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Contributions of growth and deformation to monthly variability in sea ice thickness north of the coasts of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
Author(s) -
Kwok R.,
Cunningham G. F.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl069333
Subject(s) - archipelago , geology , sea ice , arctic ice pack , arctic , climatology , groenlandia , greenland ice sheet , oceanography , ice sheet
Regional variability in monthly CryoSat‐2 sea ice thickness is partitioned into contributions from dynamics and thermodynamics using ice deformation calculated from large‐scale ice drift. For five winters (December to April, 2011–2015), over a region of persistent convergence north of the coasts of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, deformation explains ~34% of the overall variance (up to 69% in 2014/2015) in monthly thickness changes. Approximately 42–56% (or ~ 0.6 m) of the seasonal changes in mean regional ice thickness can be attributed to divergence and shear. The estimated area‐averaged growth of 0.12 ± 0.03 m/month compares favorably with measurements from ice mass balance buoys. Examination of the time‐variable thickness distributions shows areas covered by ice < 3 m are reduced, while areas of thicker ice (>3 m) increased. Albeit at fairly coarse resolution, this coupled analysis of thickness changes and deformation offered a first look at the character of the regional thickness redistribution process.