Arctic sea ice characteristics and associated atmosphere — Ice interactions in summer inferred from SMMR data and drifting buoys: 1979–1984

SMMR-derived sea ice concentrations for November 1978 – October 1984 in the Canada Basin are examined to determine temporal and spatial scales of variability in ice concentration and extent. Large regions of reduced-concentration ice are observed in late summer in four of the six years studied. Examination of the brightness temperature patterns and comparison of the SMMR-derived concentrations with visible-band imagery and drifting buoy temperatures support the interpretation of these features as true reductions in ice concentration. The observed areas of reduced concentration appears as a mixture of big floes andrazvodye, or open water areas of irregular shape and indefinite duration. Comparison with buoy-measured surface pressure and winds suggests that reduced ice concentrations are associated with regions of strong winds and divergence beneath low pressure systems.