Fast Ice Research Articles

Peculiarities of joint influence of navigation intensification and climate change on fast ice distribution in the Ob’ Bay

All year–round navigation in the Ob’Bay has been operating for more than ten years. In recent years it has been performed most actively at three points: the port terminals Sabetta and «Utrenniy» (on the opposite coasts in the northern part of the bay) and the oil loading terminal «Vorota Arktiki» (in the southern part of the bay, off cape Kamenny). Regular winter navigation to Sabetta began in 2013 and to cape Kamenny in 2015. In recent years, the number of vessels in November–May has already risen to about 380 per season. The winter navigation in the fast ice is performed along ice channels, which should impact on the fast ice stability. The aim of this research was to determine the influence of navigation on the fast ice distribution in the Ob’Bay in terms of climate changes. To analyze navigation impact on the fast ice distribution in the Ob’Bay, data on air temperature, ice conditions and number of vessels in the winter period were used in the work. The sum of the freezing degree days (FDD) was chosen as a parameter of winter conditions severity. The mean location of the south boundary of the flaw polynya per season was a parameter of the fast ice stability. Such an approach reduced the influence of short–term fluctuations of temperature and ice conditions. The data analysis carried out over the last 25 years has confirmed a significant influence of navigation on the fast ice distribution. It has been found that for the range from mean to mild winter conditions (an estimate using FDD), the dislocation of the flaw polynya boundary in the south direction amounted to 0.4–0.8 degrees of latitude (25–50 miles) because of winter navigation intensification. Winter conditions more severe than mean have not been recorded in the region over recent years. Therefore, such estimates were not obtained for them. The discovered changes of ice conditions are significant for the region. The transfer from fast ice to drifting ice of different types, forms and concentration will lead to the corresponding restructuring of other natural processes (water dynamics, litho-dynamic regime, etc). Subsequently the impact of hydrometeorological factors on engineering facilities can change, affecting the navigation conditions, scenarios of loading on the hydraulic structures, absolute loading values, etc. This is a factor to consider in the economic development of the region.

Estimates of certain physical and mechanical characteristics of ice in the Ob’ Bay

The ice cover of the Gulf of Ob is formed in an extended zone, where the sea and fresh waters are mixed. This study aims to evaluate certain physical and mechanical characteristics of such ice. It examines data on a complex of physical and mechanical fast ice characteristics in the Ob’ Bay, obtained in the course of field studies over the last 30 years. The total amount of data available to the team of authors exceeds 200 cores, sampled in the Ob’ Bay (from Novy Port to the boundary between the Bay and the Kara Sea) in different years and in different months of the ice season.Processed data on ice temperature are presented, as well as information on the evolution of integral ice temperature during ice season. The change of integral ice salinity in the Ob’ Bay with geographic latitude is identified and shown, and the function approximating this change is given.The estimates of average density and porosity of ice by thickness are presented. The effect of mineral inclusions on the increase in ice density is considered.An analysis was carried out of the correspondence between the field data on fresh and saline ice sample strength in uniaxial compression (with the load application parallel to the ice cover surface) with theoretical strength estimates from Russian and foreign scientific and methodological literature, based on the data obtained on physical and mechanical ice characteristics in the Ob’ Bay. A generalized estimate of the saline ice strength limit in the Ob’ Bay, obtained in uniaxial compression parallel to the surface of ice accumulation is given, as well as its approximation by lognormal distribution.The results obtained in the analysis of the strength characteristics of ice in the Gulf of Ob can be used for practical purposes. The results may also prove useful in terms of contribution to theoretical knowledge on the experimental mechanics of ice in desalinated water bodies.

Analysis of microseismicity in sea ice with deep learning and Bayesian inference: application to high-resolution thickness monitoring

