Brief communication: Pancake ice floe size distribution during the winter expansion of the Antarctic marginal ice zone

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: Alberello, Alberto, Onorato, Miguel, Bennetts, Luke, Vichi, Marcello, Eayrs, Clare, Machutchon, Keith, Toffoli, Alessandro
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Antarctic; Pancake; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/82082/; https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/82082/1/Published_Version.pdf; https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-41-2019

The size distribution of pancake ice floes is calculated from images acquired during a voyage to the Antarctic marginal ice zone in the winter expansion season. Results show that 50 % of the sea ice area is made up of floes with diameters of 2.3-4 m. The floe size distribution shows two distinct slopes on either side of the 2.3-4 m range, neither of which conforms to a power law. Following a relevant recent study, it is conjectured that the growth of pancakes from frazil forms the distribution of small floes ( D<2.3 m), and welding of pancakes forms the distribution of large floes ( D>4 m).