Examining Melt Pond Dynamics and Light Availability in the Arctic Ocean via High Resolution Satellite Imagery
As the Arctic experiences consequences of climate change, a shift from thicker, multi-year ice to thinner, first-year ice has been observed. First-year ice is prone to extensive pools of meltwater (“melt ponds”) forming on its surface, which enhance light transmission to the ocean. Changes in the ti...
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ftolddominionuni:oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:oeas_etds-1180 2023-05-15T14:58:10+02:00 Examining Melt Pond Dynamics and Light Availability in the Arctic Ocean via High Resolution Satellite Imagery Abbott, Austin Wesley 2021-07-01T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_etds/180 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1180&context=oeas_etds unknown ODU Digital Commons https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_etds/180 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1180&context=oeas_etds In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). OES Theses and Dissertations Arctic Ocean Chukchi Sea Melt ponds Primary production Remote sensing Satellites Biology Climate Geographic Information Sciences Optics text 2021 ftolddominionuni 2023-01-16T18:44:52Z As the Arctic experiences consequences of climate change, a shift from thicker, multi-year ice to thinner, first-year ice has been observed. First-year ice is prone to extensive pools of meltwater (“melt ponds”) forming on its surface, which enhance light transmission to the ocean. Changes in the timing and distribution of melt pond formation and associated increases in under-ice light availability are the primary drivers for seasonal progression of water column primary production and warming. Observations of melt pond development and distribution require meter scale resolution and have traditionally been limited to airborne images. However, recent advances in high spatial resolution satellites now allow for observations of individual melt ponds from space. Images of pack ice in the Chukchi Sea during 2018 obtained from WorldView satellite systems showed minimal melt pond coverage in June, with a rapid increase in late June, leading to saturated and flooded ice floes by mid-July. Cumulative hours above freezing (air temperature) was a stronger predictor for pond development than daily average values of temperature and irradiance and was well represented by a logistic growth curve. Size distributions (normalized to total pond area) of melt pond area was dominated by small (≤10 m2) ponds at the onset of ponding, shifting towards medium sized ponds (mode of 100 to 1,000 m2) as surface melt progressed. Late in the summer when ice flows were saturated with ponds, the distribution was skewed towards a handful of very large ponds nearing 1,000,000 m2, connected by channels which created a myriad of complex shapes. A primary production model driven by under-ice light intensity estimated from our classified images revealed that initial small increases in melt pond fraction have a large impact on potential under-ice chlorophyll growth and carbon uptake, eventually trending towards a saturating upper limit as ponds continued to spread. Results shown here offer novel insights into melt pond growth and distribution, along ... Text Arctic Arctic Ocean Chukchi Chukchi Sea Climate change Old Dominion University: ODU Digital Commons Arctic Arctic Ocean Chukchi Sea |
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Open Polar |
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Old Dominion University: ODU Digital Commons |
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topic |
Arctic Ocean Chukchi Sea Melt ponds Primary production Remote sensing Satellites Biology Climate Geographic Information Sciences Optics |
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Arctic Ocean Chukchi Sea Melt ponds Primary production Remote sensing Satellites Biology Climate Geographic Information Sciences Optics Abbott, Austin Wesley Examining Melt Pond Dynamics and Light Availability in the Arctic Ocean via High Resolution Satellite Imagery |
topic_facet |
Arctic Ocean Chukchi Sea Melt ponds Primary production Remote sensing Satellites Biology Climate Geographic Information Sciences Optics |
description |
As the Arctic experiences consequences of climate change, a shift from thicker, multi-year ice to thinner, first-year ice has been observed. First-year ice is prone to extensive pools of meltwater (“melt ponds”) forming on its surface, which enhance light transmission to the ocean. Changes in the timing and distribution of melt pond formation and associated increases in under-ice light availability are the primary drivers for seasonal progression of water column primary production and warming. Observations of melt pond development and distribution require meter scale resolution and have traditionally been limited to airborne images. However, recent advances in high spatial resolution satellites now allow for observations of individual melt ponds from space. Images of pack ice in the Chukchi Sea during 2018 obtained from WorldView satellite systems showed minimal melt pond coverage in June, with a rapid increase in late June, leading to saturated and flooded ice floes by mid-July. Cumulative hours above freezing (air temperature) was a stronger predictor for pond development than daily average values of temperature and irradiance and was well represented by a logistic growth curve. Size distributions (normalized to total pond area) of melt pond area was dominated by small (≤10 m2) ponds at the onset of ponding, shifting towards medium sized ponds (mode of 100 to 1,000 m2) as surface melt progressed. Late in the summer when ice flows were saturated with ponds, the distribution was skewed towards a handful of very large ponds nearing 1,000,000 m2, connected by channels which created a myriad of complex shapes. A primary production model driven by under-ice light intensity estimated from our classified images revealed that initial small increases in melt pond fraction have a large impact on potential under-ice chlorophyll growth and carbon uptake, eventually trending towards a saturating upper limit as ponds continued to spread. Results shown here offer novel insights into melt pond growth and distribution, along ... |
format |
Text |
author |
Abbott, Austin Wesley |
author_facet |
Abbott, Austin Wesley |
author_sort |
Abbott, Austin Wesley |
title |
Examining Melt Pond Dynamics and Light Availability in the Arctic Ocean via High Resolution Satellite Imagery |
title_short |
Examining Melt Pond Dynamics and Light Availability in the Arctic Ocean via High Resolution Satellite Imagery |
title_full |
Examining Melt Pond Dynamics and Light Availability in the Arctic Ocean via High Resolution Satellite Imagery |
title_fullStr |
Examining Melt Pond Dynamics and Light Availability in the Arctic Ocean via High Resolution Satellite Imagery |
title_full_unstemmed |
Examining Melt Pond Dynamics and Light Availability in the Arctic Ocean via High Resolution Satellite Imagery |
title_sort |
examining melt pond dynamics and light availability in the arctic ocean via high resolution satellite imagery |
publisher |
ODU Digital Commons |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_etds/180 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1180&context=oeas_etds |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Chukchi Sea |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Chukchi Sea |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Chukchi Chukchi Sea Climate change |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Chukchi Chukchi Sea Climate change |
op_source |
OES Theses and Dissertations |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_etds/180 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1180&context=oeas_etds |
op_rights |
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). |
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