Abstract. In the perspective of an upcoming seasonally ice-free Arctic, understanding the dynamics of sea ice in the changing climate is a major challenge in oceanography and climatology. In particular, the new generation of sea ice models will require fine parameterization of sea ice thickness and rheology. With the rapidly evolving state of sea ice, achieving better accuracy, as well as finer temporal and spatial resolutions of its thickness, will set new monitoring standards, with major scientific and geopolitical implications. Recent studies have shown the potential of passive seismology to monitor the thickness, density and elastic properties of sea ice with significantly reduced logistical constraints. For example, human intervention is no longer required, except to install and uninstall the geophones. Building on this approach, we introduce a methodology for estimating sea ice thickness with high spatial and temporal resolutions from the analysis of icequake waveforms. This methodology is based on a deep convolutional neural network for automatic clustering of the ambient seismicity recorded on sea ice, combined with a Bayesian inversion of the clustered waveforms. By applying this approach to seismic data recorded in March 2019 on fast ice in the Van Mijen Fjord (Svalbard), we observe the spatial clustering of icequake sources along the shoreline of the fjord. The ice thickness is shown to follow an increasing trend that is consistent with the evolution of temperatures during the 4 weeks of data recording. Comparing the energy of the icequakes with that of artificial seismic sources, we were able to derive a power law of icequake energy and to relate this energy to the size of the cracks that generate the icequakes.

The Prevalence of Fast-food Consumption among University Students in the Northern Area of Malaysia

Fast food has become popular on a global scale. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of fast-food consumption among university students. A total of 364 students from Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perlis branch were recruited to participate in this study. Data collection was conducted with a modified version of the standard Nelson’s questionnaire. In this study, the prevalence described by percentage shows that 32.7% of participants consume fast food 2-3 times per month. As for the type of food consumption, most participants preferred bakeries or doughnuts (64.6%), and most of them are female. The second rank was pizza/restaurant fast food type, Asian fast food, ice cream and burger shops. The last rank was the sandwich shop type of fast food. These prevalence results provided a descriptive analysis of the frequency of fast food consumption, specifically in this geographic area. It also provided statistics about the type of fast food being consumed by the participants. A comprehensive demographic background and fast food consumption behavior should be focus of the next study.

Seasonal and interannual variability of the landfast ice mass balance between 2009 and 2018 in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica

Abstract. Landfast ice (LFI) plays a crucial role for both the climate and the ecosystem of the Antarctic coastal regions. We investigate the snow and LFI mass balance in Prydz Bay using observations from 11 sea ice mass balance buoys (IMBs). The buoys were deployed offshore from the Chinese Zhongshan Station (ZS) and Australian Davis Station (DS), with the measurements covering the ice seasons of 2009–2010, 2013–2016, and 2018. The observed annual maximum ice thickness and snow depth were 1.59 ± 0.17 and 0.11–0.76 m off ZS and 1.64 ± 0.08 and 0.11–0.38 m off DS, respectively. Early in the ice growth season (May–September), the LFI basal growth rate near DS (0.6 ± 0.2 cm d−1) was larger than that around ZS (0.5 ± 0.2 cm d−1). This is attributed to cooler air temperature (AT) and lower oceanic heat flux at that time in the DS region. Air temperature anomalies were more important in regulating the LFI growth rate at that time because of thinner sea ice having a weaker thermal inertia relative to thick ice in later seasons. Interannual and local spatial variabilities for the seasonality of LFI mass balance identified at ZS are larger than at DS due to local differences in topography and katabatic wind regime. Snow ice contributed up to 27 % of the LFI total ice thickness at the offshore site close to ground icebergs off ZS because of the substantial snow accumulation. Offshore from ZS, the supercooled water was observed at the sites close to the Dålk Glacier from July to October, which reduced the oceanic heat flux and promoted the LFI growth. During late austral spring and summer, the increased oceanic heat flux led to a reduction of LFI growth at all investigated sites. The variability of LFI properties across the study domain prevailed at interannual timescales, over any trend during the recent decades. Based on the results derived from this study, we argue that an increased understanding of snow (on LFI) processes, local atmospheric and oceanic conditions, as well as coastal morphology and bathymetry, are required to improve the Antarctic LFI modeling.

