Evolution of Sea Ice Thickness Over Various Seas of the Arctic Region for the Years 2012–13 and 2018–19

Abstract

Sea ice is formed when ocean water freezes at a temperature of −1.8 °C. This ice formed over the ocean plays a crucial role in the global climate system. Most of the solar radiation which is incident on sea ice is reflected, and thus, it acts as the earth’s polar refrigerator by limiting the heat absorption. However, it is found over the decades that sea ice is declining dramatically, and this can cause various negative impacts. Firstly, the warming up of the poles disrupts the earth’s overall heat flow, and secondly, it alters the wind pattern by pushing more ice towards the Atlantic. The study aims at extracting the rate of growth and attainment of sea ice over various seas of the Arctic region. The seas mainly considered for the purpose of study are East Siberian, Kara and Barents. Using sea ice thickness data from NSIDC, for the year 2012–13 and 2018–19, various episodes of sea ice thickness over the region are distinctly identified and compared with each other. It is found that the fluctuation in sea ice thickness is different for each sea mainly due to its topography. Despite the cool nature of the Arctic, it is also found that unexpected warmth comes beneath the Arctic Ocean because of the high heat capacity of water, which in turn serves as the causative factor for mild climates in the coastal regions. On the contrary, land has a lower heat capacity, so it gets heated up quickly during the day and cools down with dawn. Not only the heat capacity factor but also other parameters such as pressure, temperature, wind, humidity and its related precipitation also contribute to the variation in sea ice thickness.