Latent Heat Polynya Research Articles

Causes and evolution of winter polynyas north of Greenland

Abstract. During the 42-year period (1979–2020) of satellite measurements, four major winter (December–March) polynyas have been observed north of Greenland: one in December 1986 and three in the last decade, i.e., February of 2011, 2017, and 2018. The 2018 polynya was unparalleled in its magnitude and duration compared to the three previous events. Given the apparent recent increase in the occurrence of these extreme events, this study aims to examine their evolution and causality, in terms of forced versus natural variability. The limited weather station and remotely sensed sea ice data are analyzed combining with output from the fully coupled Regional Arctic System Model (RASM), including one hindcast and two ensemble simulations. We found that neither the accompanying anomalous warm surface air intrusion nor the ocean below had an impact (i.e., no significant ice melting) on the evolution of the observed winter open-water episodes in the region. Instead, the extreme atmospheric wind forcing resulted in greater sea ice deformation and transport offshore, accounting for the majority of sea ice loss in all four polynyas. Our analysis suggests that strong southerly winds (i.e., northward wind with speeds greater than 10 m s−1) blowing persistently over the study region for at least 2 d or more were required over the study region to mechanically redistribute some of the thickest Arctic sea ice out of the region and thus to create open-water areas (i.e., a latent heat polynya). To assess the role of internal variability versus external forcing of such events, we carried out and examined results from the two RASM ensembles dynamically downscaled with output from the Community Earth System Model (CESM) Decadal Prediction Large Ensemble (DPLE) simulations. Out of 100 winters in each of the two ensembles (initialized 30 years apart: one in December 1985 and another in December 2015), 17 and 16 winter polynyas were produced north of Greenland, respectively. The frequency of polynya occurrence had no apparent sensitivity to the initial sea ice thickness in the study area pointing to internal variability of atmospheric forcing as a dominant cause of winter polynyas north of Greenland. We assert that dynamical downscaling using a high-resolution regional climate model offers a robust tool for process-level examination in space and time, synthesis with limited observations, and probabilistic forecasts of Arctic events, such as the ones being investigated here and elsewhere.

Oceanic conditions in the Barrow Coastal Polynya revealed by a 10-year mooring time series

From 2009 to 2021, continuous mooring observations were conducted within the Barrow Coastal Polynya (BCP) on the northeastern Chukchi Shelf. With a 10-year mooring record (2009–2019), satellite-derived sea-ice production (SIP) data, and atmospheric reanalysis, we confirm that the BCP is a wind-driven hybrid latent and sensible heat polynya forced by northeasterly winds, and we analyze oceanic conditions and their recent changes associated with winter processes such as freeze onset, SIP, and winter-water production. The decade-long record of SIP and warm water upwelling in the BCP is dominated by interannual variability with no discernable long-term trend. In the 2015/2016 season, the SIP reached a record high for the time period studied. Water temperature and salinity prior to the freeze-up period are directly associated with SIP and winter-water production. Although wintertime SIP-related salt input is necessary, autumn salinity is, in some cases, more critical in determining winter water characteristics. The 10-year BCP mooring captures the regional changes in oceanic conditions. Summer-to-autumn ocean temperatures have been increasing as of late, especially since 2016. The prolonged presence of warmer water suggests a direct influence on freeze onset over the Chukchi Shelf and enhanced heat transport into the Arctic basin. In some cases, the upwelled Atlantic-origin warm water also delays freeze onset in the BCP. The 10-year mooring record provides evidence of recent extreme oceanic warming combined with remote and local connections from the Bering to the Chukchi Sea. This collection of data improves understanding of the impact of oceanic changes in Chukchi coastal and inner shelf waters, and regional change in the Pacific Arctic in a rapidly changing climate.

