A recent research shows that more Arctic sea ice is entering the North Atlantic Ocean, increasing the risks for ships which sail in these areas in spring. The ice trapped many ships, even causing some to sink, as it damaged their hulls.
The study authors say that warming temperatures cause by climate change are melting more Arctic ice, increasing ice mobility and opening channels that are normally frozen shut. They also predict that last year’s events could happen often in the future as Arctic temperatures continue to increase.
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The sea ice around Newfoundland had features of ice found only in the high Arctic. The ice most likely was created in the Lincoln Sea north of Greenland, more than 3,000 kilometers north of Newfoundland, Barber said. The ice travelled through the Nares Strait to Baffin Bay and eventually to Newfoundland
The study mentions that warming temperatures making it difficult for ice arches to form every winter, preventing them from blocking the southward flow of sea ice. Warming temperatures are also affecting the ocean and atmospheric circulation in the Arctic, making sea ice more mobile.
This provides a research opportunity. The study authors used the ship’s research equipment to determine where the sea ice had come from and why so much ice was there. They collected samples of the ice and measured its thickness, temperature and salinity. They used drones to take images of the ice cover, and satellite data from the Canadian Ice Service to track sea ice movements back in time.
Last year, the Canadian coast guard stopped the research icebreaker Amundsen from its scientific expedition to escort ferries, as it got caught in the congested seas to open water, and conduct search and rescue operations for stranded passengers of ferry boats and ships trapped in the ice.
