Physical length scales of wind-blown snow redistribution and accumulation on relatively smooth Arctic first-year sea ice

• Published in: Environmental Research Letters
• Main Authors: Woosok Moon, Vishnu Nandan, Randall K Scharien, Jeremy Wilkinson, John J Yackel, Andrew Barrett, Isobel Lawrence, Rebecca A Segal, Julienne Stroeve, Mallik Mahmud, Patrick J Duke, Brent Else
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 2019
• Subjects: snow thickness; first-year sea ice; multi-fractal analysis; snow dune; self-organized criticality; MF-TWDFA; Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; TD1-1066; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Arctic; Cambridge Bay; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab3b8d; https://doaj.org/article/820cd3cf8b814b42afaf2715056d7def

Snow thickness measurements over relatively smooth Arctic first-year sea ice, obtained near Cambridge Bay in the Canadian Arctic (2014, 2016 and 2017) and near Elson Lagoon in the Alaskan Arctic (2003 and 2006), are analyzed to quantify physical length-scales and their relevant scaling behaviors. We use the multi-fractal temporally weighted detrended fluctuation analysis method to detect two major physical length-scales from the two independent study locations. Our results suggest that physical processes underlying the formation of snow dunes are consistent and that the wind is the main process shaping the snow thickness variability and redistribution. One scale, around 10 m, appears to be related to the formation of the snow ‘dunes’, while the other scale, between 30 and 100 m, is likely associated with the various interactions of the snow dunes such as merging, calving and lateral linking. Results imply that snow on level sea ice shows self-organized characteristics.