Fabric and crystal characteristics of Bohai and Arctic sea ice

The fabrics and crystals of Bohai one year ice show that the noncontinuous ice growth rate enables the level ice layers with different amount of air bubbles to be formed in lower part of an ice sheet which was clearly seen from CT technology; typical grain ice and columnar ice occur in the grey ice which grows in stable water; thaw refrozen ice and rafted ice have their specific crystal characters. On the Arctic sea ice, the ice core located at 72°24.037′N, 153°33.994′W and 2.2 m in length was a 3 year ice floe and a new sort of crystal was found, which is defined as refrozen clastic pieces. The crystal profile of the ice core 4.86 m in length located at 74°58.614′N, 160°31.830′W shows the evidence that ice ridge changed into hummock.     

Climatic and atmospheric teleconnection indices and western Arctic sea ice variability

This study examines the sea ice cover minima in the western Arctic in the context of several climatic mechanisms known to impact its variability. The September latitude of western Arctic sea ice is measured along 11 equally-spaced longitudes extending from 176º?W to 126º?W in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, 1953–2010. Indices of seasonal atmospheric and oceanic teleconnections and annual mean Northern Hemisphere temperatures (NHT) and CO₂ concentration are orthogonalized using rotated principal component analysis, forming predictors regressed onto the sea ice latitude data at each longitude using stepwise multiple linear regression. Prior to 1998, small amounts of September ice edge variance are explained by teleconnections such as the Arctic Dipole, Arctic Oscillation, and Pacific-North American Pattern. NHTs begin explaining large amounts of ice edge variance starting in 1998. For the 1953–2010 period, up to 68% of the ice edge variance is explained at 161°?W in the Chukchi Sea, mostly by NHTs. With the exception of the three easternmost longitudes (136–126°?W), the teleconnections and NHTs explain over 50% of the regional ice edge variance. Increases in both NHTs and ice retreat since the mid-1990s account for the large explained variances observed in regression analyses extending into recent years.     

基于CryoSat-2测高数据的北极格陵兰海海冰干舷高提取研究

北极是全球气候和环境变化的驱动器之一,获取北极海冰的时空特征和变化规律对研究北极以及全球气候变化意义重大。格陵兰海是北极海冰剧烈变化的区域之一,采用CryoSat-2的雷达测高数据,获取了格陵兰海的海冰干舷高分布,并利用波弗特环流计划(BGEP)仰视声呐(ULS)数据进行了验证。研究结果表明,格陵兰海海冰干舷高和分布范围存在明显的季节性变化特征,具体体现在格陵兰海海冰从10月份进入冻结期开始,海冰分布范围不断扩张,海冰干舷高也逐渐增大,2月份平均干舷高达到最大(0.2 m),之后格陵兰海海冰开始消融,覆盖范围不断内缩,9月海冰干舷高降至最小(0.13 m)。     

Experiment of near surface layer parameters in ice camp over Arctic Ocean

Estimates of near surface layer parameters over 78°N drifting ice in ice camp over the Arctic ocean are made using bulk transfer methods with the data from the experiments operated by the Chinese Arctic Scientific Expedition in August 22-September 3,2003.The results show that the net radiation received by the snow surface is only 3.6 W/m2,among which the main part transported into atmosphere in term of sensible heat and latent heat,which account for 52% and 31% respectively,and less part being transported to deep ice in the conductive process.The bulk transfer coefficient of momentum is about 1.16×10-3 in the near neutral layer,which is a little smaller than that obtained over 75°N drifting ice.However,to compare with the results observed over 75°N drifting ice over the Arctic Ocean in 1999,it can be found that the thermodynamic and momentum of interactions between sea and air are significant different with latitudes,concentration and the scale of sea ice.It is very important on considering the effect of sea-air-ice interaction over the Arctic Ocean when studying climate modeling.     

