Topic 2c: Sea Ice - The View From Space
The oceans play an important role in heating our planet. Oceans transfer heat from the equator to the poles through thermohaline circulation (THC).
Warm water travels north from the equator across the ocean’s surface. As it gets near the poles, the water cools, becomes denser and then sinks. This lower, cold water moves south towards the equator, warms and rises – completing the cycle.
Melting sea ice disrupts this cycle. If sea ice melts, it makes the water less salty and less dense. This less dense water does not sink nor circulate the way it should do in THC.
If the Global Ocean Conveyor stopped, it is estimated that the average temperature of Northern Europe would decrease between 5-10° Celsius.
Sea ice also influences the dynamics of the Arctic Ocean. Sea ice insulates the Arctic Ocean from wind stress and wind mixing. As sea ice reduces, more of the Arctic Ocean is exposed to wind, which influences surface ocean currents. Reduced sea ice also allows larger waves to build up, which further breaks up sea ice and increases coastal erosion.
Measurements of sea ice extent, concentration and thickness help scientists monitor the extent of sea ice melt and how it influences ocean circulation.
In this audio lecture, Dr Michel Tsamados will explain the existing techniques for remote sensing of sea ice.
Featured Educator:
- Dr Michel Tsamados
Sea Ice
Sea Surface Salinity
Brightness Temperature For Sea Ice
ICESAT-2
Course topics
The core videos of this course are labelled as topic videos.
We have also provided a range of optional further reading, links, and additional resources to help consolidate your learning. Here is a summary of what is available:
Topic links and resources
In each topic, once you have watched the video and read the accompanying text, you will find the following information:
- Optional Further Reading: These are external links to further reading.
- Featured Images and Animations: Below the text on each video page, you’ll find the featured images and featured animations.
- Interactives: On the 'Interactives' tab on relevent topic pages, you will find a satellite tracking application showing the current location of the satellites, a data viewer from the ESA WEkEO platform, as well as a data viewer, specially created for this course, allowing you to explore a selection of data relevant to the themes and topics in this course. (Please note that due to maintenance, the data viewer is currently unavailable).
Quizzes and comments
- Quizzes: At the end of each week there will be a quizz consisting of around five questions. These will help you consolidate your understanding of new topics, but are not scored. The feedback given with each answer also will also provide you with important information.
Weekly interactive exercises
At the end of each week, we have included a guided exercise, using interactive apps available on other websites, to help you become more familiar with looking at and working with EO datasets. You will be guided through the process of searching for, comparing and drawing conclusions from data relevant to some of the topics covered in that week.
- Ocean Circulation - ESA
- ESA's CCI Project - Sea Surface Salinity
- UN Panel Signals Red Alert on 'Blue Planet' - BBC
- Scientists To Report On Ocean 'Emergency' Caused By Warming - BBC
- Global Sea Level Rise Could Be Bigger Than Expected - BBC
- The Importance of Sea Ice Ridging - Michel Tsamados
- Animation Showing Sea Ice and Ice Age Over 4 Years - Michel Tsamados
- NASA's OMG Project
Optional Advanced Resources:
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Authors: Stein Sandven and Ola M. Johannessen
A presentation from Michel Tsamados on Momentum Transfer in the Arctic Ocean
