Method to characterize directional changes in Arctic sea ice drift and associated deformation due to synoptic atmospheric variations using Lagrangian dispersion statistics

Abstract

Abstract. A framework is developed to assess the directional changes in sea ice drift paths and associated deformation processes in response to atmospheric forcing. The framework is based on Lagrangian statistical analyses leveraging particle dispersion theory which tells us whether ice drift is in a subdiffusive, diffusive, ballistic, or superdiffusive dynamical regime using single-particle (absolute) dispersion statistics. In terms of sea ice deformation, the framework uses two-and three-particle dispersion to characterize along-and across-shear transport as well as differential kinematic parameters. The approach is tested with GPS beacons deployed in triplets on sea ice in the southern Beaufort Sea at varying distances from the coastline in fall of 2009 with eight individual events characterized. One transition in particular follows the sea level pressure (SLP) high on 8 October in 2009 while the sea ice drift was in a superdiffusive dynamic regime. In this case, the dispersion scaling exponent (which is a slope between single-particle absolute dispersion of sea ice drift and elapsed time) changed from superdiffusive (α ∼ 3) to ballistic (α ∼ 2) as the SLP was rounding its maximum pressure value. Following this shift between regimes, there was a loss in synchronicity between sea ice drift and atmospheric motion patterns. While this is only one case study, the outcomes suggest similar studies be conducted on more buoy arrays to test momentum transfer linkages between storms and sea ice responses as a function of dispersion regime states using scaling exponents. The tools and framework developed in this study provide a unique characterization technique to evaluate these states with respect to sea ice processes in general. Application of these techniques can aid ice hazard assessments and weather forecasting in support of marine transportation and indigenous use of near-shore Arctic areas.

A baseline evaluation of oceanographic and sea ice conditions in the Hudson Bay Complex during 2016–2018

“…To enable comparisons for the same time frame as in the present analysis (i.e., 1981-2018), the NSIDC sea ice drift product was used. Lagrangian sea ice drift data from beacons deployed in February 2017 were further analyzed to characterize sea ice drift and deformation based on beacon triplets (following Lukovich et al, 2015;Lukovich et al, 2017), and the blizzard/extreme event in particular. Five of the 25 beacons deployed off the coast of Churchill were examined, as these instruments provided data prior to, during, and following the March 2017 storm.…”

“…In this study, we analyzed Lagrangian dispersion statistics using measurements from ice beacons deployed during the BaySys field campaigns, as outlined in Lukovich et al (2011Lukovich et al ( , 2015Lukovich et al ( , 2017. Examined in particular is singleparticle dispersion defined as…”

“…Temporal scaling maps depict scaling exponent values along ice beacon trajectories for the time frame considered. Three-particle dispersion (Prinsenberg et al, 1998;Hutchings et al, 2011;Lukovich et al, 2017) was evaluated according to the time rate of change in triplet area, A, to compute sea ice divergence, D ¼ 1…”

Annual Cycles of Sea Ice Motion and Deformation Derived From Buoy Measurements in the Western Arctic Ocean Over Two Ice Seasons

“…Only buoys that operated through the end of October were considered in this study. Data collected within 200 km from the coast were discarded because coastline geometry may influence the ice deformation (Lukovich et al, 2017). The position data from two Ice-Tethered Profiler (ITP) units (No.…”

“…A third method computes differential kinematic properties (DKPs) from data collected by denser buoy clusters (e.g., Heil et al, 2008; Hutchings & Hibler III, 2008). It provides synchronous estimations of the normal and shear components, which cannot be obtained from the calculations of single‐ or two‐particle dispersion (Lukovich et al, 2017). However, most ice drifters deployed in the Arctic Ocean are typically insufficiently clustered because buoys have been deployed during different campaigns or because the integrity of the buoy cluster has been destroyed by ice melt and/or ice divergence after initial deployment.…”