Changes of the Arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era
Many studies have shown a decrease in Arctic sea ice extent. It does not logically follow, however, that the extent of the marginal ice zone (MIZ), here defined as the area of the ocean with ice concentrations from 15 % to 80 %, is also changing. Changes in the MIZ extent has implications for the le...
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:458b799d1f4c4160887ccef7f69445d7 2023-05-15T14:53:09+02:00 Changes of the Arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era R. J. Rolph D. L. Feltham D. Schröder 2020-06-01 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1971-2020 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1971/2020/tc-14-1971-2020.pdf https://doaj.org/article/458b799d1f4c4160887ccef7f69445d7 en eng Copernicus Publications doi:10.5194/tc-14-1971-2020 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1971/2020/tc-14-1971-2020.pdf https://doaj.org/article/458b799d1f4c4160887ccef7f69445d7 undefined The Cryosphere, Vol 14, Pp 1971-1984 (2020) geo envir Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2020 fttriple https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1971-2020 2023-01-22T17:58:05Z Many studies have shown a decrease in Arctic sea ice extent. It does not logically follow, however, that the extent of the marginal ice zone (MIZ), here defined as the area of the ocean with ice concentrations from 15 % to 80 %, is also changing. Changes in the MIZ extent has implications for the level of atmospheric and ocean heat and gas exchange in the area of partially ice-covered ocean and for the extent of habitat for organisms that rely on the MIZ, from primary producers like sea ice algae to seals and birds. Here, we present, for the first time, an analysis of satellite observations of pan-Arctic averaged MIZ extent. We find no trend in the MIZ extent over the last 40 years from observations. Our results indicate that the constancy of the MIZ extent is the result of an observed increase in width of the MIZ being compensated for by a decrease in the perimeter of the MIZ as it moves further north. We present simulations from a coupled sea ice–ocean mixed layer model using a prognostic floe size distribution, which we find is consistent with, but poorly constrained by, existing satellite observations of pan-Arctic MIZ extent. We provide seasonal upper and lower bounds on MIZ extent based on the four satellite-derived sea ice concentration datasets used. We find a large and significant increase (>50 %) in the August and September MIZ fraction (MIZ extent divided by sea ice extent) for the Bootstrap and OSI-450 observational datasets, which can be attributed to the reduction in total sea ice extent. Given the results of this study, we suggest that references to “rapid changes” in the MIZ should remain cautious and provide a specific and clear definition of both the MIZ itself and also the property of the MIZ that is changing. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic ice algae Sea ice The Cryosphere Unknown Arctic The Cryosphere 14 6 1971 1984 |
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geo envir R. J. Rolph D. L. Feltham D. Schröder Changes of the Arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era |
topic_facet |
geo envir |
description |
Many studies have shown a decrease in Arctic sea ice extent. It does not logically follow, however, that the extent of the marginal ice zone (MIZ), here defined as the area of the ocean with ice concentrations from 15 % to 80 %, is also changing. Changes in the MIZ extent has implications for the level of atmospheric and ocean heat and gas exchange in the area of partially ice-covered ocean and for the extent of habitat for organisms that rely on the MIZ, from primary producers like sea ice algae to seals and birds. Here, we present, for the first time, an analysis of satellite observations of pan-Arctic averaged MIZ extent. We find no trend in the MIZ extent over the last 40 years from observations. Our results indicate that the constancy of the MIZ extent is the result of an observed increase in width of the MIZ being compensated for by a decrease in the perimeter of the MIZ as it moves further north. We present simulations from a coupled sea ice–ocean mixed layer model using a prognostic floe size distribution, which we find is consistent with, but poorly constrained by, existing satellite observations of pan-Arctic MIZ extent. We provide seasonal upper and lower bounds on MIZ extent based on the four satellite-derived sea ice concentration datasets used. We find a large and significant increase (>50 %) in the August and September MIZ fraction (MIZ extent divided by sea ice extent) for the Bootstrap and OSI-450 observational datasets, which can be attributed to the reduction in total sea ice extent. Given the results of this study, we suggest that references to “rapid changes” in the MIZ should remain cautious and provide a specific and clear definition of both the MIZ itself and also the property of the MIZ that is changing. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
R. J. Rolph D. L. Feltham D. Schröder |
author_facet |
R. J. Rolph D. L. Feltham D. Schröder |
author_sort |
R. J. Rolph |
title |
Changes of the Arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era |
title_short |
Changes of the Arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era |
title_full |
Changes of the Arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era |
title_fullStr |
Changes of the Arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era |
title_full_unstemmed |
Changes of the Arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era |
title_sort |
changes of the arctic marginal ice zone during the satellite era |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1971-2020 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1971/2020/tc-14-1971-2020.pdf https://doaj.org/article/458b799d1f4c4160887ccef7f69445d7 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic ice algae Sea ice The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Arctic ice algae Sea ice The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 14, Pp 1971-1984 (2020) |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/tc-14-1971-2020 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1971/2020/tc-14-1971-2020.pdf https://doaj.org/article/458b799d1f4c4160887ccef7f69445d7 |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1971-2020 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1971 |
op_container_end_page |
1984 |
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1766324576860504064 |