A collection of wet beam models for wave–ice interaction

Abstract. Theoretical models for the prediction of decay rate and dispersion process of gravity waves traveling into an integrated ice cover expanded over a long way are introduced. The term “wet beam” is chosen to refer to these models as they are developed by incorporating water-based damping and added mass forces. Presented wet beam models differ from each other according to the rheological behavior considered for the ice cover. Two-parameter viscoelastic solid models accommodating Kelvin–Voigt (KV) and Maxwell mechanisms along with a one-parameter elastic solid model are used to describe the rheological behavior of the ice layer. Quantitative comparison between the landfast ice field data and model predictions suggests that wet beam models, adopted with both KV and Maxwell mechanisms, predict the decay rate more accurately compared to a dry beam model. Furthermore, the wet beam models, adopted with both KV and Maxwell mechanisms, are found to construct decay rates of disintegrated ice fields, though they are built for a continuous ice field. Finally, it is found that wet beam models can accurately construct decay rate curves of freshwater ice, though they cannot predict the dispersion process of waves accurately. To overcome this limitation, three-parameter solid models, termed standard linear solid (SLS) mechanisms, are suggested to be used to re-formulate the dispersion relationship of wet beam models, which were seen to construct decay rates and dispersion curves of freshwater ice with an acceptable level of accuracy. Overall, the two-parameter wet beam dispersion relationships presented in this research are observed to predict decay rates and dispersion process of waves traveling into actual ice covers, though three-parameter wet beam models were seen to reconstruct the those of freshwater ice formed in a wave flume. The wet beam models presented in this research can be implemented in spectral models on a large geophysical scale.

Interannual Variation of Landfast Ice Using Ascending and Descending Sentinel-1 Images from 2019 to 2021: A Case Study of Cambridge Bay

Landfast ice has undergone a dramatic decline in recent decades, imposing potential effects on ice travel for coastal populations, habitats for marine biota, and ice use for industries. The mapping of landfast ice deformation and the investigation of corresponding causes of changes are urgent tasks that can provide substantial data to support the maintenance of the stability of the Arctic ecosystem and the development of human activities on ice. This work aims to investigate the time-series deformation characteristics of landfast ice at multi-year scales and the corresponding influence factors. For the landfast ice deformation monitoring technique, we first combined the small baseline subset approach with ascending and descending Sentinel-1 images to obtain the line-of-sight deformations for two flight directions, and then we derived the 2D deformation fields comprising the vertical and horizontal directions for the corresponding periods by introducing a transform model. The vertical deformation results were mostly within the interval [−65, 23] cm, while the horizontal displacement was largely within the range of [−26, 78] cm. Moreover, the magnitude of deformation observed in 2019 was evidently greater than those in 2020 and 2021. In accordance with the available data, we speculate that the westerly wind and eastward-flowing ocean currents are the dominant reasons for the variation in the horizontal direction in Cambridge Bay, while the factors causing spatial differences in the vertical direction are the sea-level tilt and ice growth. For the interannual variation, the leading cause is the difference in sea-level tilt. These results can assist in predicting the future deformation of landfast ice and provide a reference for on-ice activities.

Ocean turbulent boundary-layer influence on ice crystal behaviour beneath fast ice in an Antarctic ice shelf water plume: The “dirty ice”

The oceanic connection between ice shelf cavities and sea ice influences sea ice development and persistence. One unique feature in regions near ice shelves is the potential for sea ice growth due to crystal accretion on its underside. Here we present observations of ocean boundary-layer processes and ice crystal behaviour in an Ice Shelf Water outflow region from the Ross/McMurdo Ice Shelves. From a fast ice field camp during the Spring of 2015, we captured the kinematics of free-floating relatively large (in some cases 10s of mm in scale) ice crystals that were advecting and then settling upwards in a depositional layer on the sea ice underside (SIPL, sub-ice platelet layer). Simultaneously, we measured the background oceanic temperature, salinity, currents and turbulence structure. At the camp location the total water depth was 536 m, with the uppermost 50 m of the water column being in-situ super-cooled. Tidal flow speeds had an amplitude of around 0.1 m s-1 with dissipation rates in the under-ice boundary layer measured to be up to ε=10-6 W kg-1. Acoustic sampling (200 kHz) identified backscatter from large, individually identifiable suspended crystals associated with crystal sizes larger than normally described as frazil. Measurement of crystals in the SIPL found dimensions of the range 5-200 mm with an average of 93-101 mm depending on the year. The existence and settlement of crystals has implications for understanding SIPL evolution, the structure of sea ice, as well as the fate of Ice Shelf Water.

