The physical structures of snow and sea ice in the Arctic section of 150°-180°W during the summer of 2010

The physical structures of snow and sea ice in the Arctic section of 150°-180°W were observed on the basis of snow-pit, ice-core, and drill-hole measurements from late July to late August 2010. Almost all the investigated floes were first-year ice, except for one located north of Alaska, which was probably multi-year ice transported from north of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago during early summer. The snow covers over all the investigated floes were in the melting phase, with temperatures approaching 0℃ and densities of 295-398 kg/m3 . The snow covers can be divided into two to five layers of different textures, with most cases having a top layer of fresh snow, a round-grain layer in the middle, and slush and/or thin icing layers at the bottom. The first-year sea ice contained about 7%-17% granular ice at the top. There was no granular ice in the lower layers. The interior melting and desalination of sea ice introduced strong stratifications of temperature, salinity, density, and gas and brine volume fractions. The sea ice temperature exhibited linear cooling with depth, while the salinity and the density increased linearly with normalized depth from 0.2 to 0.9 and from 0 to 0.65, respectively. The top layer, especially the freeboard layer, had the lowest salinity and density, and consequently the largest gas content and the smallest brine content. Both the salinity and density in the ice basal layer were highly scattered due to large differences in ice porosity among the samples. The bulk average sea ice temperature, salinity, density, and gas and brine volume fractions were-0.8℃, 1.8, 837 kg/m3 , 9.3% and 10.4%, respectively. The snow cover, sea ice bottom, and sea ice interior show evidences of melting during mid-August in the investigated floe located at about 87°N, 175°W.     

Some parameters in arctic sea ice dynamics from an expedition in the summer of 2003

1Introduction Seaiceoccupiesthemainpartofthesurfaceof theArcticOcean.ThefocusoftheSecondChineseNa- tionalArcticResearchExpedition(CHINAE-2003) wastounderstandthevariationsofarcticmarineenvi- ronmentsandtheseaiceeffectsontheclimatechanges ofglobalextent,inmiddleandlowerlatitudesareas, especiallyinChina.Therefore,thejointsea-ice-airob- servationforseaicestudieswasoneofthekeypro- jectsinCHINARE-2003.Theinvestigatedareacov- ered3000kmfromsouthtonorthand900kmfrom westtoeast.Seventemporali…     

Dimethylsulphide and dimethylsulphoniopropionate in Antarctic sea ice and their release during sea ice melting

This study presents concentrations of dimethylsulphide (DMS) and its precursor compound dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) in a variety of sea ice and seawater habitats in the Antarctic Sea Ice Zone (ASIZ) during spring and summer. Sixty-two sea ice cores of pack and fast ice were collected from twenty-seven sites across an area of the eastern ASIZ (64°E to 110°E; and the Antarctic coastline north to 62°S). Concentrations of DMS in 81 sections of sea ice ranged from < 0.3 to 75 nM, with an average of 12 nM. DMSP in 60 whole sea ice cores ranged from 25 to 796 nM and showed a negative relationship with ice thickness (y = 125x^− 0.8). Extremely high DMSP concentrations were found in 2 cores of rafted sea ice (2910 and 1110 nM). The relationship of DMSP with ice thickness (excluding rafted ice) suggests that the release of large amounts of DMSP during sea ice melting may occur in discrete areas defined by ice thickness distribution, and may produce ‘hot spots’ of elevated seawater DMS concentration of the order of 100 nM. During early summer across a 500 km transect through melting pack ice, elevated DMS concentrations (range 21–37 nM, mean 31 nM, n = 15) were found in surface seawater. This band of elevated DMS concentration appeared to have been associated with the release of sea ice DMS and DMSP rather than in situ production by an ice edge algal bloom, as chlorophyll a concentrations were relatively low (0.09–0.42 μg l^− 1). During fast ice melting in the area of Davis station, Prydz Bay, sea ice DMSP was released mostly as extracellular DMSP, since intracellular DMSP was negligible in both hyposaline brine (5 ppt) and in a melt water lens (4–5 ppt), while extracellular DMSP concentrations were as high as 149 and 54 nM, respectively in these habitats. DMS in a melt water lens was relatively high at 11 nM. During the ice-free summer in the coastal Davis area, DMS concentrations in surface seawater were highest immediately following breakout of the fast ice cover in late December (range 5–14 nM), and then remained at relatively low concentrations through to late February (< 0.3–6 nM). These measurements support the view that the melting of Antarctic sea ice produces elevated seawater DMS due to release of sea ice DMS and DMSP.     

