MELT POND AND OPEN WATER FRACTION DURING THE ARCTIC SUMMER DERIVED FROM AIRBORNE VIDEO OBSERVATIONS

摘要

Aircraft observations of the Arctic surface were obtained during the recent Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) experiment. A series of images have been created from a downward-looking video camera that was mounted on the underside of the NCAR C-130 as it flew in the vicinity of the SHEBA camp, which was on the pack ice in the Beaufort Sea. These data are processed to determine the distribution of melt ponds and open water during five flights in July 1998. Melt pond and open water coverage vary between 25-34% and 3.6-5.6%, respectively. Melt holes are also identified, covering from 1-2.5% of the surface during the five days sampled.