Tracking the Record Sea Ice Minimum in the Arctic Using National Ice Center Charts
Abstract
The National/Naval Ice Center (NIC), in Suitland, MD, produces routine analyses of sea ice coverage in the Arctic. We create a Northern Hemispheric analyses based on bi-weekly charts for over 30 individual areas. Weekly charts of several key areas such as the High Arctic, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, North Sea, and Kara Sea are also produced. To create these charts, analysts at the NIC pool all available data sources including satellite imagery, buoy and shipboard in-situ observations, and models. During the 2007 sea ice season, the NIC charts confirmed observations from other groups (e.g, NSIDC Sea Ice Index, JPL QuikSCAT) that the previous Arctic sea ice minimum recorded in September 2005 was surpassed. NIC charts were also used to monitor the navigability of the both the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Routes, which are historically ice-infested. Using the NIC sea ice climatology database shows that the routes reached levels of "openness" in 2007 which have not been observed in recent history.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007AGUFM.U41C0614W
- Keywords:
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- 0750 Sea ice (4540);
- 0758 Remote sensing;
- 1621 Cryospheric change (0776)