Estimation of Sea Ice Freeboard from SARAL/AltiKa Data

An attempt has been made to derive sea ice freeboard from Ka-band Altimeter (SARAL/AltiKa) over Arctic region for 15 March–15 April 2013 (spring) and 15 September–15 October 2013 (autumn). A waveform template matching technique is employed for classification of leads and floe pixels. The estimated sea ice freeboards were found in close agreement with “Operation IceBridge quick look” freeboards (RMSD = 0.30 m). The differences between the two freeboards were largely due to snow layer over sea ice (R = 0.8). The estimated freeboards were of the order of 0.08–0.15 m during the two seasons.     

引入拖曳系数参数化的海冰自由漂流模拟研究

Many interesting characteristics of sea ice drift depend on the atmospheric drag coefficient(C_a) and oceanic drag coefficient(C_w).Parameterizations of drag coefficients rather than constant values provide us a way to look insight into the dependence of these characteristics on sea ice conditions.In the present study,the parameterized ice drag coefficients are included into a free-drift sea ice dynamic model,and the wind factor α and the deflection angle θ between sea ice drift and wind velocity as well as the ratio of C_a to C_w are studied to investigate their dependence on the impact factors such as local drag coefficients,floe and ridge geometry.The results reveal that in an idealized steady ocean,C_a/C_w increases obviously with the increasing ice concentration for small ice floes in the marginal ice zone,while it remains at a steady level(0.2-0.25) for large floes in the central ice zone.The wind factor α increases rapidly at first and approaches a steady level of 0.018 when A is greater than 20%.And the deflection angle θ drops rapidly from an initial value of approximate 80° and decreases slowly as A is greater than20%without a steady level like α.The values of these parameters agree well with the previously reported observations in Arctic.The ridging intensity is an important parameter to determine the dominant contribution of the ratio of skin friction drag coefficient(C_s' /C_s) and the ratio of ridge form drag coefficient(C_r'/C_r) to the value of C_a/C_w,α,and θ,because of the dominance of ridge form drag for large ridging intensity and skin friction for small ridging intensity among the total drag forces.Parameterization of sea ice drag coefficients has the potential to be embedded into ice dynamic models to better account for the variability of sea ice in the transient Arctic Ocean.     

A global coupled sea ice–ocean model

A new sea ice model, GELATO, was developed at Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM) and coupled with OPA global ocean model. The sea ice model includes elastic–viscous–plastic rheology, redistribution of ice floes of different thicknesses, and it also takes into account leads, snow cover and snow ice formation. Climatologies of atmospheric surface parameters are used to perform a 20-year global ocean–sea ice simulation, in order to compute surface heat fluxes from diagnosed sea ice or ocean surface temperature. A surface salinity restoring term is applied only to ocean grid cells with no sea ice to avoid significant surface salinity drifts, but no correction of sea surface temperature is introduced. In the Arctic the use of an ocean model substantially improves the representation of sea ice, and particularly of the ice edge in all seasons, as advection of heat and salt can be more accurately accounted for than in the case of, for example, a sea ice–ocean mixed layer model. In contrast, in the Antarctic, a region where ocean convective processes bear a much stronger influence in shaping sea ice characteristics, a better representation of convection and probably of sea ice (for example, of frazil sea ice, brine rejection) would be needed to improve the simulation of the annual cycle of the sea ice cover. The effect of the inclusion of several ice categories in the sea ice model is assessed by running a sensitivity experiment in which only one category of sea ice is considered, along with leads. In the Arctic, such an experiment clearly shows that a multicategory sea ice model better captures the position of the sea ice edge and yields much more realistic sea ice concentrations in most of the region, which is in agreement with results from Bitz et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 106 (C2) (2001) 2441–2463].     