The ice factory of Hudson Bay

Within the dynamic seasonal ice cover of Hudson Bay, the Kivalliq Polynya is a large latent heat polynya that forms throughout winter in the northwest as a result of strong northwesterly offshore surface winds. Polynyas are known to be physically, biologically, and geochemically important and contribute to the regional ice mass balance; however, the Kivalliq Polynya has yet to be characterized in terms of spatiotemporal variability and ice production. Using a thin ice algorithm applied to the 16-year record of daily AMSR-E and AMSR-2 passive microwave observations, we examine the interannual variability in the spatial and temporal characteristics of the polynya throughout winter (December–April) over the period 2002–2019. Our study reveals that the polynya is present in some form almost every day but that its daily area is highly variable. On average, 182 km3 of new ice is produced in the Kivalliq Polynya during winter, or approximately 20% of the end of winter ice volume in Hudson Bay. Daily ice production is found to be significantly correlated with the daily polynya area, though large, episodic events can increase annual cumulative ice production during a year of otherwise small polynyas. Annual cumulative ice production is also found to be significantly correlated with seasonally averaged offshore wind speeds, which explain 47.3% of the variance in winter ice production and drive a 46 km3 increase in ice production for every 1.0 m s–1 increase in offshore winds. Ultimately, the highly variable yet persistent Kivalliq Polynya is shown to be driven by offshore winds and significantly contributes to the regional ice mass balance.

The triggers of the disaggregation of Voyeykov Ice Shelf (2007), Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, and its subsequent evolution

AbstractThe weakening and/or removal of floating ice shelves in Antarctica can induce inland ice flow acceleration. Numerical modelling suggests these processes will play an important role in Antarctica's future sea-level contribution, but our understanding of the mechanisms that lead to ice tongue/shelf collapse is incomplete and largely based on observations from the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica. Here, we use remote sensing of structural glaciology and ice velocity from 2001 to 2020 and analyse potential ocean-climate forcings to identify mechanisms that triggered the rapid disintegration of ~2445 km2of ice mélange and part of the Voyeykov Ice Shelf in Wilkes Land, East Antarctica between 27 March and 28 May 2007. Results show disaggregation was pre-conditioned by weakening of the ice tongue's structural integrity and was triggered by mélange removal driven by a regional atmospheric circulation anomaly and a less extensive latent-heat polynya. Disaggregation did not induce inland ice flow acceleration, but our observations highlight an important mechanism through which floating termini can be removed, whereby the break-out of mélange and multiyear landfast sea ice triggers disaggregation of a structurally-weak ice shelf. These observations highlight the need for numerical ice-sheet models to account for interactions between sea-ice, mélange and ice shelves.

Linking sea ice deformation to ice thickness redistribution using high-resolution satellite and airborne observations

Abstract. An unusual, large, latent-heat polynya opened and then closed by freezing and convergence north of Greenland's coast in late winter 2018. The closing presented a natural but well-constrained full-scale ice deformation experiment. We observed the closing of and deformation within the polynya with satellite synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imagery and measured the accumulated effects of dynamic and thermodynamic ice growth with an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) ice thickness survey 1 month after the closing began. During that time, strong ice convergence decreased the area of the refrozen polynya by a factor of 2.5. The AEM survey showed mean and modal thicknesses of the 1-month-old ice of 1.96 ± 1.5 m and 1.1 m, respectively. We show that this is in close agreement with modeled thermodynamic growth and with the dynamic thickening expected from the polynya area decrease during that time. We found significant differences in the shapes of ice thickness distributions (ITDs) in different regions of the refrozen polynya. These closely corresponded to different deformation histories of the surveyed ice that we reconstructed from Lagrangian ice drift trajectories in reverse chronological order. We constructed the ice drift trajectories from regularly gridded, high-resolution drift fields calculated from SAR imagery and extracted deformation derived from the drift fields along the trajectories. Results show a linear proportionality between convergence and thickness change that agrees well with the ice thickness redistribution theory. We found a proportionality between the e folding of the ITDs' tails and the total deformation experienced by the ice. Lastly, we developed a simple, volume-conserving model to derive dynamic ice thickness change from the combination of Lagrangian trajectories and high-resolution SAR drift and deformation fields. The model has a spatial resolution of 1.4 km and reconstructs thickness profiles in reasonable agreement with the AEM observations. The modeled ITD resembles the main characteristics of the observed ITD, including mode, e folding, and full width at half maximum. Thus, we demonstrate that high-resolution SAR deformation observations are capable of producing realistic ice thickness distributions.

