Accuracy and precision when deriving sea-ice thickness from thermistor strings: a comparison of methods

Abstract

A precise knowledge of landfast sea-ice (fast-ice) thickness is relevant to many different disciplines. Sea Ice Monitoring Stations (SIMS) are used to measure time series of fast-ice thickness at a location. SIMS measure ice and ocean temperature via thermistor strings with many different methods for extracting sea-ice thickness from temperature existing. This study investigates: if thickness results from temperature recorded by SIMS of different designs, and analysed with different methods are comparable; which methods are recommended for their robustness, precision and accuracy and how they compare to independent thickness measurements; how otherwise unuseable data can be salvaged through specific SIMS designs. We present an analysis of fast-ice thickness calculated from SIMS deployed in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica and in the Chukchi Sea near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, over two decades. We find that median thicknesses derived by different methods agree within 1 ± 1.5 cm for McMurdo Sound and 2 ± 3 cm for Utqiaġvik. Thus, it is possible to confidently compare data collected from different stations and analysed with different methods. The vertical gradient of sea-ice temperature gives the best results for fast-ice thickness during the growth season and including standard resistors in a thermistor string can reduce potential data loss due to noise.