Interaction of an anticyclonic eddy with sea ice in the western Arctic Ocean: an eddy-resolving model study

The dramatic decline of summer sea ice extent and thickness has been witnessed in the western Arctic Ocean in recent decades, which hasmotivated scientists to search for possible factors driving the sea ice variability. An eddy-resolving, ice-ocean coupled model covering the entire Arctic Ocean is implemented, with focus on the western Arctic Ocean. Special attention is paid to the summer Alaskan coastal current (ACC), which has a high temperature (up to 5℃ ormore) in the upper layer due to the solar radiation over the open water at the lower latitude. Downstream of the ACC after Barrow Point, a surface-intensified anticyclonic eddy is frequently generated and propagate towards the Canada Basin during the summer season when sea ice has retreated away from the coast. Such an eddy has a warm core, and its source is high-temperature ACC water. A typical warm-core eddy is traced. It is trapped just below summer sea ice melt water and has a thickness about 60 m. Temperature in the eddy core reaches 2-3℃, and most water inside the eddy has a temperature over 1℃. With a definition of the eddy boundary, an eddy heat is calculated, which can melt 1 600 km² of 1mthick sea ice under extreme conditions.     

The variation features of the Antarctic sea ice (Ⅱ)

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渤海和北极海冰组构及晶体结构特征分析

渤海一年冰的组构和晶体结构表现出的冰的非连续生长速率使得冰层底部具有气泡含量不同的许多分层;静水生长的灰冰具有典型的粒状冰和柱状冰;融化-重冻结冰和重叠冰具有特定的晶体结构.位于北冰洋72°24.037'N,153°33.994'W,长2.2m的冰心样为三年冰,并且发现其内有一种新的晶体类型,定义为碎屑凝聚冰.由位于北冰洋74°58.614'N,160°31.830'W,长4.86m的冰心样的晶体结构分析发现它过去为冰脊,后经融化-冻结改造形成冰丘的证据.     

基于高度计数据的南极冰水边界识别算法研究

海冰边缘线是南极海冰监测的重要内容之一。本文基于ENVI RA-2(ENVISAT Radar Altimeter 2)高度计数据开展了南极海冰边缘线提取方法研究。首先根据海冰和海水后向散射系数的不同,利用其各自方差对两者进行区分,获得了冰水分界线;其次通过ENVISAT-ASAR(ENVISAT-Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar)数据和冰况图对提取的海冰边缘线的正确性进行了验证;最后简要分析了误差存在的原因。研究结果表明,高度计数据在提取大范围海冰边缘线方面具有优势。     

Enhancement/reduction of biological pump depends on ocean circulation in the sea-ice reduction regions of the Arctic Ocean

The biological pump is a central process in the ocean carbon cycle, and is a key factor controlling atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). However, whether the Arctic biological pump is enhanced or reduced by the recent loss of sea ice is still unclear. We examined if the effect was dependent on ocean circulation. Melting of sea ice can both enhance and reduce the biological pump in the Arctic Ocean, depending on ocean circulation. The biological pump is reduced within the Beaufort Gyre in the Canada Basin because freshwater accumulation within the gyre limits nutrient supply from deep layers and shelves hence inhibits the growth of large-bodied phytoplankton. Conversely, the biological pump is enhanced outside the Beaufort Gyre in the western Arctic Ocean because of nutrient supply from shelves and greater light penetration, enhancing photosynthesis, caused by the sea ice loss. The biological pump could also be enhanced by sea ice loss in the Eurasian Basin, where uplifted isohaline surfaces associated with the Transpolar Drift supply nutrients upwards from deep layers. New data on nitrate uptake rates are consistent with the pattern of enhancement and reduction of the Arctic biological pump. Our estimates indicate that the enhanced biological pump can be as large as that in other oceans when the sea ice disappears. Contrary to a recent conclusion based on data from the Canada Basin alone, our study suggests that the biological CO₂ drawdown is important for the Arctic Ocean carbon sink under ice-free conditions.     