Benthic foraminifera as tracers of brine production in the Storfjorden “sea ice factory”

Abstract. The rapid response of benthic foraminifera to environmental factors (e.g. organic matter quality and quantity, salinity, pH) and their high fossilisation potential make them promising bio-indicators for the intensity and recurrence of brine formation in Arctic seas. Such an approach, however, requires a thorough knowledge of their modern ecology in such extreme settings. To this aim, seven stations along a north–south transect across the Storfjorden (Svalbard archipelago) have been sampled using an interface multicorer. This fjord is an area of intense sea ice formation characterised by the production of brine-enriched shelf waters (BSW) as a result of a recurrent latent-heat polynya. Living (rose bengal-stained) foraminiferal assemblages were analysed together with geochemical and sedimentological parameters in the top 5 cm of the sediment. Three major biozones were distinguished. (i) The “inner fjord” zone, dominated by typical glacier proximal calcareous species, which opportunistically respond to fresh organic matter inputs. (ii) The “deep basins and sill” zone, characterised by glacier distal agglutinated fauna; these are either dominant because of the mostly refractory nature of organic matter and/or the brine persistence that hampers the growth of calcareous species and/or causes their dissolution. (iii) The “outer fjord” zone, characterised by typical North Atlantic species due to the intrusion of the North Atlantic water in the Storfjordrenna. The stressful conditions present in the deep basins and sill (i.e. acidic waters and low food quality) result in a high agglutinated ∕ calcareous ratio (A∕C). This supports the potential use of the A∕C ratio as a proxy for brine persistence and overflow in Storfjorden.

Holocene sea ice variability driven by wind and polynya efficiency in the Ross Sea

The causes of the recent increase in Antarctic sea ice extent, characterised by large regional contrasts and decadal variations, remain unclear. In the Ross Sea, where such a sea ice increase is reported, 50% of the sea ice is produced within wind-sustained latent-heat polynyas. Combining information from marine diatom records and sea salt sodium and water isotope ice core records, we here document contrasting patterns in sea ice variations between coastal and open sea areas in Western Ross Sea over the current interglacial period. Since about 3600 years before present, an increase in the efficiency of regional latent-heat polynyas resulted in more coastal sea ice, while sea ice extent decreased overall. These past changes coincide with remarkable optima or minima in the abundances of penguins, silverfish and seal remains, confirming the high sensitivity of marine ecosystems to environmental and especially coastal sea ice conditions.

A wind‐driven, hybrid latent and sensible heat coastal polynya off Barrow, Alaska

AbstractThe nature of the Barrow Coastal Polynya (BCP), which forms episodically off the Alaska coast in winter, is examined using mooring data, atmospheric reanalysis data, and satellite‐derived sea‐ice concentration and production data. We focus on oceanographic conditions such as water mass distribution and ocean current structure beneath the BCP. Two moorings were deployed off Barrow, Alaska in the northeastern Chukchi Sea from August 2009 to July 2010. For sea‐ice season from December to May, a characteristic sequence of five events associated with the BCP has been identified; (1) dominant northeasterly wind parallel to the Barrow Canyon, with an offshore component off Barrow, (2) high sea‐ice production, (3) upwelling of warm and saline Atlantic Water beneath the BCP, (4) strong up‐canyon shear flow associated with displaced density surfaces due to the upwelling, and (5) sudden suppression of ice growth. A baroclinic current structure, established after the upwelling, caused enhanced vertical shear and corresponding vertical mixing. The mixing event and open water formation occurred simultaneously, once sea‐ice production had stopped. Thus, mixing events accompanied by ocean heat flux from the upwelled warm water into the surface layer played an important role in formation/maintenance of the open water area (i.e., sensible heat polynya). The transition from a latent to a sensible heat polynya is well reproduced by a high‐resolution pan‐Arctic ice‐ocean model. We propose that the BCP, previously considered to be a latent heat polynya, is a wind‐driven hybrid latent and sensible heat polynya, with both features caused by the same northeasterly wind.

