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The spectral distribution of light beneath first‐year sea ice in the Arctic Ocean 1
Author(s) -
Maykut Gary A.,
Grenfell Thomas C.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1975.20.4.0554
Subject(s) - sea ice , arctic , geology , downwelling , irradiance , oceanography , algae , arctic ice pack , range (aeronautics) , the arctic , atmospheric sciences , climatology , upwelling , physics , biology , ecology , materials science , optics , composite material
Spectral transmission data in the 400–1,000‐nm range were obtained from about 60 sites beneath first‐year sea ice near Point Barrow, Alaska. The amount of energy reaching the ocean depended strongly on the nature of the upper surface. Maximum transmission occurred in the 450–550‐nm region, regardless of surface conditions or ice thickness. Initial results were influenced by the presence of interstitial algae in the lower part of the ice. The characteristic signature of these algae was a secondary peak at about 540 nm. Results are generalized to provide estimates of the magnitude and composition of downwelling irradiance beneath the types of ice typically encountered in coastal portions of the Arctic Ocean.