Sunday, February 18, 2024

NW Canadian Arctic archipelago littoral thin ice surviving tidal ridging, one more never seen before event

 ~As a result of overall thinner sea ice combined with lesser extent at minima,  the Archipelago coast has a new look

~A totally new Arctic Ocean feature, an introduction to the future shape of winter sea ice to come.


January 9 2023,  a polarview not unlike preceding years, perhaps with some thinner ice compared to the 80's, ridging near the coast can be clearly seen along with tidal frozen shore leads.  The Islands of the arhipelago, have different topography,  Borden Island (top left), Elef Ringnes 2nd from left,  Meighen Island is the little one next to mountainous  Fjord rich Axel Heiberg extreme right.

Impossible scenery December 23 2023.  there is a wide open area of very thin sea ice all along the same coast.  Not a fierce storm temporary feature.  Thin "black" ice was there for quite some time. It was predicted that the coast would be freer seai ice at minima,  this new sea ice was likely frozen in place sometimes in October.   

Very peculiar new sea ice,  never  seen so wide offshore lasting very long.


 Lasting the entire month of Januar 2024.  Remarkable,  in the past, Arctic Ocean sea ice would have crushed this newer thinner shore sea ice in a matter of days.

A closer look loop of January 23 to February 16 2024, reveals the tidal breaking of all ice, new and old, moving in unison in the direction of the Arctic Ocean tidal gyre.  There were several breaks similar to this. Thinner sea ice would break easier.  However, the lack of ridging seems permanent,  indicating a significant change in sea ice dynamics, this is quite unfamiliar, of course expected when the icescape features are fundamentally very different in overall thickness along with major weather pattern changes. WD February 18, 2024 


 

No comments:

Post a Comment