Antarctic Sea Ice: Its Development and Basic Properties

• Main Author: Lange, M. A.
• Other Authors: ALFRED WEGENER INST FOR POLAR AND MARINE RESEARCH BREMERHAVEN (GERMANY)
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1992
• Subjects: Meteorology; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *SEA ICE; *ANTARCTIC REGIONS; *PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; ICE FORMATION; INDICATORS; MEASUREMENT; OCEANS; THICKNESS; *Global climate change; Component Reports; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Weddell Sea; Fairbanks; Weddell; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADP007299; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADP007299

We report investigations on sea ice properties carried out during a number of expeditions into the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. The results provide important baseline data, against which possible changes in the Antarctic sea ice cover as induced by climatic changes can be compared. This paper concentrates on results dealing with the textural properties and the ice thickness distributions of Antarctic sea ice. In addition, we look at the contribution of meteoric ice (snow ice) to the sea ice cover by means of 8180 measurements. While changes in extent and thickness are to be expected as a result of possible climatic warming, we propose that the amount of snow ice will serve as an additional indicator of such changes. This article is from 'Proceedings of the International Conference on the Role of the Polar Regions in Global Change Held in Fairbanks, Alaska on 11-15 June 1990. Volume 1', AD-A253 027, p275-283. See also Volume 2, AD-A253 028.