Linking the evolution of floe sizes to the sea-ice deformation  history using SAR imagery

Hutter, Nils; Bitz, Cecilia M.

doi:10.5194/tc-20-6331-2026

Articles | Volume 20, issue 11

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-6331-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-6331-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 11

Research article

|

06 Nov 2026

Research article |

| 06 Nov 2026

Linking the evolution of floe sizes to the sea-ice deformation history using SAR imagery

Nils Hutter and Cecilia M. Bitz

Data sets

Supporting data to Linking the evolution of floe sizes to the sea-ice deformation history using SAR imagery Nils Hutter https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21869954

High-resolution sea ice drift and deformation from sequential SAR images in the Transpolar Drift during MOSAiC 2019/2020 Luisa von Albedyll and Nils Hutter https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.958449

ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Sea Ice Freeboard (ATL10, Version 6) Ron Kwok et al. https://doi.org/10.5067/ATLAS/ATL10.006

Library of sea ice floe remote sensing observations in the Beaufort Sea Marginal Ice Zone R. Lopez-Acosta and M. M. Wilhelmus https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4796845

Model code and software

nhutter/floe_deform: Code to Linking the evolution of floe sizes to the sea-ice deformation history using SAR imagery (Version v1.0.0) Nils Hutter https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21871700

Short summary

Polar oceans are covered by many pieces of floating ice, called floes, that vary in size, shape and thickness. This study focuses on how fracturing caused by stresses from wind and ocean currents changes floe sizes. Using satellite images, we track ice motion and floe sizes, and study floe shapes and how deformation alters the distribution of floe sizes. We find that stronger deformation creates more small floes and present a formula to include this effect in sea-ice models.