Greenland Sea Ice Research Articles

Seasonal Variability in Baffin Bay

AbstractThree dominant characteristics and underlying dynamics of the seasonal cycle in Baffin Bay are discussed. The study is based on a regional, high‐resolution coupled sea ice‐ocean numerical model that complements our understanding drawn from observations. Subject to forcing from the atmosphere, sea ice, Greenland, and other ocean basins, the ocean circulation exhibits complex seasonal variations that influence Arctic freshwater storage and export. The basin‐scale barotropic circulation is generally stronger (weaker) in summer (winter). The interior recirculation (∼2 Sv) is primarily driven by oscillating along‐topography surface stress. The volume transport along the Baffin Island coast is also influenced by Arctic inflows (∼0.6 Sv) via Smith Sound and Lancaster Sound with maximum (minimum) in June‐August (October‐December). In addition to the barotropic variation, the Baffin Island Current also has changing vertical structure with the upper‐ocean baroclinicity weakened in winter‐spring. It is due to a cross‐shelf circulation associated with spatially variable ice‐ocean stresses that flattens isopycnals. Greenland runoff and sea ice processes dominate buoyancy forcing to Baffin Bay. Opposite to the runoff that freshens the west Greenland shelf, stronger salinification by ice formation compared to freshening by ice melt enables a net densification in the interior of Baffin Bay. Net sea ice formation in the past 30 years contributes to ∼25% of sea ice export via Davis Strait. The seasonal variability in baroclinicity and water mass transformation changes in recent decades based on the simulation.

Weak Solutions to an Initial-Boundary Value Problem of a Consistent Three-phase-field Model

Global warming has caused the melting of glaciers, especially the Greenland sea ice which is a great threat to human beings. The phase-field method is used to describe the evolution of multi-phase microstructure of Greenland sea ice. This paper shall investigate the global existence, uniqueness and regularity of weak solutions to an initial-boundary value problem for a three-phase-field model based on criteria that lead to both physical and mathematical consistency. For global solutions, it is calculated by applying the method of continuation of local solutions. This model allows for the formulation of spurious phases, which is completely consistent with physical reality.

СЕЗОННЫЕ И МЕЖГОДОВЫЕ ИЗМЕНЕНИЯ ВОЗРАСТНОЙ СТРУКТУРЫ ЛЕДЯНОГО ПОКРОВА ГРЕНЛАНДСКОГО МОРЯ В ЗИМНИЙ ПЕРИОД

Seasonal and interannual changes in the Greenland Sea ice age composition during winter months for seven standard age categories are analyzed. To estimate the amount of the ice of different age categories, the digital archive of the region’s ice charts for the period 1997-2022 produced by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute is used. Statistical insignificance of linear trends has been revealed for the main age categories of the Greenland Sea ice. A comparison of the obtained estimates of the variability in the amount of the ice of different age categories and earlier studies shows that the quantitative changes in the Greenland Sea ice age composition started before 1997. The data on the ice age composition over a 25-year observation period alone are insufficient to draw an unambiguous conclusion about a decrease in the Greenland Sea ice thickness.

Seasonal and Interannual Variations in the Greenland Sea Ice Age Composition in the Winter Period

Seasonal and Interannual Variations in the Greenland Sea Ice Age Composition in the Winter Period

Promoting seasonal prediction capability of the early autumn tropical cyclone formation frequency over the western North Pacific: effect of Arctic sea ice

Seasonal prediction of tropical cyclone (TC) activity has been a hot research theme in the past decades. Usually, the tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) provide considerable predictability sources for the western North Pacific (WNP) TC activity. Here, we emphasized that the Chukchi-Beaufort (C-B) and Greenland (GL) sea ice variability is closely linked to the year-to-year variations of the early autumn WNP TC formation frequency (TCF). Observational and numerical evidence proved that the excessive C-B and GL sea ice sustains from August to the following early autumn and triggers the southeastward propagation of the Rossby wave trains originating from the Arctic across Western Eurasia (Okhotsk Sea) to the WNP. The resultant anomalous low pressure over WNP provides suitable environmental conditions for TC formation―the enhancement of the lower-level relative vorticity and water moisture, and the decrease of vertical wind shear. For the reduced sea ice, an opposite situation tends to emerge. The persistent combined sea ice signal makes it a physically meaningful precursor for TCF prediction. The cross-validated hindcast and independent forecast based on both the tropical SST and the Arctic sea ice precursors present that the TCF index is predicted with much higher correlation coefficients than those of the empirical models with only the tropical SST predictors. The results demonstrate that the Arctic sea ice truly promotes the seasonal prediction capability of the WNP TCF.

