Articles | Volume 17, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3229-2023
© Author(s) 2023. 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-17-3229-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Atmospheric highs drive asymmetric sea ice drift during lead opening from Point Barrow
MacKenzie E. Jewell
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Jennifer K. Hutchings
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Cathleen A. Geiger
College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
Vermont Field Station LLC, Hartford, Vermont, USA
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We quantify the contribution of sea ice drift during coastal-lead events to seasonal ice transport in the Beaufort Sea. Data from GPS tracker buoys deployed as part of the Sea Ice Dynamic Experiment (SIDEx) in spring 2021 show that sea ice in the southern Beaufort Sea became more responsive to wind forcing during fracturing events detected from satellite observations. Nearly all the spring 2021 sea ice transport occurred during these events, highlighting their importance at seasonal timescales.
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We quantify the contribution of sea ice drift during coastal-lead events to seasonal ice transport in the Beaufort Sea. Data from GPS tracker buoys deployed as part of the Sea Ice Dynamic Experiment (SIDEx) in spring 2021 show that sea ice in the southern Beaufort Sea became more responsive to wind forcing during fracturing events detected from satellite observations. Nearly all the spring 2021 sea ice transport occurred during these events, highlighting their importance at seasonal timescales.
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Short summary
Sea ice repeatedly fractures near a prominent Alaskan headland as winds move ice along the coast, challenging predictions of sea ice drift. We find winds from high-pressure systems drive these fracturing events, and the Alaskan coastal boundary modifies the resultant ice drift. This observational study shows how wind patterns influence sea ice motion near coasts in winter. Identified relations between winds, ice drift, and fracturing provide effective test cases for dynamic sea ice models.
Sea ice repeatedly fractures near a prominent Alaskan headland as winds move ice along the...