Temporal Variations in Ice Thickness of the Shirase Glacier Derived from Cryosat-2/SIRAL Data

This study presents the feasibility of estimating the ice thickness of the Shirase Glacier using the synthetic aperture interferometric radar altimeter (SIRAL) on board the CryoSat-2 and the interannual variation of the ice thickness of the Shirase Glacier in 2011–2020. The SIRAL data were converted to ice thickness by assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, and the results showed that the ice thickness decreased from the grounding line to the terminus of the glacier. Furthermore, the ice thickness decreased 30 km downstream from the grounding line of the glacier in 2012 and 2017, and decreased 55 km and 60 km downstream from the grounding line of the glacier at other times, which was attributed to the discharge of landfast ice and the retreat of the glacier terminus. When the flow of glacial ice can be reasonably approximated as an incompressible fluid, and the law of conservation of mass can be applied to the ice stream, the multiple of the velocity and the underlying ice thickness under a constant ice density can be shown to correspond to the equation of continuity. Consequently, this study revealed that the ice thickness decreases with accelerating flow velocity, which is coincident with past outflow events.

How Thick Is Antarctic Ice, and What Is Underneath?

Scientists used electromagnetic fields to determine the thickness of fast ice.

Economic problems of shore fast ice stevedoring operations and their solution

Economic problems of shore fast ice stevedoring operations and their solution

Seasonal distribution of ringed seal in the White Sea monitored by satellite tagging

Data on the seasonal distribution and ecology of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) were obtained from the results of seal tagging with satellite telemetry transmitters (STT) in the White Sea. STT "Pulsar" worked in the Argos system. Catching and tagging of ringed seals were carried out in the Dvina Bay of the White Sea in autumn 2008 and 2016 and in the summer of 2020. 5 tags were installed on seals of different ages. It was shown in the summer the ringed seals did not make long movements and remained on the littoral. The seals moved long distances in autumn, the average daily distance between observation points was 43 km per day. The ringed seal preferred areas with open water and the sea edge of landfast ice in winter. The ringed seal could stay for more than two months in the pelagic zone above the depth of 20 m. Priority directions of movement haven’t been identified. We suggest this feature of the seals' behavior in the White Sea is associated with the seasonal distribution of food.

Characteristics and formation of bedrock mega-grooves (BMGs) in glaciated terrain: 2 – conceptual models of BMG initiation

Understanding BMG formation equates to being able to explain their initiation as well as their subsequent evolution. Several scenarios of bedrock mega-groove (BMG) initiation are proposed here, which attempt to explain how such parallel fluted terrain could be incised through resistant substrates over the relatively short temporal periods associated with uni-directional fast ice flow. In cases where geological controls have been inferred from the BMG morphology or location, groove initiation was likely either structural through the exploitation of linear features, or lithological, whereby the origin of harder erodents necessary for abrading softer rocks can be explained by the succession of adjacent lithologies along former ice flow paths. Where no geological control over BMG initiation could be inferred, it is hypothesized that their initiation was due to antecedent land surface conditions, through gradual bedrock elimination or related to pre-Quaternary regolith on etchplains, which was potentially a source of erodents no longer visible in the landscape.

Fast Ice Thickness Distribution in the Western Ross Sea in Late Spring

AbstractWe present a 700 km airborne electromagnetic survey of late‐spring fast ice and sub‐ice platelet layer (SIPL) thickness distributions from McMurdo Sound to Cape Adare, providing a first‐time inventory of fast ice thickness close to its annual maximum. The overall mode of the consolidated ice (including snow) thickness was 1.9 m, less than its mean of 2.6 ± 1.0 m. Our survey was partitioned into level and rough ice, and SIPL thickness was estimated under level ice. Although level ice, with a mode of 2.0 m and mean of 2.0 ± 0.6 m, was prevalent, rough ice occupied 41% of the transect by length, 50% by volume, and had a mode of 3.3 m and mean of 3.2 ± 1.2 m. The thickest 10% of rough ice was almost 6 m on average, inclusive of a 2 km segment thicker than 8 m in Moubray Bay. The thickest ice occurred predominantly along the northwestern Ross Sea, due to compaction against the coast. The adjacent pack ice was thinner (by ∼1 m) than the first‐year fast ice. In Silverfish Bay, offshore Hells Gate Ice Shelf, New Harbor, and Granite Harbor, the SIPL transect volume was a significant fraction (0.30) of the consolidated ice volume. The thickest 10% of SIPLs averaged nearly 3 m thick, and near Hells Gate Ice Shelf the SIPL was almost 10 m thick, implying vigorous heat loss to the ocean (∼90 W m−2). We conclude that polynya‐induced ice deformation and interaction with continental ice influence fast ice thickness in the western Ross Sea.

