Patterns and Drivers of Sea ice dynamics in the Southern Ocean (PADOS)

applicants

Dr. Stephan Paul

Universität Bremen
Institut für Umweltphysik
Abteilung für Erdfernerkundung

Dr. Sascha Sebastian Willmes

Universität Trier
Fachbereich VI - Raum- und Umweltwissenschaften
Fach Umweltmeteorologie

project description

Sea ice in the polar ocean is characterized by a huge extent and strong dynamics. It is exposed to forces and energies extered by the ocean and the atmosphere that cause it to move, break up, pile up, and get anchored. Due to these features the physical properties of a sea-ice surface are subject to significant temporal and spatial variabilities und strongly impact the exchange processes and energy balance at the ocean-atmosphere interface. In this proposal we want to focus on processing, optimizing and integrating three key elements of sea-ice dynamics, namely leads, polynyas and fast ice, into a complex pan-Antarctic data set with a high spatial resolution. This will allow us to gain insight into typical patterns, temporal evolution and regional specifications of the sea ice cover. This knowledge will be used to analyze, which are the key drivers from the atmosphere and ocean for the sea-ice dynamics, how they potential interplay and to what extent feedbacks are involved. At the end, these results will contribute essentially to an improved understanding of air-sea-ice-ocean interactions and associated processes in the Antarctic.

DFG Programme Infrastructure Priority Programmes

term since 2022