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Insights from Remote Sensing and Inuit Observations on Changing Sea Ice: Baffin Bay Region

Explore the impact of declining sea ice cover on Arctic communities through satellite data and traditional Inuit knowledge. Compare quantifiable trends with subjective observations to gain a holistic view of changing conditions in the Baffin Bay region.

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Insights from Remote Sensing and Inuit Observations on Changing Sea Ice: Baffin Bay Region

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  1. Bridging Perspectives from Remote Sensing and Inuit Communities on Changing Sea Ice Cover in the Baffin Bay Region Walt Meier, Julienne Stroeve National Snow and Ice Data Center Shari Gearheard Harvard University

  2. Introduction • Arctic has been experiencing significant downward trend in ice cover • Large trends in summer • Now detectable trends in winter • 2002 to 2005 lowest summers in satellite record • Decreasing ice cover has potentially large ramifications for climate, wildlife, and humans September Arctic Sea Ice Extent, 1979-2005

  3. Motivation • Decreasing sea ice is already having an impact on indigenous populations, affecting several Inuit communities the Baffin Bay region • Inuit traditional knowledge provide a qualitative assessment of change • Compare Inuit knowledge with satellite records of sea ice in Baffin Bay to put recent observed changes into perspective

  4. Baffin Bay Region Grise Fjord Qaanaaq Nares Strait Pond Inlet Greenland Baffin Bay Clyde River Baffin Island Davis Strait N Baffin Bay Region

  5. Satellite Observations • SMMR and SSM/I passive microwave • 1978 – present, daily coverage • 25 km gridded resolution • NASA Team algorithm • Produced at NASA Goddard, archived at NSIDC

  6. March 79-00 Mean Trend -2.4%/decade July -16.7%/decade October -24.2%/decade

  7. Sea Ice Concentration 2002 2003 2004 2005 Concentration (%) 1979-2000 Mean Extent 0 100

  8. Concentration Anomaly 2002 2003 2004 2005 Concentration Anomaly (%) 1979-2000 Mean Extent 0 -50 +50

  9. Melt Onset Anomaly 2002 2003 2004 2005 Melt Anomaly (Days) 0 -25 +25

  10. NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Mar-May Mean 2002-2005 Surface Air Temperature Anomaly Mar-May Mean 2002-2005 Sea Level Pressure Anomaly http://www.cdc.noaa.gov

  11. NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Mar-May Mean 2002-2005 Surface Air Temperature Anomaly Jun-Aug Mean 2002-2005 Surface Air Temperature Anomaly http://www.cdc.noaa.gov

  12. Satellite Observations • Provide quantitative assessment of changes in sea ice • Provide large-scale view of changes • Clearly indicate a decline in Baffin Bay, in general agreement with Arctic as a whole, though there are some differences • Have low spatial resolution • can’t resolve details of ice cover • limited effectiveness in coastal areas

  13. Inuit Observations • Local observations – can’t be obtained consistently from satellite • Qualitative • Primarily coastal • Oral tradition – long record of observation • Provide context for impacts of changes in sea ice

  14. Inuit Observations “The texture of the sea ice is softer now…it doesn’t seem to freeze as hard as it used to. I have known the sea ice all my life and the condition of it. Today, there is more packed ice, crumbled, the condition of it was not like that before” Apak Qaqqasiq Clyde River, 2003

  15. Inuit Observations • Primary observation is that ice is “softer”: mushy, weaker • Reason for softer ice: • Winds blow snow onto forming ice during freeze-up • Snow mixes with water to create “lard-like” mixture, called punnirujuk • Punnirujuk could be contributing to later freeze-up and earlier melt

  16. Impacts of Sea Ice Changes

  17. Impacts on Greenland • More open water is source for moisture  record snowfall in west Greenland in 2005 • More open water is source of heat  record melt in west Greenland in 2005 http://cires.colorado.edu/science/groups/steffen/greenland/melt2005/

  18. Summary • Satellite observations provide quantitative assessment of large-scale sea ice conditions • Inuit observations • provide qualitative assessment of local sea ice conditions • include coastal areas where satellite effectiveness is limited • show impacts of changing sea ice conditions • Both satellite observations and Inuit knowledge necessary to better understand changes occurring in the Baffin Bay region

  19. Backup Slides

  20. Sea Ice Concentration 2002 2003 2004 2005

  21. Sea Ice Concentration 2002 2003 2004 2005

  22. Sea Ice Concentration 2002 2003 2004 2005

  23. Sea Ice Anomaly 2002 2003 2004 2005

  24. Sea Ice Anomaly 2002 2003 2004 2005

  25. Sea Ice Anomaly 2002 2003 2004 2005

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