Intraseasonal variability modes of winter surface air temperature over central Asia and their modulation by Greenland Sea ice and central Pacific El Niño–Southern Oscillation

AbstractThe two dominant patterns of the winter (December–February) intraseasonal surface air temperature (SAT) over central Asia is derived by empirical orthogonal function analysis, with the first (mode 1) featuring a regional monopole and the second (mode 2) featuring a northwest–southeast‐orientated dipole. Mode 1 is characterized with warmer (colder) Arctic and colder (warmer) Eurasia along with an anomalous high (low) over the Ural Mountains, while mode 2 is characterized with northwest–southeast dipole over Eurasia along with wave train‐like atmospheric circulation anomalies from the western Atlantic to Asia. Whether the two intraseasonal modes are modulated by lower‐boundary forcing is then investigated, and the results suggest that mode 1 is significantly modulated by sea ice concentration over the Greenland Sea, but by central‐Pacific ENSO for mode 2. Finally, the underlying mechanisms are diagnosed, and the results suggest that the diabatic heating related with decreased sea ice in Greenland Sea induce a positive height anomaly over Urals which favours the formation of Ural blocking and therefore tends to intensify the occurrence of mode 1. Also, central‐Pacific El Niño excites the Pacific–North American teleconnection, which alters North Atlantic subtropical jet extension, favours intensified energy conversion to intraseasonal wave train and subsequently intensifies the occurrence of mode 2. This study highlights the joint role of Arctic sea ice and the SST in the tropical central Pacific.

Path Analysis of Sea-Level Rise and Its Impact

Global sea-level rise has been drawing increasingly greater attention in recent years, as it directly impacts the livelihood and sustainable development of humankind. Our research focuses on identifying causal factors and pathways on sea level changes (both global and regional) and subsequently predicting the magnitude of such changes. To this end, we have designed a novel analysis pipeline including three sequential steps: (1) a dynamic structural equation model (dSEM) to identify pathways between the global mean sea level (GMSL) and various predictors, (2) a vector autoregression model (VAR) to quantify the GMSL changes due to the significant relations identified in the first step, and (3) a generalized additive model (GAM) to model the relationship between regional sea level and GMSL. Historical records of GMSL and other variables from 1992 to 2020 were used to calibrate the analysis pipeline. Our results indicate that greenhouse gases, water, and air temperatures, change in Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheet mass, sea ice, and historical sea level all play a significant role in future sea-level rise. The resulting 95% upper bound of the sea-level projections was combined with a threshold for extreme flooding to map out the extent of sea-level rise in coastal communities using a digital coastal tracker.

Combined influence of oceanic and atmospheric circulations on Greenland sea ice concentration

Abstract. The amount and spatial extent of Greenland Sea (GS) ice are primarily controlled by the sea ice export across the Fram Strait (FS) and by local seasonal sea ice formation, melting, and sea ice dynamics. In this study, using satellite passive microwave sea ice observations, atmospheric and a coupled ocean-sea ice reanalysis system, TOPAZ4, we show that both the atmospheric and oceanic circulation in the Nordic Seas (NS) act in tandem to explain the SIC variability in the south-western GS. Northerly wind anomalies associated with anomalously low sea level pressure (SLP) over the NS reduce the sea ice export in the south-western GS due to westward Ekman drift of sea ice. On the other hand, the positive wind stress curl strengthens the cyclonic Greenland Sea Gyre (GSG) circulation in the central GS. An intensified GSG circulation may result in stronger Ekman divergence of surface cold and fresh waters away from the south-western GS. Both of these processes can reduce the freshwater content and weaken the upper-ocean stratification in the south-western GS. At the same time, warm and saline Atlantic Water (AW) anomalies are recirculated from the FS region to the south-western GS by a stronger GSG circulation. Under weakly stratified conditions, enhanced vertical mixing of these subsurface AW anomalies can warm the surface waters and inhibit new sea ice formation, further reducing the SIC in the south-western GS.

