Ice drift experiment in the Svalbard-Greenland area

摘要

Ice drift speeds in the Svalbard-Greenland area were measured to help develop forecast rules for sea ice movements, to test numerical models for the ice circulation in the Arctic Basin, and to study the tidal influence upon the ice drift. Ice drift speed rates data may be used to estimate the outflow of ice from the Arctic Basin and thus serve as a control for the circulation models for the drift ice in the Arctic Ocean. Four buoys were constructed with RAMS transmitters for Nimbus 6 position location. Ice drift data were of interest both for drift conditions in this area and for future experiment planning. In the eastern part of the archipelago, buoys made large circular counter clockwise movements in highly concentrated drift ice during August and September. It is believed that this circulation was mostly wind driven, and is in opposite rotation to sea current circulation in this area. The RAMS position data were reliable and valuable for data collection in such remote and inaccessible areas.