Interannual variability in summer Beaufort Sea ice conditions: Relationship to winter and summer surface and atmospheric variability

2003 ◽  
Vol 108 (C7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheldon D. Drobot
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Atmospheric Variability ◽  
Ice Conditions

Unusual Predation Attempts of Polar Bears on Ringed Seals in the Southern Beaufort Sea: Possible Significance of Changing Spring Ice Conditions

ARCTIC ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Stirling ◽  
Evan Richardson ◽  
Gregory W. Thiemann ◽  
Andrew E. Derocher
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Ringed Seals ◽  
Decadal Scale ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
Ice Conditions

In April and May 2003 through 2006, unusually rough and rafted sea ice extended for several tens of kilometres offshore in the southeastern Beaufort Sea from about Atkinson Point to the Alaska border. Hunting success of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) seeking seals was low despite extensive searching for prey. It is unknown whether seals were less abundant in comparison to other years or less accessible because they maintained breathing holes below rafted ice rather than snowdrifts, or whether some other factor was involved. However, we found 13 sites where polar bears had clawed holes through rafted ice in attempts to capture ringed seals (Phoca hispida) in 2005 through 2006 and another site during an additional research project in 2007. Ice thickness at the 12 sites that we measured averaged 41 cm. These observations, along with cannibalized and starved polar bears found on the sea ice in the same general area in the springs of 2004 through 2006, suggest that during those years, polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea were nutritionally stressed. Searches made farther north during the same period and using the same methods produced no similar observations near Banks Island or in Amundsen Gulf. A possible underlying ecological explanation is a decadal-scale downturn in seal populations. But a more likely explanation is major changes in the sea-ice and marine environment resulting from record amounts and duration of open water in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, possibly influenced by climate warming. Because the underlying causes of observed changes in polar bear body condition and foraging behaviour are unknown, further study is warranted.

scholarly journals Foraminiferal assemblage changes over the last 15,000 years on the Mackenzie-Beaufort Sea Slope and Amundsen Gulf, Canada: Implications for past sea ice conditions

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Scott ◽  
Trecia Schell ◽  
Guillaume St-Onge ◽  
André Rochon ◽  
Steve Blasco
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Foraminiferal Assemblage ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Amundsen Gulf

scholarly journals Characterizing sudden changes in Arctic sea ice drift and deformation on synoptic timescales

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer V. Lukovich ◽  
Cathleen A. Geiger ◽  
David G. Barber
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
Ice Drift ◽  
Shock Response ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Sea Ice Drift ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Ice Floes

Abstract. In this study, we develop a framework for the assessment of sudden changes in sea ice drift and associated deformation processes in response to atmospheric forcing and ice–coastal interactions, based on analysis of ice buoy triplet centroids and areas. Examined in particular is the spatiotemporal evolution in sea ice floes that are tracked with GPS beacons deployed in triplets in the southern Beaufort Sea at varying distances from the coastline in fall, 2009 – triplets A to D, with A (D) located closest to (furthest from) the coastline. This study illustrates the use of shock-response diagnostics to evaluate eight identified sudden changes or shock events on daily timescales. Results from this analysis show that shock events in the southern Beaufort Sea occur in at least one of two forms: (1) during a reversal in winds, or (2) sustained north/easterly winds, with response mechanisms governed by ice conditions and interactions with the coastline. Demonstrated also is the emergence of a shear-shock event (SSE) that results in reduced ice concentrations for triplets B, C, and D, one, three and five days following the SSE, respectively and loss of synchronicity in ice-atmosphere interactions. The tools developed in this study provide a unique characterization of sea ice dynamical processes in the southern Beaufort Sea, with implications for quantifying "shock-response" systems relevant for ice hazard assessments and forecasting applications required by oil and gas, marine transportation, and indigenous use of near shore Arctic areas.

scholarly journals Variability of ice conditions of the Bering sea and assessment of the possibility of their modelling

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 920-927
Author(s):  
V. V. Plotnikov ◽  
N. M. Vakulskaya ◽  
V. A. Dubina
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Bering Sea ◽  
Ice Cover ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Seasonal And Interannual Variability ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
The Bering Sea

Various aspects of seasonal and interannual variability of the sea ice cover are estimated on the basis of all available the Bering Sea ice data from 1960 to 2017. The possibility of long-term and superlong-term modeling of the ice cover is investigated. Results of tests are given, and a conclusion about prospects of the proposed model and an opportunity of its practical application is done.

Polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea II: Demography and population growth in relation to sea ice conditions

2007 ◽  
pp. 1-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M. Hunter ◽  
Hal Caswell ◽  
Michael C. Runge ◽  
Eric V. Regehr ◽  
Steven C. Amstrup ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Ice Conditions

Prévoir les variations saisonnières de la glace de mer arctique et leurs impacts sur le climat

2020 ◽  
pp. 024
Author(s):  
Rym Msadek ◽  
Gilles Garric ◽  
Sara Fleury ◽  
Florent Garnier ◽  
Lauriane Batté ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Recent Effort ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Upper Level

L'Arctique est la région du globe qui s'est réchauffée le plus vite au cours des trente dernières années, avec une augmentation de la température de surface environ deux fois plus rapide que pour la moyenne globale. Le déclin de la banquise arctique observé depuis le début de l'ère satellitaire et attribué principalement à l'augmentation de la concentration des gaz à effet de serre aurait joué un rôle important dans cette amplification des températures au pôle. Cette fonte importante des glaces arctiques, qui devrait s'accélérer dans les décennies à venir, pourrait modifier les vents en haute altitude et potentiellement avoir un impact sur le climat des moyennes latitudes. L'étendue de la banquise arctique varie considérablement d'une saison à l'autre, d'une année à l'autre, d'une décennie à l'autre. Améliorer notre capacité à prévoir ces variations nécessite de comprendre, observer et modéliser les interactions entre la banquise et les autres composantes du système Terre, telles que l'océan, l'atmosphère ou la biosphère, à différentes échelles de temps. La réalisation de prévisions saisonnières de la banquise arctique est très récente comparée aux prévisions du temps ou aux prévisions saisonnières de paramètres météorologiques (température, précipitation). Les résultats ayant émergé au cours des dix dernières années mettent en évidence l'importance des observations de l'épaisseur de la glace de mer pour prévoir l'évolution de la banquise estivale plusieurs mois à l'avance. Surface temperatures over the Arctic region have been increasing twice as fast as global mean temperatures, a phenomenon known as arctic amplification. One main contributor to this polar warming is the large decline of Arctic sea ice observed since the beginning of satellite observations, which has been attributed to the increase of greenhouse gases. The acceleration of Arctic sea ice loss that is projected for the coming decades could modify the upper level atmospheric circulation yielding climate impacts up to the mid-latitudes. There is considerable variability in the spatial extent of ice cover on seasonal, interannual and decadal time scales. Better understanding, observing and modelling the interactions between sea ice and the other components of the climate system is key for improved predictions of Arctic sea ice in the future. Running operational-like seasonal predictions of Arctic sea ice is a quite recent effort compared to weather predictions or seasonal predictions of atmospheric fields like temperature or precipitation. Recent results stress the importance of sea ice thickness observations to improve seasonal predictions of Arctic sea ice conditions during summer.

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