Sea Ice in the Arctic Ocean: More Mobile, Fragmented, and Unpredictable Than Ever

Sea ice is a key component of the Arctic ecosystem and climate system, but it is also highly sensitive to changes in temperature, wind, ocean currents, and other factors.

A new study led by researchers at Brown University offered fresh insights into how sea ice moves and disperses in the Arctic Ocean, which is warming at over twice the rate of the global average.

How sea ice responds to different ocean currents and seafloor features

(Photo : JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, used data from the largest ever drifting sea-ice buoy array, along with 20 years of satellite images, to examine sea ice motion as it drifted from the Arctic Ocean through a deep-water passage called the Fram Strait and eventually into the Greenland Sea.

The Fram Strait is a crucial region for sea ice export from the Arctic, as it connects the central Arctic basin with the North Atlantic Ocean.

The researchers found that sea ice motion in the Fram Strait is strongly influenced by different ocean currents and seafloor features.

They identified four distinct zones where sea ice behaves differently depending on the local conditions.

The first zone is the central Arctic, where the ice is mostly moving as a whole and following wind patterns.

The second zone is the northern Fram Strait, where the ice encounters a strong eastward current that accelerates its drift.

The third zone is the southern Fram Strait, where the ice interacts with a complex system of tidal currents that vary in direction and intensity.

The fourth zone is the Greenland Sea, where the ice slows down and disperses due to weaker currents and warmer waters.

The researchers also discovered that the seafloor plays a crucial role in shaping sea ice motion, especially in the third and fourth zones.

According to the study, the e landscape at the ocean floor, such as canyons and continental shelves, affects tides and other ocean currents.

As the sea ice passes over these undersea features, it experiences sharp changes in its dynamics, such as dramatic gains in speed or motions that force the ice to pack in close together or even break apart.

Also Read: Climate Crisis: Ground Temperatures Reaches 118 Degrees in the Arctic Circle

Why this study matters for understanding and predicting Arctic Sea ice

The study provided an unprecedented look at how sea ice responds to different ocean currents and seafloor features in one of the most important regions for Arctic Sea ice export.

The results can help improve complex computer simulations used for forecasting Arctic Sea ice conditions, which are currently limited by uncertainties in representing ocean currents and seafloor topography.

The study also contributes to a better understanding of how climate change is altering the Arctic and its implications for the planet.

The Arctic is the fastest warming part of the globe and it has long been understood that sea ice plays an important role in regulating Earth's climate.

For instance, sea ice acts like a reflective surface that deflects how much sunlight is absorbed by Earth.

As it disappears, more sunlight is absorbed, leading to a warmer planet.

Many scientists also expect that as Arctic Sea ice vanishes, weather across the Northern Hemisphere will be impacted, producing periods of bitter cold, punishing heat waves, and disastrous floods.

With this study, the researchers wanted to delve deeper into the changes happening in this critically important part of Earth.

They hoped that their findings will inspire more research on how ocean currents and seafloor features affect sea ice motion in other regions of the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as how these interactions may change in the future under different climate scenarios.

Related article: Arctic Tundra to Disappear in 30 Years Due to Climate Change