Multi‐year sea‐ice conditions in the western Canadian arctic archipelago region of the northwest passage: 1968–2006

Howell, Stephen E. L.; Tivy, Adrienne; Yackel, John J.; McCourt, Steve

doi:10.3137/ao.460203

Cited by 45 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Relatively thin ice (< 2 m) is mainly in the southern CAA, eastern Parry Channel, coast of Baffin Island, and within Hudson Bay. Invasion of the Arctic Ocean ice pack through the northern CAA openings and the advection from there into central Parry Channel are clearly shown in the figures, consistent with previous studies (e.g., Melling, 2002;Howell et al, 2008;Haas and Howell, 2015). During the winter, sea ice grows everywhere in the CAA regions due to the thermodynamic cooling (Fig.…”

Section: Spatial Distributionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Thermodynamic and dynamic ice thickness contributions in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in NEMO-LIM2 numerical simulations

Sun

Chan

et al. 2018

The Cryosphere

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Abstract. Sea ice thickness evolution within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) is of great interest to science, as well as local communities and their economy. In this study, based on the NEMO numerical framework including the LIM2 sea ice module, simulations at both 1/4 and 1/12 • horizontal resolution were conducted from 2002 to 2016. The model captures well the general spatial distribution of ice thickness in the CAA region, with very thick sea ice (∼ 4 m and thicker) in the northern CAA, thick sea ice (2.5 to 3 m) in the west-central Parry Channel and M'Clintock Channel, and thin (< 2 m) ice (in winter months) on the east side of CAA (e.g., eastern Parry Channel, Baffin Island coast) and in the channels in southern areas. Even though the configurations still have resolution limitations in resolving the exact observation sites, simulated ice thickness compares reasonably (seasonal cycle and amplitudes) with weekly Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) New Ice Thickness Program data at first-year landfast ice sites except at the northern sites with high concentration of old ice. At 1/4 to 1/12 • scale, model resolution does not play a significant role in the sea ice simulation except to improve local dynamics because of better coastline representation. Sea ice growth is decomposed into thermodynamic and dynamic (including all non-thermodynamic processes in the model) contributions to study the ice thickness evolution. Relatively smaller thermodynamic contribution to ice growth between December and the following April is found in the thick and very thick ice regions, with larger contributions in the thin ice-covered region. No significant trend in winter maximum ice volume is found in the northern CAA and Baffin Bay while a decline (r 2 ≈ 0.6, p < 0.01) is simulated in Parry Channel region. The two main contributors (thermodynamic growth and lateral transport) have high interannual variabilities which largely balance each other, so that maximum ice volume can vary interannually by ±12 % in the northern CAA, ±15 % in Parry Channel, and ±9 % in Baffin Bay. Further quantitative evaluation is required.

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Section: Spatial Distributionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Thermodynamic and dynamic ice thickness contributions in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in NEMO-LIM2 numerical simulations

Sun

Chan

et al. 2018

The Cryosphere

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“…Since the dynamical import of sea ice into M'Clintock Channel is larger than into Peel Sound, the sea-ice concentration in M'Clintock Channel is higher than that in Peel Sound in September. Similarly, the concentration (Howell et al, 2008). Terwisscha van Scheltinga et al (2010) studied sea-ice concentration and fluxes in the CAA using a sea-ice model coupled to a slab ocean.…”

Section: Summary and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Flow Constraints on Pathways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Wang

Myers

et al. 2012

Atmosphere-Ocean

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To identify flow pathways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, numerical model results were examined using two configurations of the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO). After correcting for shortwave radiation, the models captured much of the observed spatiotemporal structure of the sea-ice and ocean circulation in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, especially the southward flow in M'Clintock Channel and the cyclonic circulation in eastern Lancaster Sound. The southward flow in M'Clintock Channel is driven by ageostrophic accelerations and is controlled by topography. Vorticity dynamics analysis showed that both stratification and bathymetry have a strong impact on the circulation in eastern Lancaster Sound.RÉSUMÉ Pour identifier les trajets d'écoulement à travers l'archipel Arctique canadien, nous avons examiné les résultats de modèles numériques en utilisant deux configurations du NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean). Après avoir appliqué une correction visant à tenir compte du rayonnement de courtes longueurs d'onde, les modèles capturent la majeure partie de la structure spatiotemporelle de la glace de mer et de la circulation océanique dans l'archipel Arctique canadien, en particulier l'écoulement vers le sud dans le détroit de M'Clintock et la circulation cyclonique dans l'est du détroit de Lancaster. L'écoulement vers le sud dans le détroit de M'Clintock est dû à des accélérations agéostrophiques et est contrôlé par la topographie. L'analyse de la dynamique tourbillonnaire a montré que tant la stratification que la bathymétrie ont un effet marqué sur la circulation dans l'est du détroit de Lancaster.

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“…The oldest and thickest multi-year ice in the world lies on the north facing coast of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and this multi-year ice flows through Archipelago (and Northwest Passage) during the summer; a considerable amount of seasonal first-year ice is also promoted to multi-year ice within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Melling 2002). Both these sources act as a recovery mechanism for the Archipelago's multi-year ice whereby following a light ice year there has been historically a period of recovery (Howell et al 2008). Under increased warming and/or a longer melt season, first-year ice promotion is reduced but the resulting increased open water areas facilitate increased multi-year ice dynamic import from the Arctic Ocean into the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Howell et al 2009).…”

Section: Changing Sea Ice Conditions In the Northwest Passage: 1968 Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local-level responses to sea ice change and cruise tourism in Arctic Canada's Northwest Passage

et al. 2013

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Multi‐year sea‐ice conditions in the western Canadian arctic archipelago region of the northwest passage: 1968–2006

Cited by 45 publications

References 42 publications

Thermodynamic and dynamic ice thickness contributions in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in NEMO-LIM2 numerical simulations

Thermodynamic and dynamic ice thickness contributions in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in NEMO-LIM2 numerical simulations

Flow Constraints on Pathways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Local-level responses to sea ice change and cruise tourism in Arctic Canada's Northwest Passage

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