Overview of the Arctic Sea State and Boundary Layer Physics Program

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
• Main Authors: Thomson, Jim, Ackley, Stephen, Girard-Ardhuin, Fanny, Ardhuin, Fabrice, Babanin, Alex, Boutin, Guillaume, Brozena, John, Cheng, Sukun, Collins, Clarence, Doble, Martin, Fairall, Chris, Guest, Peter, Gebhardt, Claus, Gemmrich, Johannes, Graber, Hans C., Holt, Benjamin, Lehner, Susanne, Lund, Björn, Meylan, Michael H., Maksym, Ted, Montiel, Fabien, Perrie, Will, Persson, Ola, Rainville, Luc, Erick Rogers, W., Shen, Hui, Shen, Hayley, Squire, Vernon, Stammerjohn, Sharon, Stopa, Justin, Smith, Madison M., Sutherland, Peter, Wadhams, Peter
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: sea ice; Beaufort; flux; Arctic; waves; autumn; [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://insu.hal.science/insu-03683061; https://insu.hal.science/insu-03683061/document; https://insu.hal.science/insu-03683061/file/JGR%20Oceans%20-%202018%20-%20Thomson%20-%20Overview%20of%20the%20Arctic%20Sea%20State%20and%20Boundary%20Layer%20Physics%20Program.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1002/2018JC013766

International audience A large collaborative program has studied the coupled air-ice-ocean-wave processes occurring in the Arctic during the autumn ice advance. The program included a field campaign in the western Arctic during the autumn of 2015, with in situ data collection and both aerial and satellite remote sensing. Many of the analyses have focused on using and improving forecast models. Summarizing and synthesizing the results from a series of separate papers, the overall view is of an Arctic shifting to a more seasonal system. The dramatic increase in open water extent and duration in the autumn means that large surface waves and significant surface heat fluxes are now common. When refreezing finally does occur, it is a highly variable process in space and time. Wind and wave events drive episodic advances and retreats of the ice edge, with associated variations in sea ice formation types (e.g., pancakes, nilas). This variability becomes imprinted on the winter ice cover, which in turn affects the melt season the following year.