Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Landfast sea ice (fast ice) attached to Antarctic(near-)coastal elements is a critical component of the local physical andecological systems. Through its direct coupling with the atmosphere andocean, fast-ice properties are also a potential indicator of processesrelated to a changing climate. Howeve...

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Published in:The Cryosphere
Main Authors: Arndt, S, Hoppmann, M, Schmithusen, H, Fraser, AD, Nicolaus, M
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Copernicus GmbH 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.utas.edu.au/35069/
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/35069/1/140727%20-%20Seasonal%20and%20interannual%20variability%20of%20landfast%20sea%20ice%20in%20Atka%20Bay.pdf
id ftunivtasmania:oai:eprints.utas.edu.au:35069
record_format openpolar
spelling ftunivtasmania:oai:eprints.utas.edu.au:35069 2023-05-15T13:42:39+02:00 Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica Arndt, S Hoppmann, M Schmithusen, H Fraser, AD Nicolaus, M 2020 application/pdf https://eprints.utas.edu.au/35069/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/35069/1/140727%20-%20Seasonal%20and%20interannual%20variability%20of%20landfast%20sea%20ice%20in%20Atka%20Bay.pdf en eng Copernicus GmbH https://eprints.utas.edu.au/35069/1/140727%20-%20Seasonal%20and%20interannual%20variability%20of%20landfast%20sea%20ice%20in%20Atka%20Bay.pdf Arndt, S, Hoppmann, M, Schmithusen, H, Fraser, AD orcid:0000-0003-1924-0015 and Nicolaus, M 2020 , 'Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica' , Cryosphere, vol. 14, no. 9 , 2775–2793 , doi:10.5194/tc-14-2775-2020 <http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2775-2020>. Antarctic landfast sea ice Weddell Sea Article PeerReviewed 2020 ftunivtasmania https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2775-2020 2021-10-04T22:19:00Z Landfast sea ice (fast ice) attached to Antarctic(near-)coastal elements is a critical component of the local physical andecological systems. Through its direct coupling with the atmosphere andocean, fast-ice properties are also a potential indicator of processesrelated to a changing climate. However, in situ fast-ice observations inAntarctica are extremely sparse because of logistical challenges and harshenvironmental conditions. Since 2010, a monitoring program observing theseasonal evolution of fast ice in Atka Bay has been conducted as part of theAntarctic Fast Ice Network (AFIN). The bay is located on the northeasternedge of Ekström Ice Shelf in the eastern Weddell Sea, close to theGerman wintering station Neumayer III. A number of sampling sites have beenregularly revisited each year between annual ice formation and breakup toobtain a continuous record of sea-ice and sub-ice platelet-layer thickness,as well as snow depth and freeboard across the bay.Here, we present the time series of these measurements over the last 9years. Combining them with observations from the nearby Neumayer IIImeteorological observatory as well as auxiliary satellite images enables usto relate the seasonal and interannual fast-ice cycle to the factors thatinfluence their evolution.On average, the annual consolidated fast-ice thickness at the end of thegrowth season is about 2 m, with a loose platelet layer of 4 mthickness beneath and 0.70 m thick snow on top. Results highlight thepredominately seasonal character of the fast-ice regime in Atka Bay withouta significant interannual trend in any of the observed variables over the9-year observation period. Also, no changes are evident when comparingwith sporadic measurements in the 1980s and 1990s. It is shown that strongeasterly winds in the area govern the year-round snow distribution and alsotrigger the breakup of fast ice in the bay during summer months.Due to the substantial snow accumulation on the fast ice, a characteristicfeature is frequent negative freeboard, associated flooding of the snow–iceinterface, and a likely subsequent snow ice formation. The buoyant plateletlayer beneath negates the snow weight to some extent, but snowthermodynamics is identified as the main driver of the energy and massbudgets for the fast-ice cover in Atka Bay.The new knowledge of the seasonal and interannual variability of fast-iceproperties from the present study helps to improve our understanding ofinteractions between atmosphere, fast ice, ocean, and ice shelves in one ofthe key regions of Antarctica and calls for intensified multidisciplinarystudies in this region. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Sea ice Weddell Sea University of Tasmania: UTas ePrints Antarctic Weddell Sea Neumayer Weddell Atka ENVELOPE(151.789,151.789,60.835,60.835) Ekström Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(-8.000,-8.000,-71.000,-71.000) The Cryosphere 14 9 2775 2793
institution Open Polar
collection University of Tasmania: UTas ePrints
op_collection_id ftunivtasmania