Sedimentary pellets as an ice-cover proxy in a High Arctic ice-covered lake

Sediment aggregates (“sedimentary pellets”) within the sedimentary record of Lake A (83°00′ N, 75°30′ W), Ellesmere Island, Canada, are used to construct a 1000 year proxy record of ice-cover extent and dynamics on this perennially ice-covered, High Arctic lake. These pellets are interpreted to form during fall or early winter when littoral sediment adheres to ice forming around the lake’s periphery or during summer through the development of anchor ice. The sediment likely collects in ice interstices and is concentrated in the upper ice layers through summer surface ice melt and winter basal ice growth. The pellets remain frozen in the ice until a summer or series of summers with reduced ice cover allows for their deposition across the lake basin. Sedimentary pellet frequency within multiple sediment cores is used to develop a chronology of ice-cover fluctuations. This proxy ice-cover record is largely corroborated by a record of unusual sedimentation in Lake A involving iron-rich, dark-orange to red laminae overlying more diffuse laminae with a lighter hue. This sediment sequence is hypothesized to represent years with reduced ice cover through increased chemocline ventilation and iron deposition. During the past millennium, the most notable period of inferred reduced ice cover is ca. 1891 AD to present. Another period of ice cover mobility is suggested ca. 1582–1774 AD, while persistent ice cover is inferred during the 1800s and prior to 1582 AD. The proxy ice-cover record corresponds well with most regional melt-season proxy temperature and paleoecological records, especially during the 1800s and 1900s.

Improving sea ice type discrimination by the simultaneous use of SSM/I and scatterometer data

The multi-year sea ice (MY) concentration as determined with the NASA Team algorithm (NTA) shows an increase during winter. This unrealistic feature can be reduced using combined active and passive remote sensing data, leading to a more realistic estimation of MY area. Our joint analysis of SSM/I, QuikSCATterometer (QSCAT) and meteorological data reveals events (i.e. intervals in space and time) where increased surface roughness and volume scattering, after a melt-refreezing episode, alters the passive microwave signature of the undisturbed sea ice surface. In these events, the calculation of MY and FY areas employing the NTA leads to false estimations of their amounts. It is shown that when such events occur, QSCAT backscatter values increase by more than 3 dB. This backscatter variation can be easily detected and the FY and MY area determination of the NTA can be corrected accordingly within defined event-regions. Using this method, called Simultaneous NTA, we found that in May 2000 12% of the area detected by the NTA as MY has to be corrected to FY. As a consequence, a detailed reanalysis of the 20-year passive microwave data set is suggested to more precisely compute the MY area.     

Coordinated changes of sea ice over the Beaufort and Chukchi seas: regional and seasonal perspectives

One outstanding feature of the recent Arctic climate is the contrast of the changes of sea ice concentration and thickness between the Beaufort Sea and the Chukchi Sea. Since the Arctic Oscillation (AO) plays a critical role in driving Arctic sea ice changes and the Beaufort and Chukchi seas have been hypothesized as a region in which sea ice anomalies originate, we employed a coupled sea ice-ocean model and carried out simulations forced by the AO signal to examine sea ice changes in these regions, focusing on seasonality. With the AO phase transition from negative to positive, anticyclonic windstress weakens broadly in both winter and summer; however, the surface air temperature response shows remarkable seasonal dependence. Positive temperature anomalies spread over the entire domain in winter, while negative anomalies occur in the shelf seas in summer, although positive anomalies remain in the deep-water portion. The simulated sea ice concentration resembles the observed concentration. The strong seasonality of sea ice concentration changes suggests that accumulation of sea ice concentration in the Beaufort Sea and reduction in the Chukchi Sea are mainly produced in summer. Changes of ice thickness are robust through the seasonal cycle. Generally, sea ice dynamics play a critical role in creating the anomalous sea ice pattern and sea ice thermodynamics partially compensate the dynamically-driven changes. However, considerable seasonal differences occur.     

Definition of Arctic and Antarctic Sea Ice Variation Index

It is well known that varying of the sea ice not only in the Antarctic but also in the Arctic has an active influence on the globe atmosphere and ocean. In order to understand the sea ice variation in detail, for the first time, an objective index of the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice variation is defined by projecting the monthly sea ice concentration anomalies poleward of 20°N or 20°S onto the EOF (empirical orthogonal function)-1 spatial pattern. Comparing with some work in former studies of polar sea ice, the index has the potential for clarifying the variability of sea ice in northern and southern high latitudes.     

