Lingwei Zhang, Tessa R. Vance, Alexander D. Fraser, Lenneke M. Jong, Sarah S. Thompson, Alison S. Criscitiello, and Nerilie J. Abram
The Cryosphere, 17, 5155–5173, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5155-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5155-2023, 2023
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Physical features in ice cores provide unique records of past variability. We identified 1–2 mm ice layers without bubbles in surface ice cores from Law Dome, East Antarctica, occurring on average five times per year. The origin of these bubble-free layers is unknown. In this study, we investigate whether they have the potential to record past atmospheric processes and circulation. We find that the bubble-free layers are linked to accumulation hiatus events and meridional moisture transport.
Haihan Hu, Jiechen Zhao, Petra Heil, Zhiliang Qin, Jingkai Ma, Fengming Hui, and Xiao Cheng
The Cryosphere, 17, 2231–2244, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2231-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2231-2023, 2023
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The oceanic characteristics beneath sea ice significantly affect ice growth and melting. The high-frequency and long-term observations of oceanic variables allow us to deeply investigate their diurnal and seasonal variation and evaluate their influences on sea ice evolution. The large-scale sea ice distribution and ocean circulation contributed to the seasonal variation of ocean variables, revealing the important relationship between large-scale and local phenomena.
Na Li, Ruibo Lei, Petra Heil, Bin Cheng, Minghu Ding, Zhongxiang Tian, and Bingrui Li
The Cryosphere, 17, 917–937, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-917-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-917-2023, 2023
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The observed annual maximum landfast ice (LFI) thickness off Zhongshan (Davis) was 1.59±0.17 m (1.64±0.08 m). Larger interannual and local spatial variabilities for the seasonality of LFI were identified at Zhongshan, with the dominant influencing factors of air temperature anomaly, snow atop, local topography and wind regime, and oceanic heat flux. The variability of LFI properties across the study domain prevailed at interannual timescales, over any trend during the recent decades.
Yetang Wang, Xueying Zhang, Wentao Ning, Matthew A. Lazzara, Minghu Ding, Carleen H. Reijmer, Paul C. J. P. Smeets, Paolo Grigioni, Petra Heil, Elizabeth R. Thomas, David Mikolajczyk, Lee J. Welhouse, Linda M. Keller, Zhaosheng Zhai, Yuqi Sun, and Shugui Hou
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 411–429, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-411-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-411-2023, 2023
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Here we construct a new database of Antarctic automatic weather station (AWS) meteorological records, which is quality-controlled by restrictive criteria. This dataset compiled all available Antarctic AWS observations, and its resolutions are 3-hourly, daily and monthly, which is very useful for quantifying spatiotemporal variability in weather conditions. Furthermore, this compilation will be used to estimate the performance of the regional climate models or meteorological reanalysis products.
Minghu Ding, Xiaowei Zou, Qizhen Sun, Diyi Yang, Wenqian Zhang, Lingen Bian, Changgui Lu, Ian Allison, Petra Heil, and Cunde Xiao
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5019–5035, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5019-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5019-2022, 2022
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The PANDA automatic weather station (AWS) network consists of 11 stations deployed along a transect from the coast (Zhongshan Station) to the summit of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (Dome A). It covers the different climatic and topographic units of East Antarctica. All stations record hourly air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind speed and direction at two or three heights. The PANDA AWS dataset commences from 1989 and is planned to be publicly available into the future.
Chen Zhao, Rupert Gladstone, Benjamin Keith Galton-Fenzi, David Gwyther, and Tore Hattermann
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 5421–5439, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-5421-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-5421-2022, 2022
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We use a coupled ice–ocean model to explore an oscillation feature found in several contributing models to MISOMIP1. The oscillation is closely related to the discretized grounding line retreat and likely strengthened by the buoyancy–melt feedback and/or melt–geometry feedback near the grounding line, and frequent ice–ocean coupling. Our model choices have a non-trivial impact on mean melt and ocean circulation strength, which might be interesting for the coupled ice–ocean community.
Jill Brouwer, Alexander D. Fraser, Damian J. Murphy, Pat Wongpan, Alberto Alberello, Alison Kohout, Christopher Horvat, Simon Wotherspoon, Robert A. Massom, Jessica Cartwright, and Guy D. Williams
The Cryosphere, 16, 2325–2353, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2325-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2325-2022, 2022
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The marginal ice zone is the region where ocean waves interact with sea ice. Although this important region influences many sea ice, ocean and biological processes, it has been difficult to accurately measure on a large scale from satellite instruments. We present new techniques for measuring wave attenuation using the NASA ICESat-2 laser altimeter. By measuring how waves attenuate within the sea ice, we show that the marginal ice zone may be far wider than previously realised.
