Open AccessArctic sea ice surface ponds due to saltwater impurities
Author(s) -
Schultz Colin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2012eo100014
Subject(s) - meltwater , melt pond , sea ice , arctic ice pack , cryosphere , oceanography , arctic , environmental science , snow , antarctic sea ice , geology , physical geography , climatology , geography , geomorphology
During the summer melt season the white surface of Arctic sea ice turns to a mixture of grays and blues as meltwater ponds come to dot the landscape. Rising temperatures in late spring melt ice and snow, and the meltwater pools in depressions left by drifting snow. In just a week, these meltwater ponds can come to dominate the ice surface, increasing their areal extent by up to 35% per day. But just as quickly as they appear, the pools can recede, the water flowing into the ocean. Surface ponds drastically reduce the ice's albedo, increasing the amount of light available for Arctic ecosystems and accelerating ice melt.