Collaborative Research: MOSAiC Sea Ice Samples for Stratigraphy, Microstructure, and Inherent Optical Property Studies

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

The Arctic sea ice cover is changing. As the climate has warmed, ice cover has experienced a shorter growing season and reduced spatial coverage, ice thickness has decreased, and melt is earlier and more intense. However, it is not fully understood how ice freezes, how it melts, how it responds to climate, and how climate responds to it. To fill this gap in knowledge, the investigators will study the microstructural properties of multi-year ice cores taken during the year-long Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) field campaign, where a research ship was frozen into Arctic Sea ice in the fall and allowed to drift for a year (Oct 2019 - Sept 2020). The investigators will cut thin slices from these core samples to document the ice microstructure. They will take digital images of these slices using a camera and microscope. The investigators will examine the number, size, shape, and orientation of the crystals and pockets to determine large-scale physical properties of the ice, including how it conducts heat, and reflects light. This project will improve our understanding of how sea ice may change in a warming Arctic. The investigators will create a searchable library of images and sea ice properties. The investigators will include college students in this work. Students will learn how to develop questions they can test and practice critical thinking. A filmmaker will work alongside to communicate this research to the public. The investigators will display a collection of photography and short movies at their institutions. They will share findings through scientific publications and conferences. The investigators will archive the data and results at the US Arctic Data Center. This proposal acts on an opportunity to prepare and analyze ice core samples collected from the recent year-long Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) field campaign (Oct 2019 - Sept 2020). We will use this ice to produce thin sections, create a comprehensive digital inventory of the imagery, carry out microstructural and textural analyses, generate optical data for understanding structural-optical relationships, and investigate the role of sediment inclusions in the context of changing sea ice microstructure and the partitioning of shortwave radiation. The investigators will develop a searchable library of images and microstructure properties of the sampled ice. Undergraduate students will be involved in the research, learning the scientific method, and developing critical thinking skills. The investigators will work with a filmmaker to communicate this research to the public. They will curate a collection of imagery and short movies for display at the investigators’ institutions. Findings will be disseminated through scientific publications and conferences and archived at the US Arctic Data Center. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.