Brown-Led Research Provides Unprecedented Look at What Influences Sea Ice Motion in the Arctic

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A new in-depth analysis of sea ice motion in the fastest-warming part of the globe shows how Arctic Ocean sea ice responds to different ocean currents and reveals that the seafloor plays a crucial role.

A new in-depth analysis of sea ice motion in the fastest-warming part of the globe shows how Arctic Ocean sea ice responds to different ocean currents and reveals that the seafloor plays a crucial role.

A new study led by researchers at Brown offers fresh insights into the forces above and beneath the ocean surface that influence how sea ice moves and disperses in the Arctic Ocean, which is warming at over twice the rate of the global average.

The in-depth analysis reveals how local tidal currents strongly affect the movement of the ice along its journey and provides an unprecedented look at how the makeup of the seafloor is causing some of the most abrupt changes.

Data from the study can be applied to improve complex computer simulations used for forecasting Arctic sea ice conditions, and in the long-term, the results may help clarify how climate change is altering the Arctic and inform future climate predictions.

Read more at Brown University

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