A Heuristic Model of Dansgaard–Oeschger Cycles. Part I: Description, Results, and Sensitivity Studies

Abstract A simple model for studying the Dansgaard–Oeschger (D-O) cycles of the last glacial period is presented, based on the T. Dokken et al. hypothesis for D-O cycles. The model is a column model representing the Nordic seas and is composed of ocean boxes stacked below a one-layer sea ice model with an energy-balance atmosphere; no changes in the large-scale ocean overturning circulation are invoked. Parameterizations are included for latent heat polynyas and sea ice export from the column. The resulting heuristic model was found to cycle between stadial and interstadial states at times scales similar to those seen in the proxy observational data, with the presence or absence of perennial sea ice in the Nordic seas being the defining characteristic for each of these states. The major discrepancy between the modeled oscillations and the proxy record is in the length of the interstadial phase, which is shorter than that observed. The modeled oscillations were found to be robust to parameter changes, including those related to the ocean heat flux convergence (OHFC) into the column. Production of polynya ice was found to be an essential ingredient for such sustained oscillatory behavior. A simple parameterization of natural variability in the OHFC enhances the robustness of the modeled oscillations. The authors conclude by discussing the implications of such a hypothesis for the state of the Nordic seas today and its state during the Last Glacial Maximum and contrasting the model to other hypotheses that invoke large-scale changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation for explaining millennial-scale variability in the climate system. An extensive time-scale analysis will be presented in the future.

Ice production in Storfjorden (Svalbard) estimated from a model based on AMSR‐E observations: Impact on water mass properties

Storfjorden, which hosts a latent heat polynya, is a well known region of dense water formation. This Brine‐enriched Shelf Water (BSW) displays substantial year to year variability in its properties, which is partly linked to interannual variations in ice production. Here we have developed a model based on high‐resolution AMSR‐E satellite sea‐ice concentration data, available between 2002 and 2011, and atmospheric forcing to estimate the ice production in the polynya and associated salt release. The average modeled ice production for the epoch 2002–2011 is 47 km3 per year, corresponding to a salt release of 1200 × 109 kg. The two most anomalous winters were 2004–2005 (salt deficit of −367 × 109 kg) and 2007–2008 (salt excess of 398 × 109 kg). Available observations of BSW properties are relatively scarce during this period and are here augmented with data collected in March 2007 from an ice‐tethered mooring to the northwest of the fjord. BSW was found up to the surface, with maximum salinity and density of 35.27 and 28.4 kg m−3, respectively, at 55 m. In addition, supercooled water was found down to 10 m under relatively mild atmospheric conditions. It is shown to have formed a week before, during an intense frazil ice formation episode, exceeding 2 km3 of frazil ice according to the model. Although observations remain too few to robustly assess the relation between ice production and BSW properties, there is suggestion of a direct impact for most anomalous years. The exceptional ice production in 2007–2008 is most likely the cause of the very saline BSW in 2008 and strong plume of dense water toward Fram Strait reported by other authors. Anomalous ice production appears predominantly driven by the duration of the freezing season and anomalous opening of the polynya.