ИНФОРМАТИВНОСТЬ ГИДРОМЕТЕОРОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ И АСТРОГЕОФИЗИЧЕСКИХ ФАКТОРОВ В ЗАДАЧЕ ОПИСАНИЯ МЕЖГОДОВЫХ КОЛЕБАНИЙ ЛЕДОВИТОСТИ ГРЕНЛАНДСКОГО МОРЯ

The interannual changes in ice coverage in the Greenland Sea for the winter (December–April), spring (May– June), summer (July–September), and autumn (October–November) seasons for the period 1950-2018 are considered. The presence of negative linear trends and the polycyclic oscillations of the ice coverage variability for all seasons has been confirmed. Using spectral analysis, the dominant fluctuations from 5 to 22 years were identified. The cross-correlation method allowed us to determine the significant relationship of the Greenland Sea ice coverage with hydrometeorological and astrogeophysical factors. The statistically significant relationship of the ice coverage for a concrete year with similar characteristics for a previous period persisting up to three years had been noted. The highest cross-correlation coefficients were noted in the winter and spring seasons. The ice coverage of the autumn season demonstrates the persistence of the inertia of ice conditions for up to two years. The analysis of correlations with astrogeophysical parameters revealed the closest relationship between the ice coverage and the longitude coordinate of the Earth's pole position, the nutation parameters of the Earth's axis, and the distance between the Earth and the Sun. When constructing the multi-regression equations, we investigated the informativeness of various hydrometeorological and astrogeophysical factors in the models of the ice coverage variability for each season. The following estimates of quality of the models were obtained: correlation coefficients (up to 0.89), determination coefficients (to up 0.80), and a model reliability which depends on the admissible forecast error and includes the mean square deviation of the investigated value) – up to 99%). The informativeness of various factors was estimated and the contribution to the total variance was revealed: hydrometeorological factors – up to 70%; astrogeophysical factors – up to 50%. The obtained statistical equations can be used for the diagnosis and for development of methods for the very-long-term forecast of the Greenland Sea ice coverage.

What Leads to Persisting Surface Air Temperature Anomalies from Winter to Following Spring over Mid- to High-Latitude Eurasia?

AbstractSurface air temperature (SAT) anomalies tend to persist from winter to the following spring over the mid- to high latitudes of Eurasia. The present study compares two distinct cases of Eurasian SAT anomaly evolution and investigates the reasons for the persistence of continental-scale mid- to high-latitude Eurasian SAT anomalies from winter to following spring (termed persistent cases). The persisting SAT anomalies are closely associated with the sustenance of large-scale atmospheric circulation anomaly pattern over the North Atlantic and Eurasia, featuring a combination of the North Atlantic Oscillation/Arctic Oscillation (NAO/AO) and the Scandinavian pattern, from winter to spring. The combined circulation anomalies result in SAT warming over most of mid- to high-latitude Eurasia via anomalous wind-induced temperature advection. The sustenance of atmospheric circulation anomaly pattern is related to the maintenance of the North Atlantic triple sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly pattern due to air–sea interaction processes. The Barents Sea ice anomalies, which form in winter and increase in spring, also partly contribute to the sustenance of atmospheric circulation anomalies via modulating thermal state of the lower troposphere. In the cases that notable SAT warming (cooling) in winter is replaced by pronounced SAT cooling (warming) in the subsequent spring—termed reverse cases—the North Atlantic SST anomalies become small and the Greenland Sea ice change is a response to atmospheric change in spring. Without the support of lower boundary forcing, the atmospheric circulation anomaly pattern experiences a reverse in the spatial distribution from winter to spring likely due to internal atmospheric processes.

Combined impact of Greenland sea ice, Eurasian snow, and El Niño–Southern Oscillation on Indian and Korean summer monsoons

