Analysis on the Variation of Arctic Sea Ice Using Satellite Data

Sea ice is a vital part of the polar climate system. Based on the 1982-2004 surface albedo and sea ice concentration data from satellite, 7 Arctic sea areas were selected for study at the margin of the Arctic Ocean,which are respectively located in the Greenland Sea, the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea and its northern adjacent area, the Chukchi Sea and its northern adjacent area, and the Beaufort Sea and its northern adjacent area. The comparative analysis shows that the regional average correlation coefficients are high, with the minimum and the maximum being 0.51 and 0.94, respectively. The surface albedo and sea ice concentration in the Greenland Sea and Barents Sea are low in summer when most of the sea surface is open water. In the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, and the East Siberian Sea and its northern adjacent area, both of the two parameters are high in June, and sea ice concentration decreases remarkably in July and August owing to sea ice melting. In the Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea and their northern adjacent areas, the two parameters are high in summer. The surface albedo and sea ice concentration of all the 7 study areas showed declining trend during 1982-2004. Among these areas, the west of the Arctic Ocean saw the fastest declining speed, including the Chukchi Sea, the Beaufort Sea and their northern adjacent areas; while the slowest decrease appeared in the Barents Sea. The decline of the surface albedo and sea ice concentration has significant impact on climate change.