Quantifying Sea Ice in the Southern Ocean Using ArcGIS

• Main Authors: Tracy L. Deliberty, Cathleen A. Geiger, Mary D. Lemcke
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clarkson; Southern Ocean; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.476.8971; http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc04/docs/pap1965.pdf

Clarkson University to evaluate two datasets- in situ (point) sea-ice thickness observations and weekly ice charts (polygon). The goal is to ascertain their quality for use in monitoring sea-ice thickness and mass balance changes in the Southern Ocean. Sea-ice thickness calculations from both datasets are temporally joined with spatially averaged in situ observations matching their respective NIC ice chart using ArcGISs field calculator, attribute query, spatial join and dissolve tools. The uncertainties of total ice thickness for both in situ observations and NIC ice charts are propagated through individual calculations and GIS tools. A composite product of the two datasets and their error estimates is being developed for monitoring sea-ice thickness, mass balance and validation fields for climate modeling. ArcGIS is used for the analysis of sea-ice conditions over the 1995-2000 period of study by visually and quantitatively examining the spatial extent of sea-ice and the variability of sea ice thickness for selected weeks during 1995 and 1998. The 3D Analyst extension also provides a means for displaying sea-ice thickness fields by draping the errors over the thickness estimates.