Summary of geophysical field research

From APLIS07

The mass balance of the ice cover is of particular interest as a key climate change indicator, since it is an integrator of both the surface heat budget, the ocean heat flux and the dynamic response of the ice pack to winds and currents. A net warming over time causes thinning of the ice cover, while net cooling leads to thicker ice. The mass balance of the sea ice cover reflects the evolution of thickness distribution, which is a function of thermodynamics (ice growth and melt), deformation (lead and ridge formation), and transport. During winter, deformation at leads constantly reworks the ice surface morphology. Net opening over the winter results in thinner ice compared to regions with net closing and ridging. Hence the long term rate of change of sea ice mass balance is controlled by an interaction between dynamic and thermodynamic processes. Improving our understanding of the process of ice deformation and its impact on the mass balance of the sea ice cover is the focus of the SEDNA project, a collaborative effort. The RIDGE project, lead by Max Coon, will validate a new model of sea ice that includes realistic representation of the mechanical fracture and evolution of pack ice.