Modeling interannual dense shelf water export in the region of the Mertz Glacier Tongue (1992-2007)

[1] Ocean observations around the Australian-Antarctic basin show the importance of coastal latent heat polynyas near the Mertz Glacier Tongue (MGT) to the formation of Dense Shelf Water (DSW) and associated Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). Here, we use a regional ocean/ice shelf model to investigate the interannual variability of the export of DSW from the Adélie (west of the MGT) and the Mertz (east of the MGT) depressions from 1992 to 2007. The variability in the model is driven by changes in observed surface heat and salt fluxes. The model simulates an annual mean export of DSW through the Adélie sill of about 0.07 ± 0.06 Sv. From 1992 to 1998, the export of DSW through the Adélie (Mertz) sills peaked at 0.14 Sv (0.29 Sv) during July to November. During periods of mean to strong polynya activity (defined by the surface ocean heat loss), DSW formed in the Adélie depression can spread into the Mertz depression via the cavity under the MGT. An additional simulation, where ocean/ice shelf thermodynamics have been disabled, highlights the fact that models without ocean/ice shelf interaction processes will significantly overestimate rates of DSW export. The melt rates of the MGT are 1.2 ± 0.4 m yr−1 during periods of average to strong polynya activity and can increase to 3.8 ± 1.5 m/yr during periods of sustained weak polynya activity, due to the increased presence of relatively warmer water interacting with the base of the ice shelf. The increased melting of the MGT during a weak polynya state can cause further freshening of the DSW and ultimately limits the production of AABW.

Creation and tidal advection of a cold salinity front in Storfjorden: 1. Polynya dynamics

[1] Hydrographical measurements from the Storfjorden polynya document the presence of an abrupt front in near-freezing water dividing saline water recently created by a polynya event, from less saline water originating further south. This event occurred days before the survey with estimated heat flux ∼400 W m−2 over the polynya. Brine-enriched shelf water (BSW) is observed downslope toward deeper parts of Storfjorden, and BSW from earlier polynya events overflows the sill. Current measurements from a nearby sound, Freemansundet, document tidal currents exceeding 80 cm s−1 that displaced the front back and forth beneath the measurement site on fast ice ∼400 m from the polynya edge. Front displacement of ∼12 km is documented and mainly due to the M2 component superimposed on a mean residual current of 0.28 m s−1 into the sound induced by southerly wind during the survey. Complex topography imposes baroclinic tidal currents with strong vertical shear in the fast ice-covered sound, and with significant cross-channel flow. Supercooling events indicated in the hydrographical time series, and likely enhanced frazil ice production, are associated with double-diffusive turbulent mixing when the salinity front passes. In this way, these measurements indicate a novel ice production process along the edge of tidally induced latent heat polynyas where salinity fronts are generated. Turbulence increases (decreases) during flood (ebb) due to the destabilization (stabilization) of the water column when the salinity front passes the measurement site. Double-diffusive turbulent mixing related to tidal advection of salinity front below fast ice is pursued in a companion paper.

Comparing Winter and Summer Simulated Estuarine Circulations in Foxe Basin, Canada

