Data-derived spatial-resolution errors of Antarctic sea-ice thickness
Abstract
Spatial-resolution errors (ER) of sea-ice thickness remain largely unquantified. We address this issue using remotely sensed ice charts and in situ ship observations of the Southern Ocean (south of -60°) to evaluate the appropriate observation frequency and length scales for continental-scale sea-ice studies. Sea-ice thickness is not normally distributed such that the mean, median and mode are distinct from each other. Averaging only retains the mean value, thereby reducing both bias and natural variability as sea-ice thickness is aggregated to coarse resolutions. Resolution errors evaluated for 1°, 2°, 3°, 4°, and 5° gridded sea-ice thickness datasets show the absolute ER increasing with grid-cell size from 0.02 m < ER < 0.40 m at 1° and 0.03 m < ER < 0.78 m for the 5° grid. Although the ER for gridded ice-chart product is lower (ER ≤ 0.20 m) than gridded ship observations (0.10 m < ER < 0.80 m), relative ER between datasets remains consistent. From these results, recommendations for dataset use and future sea-ice observation frequency and distribution schemes are discussed.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011AGUFM.C23B0492S
- Keywords:
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- 0750 CRYOSPHERE / Sea ice;
- 0772 CRYOSPHERE / Distribution