AbstractThe combined impact of Greenland sea ice, Eurasian snow, and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the out‐of‐phase relationship between the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and Korean summer monsoon (KSM) were investigated through numerical experiments. The results revealed that Indian and Korean summer rainfalls showed nonlinear responses to ENSO and Greenland sea ice forcing when the events co‐occurred. Above‐normal Greenland sea ice and a concurrent La Niña showed a distinct in‐phase relationship with ISM and out‐of‐phase relationship with KSM. Below‐normal and above‐normal Greenland sea ice during boreal autumn surrounded the Greenland region with anomalous low pressure and high pressure, respectively. These were associated with a barotropic +west/−east or –west/+east dipole pattern, respectively, over Eurasia during the subsequent winter and spring seasons. Furthermore, these patterns led to positive and negative snow depth anomalies, respectively, over western Eurasia and the opposite snow tendency over eastern Eurasia during the subsequent spring. This variability in Eurasian snow patterns may play a crucial role in ISM and KSM. The co‐occurrence of ENSO variability also generates high‐ and low‐pressure anomaly patterns over the Indian Ocean that may be related to unfavourable or favourable ISM, respectively, while influencing the negative or positive phases of a Pacific Japan (PJ)‐like teleconnection pattern that may be related to unfavourable or favourable KSM, respectively. Therefore, coexisting ENSO forcing may play a dominant role in ISM and KSM, but Greenland sea ice forcing and Eurasian snow variation intensify the out‐of‐phase relationship between ISM and KSM.

Radiometric calibration of a non-imaging airborne spectrometer to measure the Greenland ice sheet surface

Abstract. Methods to radiometrically calibrate a non-imaging airborne visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) spectrometer to measure the Greenland ice sheet surface are presented. Airborne VSWIR measurement performance for bright Greenland ice and dark bare rock/soil targets is compared against the MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN®) radiative transfer code (version 6.0), and a coincident Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) acquisition on 29 July 2015 during an in-flight radiometric calibration experiment. Airborne remote sensing flights were carried out in northwestern Greenland in preparation for the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2) laser altimeter mission. A total of nine science flights were conducted over the Greenland ice sheet, sea ice, and open-ocean water. The campaign's primary purpose was to correlate green laser pulse penetration into snow and ice with spectroscopic-derived surface properties. An experimental airborne instrument configuration that included a nadir-viewing (looking downward at the surface) non-imaging Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) Inc. spectrometer that measured upwelling VSWIR (0.35 to 2.5 µm) spectral radiance (Wm-2sr-1µm-1) in the two-color Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photon-Counting Lidar's (SIMPL) ground instantaneous field of view, and a zenith-viewing (looking upward at the sky) ASD spectrometer that measured VSWIR spectral irradiance (W m−2 nm−1) was flown. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable radiometric calibration procedures for laboratory, in-flight, and field environments are described in detail to achieve a targeted VSWIR measurement requirement of within 5 % to support calibration/validation efforts and remote sensing algorithm development. Our MODTRAN predictions for the 29 July flight line over dark and bright targets indicate that the airborne nadir-viewing spectrometer spectral radiance measurement uncertainty was between 0.6 % and 4.7 % for VSWIR wavelengths (0.4 to 2.0 µm) with atmospheric transmittance greater than 80 %. MODTRAN predictions for Landsat 8 OLI relative spectral response functions suggest that OLI is measuring 6 % to 16 % more top-of-atmosphere (TOA) spectral radiance from the Greenland ice sheet surface than was predicted using apparent reflectance spectra from the nadir-viewing spectrometer. While more investigation is required to convert airborne VSWIR spectral radiance into atmospherically corrected airborne surface reflectance, it is expected that airborne science flight data products will contribute to spectroscopic determination of Greenland ice sheet surface optical properties to improve understanding of their potential influence on ICESat-2 measurements.

SEASONAL AND INTER-ANNUAL VARIABILITY OF THE ICE COVER IN THE GREENLAND SEA

The results of studies of seasonal and inter-annual variability of the Greenland Sea ice cover are presented for the period from 1950 to 2016. Statistical characteristics of seasonal and inter-annual changes in the ice-covered area were calculated. Three clusters of typical seasonal variability were identified from the whole totality of all seasonal cycles. The first cluster presented a group of seasonal cycles in the period of maximum, the second one – the middle, and the third group – minimum areas of the winter ice cover. The estimates of correlation between changes in the ice areas in winter (February–March) or in summer (August–September) and areas of the following two months of a current year as well as in succeeding years were obtained. Empirical regularity of a variability of the ice cover during the annual cycle was established. This regularity is characterized by an existence of a ‘memory’ in the state of the ice cover, when a prehistory of the ice conditions determines to a certain extent the following phase. Analysis of inter-annual variability of the Greenland Sea ice cover did show a linear negative tendency in both winter and summer ice conditions. One-two year fluctuations were the most pronounced in the spectral density of inter-annual variations in the summer ice conditions. However, fluctuations with a longer period do also exist. With respect to contribution of hydrometeorological factors, the summer ice area is determined: (a) by conditions in the preceding winter, (b) by the atmospheric circulation, and (c) by the influence of warm Atlantic waters (about 20% of the total dispersion). Changes in the winter ice area depend: (a) mainly on the pre-winter state of ices (October–November), (b) on the influence of the Atlantic waters (about 30% of the total dispersion), and (c) on the heat balance and the atmospheric circulation (20% of the total dispersion). The results of this study may be used as a basis for the development of statistical models for analysis and prediction of long-term and climatic changes in the state of the ice cover in the Greenland Sea.