Foxe Basin is an Arctic inland sea located at the north of the Hudson Bay system (Canada). The characteristics of its estuarine circulation in winter differ from those in summer, mainly because of the sea-ice formation and cover. Using Lagrangian tracers and flux calculations from simulated data through a section at the outlet of the basin, we have shown that one-third of all the ice produced in winter is eventually exported toward the Labrador Sea. Foxe Basin is also a place where, in winter, latent heat polynyas to the west coexist with sensible heat polynyas around southwestern Foxe Peninsula, the latter resulting from an upwelling of intermediate water approximately 0.6°C above the freezing point of seawater. Sea ice affects circulation in the basin by adding friction at the surface layer and by shielding the sea surface from the atmosphere, which leads to an average reduction of 11% in the surface currents. Sea ice also extracts approximately 1.3 × 1014 kg of fresh water from the sea surface. Divided by Foxe Basin's surface area (0.2 × 1012 m2) and by the freshwater density, this mass represents a mean layer of 0.65 m of fresh water. The salt transport anomaly versus depth at the outlet of the basin and the mean vertical buoyancy flux were also examined; this confirmed previous assumptions that the estuarine circulation forms a positive (summer)–negative (winter) couple. We suggest that the sensitivity of this couple to climate change may be used as a proxy to evaluate the impact of global warming in Foxe Basin. RÉSUMÉ [Traduit par la rédaction] Le bassin de Foxe est une mer intérieure arctique située au nord du système de la baie d'Hudson (Canada). Les caractéristiques de sa circulation estuarienne en hiver diffèrent de celles de l’été, principalement à cause de la formation et de la couverture de glace de mer. Au moyen de traceurs lagrangiens et de calculs de flux basés sur des données simulées à travers une section à la sortie du bassin, nous avons montré que le tiers de toute la glace produite en hiver est éventuellement exporté vers la mer du Labrador. Le bassin de Foxe est aussi un endroit où, en hiver, des polynies de chaleur latente à l'ouest coexistent avec des polynies de chaleur sensible autour du sud-ouest de la péninsule de Foxe, ces dernières étant produites par des remontées d'eau intermédiaire dont la température est approximativement 0,6 °C au-dessus du point de congélation de l'eau de mer. La glace de mer influe sur la circulation dans le bassin en ajoutant du frottement dans la couche de surface et en faisant écran entre la surface de la mer et l'atmosphère, ce qui provoque une réduction de 11% dans les courants de surface. La glace de mer extrait aussi environ 1,3 × 1014 kg d'eau douce de la surface de la mer. Divisée par la superficie du bassin de Foxe (0,2 × 1012 m2) et par la masse volumique de l'eau douce, cette masse représente une couche moyenne de 0,65 m d'eau douce. Nous avons aussi examiné l'anomalie de transport de sel en fonction de la profondeur à la sortie du bassin et le flux vertical moyen de flottabilité; cela a confirmé des hypothèses précédentes selon lesquelles la circulation estuarienne forme un couple positif (été) – négatif (hiver). Nous croyons que la sensibilité de ce couple au changement climatique peut servir d'indicateur pour évaluer l'impact du réchauffement planétaire dans le bassin de Foxe.

Climate patterns and phytoplankton dynamics in Antarctic latent heat polynyas

Seasonal coherence between satellite‐derived phytoplankton parameters (chlorophyllaconcentration (Chl) and phytoplankton bloom initiation time (BIT)), environmental variables (sea ice concentration, surface solar radiation, and wind speed), and climate patterns (El Niño 3.4, the Southern Annular Mode, the Pacific South America pattern, the semiannual oscillation, and the wave‐3 stationary pattern) was investigated in four latent heat polynyas (Amundsen Sea, western Ross Sea, Dumont d'Urville, and Prydz Bay) using data corresponding to 1998–2006 phytoplankton growing seasons. In general, polynyas in the western sector (i.e., Amundsen Sea and western Ross Sea) had a greater sea ice cover, lower solar radiation levels, higher and more variable Chl, and more variable and delayed (i.e., high BIT) phytoplankton blooms. Differences in Chl and BIT were mainly attributed to differences in water stratification and interannual variability of sea ice concentration caused by ice shelf calving events in the Ross Sea. Changes in solar radiation reaching the sea surface played an important role in determining phytoplankton blooms in the western Ross Sea and Prydz Bay. Stronger winds tend to benefit development of phytoplankton blooms in polynyas having more stratified waters. Sensitivity of phytoplankton to climate variability in polynyas under investigation was highly influenced by the polynya size during summer (e.g., Chl in Dumont d'Urville and BIT in the western Ross Sea). Also, the response of Chl to the same climate pattern changed with the polynya's location (e.g., correlation between Chl and El Niño 3.4 in Amundsen Sea (positive) and Dumont d'Urville (negative)).