Multiple Sea Ice Type Retrieval Using the HaiYang-2B Scatterometer in the Arctic

Sea ice type classification is of great significance for the exploration of waterways, fisheries, and offshore operations in the Arctic. However, to date, there is no multiple remote sensing method to detect sea ice type in the Arctic. This study develops a multiple sea ice type algorithm using the HaiYang-2B Scatterometer (HY-2B SCA). First, the parameters most applicable to classify sea ice type are selected through feature extraction, and a stacking model is established for the first time, which integrates decision tree and image segmentation algorithms. Finally, multiple sea ice types are classified in the Arctic, comprising Nilas, Young Ice, First Year Ice, Old Ice, and Fast Ice. Comparing the results with the Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI-SAF) Sea Ice Type dataset (SIT) indicates that the sea ice type classified by HY-2B SCA (Stacking-HY2B) is similar to OSI-SAF SIT with regard to the changing trends in extent of sea ice. We use the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) high-resolution sea ice type data and EM-Bird ice thickness data to validate the result, and accuracies of 87% and 88% are obtained, respectively. This indicates that the algorithm in this work is comparable with the performance of OSI-SAF dataset, while providing information of multiple sea ice types.

National trends and disparities in retail food environments in the USA between 1990 and 2014.

To describe national disparities in retail food environments by neighbourhood composition (race/ethnicity and socio-economic status) across time and space. We examined built food environments (retail outlets) between 1990 and 2014 for census tracts in the contiguous USA (n 71 547). We measured retail food environment as counts of all food stores, all unhealthy food sources (including fast food, convenience stores, bakeries and ice cream) and healthy food stores (including supermarkets, fruit and vegetable markets) from National Establishment Time Series business data. Changes in food environment were mapped to display spatial patterns. Multi-level Poisson models, clustered by tract, estimated time trends in counts of food stores with a land area offset and independent variables population density, racial composition (categorised as predominantly one race/ethnicity (>60 %) or mixed), and inflation-adjusted income tertile. The contiguous USA between 1990 and 2014. All census tracts (n 71 547). All food stores and unhealthy food sources increased, while the subcategory healthy food remained relatively stable. In models adjusting for population density, predominantly non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, Asian and mixed tracts had significantly more destinations of all food categories than predominantly non-Hispanic White tracts. This disparity increased over time, predominantly driven by larger increases in unhealthy food sources for tracts which were not predominantly non-Hispanic White. Income and food store access were inversely related, although disparities narrowed over time. Our findings illustrate a national food landscape with both persistent and shifting spatial patterns in the availability of establishments across neighbourhoods with different racial/ethnic and socio-economic compositions.

Ground-based radar interferometry for monitoring of landfast sea ice dynamics

In this work, we evaluate landfast sea ice dynamics using ground-based radar interferometry. During two field campaigns in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, we collected three ∼24-h series of measurements on 16 May 2012 and 21–23 April 2021 using the Gamma portable radar interferometer (GPRI). These data enable examination of progressive strain of landfast ice on the sub-cm scale. The results indicate near spatially uniform divergence strains exceeding 10−6 in response to an increase in offshore winds from 0 to 7 m s−1. Exceptions to uniform divergence are grounded ridges with either negligible or reduced motion. We also track uniform vertical shifts in response to cm-scale sea level change correlated with NOAA model tidal predictions. We evaluate and take steps to remove contributions from moisture variability, thereby reducing potential errors from atmospheric effects to less than 5 mm. The results suggest that the GPRI can be a valuable tool for monitoring ice-covered coastal zones. The system has possible applications for monitoring tides and ocean surges and tracking small-scale deformation of otherwise stationary ice that can lead to fracture and destabilization.

Landfast sea ice break out patterns in the northern Bering Sea observed from C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar

Arctic sea ice is declining in areal extent and seasonal duration, affecting stable landfast sea ice regimes. These landfast ice regimes are vital platforms for local indigenous subsistence hunters and epontic primary production species supporting local and regional food webs. Under changing thermodynamic and mechanical stresses, landfast ice can become more prone to break out events - unexpected mid-season detachments from the coastline. However, the prevalence of break out events in the landfast ice annual cycle on an interannual and decadal basis is generally understudied. Here, we detect and quantify landfast ice break-out events at St. Lawrence Island in the Northern Bering Sea. We accomplished this using C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery to detect landfast ice cover. We also advanced a geospatial analysis method to identify break-out events and distinguish such occurrences from end-of-season breakups. Results reveal that 35 break-outs occurred across four sections of the St. Lawrence Island coastline from 1996 − 2019, with 74 % of break-outs occurring on the northern coastlines. Break-outs generally occurred during annual cycles with higher than average landfast ice cover. During the break-out events, maximum temperatures seldom exceed conditions promoting melt, whereas wind speeds are, on average, 2 m/s faster compared to end-of-season breakup events. However, additional datasets are needed to understand better the influence of tidal amplitude and ocean currents on detected break-out occurrence and location. Our study provides the basis for future research to understand break-out events in landfast ice annual cycles at fine spatial scales unavailable in existing sea ice datasets.

Развитие методов расчета ледовой нагрузки на морские гидротехнические сооружения в условиях устойчивого припая

Despite the success of previous studies, there are still no reliable and accurate methods for determining the ice load on marine hydraulic structures (HS), taking into account the mechanical properties of ice and the characteristics of the ice situation. The object of the field study was the closed Sharapov Shar Bay in the Kara Sea, the ice situation of which is characterized by the presence of a stable land fast ice with a flat ice field. The subject of the study was the ice load in closed bays that have a stable land fast ice throughout the entire period of maximum ice impacts. The conditions of the bay provide viscoplastic deformation of the ice, and a stable land fast ice will deform around the HS in a state of prolonged creep without accumulation of cracks and damage. A method for determining ice loads has been developed, taking into account the features of a stable land fast ice. Ice loads on the HS should be determined on the basis of initial data on the nature of the ice situation in the HS construction area for the period of maximum ice loads. When determining the global load from flat ice on an extended structure with a vertical front wall for the conditions of Sharapov Shar Bay in April, when the maximum load from a stable land fast ice is observed, it is recommended to take the value of the correction factor kv =0.055. The calculated ice load on the HS should be taken as the maximum of all loads for the considered phase of the ice regime. Provided that the viscoplastic deformations of ice are taken into account, the calculated load on the HS is the load when breaking the soldered ice, exceeding the value that occurs during the viscoplastic operation of ice in conditions of stable land fast ice. The practical implementation of the proposed method is possible only after the relevant methodological requirements are included in the current regulatory documents. The use of current regulatory requirements in determining the calculated ice load does not allow to justify the use of gravity HS for the conditions of the Sharapov Shar Bay. And the proposed approach to the assessment of the ice load, taking into account the peculiarities of the phases of the ice regime and the transients between them, allowed us to justify the possibility of using a gravitational HS.

ПРОДОЛЖИТЕЛЬНЫЕ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ И ПОНИЖЕНИЯ УРОВНЯ ПОКРЫТОГО ЛЬДОМ МОРЯ У ПОБЕРЕЖЬЯ ОХОТСКОГО МОРЯ В ЗАЛИВЕ МОРДВИНОВА

The analysis of the causes of sea level rise and fall under the ice was carried out using sea level time series obtained by measurements performed in the coastal zone of the southeastern coast of Sakhalin island in 2019–2021. The analysis of all the events of sea level rising and falling showed that they are not associated with tidal waves, the minima of sea level correspond to different phases of tide and the duration of the events is several times longer than the period of the daily tidal wave. Analysis of the causes of six detected events of sea level fall showed that they are the result of long-lasting winds of the western direction. The fast ice field breaks away from the shore due to these winds and at the place of formed polynya a small set-down appears under the influence of the same winds. Instruments recorded this sea set-down as a decrease of sea level. The analysis of the seven selected events associated with sea level rise showed their connection with a decrease of atmospheric pressure during the cyclones passage near the observation area. The comparison of sea level behaviour and regression coefficients for an ice-covered sea with similar ones for an ice-free sea showed that for an ice-free sea, the level rises are about twice longer in time and occur later than the atmospheric pressure minima. At the same time, the absolute values of the regression coefficient for an ice-free sea are on average almost four times less than for an ice-covered one. The assumption that atmospheric pressure fluctuations can saturate the continental shelf waves has been verified using the Buchwald and Adams shelf wave model. Shelf wave periods of 37.7 hours calculated from spectra confirmed the possibility of transmission to sea level rise, and the shelf waves themselves can be saturated by atmospheric pressure fluctuations from passing cyclones.