北冰洋阿尔法脊晚第四纪沉积有机质的来源变化及其古环境意义

为探讨晚第四纪有机碳埋藏情况变化与海冰覆盖和环流等变化之间的关系,分析了北冰洋阿尔法脊08B85-D孔沉积物的Mn和Ca含量、粒度组成、有机碳含量和有机碳δ13C组成。结果表明有机碳含量并不具备冰期-间冰期旋回性,有机碳来源具有4种不同模式,海冰覆盖程度和波弗特环流的强度共同决定了阿尔法脊处有机碳来源的构成,在MIS7内若干时段海冰覆盖极少,极盛的波弗特环流可将陆源有机质直接输送至阿尔法脊处,使沉积有机质中陆地来源占主导,形成了具有地层对比意义的独特信号。在MIS6-MIS1,08B85-D孔有机碳始终以海洋源贡献占主导,与海冰覆盖程度维持在较高水平,限制了陆源有机碳的输送有关,特别是在MIS6和MIS4-MIS3时,海冰很盛,波弗特环流有可能消亡。     

贼鸥用于南极环境大型指示生物种的初步研究

对南极长城站附近棕贼鸥(C.s.lonnberg)、灰贼鸥(C.maccormicki)和两者的混合配对(hybrid)的食性与考察站环境质量的相关性进行研究,结果表明,贼鸥的食物结构受站区人类废弃物的直接影响。贼鸥食性构成同时与人类活动和动物生态习性相关而起到双重信息载体作用,可作为南极环境生态评价的重要指标之一,对推动实现南极环境生态评价的量化有重要意义。     

Case study on microphysical properties of boundary layer mixed-phase cloud observed at Ny-Ålesund,Svalbard: Observed cloud microphysics and calculated optical properties on 9 June 2011

Cloud radiation interactions are important in the global climate system. However, an understanding of mixed-phase boundary layer clouds in the Arctic remains poor. During May–June 2011, ground-based in situ measurements were made at Zeppelin Station, operated by the Norwegian Polar Institute (altitude 474 m) in Ny-Ålesund (78.9°N, 11.9°E), Svalbard. The instruments used comprised a Cloud, Aerosol and Precipitation Spectrometer (CAPS), and a Cloud Particle Microscope imager. The CAPS incorporated a Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer and Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP). During the observation period, clouds associated with cyclonic disturbances and those associated with outbreaks of westerly cold air masses from the sea were observed. Atmospheric temperature during all measurements ranged from 0 to −5 °C. In every case, columns were the major type of ice particle measured by the CAPS–CIP. Cloud microphysical properties were observed continuously on 9 June 2011. Size spectra, liquid/ice water content, and particle effective size changed depending on progress stages. Based on the observed microphysics, optical properties were calculated and investigated. Optical properties were determined mainly by those of liquid water particles, even during periods when the relative contribution of ice particles to total water content was at the maximum. It was confirmed that the wavelength region of 1.6 and 2.2 μm can be used in remote sensing. This study shows that it is possible to measure detailed changes of cloud properties in the Arctic region by using instruments installed at a ground-based mountain station.     

Meteorological Observations in 2000 at the Arctic Station,Qeqertarsuaq (69°15'N), Central West Greenland

An automatic meteorological station has been operating at the Arctic Station (69°15'N, 53°31'W) in West Greenland since 1990. This paper summarizes meteorological parameters during 2000 including snow and sea ice cover, ground temperatures and active layer development, and presents comments on the local permafrost thickness.     

The role of Pacific water in the dramatic retreat of arctic sea ice during summer 2007

A model study is conducted to examine the role of Pacific water in the dramatic retreat of arctic sea ice during summer 2007.The model generally agrees with the observations in showing considerable seasonal and interannual variability of the Pacific water inflow at Bering Strait in response to changes in atmospheric circulation. During summer 2007 anomalously strong southerly winds over the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean strengthen the ocean circulation and bring more Pacific water into the Arctic than the recent(2000-2006) average.The simulated summer(3 months) 2007 mean Pacific water inflow at Bering Strait is 1.2 Sv,which is the highest in the past three decades of the simulation and is 20%higher than the recent average.Particularly ,the Pacific water inflow in September 2007 is about 0.5 Sv or 50%above the 2000-2006 average.The strengthened warm Pacific water inflow carries an additional 1.0×10~(20) Joules of heat into the Arctic,enough to melt an additional 0.5 m of ice over the whole Chukchi Sea.In the model the extra summer oceanic heat brought in by the Pacific water mainly stays in the Chukchi and Beaufort region,contributing to the warming of surface waters in that region.The heat is in constant contact with the ice cover in the region in July through September.Thus the Pacific water plays a role in ice melting in the Chukchi and Beaufort region all summer long in 2007,likely contributing to up to 0.5 m per month additional ice melting in some area of that region .     

