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Amundsen_Science_Arctic_Expedition

Science icebreaker CCGS Amundsen cut its way through old sea ice. Just as ponds and lakes in northern states develop a layer of ice on their surfaces during cold winters, the surface of the Arctic Ocean also freezes, forming sea ice. Seawater has a lower freezing point than fresh water, but once it is chilled to around -2°C (about 28°F), the salty liquid begins to solidify. Ice crystals appear on the sea surface, and if the air is cold enough, the crystals expand to form a slushy mix, then a solid covering of ice that can thicken over time.

In the Arctic Ocean, the area covered by sea ice grows and shrinks over the course of the year. Each fall, as less sunlight reaches the Arctic and air temperatures begin to drop, additional sea ice forms. The total area covered by ice increases through the winter, usually reaching its maximum extent in early March. Once spring arrives, bringing more sunlight and higher temperatures, the ice begins to melt back, shrinking to its minimum extent each September. Sea ice minimum and maximum extents occur toward the end of summer and the end of winter in part because the ocean lags behind the atmosphere in warming up and cooling down.

Sea ice that hasn't yet survived a summer melt season is first-year ice. This thin, new ice is vulnerable to melt and disintegration in stormy conditions. Ice that survives a summer melt season can grow thicker and less salty—two things that make it more resistant to melt. Multiyear ice is more likely to survive temperatures that would melt first-year ice, and to survive waves and winds that would break up first-year ice.

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20180522_Amundsen_Science_Arctic_Expedition_MAP_164936_K.jpg
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© 2021 Marc-Andre Pauze - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Annual Amundsen Expedition
Science icebreaker CCGS Amundsen cut its way through old sea ice. Just as ponds and lakes in northern states develop a layer of ice on their surfaces during cold winters, the surface of the Arctic Ocean also freezes, forming sea ice. Seawater has a lower freezing point than fresh water, but once it is chilled to around -2°C (about 28°F), the salty liquid begins to solidify. Ice crystals appear on the sea surface, and if the air is cold enough, the crystals expand to form a slushy mix, then a solid covering of ice that can thicken over time.<br /> <br /> In the Arctic Ocean, the area covered by sea ice grows and shrinks over the course of the year. Each fall, as less sunlight reaches the Arctic and air temperatures begin to drop, additional sea ice forms. The total area covered by ice increases through the winter, usually reaching its maximum extent in early March. Once spring arrives, bringing more sunlight and higher temperatures, the ice begins to melt back, shrinking to its minimum extent each September. Sea ice minimum and maximum extents occur toward the end of summer and the end of winter in part because the ocean lags behind the atmosphere in warming up and cooling down.<br /> <br /> Sea ice that hasn't yet survived a summer melt season is first-year ice. This thin, new ice is vulnerable to melt and disintegration in stormy conditions. Ice that survives a summer melt season can grow thicker and less salty—two things that make it more resistant to melt. Multiyear ice is more likely to survive temperatures that would melt first-year ice, and to survive waves and winds that would break up first-year ice.