HR: 09:45h
AN: C21C-08    [Abstracts]
TI: Sea ice thickness measurements - data management considerations
AU: * Geiger, C
EM: cgeiger@udel.edu
AF: University of Delaware, Department of Geography 216 Pearson Hall, Newark, DE 19716, United States
AU: Fetterer, F
EM: fetterer@nsidc.org
AF: National Snow and Ice Data Center, CIRES, 449 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0449, United States
AU: Meier, W
EM: walt@nsidc.org
AF: National Snow and Ice Data Center, CIRES, 449 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0449, United States
AB: IPY is in full swing with numerous ice stations, voyages, and autonomous systems. Thickness is a key variable being measured intensively during this period to assess the mass balance of sea ice and its rate of change under increasingly warming conditions. Within this context, quantification of sea ice thickness variability at a multiple of scales is being investigated and recorded in both hemispheres by scores of scientists from around the globe. While this measured variability will lead to new understanding of sea ice and its relationship to the global climate, variability in data structures used to record and archive these results will only lead to inconsistencies, incompatibilities, and a lack of spatiotemporal coherence. The sea ice community (small and adaptable as it is) needs to develop a consensus of critical thickness parameters and associated meta data criterion that can profit from two main sources of data gathering: operations (which usually produce high data volume with minimal analysis) and science projects (offering low data volume, but considerable analysis). Consensus between the operational and science community on key data and meta data requirements will make the difference in both the quality and volume of a long-term sea ice thickness archive. This presentation explores ways to address these issues by considering a fundamental set of protocol/format requirements when recording thickness measurements. In particular, records of the sampling rates and spatial scales, instrument type and uncertainties, etc. Essentially, we need to develop and follow a standard format for archiving sea ice thickness measurements. This does not mean "ASCII" or "CSV", rather a clearly defined parameter set which covers major scales, procedures, and algorithms used to define thickness and associated uncertainties. Efforts on this topic can be used to spearhead a white paper to circulate throughout the community to build a common set of protocols for archiving sea ice thickness from the drilled point measurement to the satellite footprint. We present this topic to stimulate discussion within both operational and research communities on how best to proceed.
DE: 0525 Data management
DE: 0738 Ice (1863)
DE: 0750 Sea ice (4540)
DE: 0762 Mass balance (1218, 1223)
DE: 0772 Distribution
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting