Antarctic Sea Ice

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Antarctic Sea Ice
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Antarctic Sea Ice Processes and Climate (ASPeCt)

• A component of the SCAR (Scientific Committee on
  Antarctic Research) global change research
• Reports to SCAR via the Group of Specialist on
  Global Change and the Antarctic (GLOCHANT).
• Coordinated national contributions
• Potential co-sponsorship from CliC?

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ASPeCt Scientific Objectives

• Understand and model the role of Antarctic sea
  ice in the coupled atmosphere-ice-ocean system.
• Establish the distribution of the physical
  properties of Antarctic sea ice that are
  imporatnt to air-sea-interaction.
• Understand key sea ice zone processes

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ASPeCt

• Science and Implementation Plan (1998)
  www.antcrc.utas.edu.au/scar
• EOS article (brochure ) published.
• Ice observation protocols and observation
  methods CD-ROM
• Third meeting of the Science Steering Group,
  Fairbanks, Alaska, June 2000
• Informal SSG meeting, Ischi, Italy, Oct 2001

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ASPeCt Ice Snow Thickness Distributions

• Ongoing broad scale ship-based observations plus
  data rescue
• 63 voyages (16,000 obs)
• Additional 10 voyages being processed
• 3-year NSF funding to analyse data to produce sea
  ice climatology and GIS overlay

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ASPeCt Sea Ice Core Database

• All Antarctic sea ice core data in a standardised
  format
• crystal structure
• salinity
• stable isotopes
• nutrients
• other biological and chemical parameters

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ASPeCt National contributions

• AUSTRALIA
• MGP winter experiment (Aug 99)
• routine ship-based obs
• drifting buoys, IPS, inductive e-m ice thickness
• SAR remote sensing of fast ice extent and varn.
• remote sensing validation ice decay (Oct 03 )
• GERMANY
• 6 IPS moorings (Weddell), drifting buoys
• inductive e-m ice thickness
• remote sensing monitoring - Maud Rise
• 75 day Weddell ice station ecosystems and ice
  decay (??)
• ITALY
• polynya studies in Terra Nova Bay
• SAR remote sensing of sea ice (with UK)

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ASPeCt National contributions

• JAPAN
• routine ship-based observations
• inductive e-m ice thickness
• hydrographic obs under fast ice near Syowa
• remote sensing
• UK
• sophisticated drifting buoy arrays
• Autosub sea ice deployment (Dec 03)
• USA
• ship-based obs during US-APIS (Amundsen and
  E.Ross Seas) (Dec 99).
• Solar radiation processes in sea ice (with AUS)
  (Nov 01)
• remote sensing

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International Programme for Antarctic Buoys (IPAB)

• Self-sustaining programme of WCRP
• Representation at DBCP
• Established 1995 for 5 year trial
• 120 buoy deployments
• data to NSIDC
• Confirmed as an ongoing programme in 2000
• Coordinating office at SPRI, Cambridge, UK
• Ad-hoc exec meeting, Ischia, Oct 00

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IPAB - Objectives

• Maintain an optimum array of drifting buoys in
  the Antarctic SSIZ to
• support research in Antarctic SSIZ related to
  global climate processes
• provide real-time operational meteorological data
  
• establish a basis for on-going monitoring

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• Sea ice drift climatologies Weddell Sea and E.
  Antarctica
• Data distribution via NSIDC
• Calibration of SSMI satellite ice drift fields
• Operational impact on Aust BoM GASP analyses
• Jan-Mar 00 8/10 buoysgt55S rms impact 1.4-1.9
  hPa
• Apr-Jun 00 6/10 buoysgt55S rms impact 2.1-2.6
  hPa

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• Achieving and maintaining an optimum array
• Net divergence and loss of buoys from sea ice
  zone
• Little involvement from NMSs
• Change of data capture
• Expansion of platform types within IPAB

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• Self-sustaining programme of WCRP.
• Immediate objective is to establish a network of
  moored upward looking sonar buoys to make direct
  measurements of sea ice draft.

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Antarctic ULS
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AnITRP - Outcomes and Issues

• Mass balance of Weddell Sea pack (Fahrbach et
  al.)
• High rate of loss (icebergs) and instrument
  failure
• Interpretation of ice thickness record and
  standardisation of data format.
• Three meridional arrays around the Antarctic
• Calibration and extrapolation of auto-sub record
  and laser altimetry