Some Estimates About the Size and Variation of the Antarctic Pack Ice Belt

• Main Author: Vowinckel, Eberhard
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Research Foundation and the Institute of Polar Studies, The Ohio State University 1966
• Subjects: Pack ice > Antarctica; Sea ice > Antarctica; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/38705

The study was funded partly by The Ohio State University through the Mershon Fund and and through the Office of Research. The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history. The extent to which an ocean area is covered by ice is significant for the energy budget of the area, because (1) the existence of ice changes the albedo of the area, and therefore the absorbed solar energy, (2) its low thermal conductivity alters the energy expended by the ocean in the form of long wave radiation, sensible and latent heat, and finally, (3) freezing and melting frequently do not occur at the same place, so that the movement of ice may export or import energy into a given area. The pack ice belt surrounding Antarctica is by far the largest sea ice area in the world. Although there is a paucity of data, it seems worthwhile to analyze the available information in order to obtain at least a tentative picture and to draw attention to the most critical observations which are required for a better understanding of the pack ice belt.