Chinese Journal of Polar Research

Chinese Journal of Polar Research ›› 2021, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (1): 71-87.DOI: 10. 13679/j.jdyj.20200009

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Long-term spatial and temporal variations of sea ice in the Northwest Passage of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Shen Xinyi 1, Zhang Yu 1,2,3, Chen Changsheng4,1,3, Hu Song 1,3   

  1. 1 College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China;
    2 Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, China;
    3 International Center for Marine Studies, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China;
    4 School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, New Bedford 02744, Massachusetts, USA
  • Received:2020-03-02 Revised:2020-04-26 Online:2021-03-31 Published:2021-03-26

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Abstract:

Navigation through the Northwest Passage of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago is heavily influenced by sea ice conditions. The model domain used in this study was divided into the northern, southern and intermediate areas. We studied the spatial and temporal characteristics of sea ice in the Northwest Passage between November 1978 and December 2017 and evaluated the ice conditions of the northern and southern routes by using Bootstrap sea ice concentrations from the National Sea and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and sea ice thicknesses from CryoSat-2, CS2SMOS and Arctic Ocean-Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (AO-FVCOM). Over the study period, sea ice concentration in the Northwest Passage was high in winter and spring, low in summer and fall, high in the north, and low in the south. Sea ice extent has decreased by –0.01×105 km2/decade (–0.77%/decade) in the northern area, –0.09×105 km2/decade (–3.50%/decade) in the southern area, and –0.12×104 km2/decade (–2.81%/decade) in the intermediate area. Sea ice thickness has decreased by –0.25 m/decade in the northern area and –0.13 m/decade in the southern area. Between November 1978 and December 2017, sea ice concentration, extent and thickness along the southern route were lower than those along the northern route. Ice conditions along the southern route were safer for navigation. We analyzed atmospheric and oceanic thermodynamic parameters that influence sea ice concentration and thickness. Surface air temperature and sea surface temperature in the study area have increased and are significantly and negatively correlated with the sea ice concentration and thickness of the northern and southern areas. However, there are no significant correlations between temperatures and sea ice thickness in the intermediate area.

Key words:

"> Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Northwest Passage, sea ice, SAT, SST