Sessions

We seek papers and presentations on any timely topic related to sea ice across temporal and spatial scales, ranging from case studies to year-round investigations as during MOSAiC. All contributions may include and/or combine observational, numerical, theoretical, laboratory or conceptual approaches. Proposed session topics are:

  • Sea ice in the regional and global climate

    pSea ice is an important part of the climate system, responding to and affecting the regional and global climate. In this session, we invite submissions that focus on quantifying and/or explaining Arctic and Antarctic sea ice changes and variability in the past, present, or future and on connections and feedbacks between sea ice and other parts of the climate system (e.g., polar-mid-latitude linkages). Results can be based on observational data, remote sensing data, numerical modeling studies at various scales, or combinations of these. Furthermore, studies that show climatic impacts of improvements in numerical methods (e.g., improved parameterisations amp; coupling) are welcome./p

  • Antarctic sea ice - present and future

    pTopics in this session: Is Antarctica shifting to a new state? Arctic–Antarctic contrasts and similarities; What can we learn from one hemisphere for the other?/p

  • Sea ice processes and ocean-ice-atmosphere interaction

    pThe growth and melt of sea ice is strongly linked to atmospheric and oceanic processes. Its presence and evolution provides critical feedbacks to the other system components and the ecosystem. Sea ice processes affect both the atmosphere above and ocean below and these feedbacks also change seasonally in this tightly coupled system. In this session we seek work that aspires to improve our understanding of the coupled atmosphere-ice-ocean system and energy and mass transfer between these components, including heat, momentum, freshwater/salt and radiative transfer and exchanges, wave-ice interactions and propogation of swell, and solicit work that improves our understanding of these processes in the past, present and how these will evolve in the future. We welcome abstracts that cover observational, theoretical and numerical studies, or a combination of these./p

  • Snow on sea ice

    pSnow on sea ice has been highlighted as one of the most elusive polar climate variables. It is crucial for winter sea ice growth, summer sea ice cover albedo, light transmission through the ice, and biological productivity of ice-covered seas. Despite being relatively thin, snow exhibits complex vertical spatial and temporal variability. This not only challenges efficient sampling and process studies, but also any remote sensing - ground, airborne or satellite, of this climate-relevant material. In this session we welcome observational, remote sensing and modeling studies looking into snow properties like thickness, density, thermal and microwave properties. Studies of snow processes like metamorphism and redistribution are equally welcome./p

  • Sea ice thickness and roughness

    pThe ice thickness and roughness distributions are some of the most important sea ice properties as they integrate over the various thermodynamic and dynamic processes experienced by the ice since its formation, and provide information about the ice's state of development or decay. They are major climate change indicators, engineering design criteria, and measures for hazard potential of over-ice travel and marine operations. However, due to challenges of observing and modeling sea ice thickness and roughness there are relatively few studies documenting their regional and temporal variability and change, and the conditions of the ice's growth and deformation. Here we invite contributions from modeling, remote sensing, airborne, in-situ, and under-water studies that show variations and change of the ice thickness and/or roughness distributions in the Arctic and Antarctic. These can be from Arctic and Antarctic system science, ice engineering, or other applications. If available, interpretations of the processes that led to the observed or modeled thickness or roughness distributions are highly welcome.br /br //p

  • New technologies and methodological advances for sea ice observations

    pIce-covered oceans face rapid climate change which impacts sea-ice physical, chemical and biological properties. Due to high costs and logistical challenges inherent to sampling ice-covered areas, most current sea-ice studies are restricted to short and spatially-restricted sampling primarily focussed on the spring and summer seasons. This session invites presentations on novel technologies and methodological advances for year-round, cross-disciplinary and autonomous sea-ice observations, and laboratory physics experiment, as well as data integration and assimilation across various scales. We encourage submissions on novel capabilities, and limitations, of sampling platforms and in-situ sensors, novel concepts for integrated observatories, as well as new data fusion and sharing frameworks. We particularly invite papers on advances in airborne and underwater vehicle technology, robotic floats and gliders, autonomous buoys, ice tethered platforms and novel in-situ sensors designed to expand the observational record of coupled physical-biogeochemical-ecological processes in sea-ice zones, practical cases of innovative technologies and optimized observation strategies in the Arctic and Antarctic./p

  • Physical properties of sea ice

    pSea ice conditions are changing dramatically in both the Arctic and the Antarctic regions. Changes are not only seen by the striking reduction of ice extent and thickness but also by the physical properties of sea ice, such as density, salinity, isotope composition, mechanical parameters, microstructure, and albedo, which affect many physical, chemical, and biological processes in the polar ocean–ice–atmosphere climate system. It is crucially important to understand the role of the physical properties of sea ice and adopt accurate physical parameters and processes in the climate models. Given that the most important processes of sea ice, such as freezing/ melting, deformation, melt pond formation, breakup/ welding of ice floes, snow-sea ice interaction, and wave-ice interaction occur on regional scales, it is essential to improve our understanding of the linkage across time and space. In this session, we invite presentations with a special focus on observational, experimental, and modelling studies of the physical sea ice properties and associated processes investigations./p