Internal waves and vertical mixing in the Storfjorden Polynya, Svalbard

[1] Latent heat polynya are preferential sites for dense water formation through brine release. The combined action of winds and heat loss leading to sea ice fracture followed by the reactivation of sea ice formation drives this process of dense water formation. The impact of high-frequency dynamics, and especially internal wave breaking, on this process is investigated here, with the analysis of hydrographic observations collected from a drifting mooring in Storfjorden, Svalbard. The main frequency components of the barotropic tide are first revealed by the analysis of a 23-day time series of pressure data. Interestingly the same frequency peaks are isolated by a spectral analysis of isopycnal displacements, suggesting a tidal forcing for these baroclinic waves. The hypothesis of local generation in the Storfjorden is next examined and numerous sites of potential generation are identified specifically for semi-diurnal and sixth-diurnal frequencies. Diurnal baroclinic waves, however, do not appear to be locally generated, but rather popagate cyclonically along the shelf as internal Kelvin waves. The characteristic of these waves and their energy flux are then inferred. A parameterization of dissipation based on the potential energy of the internal wavefield is next proposed and an upper bound for dissipation rate within overturning regions is provided. The most vigorous mixing is associated with brine release events (i.e. strong vertical mixing through thermohaline convection) with eddy diffusivities of up to 10−3 m2 s−1. The background mixing (likely associated with internal wave breaking), however, displays values within [10−6, 10−4] m2 s−1. This background mixing contributes about O(0.1) W m−2 to the vertical heat flux with a net heating in the bottom layer and cooling in the upper layer. Local heating and cooling rates of the order of 0.025°C month−1 are obtained which is significant with respect to the 0.1°C temperature difference between the bottom and surface layers.

Analysis of a dense water pulse following mid-winter opening of polynyas in western Foxe Basin, Canada

A recent study has shown that Foxe Basin's dense waters originate from coastal latent heat polynyas and each year replace 2/3rd of the basin's deep waters by propagating southeastwards in Foxe Channel as a gravity current. The formation mechanisms in 2004 of these dense waters are examined here. Strong meteorological events occurring in mid-winter over the domain are responsible for the simultaneous opening of two large polynyas at Lyon Inlet and along Melville Peninsula's eastern coast while a third important and recurrent polynya opens earlier at Hall Beach (northwestern Foxe Basin). Large sea-atmosphere heat exchanges take place in these polynyas, leading to the production of 21.2 × 10 12 kg of sea-ice and 1.53 × 10 12 m 3 of dense water. The ice production rate is on average five to six times higher in the polynyas than in the rest of the basin. Following the topography, the dense waters formed at Hall Beach and along Melville Peninsula cascade into Foxe Channel, while those produced at Lyon Inlet sink directly in the channel through deep convection. The two mechanisms synchronize and combine together when Lyon Inlet and Melville Peninsula polynyas open up. The heat exchanges, sea-ice and brine production rates estimated with a 21-year near-climatology are similar to those found in 2004. The results also show that the produced dense waters can overflow into Hudson Bay.

Excess of bottom-released methane in an Arctic shelf sea polynya in winter

Latent heat polynyas are regions generating strong ice formation, convection and extensive water mass formation. Here we report on the effects of these processes on resuspension of sediments and subsequent methane release from the seafloor and on the resulting excess methane concentration in surface water on a polar shelf during winter. The study is based on measurements of concentration and δ 1 3C values of methane, water temperature, salinity, light transmission and sea ice data collected in March 2003 in Storfjorden, southern Svalbard. In winter, strong and persistent northeasterly winds create polynyas in eastern Storfjorden and cause ice formation. The resulting brine-enriched water cascades from the Storfjordbanken into the central depression thereby enhancing the turbulence near the seafloor. A distinct benthic nepheloid layer was observed reflecting the resuspension of sediments by the cascading dense bottom water. High concentrations of 13C-depleted methane suggest submarine discharge of methane with the resuspended sediments. As the source of the submarine methane, we propose recent bacterial methanogenesis near the sediment surface because of extremely high accumulation rates of organic carbon in Storfjorden. Convective mixing transports newly released methane from the bottom to the sea surface. This eventually results in an excess concentration in surface water with respect to the atmospheric equilibrium, and a sea-air flux of methane during periods of open water. When a new ice cover is formed, methane becomes trapped in the water column and subsequently oxidized. Thus, the residual methane is strongly enriched in 13C in relation to the δ 13 C CH 4 signature of atmospheric methane. Our results show that latent heat polynyas may induce a direct pathway for biogases like methane from sediments to the atmosphere through coupling of biogeochemical and oceanographic processes. Extrapolating these processes to all Arctic ocean polynyas, we estimate a transfer of CH 4 between 0.005 and 0.02 Tg yr −1. This is not a large contribution but the fluxes from the polynyas are 20–200 times larger than the ocean average and the methane evasion process in polynyas is certainly one that can be altered under climate change.