2010年西北冰洋浮游植物区域差异与环境关系

Global warming has caused Arctic sea ice to rapidly retreat,which is affecting phytoplankton,the primary producers at the base of the food chain,as well as the entire ecosystem.However,few studies with large spatial scales related to the Arctic Basin at high latitude have been conducted.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in phytoplankton community structure and ice conditions.Fifty surface and 41 vertically stratified water samples from the western Arctic Ocean(67.0°–88°26′N,152°–178°54′W) were collected by the Chinese icebreaker R/V Xuelong from July 20 to August 30,2010 during China's fourth Arctic expedition.Using these samples,the species composition,spatial distribution,and regional disparities of phytoplankton during different stages of ice melt were assessed.A total of 157 phytoplankton taxa(5 μm) belonging to 69 genera were identified in the study area.The most abundant species were Navicula pelagica and Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii,accounting for 31.23% and 14.12% of the total phytoplankton abundance,respectively.The average abundance during the departure trip and the return trip were 797.07×10~2 cells/L and 84.94×10~2 cells/L,respectively.The highest abundance was observed at Sta.R09 in the north of Herald Shoal,where Navicula pelagica was the dominant species accounting for 59.42% of the abundance.The vertical distribution of phytoplankton abundance displayed regional differences,and the maximum abundances were confined to the lower layers of the euphotic zone near the layers of the halocline,thermocline,and nutricline.The species abundance of phytoplankton decreased from the low-latitude shelf to the high-latitude basin on both the departure and return trips.The phytoplankton community structure in the shallow continental shelf changed markedly during different stages of ice melt,and there was shift in dominant species from centric to pennate diatoms.Results of canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) showed that there were two distinct communities of phytoplankton in the western Arctic Ocean,and water temperature,ice coverage and silicate concentration were the most important environmental factors affecting phytoplankton distribution in the surveyed sea.These findings will help predict the responses of phytoplankton to the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice.     

Antarctic sea ice and ENSO event

The characteristic low-frequency oscillation of the sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) of ENSO related regions, Nino 1 + 2, Nino 3, Nino 4 and Nino West, and the Southern Oscillation index (SOI) is analyzed with the method of maximum entropy spectrum. Antarctic sea ice is divided into 4 regions, i. e. East Antarctic is Region Ⅰ (0°-120° E), the region dominated by Ross Sea ice is Region Ⅱ (120° E-120° W), the region dominated by Ross Sea ice is Region Ⅲ (120° W-0°), and the whole Antarctic sea ice area is Region Ⅳ. Also, the month-to-month correlation series of the sea ice with ENSO from contemporary to 5-years lag is calculated. The optimum correlation period is selected from the series. The characteristics and the rules obtained are as follows.1. There are a common 4-years main period of the SSTA of Ninos 1 + 2,3 and 4, a rather strong 4-years secondary period and a quasi-8-years main period of that of Nino West. There are also 1. 5 and 2 to 3-years secondary periods of that of all 4 Nin     

Modelling argon dynamics in first-year sea ice

Focusing on physical processes, we aim at constraining the dynamics of argon (Ar), a biogeochemically inert gas, within first year sea ice, using observation data and a one-dimensional halo-thermodynamic sea ice model, including parameterization of gas physics. The incorporation and transport of dissolved Ar within sea ice and its rejection via gas-enriched brine drainage to the ocean, are modeled following fluid transport equations through sea ice. Gas bubbles nucleate within sea ice when Ar is above saturation and when the total partial pressure of all three major atmospheric gases (N₂, O₂ and Ar) is above the brine hydrostatic pressure. The uplift of gas bubbles due to buoyancy is allowed when the brine network is connected with a brine volume above a given threshold. Ice-atmosphere Ar fluxes are formulated as a diffusive process proportional to the differential partial pressure of Ar between brine inclusions and the atmosphere. Two simulations corresponding to two case studies that took place at Point Barrow (Alaska, 2009) and during an ice-tank experiment (INTERICE IV, Hamburg, Germany, 2009) are presented. Basal entrapment and vertical transport due to brine motion enable a qualitatively sound representation of the vertical profile of the total Ar (i.e. the Ar dissolved in brine inclusions and contained in gas bubbles; TAr). Sensitivity analyses suggest that gas bubble nucleation and rise are of most importance to describe gas dynamics within sea ice. Ice-atmosphere Ar fluxes and the associated parameters do not drastically change the simulated TAr. Ar dynamics are dominated by uptake, transport by brine dynamics and bubble nucleation in winter and early spring; and by an intense and rapid release of gas bubbles to the atmosphere in spring. Important physical processes driving gas dynamics in sea ice are identified, pointing to the need for further field and experimental studies.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In-situ</Emphasis> measured primary productivity of ice algae in Arctic sea ice floes using a new incubation method

