INCREASE OF SEA-ICE DRIFT VELOCITIES IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN

摘要

Variability in the drift of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean isrnan important parameter that can be used to characterisernthe thermodynamic processes in the Arctic. Knowledgernof the features of sea-ice drift (SID) in the Arctic Oceanrnis necessary for climate research, for an improvedrnunderstanding of polar ecology and as an aid to humanrnactivity in the Arctic Ocean. Monthly mean SIDrnvelocities, computed from remote sensing andrnInternational Arctic Buoy Programme buoy data, werernused to investigate the spatial and temporal variabilityrnof ice motion in the Arctic Ocean and Nordic seas fromrn1979. Low frequency variations of SID velocities, withrnperiods of 2.0-2.5 yrs and 5.0-6.0 yrs, are related tornreorganization of the atmospheric circulation over thernArctic. There is evidence that the average SID velocityrnfor the whole of the Arctic Ocean is increasing, with arnpositive trend for the period of last three decades.