Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Seasonal Changes of Sea Ice Thickness in the Eastern Arctic Ocean Evident from Remotely Sensed and In-Situ Observations in 2013–2015

Version 1 : Received: 31 July 2023 / Approved: 1 August 2023 / Online: 2 August 2023 (08:36:22 CEST)

How to cite: Pnyushkov, A.V. Seasonal Changes of Sea Ice Thickness in the Eastern Arctic Ocean Evident from Remotely Sensed and In-Situ Observations in 2013–2015. Preprints 2023, 2023080112. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0112.v1 Pnyushkov, A.V. Seasonal Changes of Sea Ice Thickness in the Eastern Arctic Ocean Evident from Remotely Sensed and In-Situ Observations in 2013–2015. Preprints 2023, 2023080112. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0112.v1

Abstract

The study focuses on conducting a quantitative comparison of sea ice thickness data obtained through satellite-based remote sensing and in-situ observations in the eastern Arctic Ocean from September 2013 to September 2015 as part of the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System (NABOS) program. Upward-looking sonar observations from an oceanographic mooring at the northern slope of the Laptev Sea (78°25’N, 125°04’E) were used for comparing instrumental measurements of ice thickness with data from the remotely sensed CryoSat-2 and CryoSat2/SMOS datasets. The comparison results indicate a significant tendency for satellite products to overes-timate sea ice thickness by more than 40 cm, particularly for moderate and thick ice conditions. Caution is advised when using these satellite-based measurements. Sea ice ridging is identified as one of the possible factors contributing to the observed discrepancy. The continental slope of the Laptev Sea experienced a prevalence of ridged ice over level ice during the period from 2013 to 2015. In the spring season (March-May), ridged ice was observed approximately 60% of the time, while level ice was observed around 40% of the time. However, the most significant relative contribution of ridging to ice thickness was observed during the initial ice formation period (from October through December) when sea ice is thin (<1 m). During these months, the relative difference between the mean and modal ice thickness, which reflects the mean variation between the deformed and thermodynamically grown level sea ice, could be as high as 70%.

Keywords

sea ice thickness; Arctic Ocean; Eurasian Basin; ice profiling sonars

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Oceanography

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