The image shows melting sea ice in the Arctic photographed from the Alfred Wegener IceBird Institute’s aerial sea ice survey. Alfred-Wegener Institute / Esther Horvath
The image shows melting sea ice in the Arctic photographed from the Alfred Wegener IceBird Institute’s aerial sea ice survey. Alfred-Wegener Institute / Esther Horvath
Researchers measuring sea ice thickness in the Arctic. Christian Zoelly / Norwegian Polar Institute
Groundbreaking research deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite modeling means Arctic sea ice thickness can be measured year-round for the first time, bringing significant forecasting benefits future weather and shipping in the region.
The study, published today in Nature and led by researchers from the University of Bristol and UiT The Arctic University of Norway, provides the first dataset showing sea ice thickness across the Arctic throughout the year.
Lead author Dr Jack Landy, a sea ice scientist at UiT and previously at Bristol, said: “Arctic ice is melting faster than ever before. We need knowledge of sea ice thickness, both to reduce security risks to Arctic shipping and business, as well as to make predictions about future climate.”
Satellites have been used to measure ice thickness in the Arctic since the 1980s. But the technique has only worked in winter, from October to March, when the ice and snow are cold and dry
“In the summer months, the satellites are dazzled by pools of snow and ice melt water that accumulate on the surface of the sea ice. Then they could not distinguish between ice melt and water,” said Dr. Landy.
To solve the problem, the researchers adopted artificial intelligence (AI) and examined previous satellite data. Now they know when satellites record ice and when they record ocean.
In addition, the team has built a new computer model of the satellite sensor to ensure it is measuring the correct height and thickness, which is beneficial to the shipping industry.
Shipping in the Arctic has increased rapidly in recent years, due to the melting of the ice. Particularly in the Barents Sea and near Svalbard, maritime activity is high during the summer. To navigate safely, ships need advance information about where ice is and how thick it is.
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute provides sea ice forecasts for the Arctic, but does not have reliable data on ice thickness for the summer months.
“Using the new satellite data, we can finally make ice thickness-informed sea ice forecasts, not only for winter, but also for summer. This will reduce safety risks for ships and vessels of fishing,” said Dr. Landy.
“We can also predict whether or not there will be ice at a given location in September by measuring the ice thickness in May.”
The findings are also of great importance to our understanding of weather and climate, as the new data can be used in advanced climate models to improve forecasts.
Co-author Dr Geoffrey Dawson, Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol, said: “We can use the new ice thickness data in advanced climate models to improve short-term weather forecasts and our predictions of what weather we will have years from now. come.
“This work was only possible thanks to the excellent data provided by the CryoSat-2 satellite.”
paper
“A year-round satellite sea ice thickness record from CryoSat-2” by Dr Jack C. Landy et al in Nature.
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