Impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long-term changes in Baffin Bay early spring sea ice thickness
<p>In the Arctic, multi-year sea ice is being rapidly replaced by seasonal sea ice. Baffin Bay, situated between Greenland and Canada, is part of the seasonal ice zone. In this study, we present a long-term multi-mission assessment (2003–2020) of spring sea ice thickness in Baffin Bay from sat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-10-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/4909/2021/tc-15-4909-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818965485464584192 |
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| author | I. A. Glissenaar J. C. Landy J. C. Landy A. A. Petty A. A. Petty N. T. Kurtz J. C. Stroeve J. C. Stroeve J. C. Stroeve |
| author_facet | I. A. Glissenaar J. C. Landy J. C. Landy A. A. Petty A. A. Petty N. T. Kurtz J. C. Stroeve J. C. Stroeve J. C. Stroeve |
| author_sort | I. A. Glissenaar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>In the Arctic, multi-year sea ice is being rapidly replaced by seasonal sea ice. Baffin Bay, situated between Greenland and Canada, is part of the
seasonal ice zone. In this study, we present a long-term multi-mission assessment (2003–2020) of spring sea ice thickness in Baffin Bay from
satellite altimetry and sea ice charts. Sea ice thickness within Baffin Bay is calculated from Envisat, ICESat, CryoSat-2, and ICESat-2 freeboard
estimates, alongside a proxy from the ice chart stage of development that closely matches the altimetry data. We study the sensitivity of sea ice
thickness results estimated from an array of different snow depth and snow density products and methods for redistributing low-resolution snow data
onto along-track altimetry freeboards. The snow depth products that are applied include a reference estimated from the Warren climatology, a passive
microwave snow depth product, and the dynamic snow scheme SnowModel-LG. We find that applying snow depth redistribution to represent small-scale
snow variability has a considerable impact on ice thickness calculations from laser freeboards but was unnecessary for radar freeboards. Decisions
on which snow loading product to use and whether to apply snow redistribution can lead to different conclusions on trends and physical
mechanisms. For instance, we find an uncertainty envelope around the March mean sea ice thickness of 13 % for different snow depth/density
products and redistribution methods. Consequently, trends in March sea ice thickness from 2003–2020 range from <span class="inline-formula">−</span>23 to 17 <span class="inline-formula">cm</span> per decade,
depending on which snow depth/density product and redistribution method is applied. Over a longer timescale, since 1996, the proxy ice chart
thickness product has demonstrated statistically significant thinning within Baffin Bay of 7 <span class="inline-formula">cm</span> per decade. Our study provides further evidence
for long-term asymmetrical trends in Baffin Bay sea ice thickness (with <span class="inline-formula">−</span>17.6 <span class="inline-formula">cm</span> per decade thinning in the west and
10.8 <span class="inline-formula">cm</span> per decade thickening in the east of the bay) since 2003. This asymmetrical thinning is consistent for all combinations of snow
product and processing method, but it is unclear what may have driven these changes.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:17:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-42b6846418f44f2c8cf654d64361c64a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:17:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-42b6846418f44f2c8cf654d64361c64a2022-12-21T19:39:29ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242021-10-01154909492710.5194/tc-15-4909-2021Impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long-term changes in Baffin Bay early spring sea ice thicknessI. A. Glissenaar0J. C. Landy1J. C. Landy2A. A. Petty3A. A. Petty4N. T. Kurtz5J. C. Stroeve6J. C. Stroeve7J. C. Stroeve8Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKBristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKThe Earth Observation Laboratory, Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayCryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USAEarth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USACryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USACentre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UKNational Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA<p>In the Arctic, multi-year sea ice is being rapidly replaced by seasonal sea ice. Baffin Bay, situated between Greenland and Canada, is part of the seasonal ice zone. In this study, we present a long-term multi-mission assessment (2003–2020) of spring sea ice thickness in Baffin Bay from satellite altimetry and sea ice charts. Sea ice thickness within Baffin Bay is calculated from Envisat, ICESat, CryoSat-2, and ICESat-2 freeboard estimates, alongside a proxy from the ice chart stage of development that closely matches the altimetry data. We study the sensitivity of sea ice thickness results estimated from an array of different snow depth and snow density products and methods for redistributing low-resolution snow data onto along-track altimetry freeboards. The snow depth products that are applied include a reference estimated from the Warren climatology, a passive microwave snow depth product, and the dynamic snow scheme SnowModel-LG. We find that applying snow depth redistribution to represent small-scale snow variability has a considerable impact on ice thickness calculations from laser freeboards but was unnecessary for radar freeboards. Decisions on which snow loading product to use and whether to apply snow redistribution can lead to different conclusions on trends and physical mechanisms. For instance, we find an uncertainty envelope around the March mean sea ice thickness of 13 % for different snow depth/density products and redistribution methods. Consequently, trends in March sea ice thickness from 2003–2020 range from <span class="inline-formula">−</span>23 to 17 <span class="inline-formula">cm</span> per decade, depending on which snow depth/density product and redistribution method is applied. Over a longer timescale, since 1996, the proxy ice chart thickness product has demonstrated statistically significant thinning within Baffin Bay of 7 <span class="inline-formula">cm</span> per decade. Our study provides further evidence for long-term asymmetrical trends in Baffin Bay sea ice thickness (with <span class="inline-formula">−</span>17.6 <span class="inline-formula">cm</span> per decade thinning in the west and 10.8 <span class="inline-formula">cm</span> per decade thickening in the east of the bay) since 2003. This asymmetrical thinning is consistent for all combinations of snow product and processing method, but it is unclear what may have driven these changes.</p>https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/4909/2021/tc-15-4909-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | I. A. Glissenaar J. C. Landy J. C. Landy A. A. Petty A. A. Petty N. T. Kurtz J. C. Stroeve J. C. Stroeve J. C. Stroeve Impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long-term changes in Baffin Bay early spring sea ice thickness The Cryosphere |
| title | Impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long-term changes in Baffin Bay early spring sea ice thickness |
| title_full | Impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long-term changes in Baffin Bay early spring sea ice thickness |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long-term changes in Baffin Bay early spring sea ice thickness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long-term changes in Baffin Bay early spring sea ice thickness |
| title_short | Impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long-term changes in Baffin Bay early spring sea ice thickness |
| title_sort | impacts of snow data and processing methods on the interpretation of long term changes in baffin bay early spring sea ice thickness |
| url | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/4909/2021/tc-15-4909-2021.pdf |
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