Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An impact assessment of sea ice on ocean optics observations in the marginal ice zone of the Arctic

  • Published:
Acta Oceanologica Sinica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Diffuse attenuation coefficient (DAC) of sea water is an important parameter in ocean thermodynamics and biology, reflecting the absorption capability of sea water in different layers. In the Arctic Ocean, however, sea ice affects the radiance/irradiance measurements of upper ocean, which results in obvious errors in the DAC calculation. To better understand the impacts of sea ice on the ocean optics observations, a series of in situ experiments were carried out in the summer of 2009 in the southern Beaufort Sea. Observational results show that the profiles of spectral diffuse attenuation coefficients of seawater near ice cover within upper surface of 50 m were not contaminated by the sea ice with a solar zenith angle of 55°, relative azimuth angle of 110°⩽φ⩽115° and horizontal distance between the sensors and ice edge of greater than 25 m. Based on geometric optics theory, the impact of ice cover could be avoided by adjusting the relative solar azimuth angle in a particular distance between the instrument and ice. Under an overcast sky, ice cover being 25 m away from sensors did not affect the profiles of spectral DACs within the upper 50 m either. Moreover, reliable spectral DACs of seawater could be obtained with sensors completely covered by sea ice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Deser C, Teng H Y. 2008. Evolution of Arctic sea ice concentration trends and the role of atmospheric circulation forcing, 1979–2007. Geophysical Research Letters, 35(2): L02504, doi: 10.1029/2007GL032023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon H R. 1985. Ship perturbation of irradiance measurements at sea. 1: Monte Carlo simulations. Applied Optics, 24(23): 4172–4182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon H R, Ding K Y. 1992. Self-shading of in-water optical instruments. Limnol Oceanogr, 118: 491–500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haas C, Nicolaus M, Willmes S, et al. 2008. Sea ice and snow thickness and physical properties of an ice floe in the western Weddell Sea and their changes during spring warming. Deep Sea Research: Part II, 55(8–9): 963–974

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell W S, Sullivan G N, Macdonald B, et al. 1990. Ship shadowing: model and data comparisons. In: Ocean Optics X Proceedings Orlando: SPIE, 55–71

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kwok R, Cunningham G F, Wensnahan M, et al. 2009. Thinning and volume loss of the Arctic Ocean sea ice cover: 2003–2008. Journal of Geophysical Research, 114(C7): C07005, doi: 10.1029/2009JC005312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwok R, Rothrock D A. 2009. Decline in Arctic sea ice thickness from submarine and ICESat records: 1958–2008. Geophys Res Lett, 36(15): L15501, doi: 10.1029/2009GL039035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liou K N. 2002. An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation. San Diego: Academic Press, 1210

    Google Scholar 

  • Mobley C D. 1994. Light and Water: Radiative Transfer in Natural Waters. San Diego: Academic Press, 36–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller J L, Fargion G S, McClain C R, et al. 2002. Ocean Optics Protocols for Satellite Ocean Color Sensor Validation. Revision 4. Maryland: NASA, 13

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith R C, Baker K S. 1984. The Analysis of Ocean Optical Data I, In: Ocean Optics VII Proceedings. Orlando: SPIE, 119–126

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Smith R C, Baker K S. 1986. Analysis of Ocean Optical Data II. In: Ocean Optics VIII Proceedings. Orlando: SPIE, 95–107

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Voss K J, Nolten J W, Edwards G D. 1986. Ship shadow effects on apparent optical properties. In: Ocean Optics VIII Proceedings. Orlando: SPIE, 186–190

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Waters K J, Smith R C, Lewis M R. 1990. Avoiding ship-induced light-field perturbation in the determination of oceanic optical properties. Oceanography, 3(2): 18–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weir C T, Siegel D A, Michaels A F, et al. 1994. In situ evaluation of a ship’s shadow. In: Ocean Optics XII Proceedings. Orlando: SPIE, 815–821

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Zibordi G, Ferrari G M. 1995. Instrument self-shading in underwater optical measurements: experimental data. Applied Optics, 34(15): 2750–2754

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China

    Tao Li & Jinping Zhao

  2. Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China

    Jinping Zhao

Authors
  1. Tao Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jinping Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jinping Zhao.

Additional information

Foundation item: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 41206174; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under contract No. 2012M511546; the Chinese Polar Scinece Strategy Fund under contract No. 20110204.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, T., Zhao, J. An impact assessment of sea ice on ocean optics observations in the marginal ice zone of the Arctic. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 33, 24–31 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-014-0551-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-014-0551-1

Key words

Search

Navigation