  • Sea ice biogeochemistry and ice-associated ecosystems

    p Ocean warming, sea-ice decline, and altered seasonality impact on the biogeochemical properties of sea ice and are major concerns for polar marine ecosystems and correlated ecosystem services. Sea ice processes contributes to e.g. substantial fluxes of gases and aerosols, on CH4 emissions and on acidification processes, while sea ice and ice-associated food webs are vulnerable to perturbations at all trophic levels. The entire food web, from viruses, fungi, bacteria, and microalgae to different forms of meio- and macrofauna is affected by sea-ice changes. Sea ice also supports key under-ice foraging species, i.e. Arctic cod in the Arctic Ocean and Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean. These species are key for transferring carbon from primary producers to higher trophic levels up to humans. Due to their remote location and harsh conditions, observations in ice-covered oceans are spatially and temporally sparse and satellite remote sensors have limited applicability, leaving modelling efforts behind playing catch up. The paucity of sea-ice observations hinders our ability to understand, prepare for, and potentially mitigate the changes, calling for urgent new knowledge given high uncertainties in projections. This session calls for contributions that improve our understanding of sea ice biogeochemistry and ice-associated ecosystem dynamics in both polar oceans by e.g.: /p

    pbr /- taking advantage of existing datasetsbr /- evaluate new observational, modelling or hybrid methodologiesbr /- bridging the gap between models and observationsbr /- engaging in interdisciplinary studies · testing out-of-the box hypothesisbr /- looking at synoptic events and outliersbr /- linking different components of the coupled biophysical systembr /- using multiple temporal and/or spatial scalesbr /- shedding light on little known processesbr /- simulating future system dynamics under different climate change scenariosbr /- boosting synergies between the Arctic and Antarctic science communities/p

    p/p

  • Sea ice remote sensing

    pSatellite and airborne remote sensing has transformed our capacity to study the polar regions and has provided key observations to better understand sea ice variability and change. The more than 40-year time series of sea ice concentration is a key indicator of global climate change. Beyond ice extent and concentration, advances in instrument design and mission implementation now allow the retrieval of additional sea ice parameters from single or multiple sensors, including sea ice drift, thickness, age and type, ridging and deformation, as well as albedo, melt ponds and snow depth. New methods are needed to exploit and combine satellite data from multiple sources, focusing on appropriate synergies to extract information contained in the different observations. This includes identifying data gaps and limitations in existing satellite missions and evaluating the benefits of new sensors and future missions such as AMSR-3, CIMR, CRISTAL, HARMONY, SWOT and NISAR. Fully automated and data-driven approaches are required to exploit the enormous amount of available data, while in situ and airborne campaigns are needed for algorithm development and evaluation. This session will address all aspects of sea ice remote sensing including novel and advanced methodologies for the retrieval of sea ice parameters from microwave radiometers, altimeters, optical sensors and scatterometers, synthetic aperture radar-based geophysical information retrieval and sea ice classification approaches, high-resolution remote sensing, and results related to in situ and airborne validation./p

  • Climate Data Records of sea ice: what's next?

    pThe newest Implementation Plan of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS IP-22) was released in November 2022. This 5-year plan calls for preparing Climate Data Records (CDRs) for seven sea ice Essential Climate Variable (ECVs) (sea-ice concentration, thickness, motion, albedo, temperature, snow-depth, and age). Our focus in this session is on long (multi-decadal and multi-missions) climate data records, ideally covering both polar regions. We invite scientific presentations on state-of-the-art methods and/or datasets addressing the seven sea ice ECVs, especially the four variables recently introduced in GCOS IP-22 (albedo, temperature, snow-depth, age). We also welcome presentations about interfacing sea-ice CDRs with climate models (e.g., observation simulators, accounting for observation and model uncertainties, etc.), intercomparison of CDRs, and novel approaches to verifying climate simulations against CDRs. We will conclude the session with a discussion to highlight community recommendations for tackling the sea ice ECVs over the next 5 years./p

  • Multidisciplinary Arctic system studies – Tribute to David Barber

    pDr. David Barber (1960–2022) was a visionary Arctic researcher and a champion of Arctic system science. David specialized in Arctic sea-ice geophysics at both macroscale and microscale, and in the use of microwave remote sensing technologies to study the snow-sea ice system. David's contributions, however, went well beyond that. Recognizing the Arctic as a coupled physical, chemcial, biological, and human system, David championed a systems approach that crosses the discplines, sectors, and knowledge systems. In doing so, David built and led many major research teams, networks, and infrastructure in tackling some of the most pressing issues related to climate and environmental changes in the Arctic, their implications to Inuit and other Indigenous peoples, and teleconnections with other regions. In this session we honour the memory of David by showcasing new developments in multidisciplinary Arctic system science and remote sensing, atmosphere-ice-ocean coupling, freshwater-marine coupling, and the legacy of the work of David Barber./p

  • Human use and sea ice services

    pTopics in this session: indigenous sea ice knowledge and use; community-based monitoring programmes; shipping and resource development in ice-covered waters; sea ice management; sea ice engineering; information systems; adaptation and mitigation./p

  • Arctic and Antarctic landfast sea ice

    pLandfast sea ice (fast ice) is the form of sea ice most commonly encountered by people and plays many important roles in coastal polar seas, yet is now regarded as a “missing piece of the puzzle”. Unlike the drifting ice pack, we lack routine daily observations of its extent or physics-based predictions of its future state. To bring more attention to this often-underrepresented component of the nearshore sea-ice environment, we welcome abstracts on any aspect of fast ice, and particularly those that promote exchange of ideas between hemispheres./p

  • Sea ice deformation, leads, and ridges on temporal and spatial scales

    pSea ice deformation forms cracks and leads, and rafts and ridges under shear, divergent and convergent motion, respectively. Consequently, sea ice deformation strongly impacts the exchanges of energy and matter between the ocean and atmosphere, the ice surface heterogeneity, snow redistribution, and the sea ice mass balance. This session invites contributions on new findings on sea ice deformation and sea-ice mechanics based on in-situ, remote-sensing, and modeling studies covering Arctic or Antarctic sea ice. In particular, we welcome studies examining linkages between local and large-scale sea ice dynamics. Furthermore, we encourage presentations focusing on the impact of leads and ridges on ocean-atmosphere exchange./p