High- resolution East Antarctic landfast sea-ice extent and variability from 2000 to 2008

• Main Authors: Fraser, Alexander Donald, Massom, RA, Michael, KJ, Heil, P, Lieser, JL
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: International Glaciological Society symposium Sea Ice in the Physical and Biogeochemical System 2010 2010
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience; Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience not elsewhere classified; Antarctic; Antarc*; Iceberg*; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://ecite.utas.edu.au/78095

This work presents the first time series of high spatio-temporal resolution (2 km, 20 day) maps of East Antarcticlandfast sea ice (10 W to 172 E), as well as a detailed study of the interannual variability of fast ice, from 2000to 2008. Fast-ice maps are generated from cloud-free MODIS composite imagery, augmented by AMSR-E ASIsea-ice concentration composite images when necessary. Several key fast-ice-related parameters have beenretrieved in this area for the first time, including: the ratio of winter maximum extent to summer minimum(~3.1:1); the timing of maximum (DOY 261280) and minimum (DOY 6180) extent; and the shape of theannual cycle (a broad maximum, with a much more pronounced minimum). A small but significant (at the 99%level) positive trend in fast-ice area/extent was identified from the fast-ice extent time series, though the 9 yearlength of the time series provided is likely too short to provide a true indication of longer-term variability. This iscompared with the large-scale behaviour of the pack ice in this region over this time period. The location ofannually recurring fast-ice features was found to be closely related to the distribution of grounded icebergs, bothlarge (with fast ice often forming on the eastern side due to dynamic advection) and small (with fast ice formingbetween groups of small, subpixel-scale icebergs). Wind speed and direction were investigated as importantfactors in local fast-ice growth/breakout events.