Sea Ice Thickness Measurements from a Community-Based Observing Network
Abstract The accelerating retreat of Arctic sea ice in recent years highlights the need for improved monitoring efforts to provide information relevant to decision makers and stakeholders. Satellite data and global circulation models often lack details relevant to residents of Arctic communities, whose livelihoods can be profoundly affected by small changes in sea ice. As part of the Siku-Inuit-Hila (Sea Ice–People–Weather) project, we have established sea ice observation programs in three Arctic communities: Barrow, Alaska; Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada; and Qaanaaq, Greenland. By working with the communities to provide equipment and training, we have mitigated some of the difficulties involved in maintaining field programs in remote parts of the Arctic. We also created a framework for a two-way knowledge exchange between scientists and local sea ice experts. Results from the first season allow us to calculate rates of ice growth and ice melt at the upper and lower surfaces of the sea ice. The sea ice nea...