Recent changes in climate and environmental conditions have had great negative effects such as decreasing sea ice thickness and the extent of Arctic sea ice floes that support ice-related organisms. However, limited field observations hinder the understanding of the impacts of the current changes in the previously ice-covered regions on sea ice algae and other ice-related ecosystems. Our main objective in this study was to measure recent primary production of ice algae and their relative contribution to total primary production (ice plus pelagic primary production). In-situ primary productivity experiments with a new incubation system for ice algae were conducted in 3 sea ice cores at 2 different ice camps in the northern Chukchi Sea, 2014, using a ¹³C and ¹⁵N isotope tracer technique. A new incubation system was tested for conducting primary productivity experiments on ice algae that has several advantages over previous incubation methods, enabling stable carbon and nitrogen uptake experiments on ice algae under more natural environmental conditions. The vertical C-shaped distributions of the ice algal chl-a, with elevated concentrations at the top and bottom of the sea ice were observed in all cores, which is unusual for Arctic sea ice. The mean chl-a concentration (0.05 ± 0.03 mg chl-a m^?3) and the daily carbon uptake rates (ranging from 0.55 to 2.23 mg C m^?2 d^?1) for the ice algae were much lower in this study than in previous studies in the Arctic Ocean. This is likely because of the late sampling periods and thus the substantial melting occurring. Ice algae contributed 1.5–5.7% of the total particulate organic carbon (POC) contents of the combined euphotic water columns and sea ice floes. In comparison, ice algae contributed 4.8–8.6% to the total primary production which is greater than previously reported in the Arctic Ocean. If all of the ice-associated productions were included, the contributions of the sea ice floes to the total primary production would be greater in the Arctic Ocean and their importance would be greater in the arctic marine ecosystems.     

An isotopic perspective on the correlation of surface ocean carbon dynamics and sea ice melting in Prydz Bay (Antarctica) during austral summer

The stable carbon isotope composition of particulate organic carbon (δ¹³C_POC) and naturally occurring long-lived radionuclide ²²⁶Ra (T_1/2=1600 a) were applied to study the variations of upper ocean (<100 m) carbon dynamics in response to sea ice melting in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica during austral summer 2006. Surface δ¹³C_POC values ranged from −27.4‰ to −19.0‰ and generally decreased from inner bay (south of 67°S) toward the Antarctic Divergence. Surface water ²²⁶Ra activity concentration ranged from 0.92 to 2.09 Bq/m³ (average 1.65±0.32 Bq/m³, n=20) and increased toward the Antarctic Divergence, probably reflecting the influence of ²²⁶Ra-depleted meltwater and upwelled ²²⁶Ra-replete deep water. The fraction of meltwater, f_i, was estimated from ²²⁶Ra activity concentration and salinity using a three-component (along with Antarctic Summer Surface Water, and Prydz Bay Deep Water) mixing model. Although the fraction of meltwater is relatively minor (1.6–11.9%, average 4.1±2.7%, n=20) for the surface waters (sampled at ~6 m), a positive correlation between surface δ¹³C_POC and f_i (δ¹³C_POC=0.94×f_i−28.44, n=20, r²=0.66, p<0.0001) was found, implying that sea ice melting may have contributed to elevated δ¹³C_POC values in the inner Prydz Bay compared to the open oceanic waters. This is the first time for a relationship between δ¹³C_POC and meltwater fraction to be reported in polar oceans to our knowledge. We propose that sea ice melting may have affected surface ocean δ¹³C_POC by enhancing water column stability and providing a more favorable light environment for phytoplankton photosynthesis, resulting in drawdown of seawater CO₂ availability, likely reducing the magnitude of isotope fractionation during biological carbon fixation. Our results highlight the linkage of ice melting and δ¹³C_POC, providing insights into understanding the carbon cycling in the highly productive Antarctic waters.     

