More whitish sea ice"goodbye" waves appeared through wavy clouds, likely under wind driven stratocumulus or altocumulus appearing slightly greyer on August 1, 2016. They now occupy top of sea water once covered by sea ice pans July 21 past. Break up and dispersion of once a huge solid ice field expanse, surrounding with water its broken up smaller pieces, accelerated the melting a great deal. At this date there are huge number of sea ice floes surrounded by open water everywhere in the Arctic.
Beaufort Sea comprises many drift zones, some intertwine, South of Banks island mainly Tidal driven ice tends to move East. Just to the west of Banks is Gyre driven to the Southwest, the 2 give similar but orientated "goodbye waves" according to prevailing current. We can see the gradual rapid melt in progress, but there are still thousands of incoming ice islands from CAB to turn to water.
Lincoln Sea opening to Nares Strait has always a significant tidal (southwards) drift, but in this case the winds, characterized by August 1 lens NW shaped Stratocumulus , easily push away the sea ice Northwestwards, note the "goodbye waves" appear the most fluid and mobile zooming like arrows with the wind. Northern Ellesmere ice conditions are now badly broken and can easily move open for miles in less than a day, it does so even in the dead of winter because of daily tidal activity causing the "big lead" at times , this is a good summer example. WD Aug31,2016
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