Estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison
In sea-ice-covered areas, the sea ice floe size distribution (FSD) plays an important role in many processes affecting the coupled sea–ice–ocean–atmosphere system. Observations of the FSD are sparse – traditionally taken via a painstaking analysis of ice surface photography – and the seasonal and in...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2019
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2869-2019 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/2869/2019/ |
id |
ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:tc77087 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:tc77087 2023-05-15T14:59:21+02:00 Estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison Horvat, Christopher Roach, Lettie A. Tilling, Rachel Bitz, Cecilia M. Fox-Kemper, Baylor Guider, Colin Hill, Kaitlin Ridout, Andy Shepherd, Andrew 2019-11-08 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2869-2019 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/2869/2019/ eng eng doi:10.5194/tc-13-2869-2019 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/2869/2019/ eISSN: 1994-0424 Text 2019 ftcopernicus https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2869-2019 2020-07-20T16:22:35Z In sea-ice-covered areas, the sea ice floe size distribution (FSD) plays an important role in many processes affecting the coupled sea–ice–ocean–atmosphere system. Observations of the FSD are sparse – traditionally taken via a painstaking analysis of ice surface photography – and the seasonal and inter-annual evolution of floe size regionally and globally is largely unknown. Frequently, measured FSDs are assessed using a single number, the scaling exponent of the closest power-law fit to the observed floe size data, although in the absence of adequate datasets there have been limited tests of this “power-law hypothesis”. Here we derive and explain a mathematical technique for deriving statistics of the sea ice FSD from polar-orbiting altimeters, satellites with sub-daily return times to polar regions with high along-track resolutions. Applied to the CryoSat-2 radar altimetric record, covering the period from 2010 to 2018, and incorporating 11 million individual floe samples, we produce the first pan-Arctic climatology and seasonal cycle of sea ice floe size statistics. We then perform the first pan-Arctic test of the power-law hypothesis, finding limited support in the range of floe sizes typically analyzed in photographic observational studies. We compare the seasonal variability in observed floe size to fully coupled climate model simulations including a prognostic floe size and thickness distribution and coupled wave model, finding good agreement in regions where modeled ocean surface waves cause sea ice fracture. Text Arctic Sea ice ice covered areas Copernicus Publications: E-Journals Arctic The Cryosphere 13 11 2869 2885 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Copernicus Publications: E-Journals |
op_collection_id |
ftcopernicus |
language |
English |
description |
In sea-ice-covered areas, the sea ice floe size distribution (FSD) plays an important role in many processes affecting the coupled sea–ice–ocean–atmosphere system. Observations of the FSD are sparse – traditionally taken via a painstaking analysis of ice surface photography – and the seasonal and inter-annual evolution of floe size regionally and globally is largely unknown. Frequently, measured FSDs are assessed using a single number, the scaling exponent of the closest power-law fit to the observed floe size data, although in the absence of adequate datasets there have been limited tests of this “power-law hypothesis”. Here we derive and explain a mathematical technique for deriving statistics of the sea ice FSD from polar-orbiting altimeters, satellites with sub-daily return times to polar regions with high along-track resolutions. Applied to the CryoSat-2 radar altimetric record, covering the period from 2010 to 2018, and incorporating 11 million individual floe samples, we produce the first pan-Arctic climatology and seasonal cycle of sea ice floe size statistics. We then perform the first pan-Arctic test of the power-law hypothesis, finding limited support in the range of floe sizes typically analyzed in photographic observational studies. We compare the seasonal variability in observed floe size to fully coupled climate model simulations including a prognostic floe size and thickness distribution and coupled wave model, finding good agreement in regions where modeled ocean surface waves cause sea ice fracture. |
format |
Text |
author |
Horvat, Christopher Roach, Lettie A. Tilling, Rachel Bitz, Cecilia M. Fox-Kemper, Baylor Guider, Colin Hill, Kaitlin Ridout, Andy Shepherd, Andrew |
spellingShingle |
Horvat, Christopher Roach, Lettie A. Tilling, Rachel Bitz, Cecilia M. Fox-Kemper, Baylor Guider, Colin Hill, Kaitlin Ridout, Andy Shepherd, Andrew Estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison |
author_facet |
Horvat, Christopher Roach, Lettie A. Tilling, Rachel Bitz, Cecilia M. Fox-Kemper, Baylor Guider, Colin Hill, Kaitlin Ridout, Andy Shepherd, Andrew |
author_sort |
Horvat, Christopher |
title |
Estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison |
title_short |
Estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison |
title_full |
Estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison |
title_fullStr |
Estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison |
title_full_unstemmed |
Estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison |
title_sort |
estimating the sea ice floe size distribution using satellite altimetry: theory, climatology, and model comparison |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2869-2019 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/2869/2019/ |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Sea ice ice covered areas |
genre_facet |
Arctic Sea ice ice covered areas |
op_source |
eISSN: 1994-0424 |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/tc-13-2869-2019 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/2869/2019/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2869-2019 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
2869 |
op_container_end_page |
2885 |
_version_ |
1766331461198151680 |