南极海冰变化及其气候效应研究述评

南极海冰是全球气候系统的重要组成部分。不同于北极海冰的快速减少,近40年来,南极海冰范围在2014年前是缓慢增加、后是突变减少。单一的大尺度大气环流因素无法解释南极海冰的长期变化趋势,海洋?大气相互作用对海冰的耦合影响还未得到充分研究。受南极海冰厚度遥感观测和数值模拟能力所限,现有数据仍无法准确量化全球变化背景下南极海冰的厚度和体积变化;目前南极海冰变化的气候效应还未充分明确。当前国内外对南极海冰研究的不足迫切要求发展长期可靠的南极海冰厚度数据,以突破南极海冰体积变化研究的难题,同时应综合考虑多气候模态和海气系统耦合的作用,研究南极海冰变化的机制及其气候效应。     

海洋二号微波散射计极地海冰识别算法研究

An Antarctic sea ice identification algorithm on the HY-2A scatterometer(HSCAT) employs backscattering coefficient(σ0) and active polarization ratio(APR) for a preliminary sea ice identification.Then standard deviation(STD) filtering and space filtering are carried out.Finally,it is used to identify sea ice.A process uses a σ0,STD threshold and an APR as sea ice indicators.The sea ice identification results are verified using the sea ice distribution data of the ASMR2 released by the National Snow and Ice Data Center as a reference.The results show very good consistence of sea ice development trends,seasonal changes,area distribution,and sea ice edge distribution of the sea ice identification results obtained by this algorithm relative to the ASMR2 sea ice results.The accuracy of a sea ice coverage is 90.8% versus the ASMR2 sea ice results.This indicates that this algorithm is reliable.     

Discrimination of different sea ice types from CryoSat-2 satellite data using an Object-based Random Forest (ORF)

Abstract

Sea ice type is one of the most sensitive variables in Arctic sea ice monitoring, and it is important for the retrieval of ice thickness. In this study, we analyzed various waveform features that characterize the echo waveform shape and Sigma0 (i.e., backscatter coefficient) of CryoSat-2 synthetic aperture radar altimeter data over different sea ice types. Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute operational ice charts were input as reference. An object-based random forest (ORF) classification method is proposed with overall classification accuracy of 90.1%. Accuracy of 92.7% was achieved for first-year ice (FYI), which is the domain ice type in the Arctic. Accuracy of 76.7% was achieved at the border of FYI and multiyear ice (MYI), which is better than current state-of-the-art methods. Accuracy of 83.8% was achieved for MYI. Results showed the overall accuracy of the ORF method was increased by ～8% in comparison with other methods, and the classification accuracy at the border of FYI and MYI was increased by ～10.5%. Nevertheless, ORF classification performance might be influenced by the selected waveform features, snow loading, and the ability to distinguish sea ice from leads.     

Ventilation time and anthropogenic CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean based on carbon tetrachloride measurements

The Arctic Ocean is connected to the Pacific by the Bering Sea and the Bering Strait. During the 4th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition, measurements of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) were used to estimate ventilation time-scales and anthropogenic CO₂ (C_ant) concentrations in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea based on the transit time distribution method. The profile distribution showed that there was a high-CCl₄ tongue entering through the Canada Basin in the intermediate layer (27.6?<?σ_θ?<?28), at latitudes between 78 and 85°N, which may be related to the inflow of Atlantic water. Between stations B09 and B10, upwelling appeared to occur near the continental slope in the Bering Sea. The ventilation time scales (mean ages) for deep and bottom water in the Arctic Ocean (~?230–380 years) were shorter than in the Bering Sea (~?430–970 years). Higher mean ages show that ventilation processes are weaker in the intermediate water of the Bering Sea than in the Arctic Ocean. The mean C_ant column inventory in the upper 4000 m was higher (60–82 mol m^?2) in the Arctic Ocean compared to the Bering Sea (35–48 mol m^?2).