Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting

The inaugural data from the first systematic program of sea-ice observations in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, in 2018 coincided with the first winter in living memory when the Sound was not choked with ice. The following winter of 2018–19 was even warmer and characterized by even less ice. Here we discuss...

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Main Authors: Andrew R. Mahoney, Kate E. Turner, Donna D. W. Hauser, Nathan J. M. Laxague, Jessica M. Lindsay, Alex V. Whiting, Carson R. Witte, John Goodwin, Cyrus Harris, Robert J. Schaeffer, Roswell Schaeffer, Sarah Betcher, Ajit Subramaniam, Christopher J. Zappa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2021-12-01
Series:Journal of Glaciology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143021000496/type/journal_article
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author Andrew R. Mahoney
Kate E. Turner
Donna D. W. Hauser
Nathan J. M. Laxague
Jessica M. Lindsay
Alex V. Whiting
Carson R. Witte
John Goodwin
Cyrus Harris
Robert J. Schaeffer
Roswell Schaeffer
Sarah Betcher
Ajit Subramaniam
Christopher J. Zappa
author_facet Andrew R. Mahoney
Kate E. Turner
Donna D. W. Hauser
Nathan J. M. Laxague
Jessica M. Lindsay
Alex V. Whiting
Carson R. Witte
John Goodwin
Cyrus Harris
Robert J. Schaeffer
Roswell Schaeffer
Sarah Betcher
Ajit Subramaniam
Christopher J. Zappa
author_sort Andrew R. Mahoney
collection DOAJ
description The inaugural data from the first systematic program of sea-ice observations in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, in 2018 coincided with the first winter in living memory when the Sound was not choked with ice. The following winter of 2018–19 was even warmer and characterized by even less ice. Here we discuss the mass balance of landfast ice near Kotzebue (Qikiqtaġruk) during these two anomalously warm winters. We use in situ observations and a 1-D thermodynamic model to address three research questions developed in partnership with an Indigenous Advisory Council. In doing so, we improve our understanding of connections between landfast ice mass balance, marine mammals and subsistence hunting. Specifically, we show: (i) ice growth stopped unusually early due to strong vertical ocean heat flux, which also likely contributed to early start to bearded seal hunting; (ii) unusually thin ice contributed to widespread surface flooding. The associated snow ice formation partly offset the reduced ice growth, but the flooding likely had a negative impact on ringed seal habitat; (iii) sea ice near Kotzebue during the winters of 2017–18 and 2018–19 was likely the thinnest since at least 1945, driven by a combination of warm air temperatures and a persistent ocean heat flux.
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spelling doaj.art-617078ce448f49218badd0bdc70b40132023-03-09T12:41:10ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522021-12-01671013102710.1017/jog.2021.49Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence huntingAndrew R. Mahoney0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8699-3175Kate E. Turner1Donna D. W. Hauser2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8236-7372Nathan J. M. Laxague3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0373-9236Jessica M. Lindsay4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0738-7856Alex V. Whiting5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0664-490XCarson R. Witte6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1004-2442John Goodwin7Cyrus Harris8Robert J. Schaeffer9Roswell Schaeffer10Sarah Betcher11Ajit Subramaniam12https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1316-5827Christopher J. Zappa13https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0041-2913University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USAUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New ZealandUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USAUniversity of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USAUniversity of Washington, Seattle, WA, USANative Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USAColumbia University, New York, NY, USANative Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USANative Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USANative Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USANative Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USAFarthest North Films, Homer, AK, USAColumbia University, New York, NY, USAColumbia University, New York, NY, USAThe inaugural data from the first systematic program of sea-ice observations in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, in 2018 coincided with the first winter in living memory when the Sound was not choked with ice. The following winter of 2018–19 was even warmer and characterized by even less ice. Here we discuss the mass balance of landfast ice near Kotzebue (Qikiqtaġruk) during these two anomalously warm winters. We use in situ observations and a 1-D thermodynamic model to address three research questions developed in partnership with an Indigenous Advisory Council. In doing so, we improve our understanding of connections between landfast ice mass balance, marine mammals and subsistence hunting. Specifically, we show: (i) ice growth stopped unusually early due to strong vertical ocean heat flux, which also likely contributed to early start to bearded seal hunting; (ii) unusually thin ice contributed to widespread surface flooding. The associated snow ice formation partly offset the reduced ice growth, but the flooding likely had a negative impact on ringed seal habitat; (iii) sea ice near Kotzebue during the winters of 2017–18 and 2018–19 was likely the thinnest since at least 1945, driven by a combination of warm air temperatures and a persistent ocean heat flux.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143021000496/type/journal_articleIce thickness measurementssea icesea-ice growth and decaysea-ice modelingsnow/ice surface processes
spellingShingle Andrew R. Mahoney
Kate E. Turner
Donna D. W. Hauser
Nathan J. M. Laxague
Jessica M. Lindsay
Alex V. Whiting
Carson R. Witte
John Goodwin
Cyrus Harris
Robert J. Schaeffer
Roswell Schaeffer
Sarah Betcher
Ajit Subramaniam
Christopher J. Zappa
Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting
Journal of Glaciology
Ice thickness measurements
sea ice
sea-ice growth and decay
sea-ice modeling
snow/ice surface processes
title Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting
title_full Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting
title_fullStr Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting
title_full_unstemmed Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting
title_short Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting
title_sort thin ice deep snow and surface flooding in kotzebue sound landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting
topic Ice thickness measurements
sea ice
sea-ice growth and decay
sea-ice modeling
snow/ice surface processes
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143021000496/type/journal_article
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