Sea Ice Heterogeneity as a Result of Ocean Eddy Activity During the Ice Growth Season

Abstract Mesoscale eddies, generated by lateral gradients in salinity and temperature in the Arctic marginal ice zone, are known to modulate the melting of sea ice. Yet, it remains unclear if eddies modify sea ice growth during the freezing season. Here, we use idealized spin‐down simulations of a f...

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Main Authors: Josué Martínez‐Moreno, Camille Lique, Claude Talandier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113645
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author Josué Martínez‐Moreno
Camille Lique
Claude Talandier
author_facet Josué Martínez‐Moreno
Camille Lique
Claude Talandier
author_sort Josué Martínez‐Moreno
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Mesoscale eddies, generated by lateral gradients in salinity and temperature in the Arctic marginal ice zone, are known to modulate the melting of sea ice. Yet, it remains unclear if eddies modify sea ice growth during the freezing season. Here, we use idealized spin‐down simulations of a front to explore the sea ice growth above an eddying ocean. In the presence of eddies, mixing of the sea surface temperature and salinity induces spatial variability in the heat and salt fluxes at the ice‐ocean interface, imprinting spatial variability on the sea ice thickness. Sea ice thickness shows an order of magnitude more spatial variability in our simulations with strong eddies compared to those without. Increased spatial heterogeneity in the sea ice could make it more brittle and affect its evolution. This effect may become more pronounced as the Arctic transitions to a summer open‐ocean regime and the eddy field intensifies.
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spelling doaj-art-08c86cb028c8465cb417691d95d8ef592025-08-20T02:06:28ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-02-01523n/an/a10.1029/2024GL113645Sea Ice Heterogeneity as a Result of Ocean Eddy Activity During the Ice Growth SeasonJosué Martínez‐Moreno0Camille Lique1Claude Talandier2Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS) University of Brest/Ifremer/IRD/CNRS Brest FranceLaboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS) University of Brest/Ifremer/IRD/CNRS Brest FranceLaboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS) University of Brest/Ifremer/IRD/CNRS Brest FranceAbstract Mesoscale eddies, generated by lateral gradients in salinity and temperature in the Arctic marginal ice zone, are known to modulate the melting of sea ice. Yet, it remains unclear if eddies modify sea ice growth during the freezing season. Here, we use idealized spin‐down simulations of a front to explore the sea ice growth above an eddying ocean. In the presence of eddies, mixing of the sea surface temperature and salinity induces spatial variability in the heat and salt fluxes at the ice‐ocean interface, imprinting spatial variability on the sea ice thickness. Sea ice thickness shows an order of magnitude more spatial variability in our simulations with strong eddies compared to those without. Increased spatial heterogeneity in the sea ice could make it more brittle and affect its evolution. This effect may become more pronounced as the Arctic transitions to a summer open‐ocean regime and the eddy field intensifies.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113645mesoscale eddiesarctic oceaneddy‐sea ice interactions
spellingShingle Josué Martínez‐Moreno
Camille Lique
Claude Talandier
Sea Ice Heterogeneity as a Result of Ocean Eddy Activity During the Ice Growth Season
Geophysical Research Letters
mesoscale eddies
arctic ocean
eddy‐sea ice interactions
title Sea Ice Heterogeneity as a Result of Ocean Eddy Activity During the Ice Growth Season
title_full Sea Ice Heterogeneity as a Result of Ocean Eddy Activity During the Ice Growth Season
title_fullStr Sea Ice Heterogeneity as a Result of Ocean Eddy Activity During the Ice Growth Season
title_full_unstemmed Sea Ice Heterogeneity as a Result of Ocean Eddy Activity During the Ice Growth Season
title_short Sea Ice Heterogeneity as a Result of Ocean Eddy Activity During the Ice Growth Season
title_sort sea ice heterogeneity as a result of ocean eddy activity during the ice growth season
topic mesoscale eddies
arctic ocean
eddy‐sea ice interactions
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113645
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AT camillelique seaiceheterogeneityasaresultofoceaneddyactivityduringtheicegrowthseason
AT claudetalandier seaiceheterogeneityasaresultofoceaneddyactivityduringtheicegrowthseason