Evidence for ephemeral middle Eocene to early Oligocene Greenland glacial ice and pan-Arctic sea ice

Earth’s modern climate is defined by the presence of ice at both poles, but that ice is now disappearing. Therefore understanding the origin and causes of polar ice stability is more critical than ever. Here we provide novel geochemical data that constrain past dynamics of glacial ice on Greenland and Arctic sea ice. Based on accurate source determinations of individual ice-rafted Fe-oxide grains, we find evidence for episodic glaciation of distinct source regions on Greenland as far-ranging as ~68°N and ~80°N synchronous with ice-rafting from circum-Arctic sources, beginning in the middle Eocene. Glacial intervals broadly coincide with reduced CO2, with a potential threshold for glacial ice stability near ~500 p.p.m.v. The middle Eocene represents the Cenozoic onset of a dynamic cryosphere, with ice in both hemispheres during transient glacials and substantial regional climate heterogeneity. A more stable cryosphere developed at the Eocene-Oligocene transition, and is now threatened by anthropogenic emissions.

Investigating the local-scale influence of sea ice on Greenland surface melt

Abstract. Rapid decline in Arctic sea ice cover in the 21st century may have wide-reaching effects on the Arctic climate system, including the Greenland ice sheet mass balance. Here, we investigate whether local changes in sea ice around the Greenland ice sheet have had an impact on Greenland surface melt. Specifically, we investigate the relationship between sea ice concentration, the timing of melt onset and open-water fraction surrounding Greenland with ice sheet surface melt using a combination of remote sensing observations, and outputs from a reanalysis model and a regional climate model for the period of 1979–2015. Statistical analysis points to covariability between Greenland ice sheet surface melt and sea ice within Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. While some of this covariance can be explained by simultaneous influence of atmospheric circulation anomalies on both the sea ice cover and Greenland melt, within Baffin Bay we find a modest correlation between detrended melt onset over sea ice and the adjacent ice sheet melt onset. This correlation appears to be related to increased transfer of sensible and latent heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere in early sea ice melt years, increasing temperatures and humidity over the ice sheet that in turn initiate ice sheet melt.

SMMR-SSM/I derived Greenland Sea ice variability: links with Indian and Korean Monsoons

Greenland Sea ice area (GRESIA) in boreal autumn and its association with the subsequent summer monsoon rainfall over India and South Korea is assessed for the period 1983–2013. It is found that GRESIA in the month of October has a significant positive relation (correlation coefficient (cc) = 0.45) with the subsequent Indian monsoon rainfall (IMR) while having a significant negative relation (cc = −0.40) with the ensuing Korean monsoon rainfall (KMR). GRESIA episodes in the preceding autumn impact the ensuing summer monsoon rainfall over India (South Korea) adversely (favourably). While central Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) play a mediating role in transmitting the GRESIA signal towards the Indian subcontinent, snow over eastern Eurasia, just north of the Korea–Japan peninsula, plays a mediating role in transmitting the GRESIA signal towards the Korean peninsula. Although, the anomalies of equatorial central Pacific SSTs and eastern Eurasian snow play a crucial role in modulating IMR and KMR respectively, the GRESIA variability also plays a dominant role in modulating the monsoon variability over both the regions. Thus, a combination of autumn GRESIA along with SSTs over the central Pacific and snow over the eastern Eurasia, may possibly serve as a unique precursor to presage Asia’s two diverse regional subsystems.

