Articles | Volume 16, issue 9
The Cryosphere, 16, 3685–3701, 2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3685-2022
The Cryosphere, 16, 3685–3701, 2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3685-2022
Research article
13 Sep 2022
Research article | 13 Sep 2022

Variability in sea ice carbonate chemistry: a case study comparing the importance of ikaite precipitation, bottom-ice algae, and currents across an invisible polynya

Brent G. T. Else et al.

Data sets

Study of Sea Ice Biogeochemistry (snow depth, ice thickness, ice salinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, biomass, under ice currents) Comparing a Thick First Year Ice Site, and a Thinner Polynya Site Near Cambridge Bay Polar Data Catalogue https://doi.org/10.5884/13263

Richard-Sims/Else_2022_Variability_in_sea_ice_carbonate_chemistry: v1.0.0 Publication Richard Sims https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7045044

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Short summary
Sea ice helps control how much carbon dioxide polar oceans absorb. We compared ice cores from two sites to look for differences in carbon chemistry: one site had thin ice due to strong ocean currents and thick snow; the other site had thick ice, thin snow, and weak currents. We did find some differences in small layers near the top and the bottom of the cores, but for most of the ice volume the chemistry was the same. This result will help build better models of the carbon sink in polar oceans.