Extended Abstract (136K)9.1
Estimating Sea-ice Transport Using the Advanced Sensor Microwave Imager (AMSR)
Tom A. Agnew, Meteorological Service of Canada, Downsview, ON, Canada; and J. Vandeweghe and P. Yu
The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the EOS (AMSR-E) has more than double the spatial resolution of previous passive microwave sensors. The resolution of the highest spectral channel (89 GHz) is 5.4 km. This has allowed continuous wintertime estimation of sea-ice motion not only over the Arctic Ocean but in Baffin Bay/Davis Strait and even in the main channels of the Canadian Archipelago. Following a methodology similar to Kwok and Rothrock (1999), sea-ice motion and sea-ice concentration are combined to compare sea-ice area transport in Baffin Bay and Fram Strait during the winter of 2002/03 and 2003/04 (October to May). For the 2002/03 and 2003/04 winters, sea-ice area transport for Baffin Bay is 676,000 km2 and 626,000 km2 respectively compared to 749,000 and 797,000 for Fram Strait. The values for Fram Strait are inline with the 1978/2002 average transport of 754,00 km2 found by Kwok et al. (2004).
In future, sea-ice area transport through the main channels of the Canadian Archipelago (Nares Strait, Jones Sound and Lancaster Sound) is planned as part of an NSF/Search funded program called Canadian Archipelago Throughflow Study (CATS) that has as its main objective is to estimate the freshwater flux through the Canadian Archipelago. Eventually sea-ice motion and ice transport estimates will be compared to upward looking sonar which has been deployed in Nares Strait, Jones Sound and Lancaster Sound as part of this larger study.
Session 9, The Cryosphere - Sea Ice Motion, Thickness and Properties
Wednesday, 12 January 2005, 4:00 PM-5:30 PM
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