A record of Holocene sea-ice variability off West Greenland and its potential forcing factors

We present a reconstruction of Holocene sea-ice variability from sediment core GA306-GC3, from the Holsteinsborg Dyb off West Greenland, which provides an index of palaeoceanographic and palaeoenvironmental conditions within this climatically sensitive region during the last 6700yr. The reconstructed sea-ice record, combined with previously published proxy data, suggests that relatively warm conditions with reduced sea-ice extent prior to 5000cal.yrBP were associated with the Holocene Thermal Maximum. Subsequent cooling and extensive sea-ice cover between ca. 5000 and 4000cal.yrBP was followed by even colder conditions and persistent sea-ice cover during the Neoglacial cooling phase, particularly after ca. 1500cal.yrBP. There is a positive correlation between West Greenland sea-ice cover and solar activity over the past 5000yr, but the correlation is much weaker prior to 5000cal.yrBP. In addition, there is a strong link between West Greenland sea ice and changes in the abundance of arctic benthic foraminifera species, related to different water masses of the West Greenland Current during the entire interval, even prior to 5000cal.yrBP. Our findings indicate that sea-ice variability off West Greenland was driven not only by solar activity, but also by ocean circulation (the strength of cold Polar water from the East Greenland Current and warm Atlantic water from the Irminger Current).

Greenland coastal air temperatures linked to Baffin Bay and Greenland Sea ice conditions during autumn through regional blocking patterns

Variations in sea ice freeze onset and regional sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in Baffin Bay and Greenland Sea are linked to autumn surface air temperatures (SATs) around coastal Greenland through 500 hPa blocking patterns, 1979–2014. We find strong, statistically significant correlations between Baffin Bay freeze onset and SSTs and SATs across the western and southernmost coastal areas, while weaker and fewer significant correlations are found between eastern SATs, SSTs, and freeze periods observed in the neighboring Greenland Sea. Autumn Greenland Blocking Index values and the incidence of meridional circulation patterns have increased over the modern sea ice monitoring era. Increased anticyclonic blocking patterns promote poleward transport of warm air from lower latitudes and local warm air advection onshore from ocean–atmosphere sensible heat exchange through ice-free or thin ice-covered seas bordering the coastal stations. Temperature composites by years of extreme late freeze conditions, occurring since 2006 in Baffin Bay, reveal positive monthly SAT departures that often exceed 1 standard deviation from the 1981–2010 climate normal over coastal areas that exhibit a similar spatial pattern as the peak correlations.

NAVIGATION ASSISTANCE FOR ICE-INFESTED WATERS THROUGH AUTOMATIC ICEBERG DETECTION AND ICE CLASSIFICATION BASED ON TERRASAR-X IMAGERY

Abstract. Most icebergs present in northern latitudes originate from western Greenland glaciers, from where they drift into Baffin Bay, circulating north along Greenland coast and south along Canadian coast. Some of them drift more southwards up to Newfoundland, where they frequently cross shipping routes. Furthermore, the Arctic summer sea ice coverage significantly decreased over the last three decades. This has attracted numerous attentions from maritime end-users. To keep Arctic shipping routes safe, the monitoring of sea ice and icebergs is crucial. For this purpose, satellite-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is well suited. Equipped with an active radar antenna, SAR satellites provide image data of the ocean and frozen waters independent of weather conditions, cloud cover or absence of daylight. In this paper, we present a processor for sea ice classification and (subsequent) iceberg detection based on TerraSAR-X imagery. In the classification step, texture features are extracted from the images and fed into a neural network, indicating areas of low sea ice concentration. Then, an adapted Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) detector is executed in order to detect icebergs. In the end, sea ice boundary and iceberg positions are output. Our experiments deal with HH polarized TerraSAR-X images taken in spring season in the Baffin Bay off the western Greenland coast, where both, sea ice and icebergs are present. Our results exemplify how a comprehensive ice processor with complementary information can be set up for near real time (NRT) service in ice infested waters.

Trend and interannual variability in southeast Greenland Sea Ice: Impacts on coastal Greenland climate variability

AbstractWe describe the recent occurrence of a region of diminished sea ice cover or “notch” offshore of the Kangerdlugssuaq Fiord, the site of the largest tidewater glacier along Greenland's southeast coast. The notch's location is consistent with a topographically forced flux of warm water toward the fiord, and the decrease of the sea ice cover is shown to be associated with a regional warming of the upper ocean that began in the mid‐1990s. Sea ice in the vicinity of the notch also exhibits interannual variability that is shown to be associated with a seesaw in surface temperature and sea ice between southeast and northeast Greenland that is not describable solely in terms of the North Atlantic Oscillation. We therefore argue that other modes of atmospheric variability, including the Lofoten Low, are required to fully document the changes to the climate that are occurring along Greenland's east coast.