北冰洋浮冰区的气象要素特征

利用中国首次北极科学考察队观测的气象资料 ,初步分析研究了 1 999年 8月 1 9～ 2 4日北冰洋浮冰 ( 75°N,1 60°W)上的温、压、湿、风、云量、辐射、海表温度、冰面及冰中温度等气象要素变化特征 ,并结合 50 0 h Pa高度场分析了该期间的天气过程。结果表明 :在考察期间海面与冰面温度日变化差异明显。除晴天夜间出现逆温外 ,气温随高度增大而减小 ,冰面为热源 ,不断有向上的热量输送。海温则稳定少变。冰中热交换主要发生在冰下 0～ 40 cm深度。由于有海上湿平流等影响 ,存在“逆湿”现象。晴天反射率具有明显日变化 ,早晚大 ,中午小。海冰表面平均反射率约为 0 .76。辐射与云量特别是低云量的关系密切     

Responses of Fragilarioid-dominated diatom assemblages in a small Arctic lake to Holocene climatic changes, Russell Island, Nunavut, Canada

We present a paleolimnological record spanning the Holocene from a small lake on Russell Island (Lake PW02), in the central Canadian Arctic Archipelago (74.07° N, 97.77° W, 182 m asl). Fragilarioid diatom types in the genera Pseudostaurosira, Staurosira and Staurosirella constitute >90% of valves in fossil samples. Using modern biogeographic data which specify the temperature optima of the Fragilarioid diatom taxa, we present new inferences about the timing of paleoclimatic changes in the central Arctic islands. The early Holocene was characterized by maximum values for sediment organic matter, and lower ratios of Staurosirella pinnata to Staurosira construens v. venter, suggesting warm summer air temperatures between about 9500−6500 cal year BP. Influxes of biogenic silica and diatom valves decreased following 4000 cal year BP, the sediment accumulation rate slowed and diatom taxa of the littoral zone diversified, suggesting cooler summers and more persistent lake ice. Variations in the species composition of the assemblages indicate paleoclimatic changes that are in broad agreement with other paleoenvironmental records from the Arctic including melt records from the Agassiz Ice Cap. Although autecological data remain incomplete for Fragilarioid taxa, our results indicate differences in these taxa in responses to paleoenvironmental change and underline the potential for the increased use of these taxa in paleoenvironmental reconstructions. The record from Lake PW02, as in other records from Arctic lakes with low algal diversity throughout the Holocene, shows a pronounced increase in diatom diversity since the 1920s, and diatom production since the 1970s far exceeds any recorded during the Holocene.     

北极海冰与大气环流耦合主模态的时空特征分析

对1979—2009年月平均的CFSR（The Climate Forecast System Reanalysis）海冰密集度（SIC）和海平面气压（SLP）资料进行多变量经验正交函数分解（MV—EOF）,得出耦合主模态,并通过对温度、位势高度和风场的回归分析,进一步探寻海冰与大气环流的关系,第一模态SLP的特征为北极涛动（AO）,SIC呈离散的正负中心分布但大体为东西反位相,AO正位相时,喀拉海、拉普捷夫海、东西伯利亚海和鄂霍次克海海冰减少,巴芬湾、波弗特海、楚科奇海和白令海海冰增加。耦合第二模态的SLP呈偶极子分布,负、正异常中心在巴伦支海和波弗特海,SIC在巴伦支海,弗拉姆海峡,格陵兰海,拉布拉多海和白令海,鄂霍次克海地区有正异常,在喀拉海、拉普捷夫海、东西伯利亚海、楚科齐海和波弗特海为负异常。耦合第三模态SLP在冰岛地区存在负异常中心,在拉普捷夫海地区有正异常中心,SIC在巴伦支海北部、弗拉姆海峡、格陵兰海为负异常,其余地区全为正异常。 对SLP和SIC分别进行EOF分解,并与耦合模态进行比较,SLP的EOF主模态的时空分布与耦合模态中SLP的时空分布十分相似,SIC的EOF模态的时空分布则与耦合模态中SIC的时空分布有较大差别,说明耦合模态对SIC的分布影响较大,即大气环流对海冰分布的影响为主要的过程,海冰对大尺度的大气环流的模态的影响不明显。     

GIS-based Mineral Prospectivity Mapping of Seafloor Massive Sulfide on Ultraslow-spreading Ridges: A Case Study of Southwest Indian Ridge 48.7°–50.5° E