language English
topic Antarctic
landfast sea ice
Weddell Sea
spellingShingle Antarctic
landfast sea ice
Weddell Sea
Arndt, S
Hoppmann, M
Schmithusen, H
Fraser, AD
Nicolaus, M
Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica
topic_facet Antarctic
landfast sea ice
Weddell Sea
description Landfast sea ice (fast ice) attached to Antarctic(near-)coastal elements is a critical component of the local physical andecological systems. Through its direct coupling with the atmosphere andocean, fast-ice properties are also a potential indicator of processesrelated to a changing climate. However, in situ fast-ice observations inAntarctica are extremely sparse because of logistical challenges and harshenvironmental conditions. Since 2010, a monitoring program observing theseasonal evolution of fast ice in Atka Bay has been conducted as part of theAntarctic Fast Ice Network (AFIN). The bay is located on the northeasternedge of Ekström Ice Shelf in the eastern Weddell Sea, close to theGerman wintering station Neumayer III. A number of sampling sites have beenregularly revisited each year between annual ice formation and breakup toobtain a continuous record of sea-ice and sub-ice platelet-layer thickness,as well as snow depth and freeboard across the bay.Here, we present the time series of these measurements over the last 9years. Combining them with observations from the nearby Neumayer IIImeteorological observatory as well as auxiliary satellite images enables usto relate the seasonal and interannual fast-ice cycle to the factors thatinfluence their evolution.On average, the annual consolidated fast-ice thickness at the end of thegrowth season is about 2 m, with a loose platelet layer of 4 mthickness beneath and 0.70 m thick snow on top. Results highlight thepredominately seasonal character of the fast-ice regime in Atka Bay withouta significant interannual trend in any of the observed variables over the9-year observation period. Also, no changes are evident when comparingwith sporadic measurements in the 1980s and 1990s. It is shown that strongeasterly winds in the area govern the year-round snow distribution and alsotrigger the breakup of fast ice in the bay during summer months.Due to the substantial snow accumulation on the fast ice, a characteristicfeature is frequent negative freeboard, associated flooding of the snow–iceinterface, and a likely subsequent snow ice formation. The buoyant plateletlayer beneath negates the snow weight to some extent, but snowthermodynamics is identified as the main driver of the energy and massbudgets for the fast-ice cover in Atka Bay.The new knowledge of the seasonal and interannual variability of fast-iceproperties from the present study helps to improve our understanding ofinteractions between atmosphere, fast ice, ocean, and ice shelves in one ofthe key regions of Antarctica and calls for intensified multidisciplinarystudies in this region.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Arndt, S
Hoppmann, M
Schmithusen, H
Fraser, AD
Nicolaus, M
author_facet Arndt, S
Hoppmann, M
Schmithusen, H
Fraser, AD
Nicolaus, M
author_sort Arndt, S
title Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica
title_short Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica
title_full Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica
title_fullStr Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica
title_full_unstemmed Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica
title_sort seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in atka bay, weddell sea, antarctica
publisher Copernicus GmbH
publishDate 2020
url https://eprints.utas.edu.au/35069/
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/35069/1/140727%20-%20Seasonal%20and%20interannual%20variability%20of%20landfast%20sea%20ice%20in%20Atka%20Bay.pdf
long_lat ENVELOPE(151.789,151.789,60.835,60.835)
ENVELOPE(-8.000,-8.000,-71.000,-71.000)
geographic Antarctic
Weddell Sea
Neumayer
Weddell
Atka
Ekström Ice Shelf
geographic_facet Antarctic
Weddell Sea
Neumayer
Weddell
Atka
Ekström Ice Shelf
genre Antarc*
Antarctic
Antarctica
Ice Shelf
Ice Shelves
Sea ice
Weddell Sea
genre_facet Antarc*
Antarctic
Antarctica
Ice Shelf
Ice Shelves
Sea ice
Weddell Sea
op_relation https://eprints.utas.edu.au/35069/1/140727%20-%20Seasonal%20and%20interannual%20variability%20of%20landfast%20sea%20ice%20in%20Atka%20Bay.pdf
Arndt, S, Hoppmann, M, Schmithusen, H, Fraser, AD orcid:0000-0003-1924-0015 and Nicolaus, M 2020 , 'Seasonal and interannual variability of landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Weddell Sea, Antarctica' , Cryosphere, vol. 14, no. 9 , 2775–2793 , doi:10.5194/tc-14-2775-2020 <http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2775-2020>.
op_doi https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2775-2020
container_title The Cryosphere
container_volume 14
container_issue 9
container_start_page 2775
op_container_end_page 2793
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