Are polynyas self‐sustaining?

In this paper, 441 Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) casts from the North Water (NOW) Polynya study were used to calculate geostrophic currents between the 10 and 200 dbar surface during April, May and June 1998. Results for April and May indicated a surface intensified southward flow of 10 to 15 cm s–1 with a small return flow along the Greenland coast in agreement with inferred currents described by Melling et al. (2001) and surface ice drifts found by Wilson et al. (2001). Southward transports at this time were 0.4–0.55 Sv in April and May. In June, however, surface currents diminished markedly: southward transports declined to 0.1–0.35 Sv, coincident with a decrease in directly measured winds over the polynya and in the surface barometric pressure difference between Grise Fjord and the Carey Islands that was used as a surrogate for the local north wind speed. There was no evident decrease in air pressure difference between Resolute and Grise Fjord, indicative of the strength of the north wind over the eastern Arctic in general. The results are consistent with present thinking that the NOW Polynya is primarily a latent heat polynya, forced by dominant north winds. The idea, broached here, is that the polynya creates its own microclimate which sustains the polynya's ice‐free condition after its initial formation. The mechanism is identified by an anomalous low pressure region associated with surface buoyancy flux in the polynya and is pursued through the application of a simple geostrophic adjustment model that suggests two self‐sustaining mechanisms. Firstly, the frontal intrusion of the cold ambient terrestrial air mass drives a significant surface wind that transports frazil ice to the edge of the polynya before it can congeal. Secondly, rotation at these high latitudes restricts the penetration of the front into the polynya, essentially insulating the centre from freezing temperatures.

Relationship between synoptic forcing and polynya formation in the Cosmonaut Sea: 2. Regional climate model simulations

In part I of this series [Arbetter et al., 2004], a relationship was found in the observations between synoptic atmospheric systems and polynya formation in the Cosmonaut Sea region of Antarctica. In this study, we use a regional coupled atmosphere‐sea ice model to investigate the role of atmospheric forcing of the polynyas in this area. The model successfully simulates both latent and sensible heat polynyas which are found in the region. In particular, a deep‐ocean polynya is formed coincident with the passage of an atmospheric synoptic scale system. The divergence in the sea ice is found to be highly correlated with the atmospheric divergence. We conclude that the initial formation of a polynya can be caused by the interaction of the atmospheric synoptic scale and the continental katabatic wind regimes. While we cannot directly evaluate the role of the ocean using the present model simulations, we performed experiments with different levels of prescribed basal heat flux. These experiments highlight a polynya which could be initiated by the winds and maintained by the oceanic heat. This leads to the concept of a wind‐driven sensible heat polynya, not typical of other deep‐ocean polynyas such as the Weddell polynya of the 1970s.

A model for the closure of a two-dimensional coastal latent heat polynya

This paper presents a numerical model for the closure of a two-dimensional island polynya, assuming that the pile-up depth H of consolidated new ice at the polynya edge (during opening) and at the coast (during closing) is constant. The polynya closing time T is found to be relatively insensitive to ice drift orientation, and the quotient | U |/| u | , where u and U are the frazil and consolidated ice velocities, respectively. Also, T is weakly dependent on the island length D, except when both the onset of closure occurs significantly before the opening polynya steady-state is reached, and also D≲ L a, the alongshore adjustment length scale. However, T is found to be sensitive to F/ F o, where F and F o are the constant frazil ice production rates during polynya closing and opening, respectively. We exploit the parameter dependence of T as a function of F, F o, D, u , U and H to derive an approximate expression for the closing time that is accurate to within ∼8%, assuming that the polynya closes from an initial area that is close to its steady-state area.