With the depletion of mineral resources on land, seafloor massive sulfide deposits have the potential to become as important for exploration, development and mining as those on land. However, it is difficult to investigate the ocean environment where seafloor massive sulfide deposits are located. Thus, improving prospecting efficiency by reducing the exploration search space through mineral prospectivity mapping (MPM) is desirable. MPM has been used in the exploration for seafloor deposits on regional scales, e.g., the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Arctic Ridge. However, studies of MPM on ultraslow-spreading ridges on segment scales to aid exploration for seafloor massive sulfide have not been carried out to date. Here, data of water depth, geology and hydrothermal plume anomalies were analyzed and the weights-of-evidence method was used to study the metallogenic regularity and to predict the potential area for seafloor massive sulfide exploration in 48.7°–50.5° E segments on the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. Based on spatial analysis, 11 predictive maps were selected to establish a mineral potential model. Weight values indicate that the location of seafloor massive sulfide deposits is correlated mainly with mode-E faults and oceanic crust thickness in the study area, which correspond with documented ore-controlling factors on other studied ultraslow-spreading ridges. In addition, the detachment fault and ridge axis, which reflect the deep hydrothermal circulation channel and magmatic activities, also play an important role. Based on the posterior probability values, 3 level A, 2 level B and 2 level C areas were identified as targets for further study. The MPM results were helpful for narrowing the search space and have implications for investigating and evaluating seafloor massive sulfide resources in the study area and on other ultraslow-spreading ridges.

     

The structure and behavior of the arctic cyclone in summer analyzed by the JRA-25/JCDAS data

In this study, three-dimensional structures and the life-time behavior of arctic cyclones are investigated as case studies, using reanalysis data of JRA-25 and JCDAS. In recent years, arctic region has undergone drastic warming in conjunction with the reduced sea ice concentration in summer. The rapid reduction of the sea ice concentration is explained, to some extent, by a pressure dipole of the arctic cyclone and Beaufort high over the Arctic Ocean. This paper presents some case studies for the structure of the arctic cyclone.It is found by the analysis of this study that the arctic cyclone indicates many differences in structure and behavior compared with the mid-latitude cyclone. The arctic cyclones move rather randomly in direction over the Arctic Ocean. The arctic cyclone has a barotropic structure in the vertical from the surface to the stratosphere. The arctic cyclone detected at the sea level pressure is connected with the polar vortex at the 500 hPa level and above. Importantly, the arctic cyclone has a cold core in the troposphere and a warm core around the 200 hPa level. The mechanism of the formation is discussed based on the analyzed structure of the arctic cyclones.     

北极航道相关海域科学考察研究进展

我国从1999年开始已实施了四次北极科学考察,对白令海、楚科奇海、波弗特海、加拿大海盆和马卡若夫海盆进行了广泛的考察。全球变化导致的北冰洋夏季海冰覆盖面积不断减少,导致冰期以来北极东北航道和西北航道的首次同时开通。北极航道集中在陆架海域,不仅是海冰变化最为显著的海域,同时也是陆地－北冰洋相互作用最为显著的区域,对北冰洋区域气候、生态系统和生物多样性、以及经济和当地土著居民生活等具有重大影响。本文对北极航道关键海域近年来国际相关科学考察进行了总结,对科学考察背后的各国北极策略进行分析,并从科学需求的角度对我国在今后北极科学考察中针对北极航道相关海域应开展的科学考察与研究提出了相关建议。     

Summer sea ice characteristics of the Chukchi Sea

During August 1999, we investigated sea ice characteristics; its distribution, surface feature, thickness, ice floe movement, and the temperature field around inter-borders of air/ice/seawater in the Chukchi Sea. Thirteen ice cores were drilled at 11 floe stations in the area of 72°24′ 77°18′N, 153°34′ 163°28′W and the ice core structure was observed. From field observation, three melting processes of ice were observed; surface layer melting, surface and bottom layers melting, and all of ice melting. The observation of temperature fields around sea ice floes showed that the bottom melting under the ice floes were important process. As ice floes and open water areas were alternately distributed in summer Arctic Ocean; the water under ice was colder than the open water by 0.4 2.8℃. The sun radiation heated seawater in open sea areas so that the warmer water went to the bottom when the ice floes move to those areas. This causes ice melting to start at the bottom of the ice floes. This process can balance effectively the temperature fluctuating in the sea in summer. From the crystalline structure of sea ice observed from the cores, it was concluded that the ice was composed of ice crystals and brine-ice films. During the sea ice melting, the brine-ice films between ice crystals melted firstly; then the ice crystals were encircled by brine films; the sea ice became the mixture of ice and liquid brine. At the end of melting, the ice crystals would be separated each other, the bond between ice crystals weakens and this leads to the collapse of the ice sheet.