"Perennial pack ice in the southern Beaufort Sea was not as it appeared in the summer of 2009," by David G. Barber et al., GRL 36 (2009); doi:10.1029/2009GL041434

Geophysical Research Letters, 36 (2009) L24501; doi:10.1029/2009GL041434

Perennial pack ice in the southern Beaufort Sea was not as it appeared in the summer of 2009

David G. Barber, Ryan Galley, Matthew G. Asplin (Centre for Earth Observation Science, Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Roger De Abreu (Canadian Ice Service, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), Kerri-Ann Warner (Centre for Earth Observation Science, Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Monika Pućko (Centre for Earth Observation Science, Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, and Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Mukesh Gupta (Centre for Earth Observation Science, Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), Simon Prinsenberg (Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) and Stéphane Julien (Laurentian Region, Canadian Coast Guard, Quebec, Quebec, Canada)

Abstract


In September 2009 we observed a much different sea icescape in the Southern Beaufort Sea than anticipated, based on remotely sensed products. Radarsat-derived ice charts predicted 7 to 9 tenths multi-year (MY) or thick first-year (FY) sea ice throughout most of the Southern Beaufort Sea in the deep water of the Canada Basin. In situ observations found heavily decayed, very small remnant MY and FY floes interspersed with new ice between floes, in melt ponds, thaw holes and growing over negative freeboard older ice. This icescape contained approximately 25% open water, predominantly distributed in between floes or in thaw holes connected to the ocean below. Although this rotten ice regime was quite different that the expected MY regime in terms of ice volume and strength, their near-surface physical properties were found to be sufficiently alike that their radiometric and scattering characteristics were almost identical.

Received 22 October 2009; accepted 23 November 2009; published 24 December 2009.

Citation: Barber, D. G., R. Galley, M. G. Asplin, R. De Abreu, K.-A. Warner, M. Pućko, M. Gupta, S. Prinsenberg, and S. Julien. (2009). Perennial pack ice in the southern Beaufort Sea was not as it appeared in the summer of 2009, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L24501, doi:10.1029/2009GL041434.

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