Fengguan Gu, Qinghua Yang, Frank Kauker, Changwei Liu, Guanghua Hao, Chao-Yuan Yang, Jiping Liu, Petra Heil, Xuewei Li, and Bo Han
The Cryosphere, 16, 1873–1887, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1873-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1873-2022, 2022
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The sea ice thickness was simulated by a single-column model and compared with in situ observations obtained off Zhongshan Station in the Antarctic. It is shown that the unrealistic precipitation in the atmospheric forcing data leads to the largest bias in sea ice thickness and snow depth modeling. In addition, the increasing snow depth gradually inhibits the growth of sea ice associated with thermal blanketing by the snow.
Yu Wang, Chen Zhao, Rupert Gladstone, Ben Galton-Fenzi, and Roland Warner
The Cryosphere, 16, 1221–1245, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1221-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1221-2022, 2022
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The thermal structure of the Amery Ice Shelf and its spatial pattern are evaluated and analysed through temperature observations from six boreholes and numerical simulations. The simulations demonstrate significant ice warming downstream along the ice flow and a great variation of the thermal structure across the ice flow. We suggest that the thermal structure of the Amery Ice Shelf is unlikely to be affected by current climate changes on decadal timescales.
Jessica Cartwright, Alexander D. Fraser, and Richard Porter-Smith
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 479–490, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-479-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-479-2022, 2022
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Due to the scale and remote nature of the polar regions, it is essential to use satellite remote sensing to monitor and understand them and their dynamics. Here we present data from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT), processed in a manner proven for use in cryosphere studies. The data have been processed on three timescales (5 d, 2 d and 1 d) in order to optimise temporal resolution as each of the three MetOp satellites is launched.
Joey J. Voermans, Qingxiang Liu, Aleksey Marchenko, Jean Rabault, Kirill Filchuk, Ivan Ryzhov, Petra Heil, Takuji Waseda, Takehiko Nose, Tsubasa Kodaira, Jingkai Li, and Alexander V. Babanin
The Cryosphere, 15, 5557–5575, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5557-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5557-2021, 2021
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We have shown through field experiments that the amount of wave energy dissipated in landfast ice, sea ice attached to land, is much larger than in broken ice. By comparing our measurements against predictions of contemporary wave–ice interaction models, we determined which models can explain our observations and which cannot. Our results will improve our understanding of how waves and ice interact and how we can model such interactions to better forecast waves and ice in the polar regions.
Alexander D. Fraser, Robert A. Massom, Mark S. Handcock, Phillip Reid, Kay I. Ohshima, Marilyn N. Raphael, Jessica Cartwright, Andrew R. Klekociuk, Zhaohui Wang, and Richard Porter-Smith
The Cryosphere, 15, 5061–5077, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5061-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5061-2021, 2021
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Landfast ice is sea ice that remains stationary by attaching to Antarctica's coastline and grounded icebergs. Although a variable feature, landfast ice exerts influence on key coastal processes involving pack ice, the ice sheet, ocean, and atmosphere and is of ecological importance. We present a first analysis of change in landfast ice over an 18-year period and quantify trends (−0.19 ± 0.18 % yr−1). This analysis forms a reference of landfast-ice extent and variability for use in other studies.
Camilla K. Crockart, Tessa R. Vance, Alexander D. Fraser, Nerilie J. Abram, Alison S. Criscitiello, Mark A. J. Curran, Vincent Favier, Ailie J. E. Gallant, Christoph Kittel, Helle A. Kjær, Andrew R. Klekociuk, Lenneke M. Jong, Andrew D. Moy, Christopher T. Plummer, Paul T. Vallelonga, Jonathan Wille, and Lingwei Zhang
Clim. Past, 17, 1795–1818, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1795-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1795-2021, 2021
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We present preliminary analyses of the annual sea salt concentrations and snowfall accumulation in a new East Antarctic ice core, Mount Brown South. We compare this record with an updated Law Dome (Dome Summit South site) ice core record over the period 1975–2016. The Mount Brown South record preserves a stronger and inverse signal for the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (in austral winter and spring) compared to the Law Dome record (in summer).
Richard Porter-Smith, John McKinlay, Alexander D. Fraser, and Robert A. Massom
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 3103–3114, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3103-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3103-2021, 2021
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This study quantifies the characteristic complexity
signaturesaround the Antarctic outer coastal margin, giving a multiscale estimate of the magnitude and direction of undulation or complexity at each point location along the entire coastline. It has numerous applications for both geophysical and biological studies and will contribute to Antarctic research requiring quantitative information about this important interface.
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Short summary
This study presents a comprehensive validation of a satellite observational sea ice motion product in Antarctica by using drifting buoys. Two problems existing in this sea ice motion product have been noticed. After rectifying problems, we use it to investigate the impacts of satellite observational configuration and timescale on Antarctic sea ice kinematics and suggest the future improvement of satellite missions specifically designed for retrieval of sea ice motion.
This study presents a comprehensive validation of a satellite observational sea ice motion...
