Articles | Volume 14, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-14-1-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-14-1-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Understanding the drift of Shackleton's Endurance during its last days before it sank in November 1915, using meteorological reanalysis data
Marc de Vos
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Marine Research Unit, South African Weather Service, Cape Town 7525, South Africa
Panagiotis Kountouris
Drift and Noise Polar Services, Bremen 28195, Germany
Lasse Rabenstein
Drift and Noise Polar Services, Bremen 28195, Germany
John Shears
Shears Polar Ltd, Cambridge PE28 3LR, United Kingdom
Mira Suhrhoff
Drift and Noise Polar Services, Bremen 28195, Germany
Christian Katlein
Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven 27570, Germany
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Evgenii Salganik, Benjamin A. Lange, Christian Katlein, Ilkka Matero, Philipp Anhaus, Morven Muilwijk, Knut V. Høyland, and Mats A. Granskog
The Cryosphere, 17, 4873–4887, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4873-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4873-2023, 2023
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The Arctic Ocean is covered by a layer of sea ice that can break up, forming ice ridges. Here we measure ice thickness using an underwater sonar and compare ice thickness reduction for different ice types. We also study how the shape of ridged ice influences how it melts, showing that deeper, steeper, and narrower ridged ice melts the fastest. We show that deformed ice melts 3.8 times faster than undeformed ice at the bottom ice--ocean boundary, while at the surface they melt at a similar rate.
Christophe Perron, Christian Katlein, Simon Lambert-Girard, Edouard Leymarie, Louis-Philippe Guinard, Pierre Marquet, and Marcel Babin
The Cryosphere, 15, 4483–4500, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4483-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4483-2021, 2021
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Characterizing the evolution of inherent optical properties (IOPs) of sea ice in situ is necessary to improve climate and arctic ecosystem models. Here we present the development of an optical probe, based on the spatially resolved diffuse reflectance method, to measure IOPs of a small volume of sea ice (dm3) in situ and non-destructively. For the first time, in situ vertically resolved profiles of the dominant IOP, the reduced scattering coefficient, were obtained for interior sea ice.
Thomas Krumpen, Luisa von Albedyll, Helge F. Goessling, Stefan Hendricks, Bennet Juhls, Gunnar Spreen, Sascha Willmes, H. Jakob Belter, Klaus Dethloff, Christian Haas, Lars Kaleschke, Christian Katlein, Xiangshan Tian-Kunze, Robert Ricker, Philip Rostosky, Janna Rückert, Suman Singha, and Julia Sokolova
The Cryosphere, 15, 3897–3920, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3897-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3897-2021, 2021
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We use satellite data records collected along the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) drift to categorize ice conditions that shaped and characterized the floe and surroundings during the expedition. A comparison with previous years is made whenever possible. The aim of this analysis is to provide a basis and reference for subsequent research in the six main research areas of atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, biogeochemistry, remote sensing and ecology.
Christian Katlein, Lovro Valcic, Simon Lambert-Girard, and Mario Hoppmann
The Cryosphere, 15, 183–198, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-183-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-183-2021, 2021
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To improve autonomous investigations of sea ice optical properties, we designed a chain of multispectral light sensors, providing autonomous in-ice light measurements. Here we describe the system and the data acquired from a first prototype deployment. We show that sideward-looking planar irradiance sensors basically measure scalar irradiance and demonstrate the use of this sensor chain to derive light transmittance and inherent optical properties of sea ice.
Thomas Krumpen, Florent Birrien, Frank Kauker, Thomas Rackow, Luisa von Albedyll, Michael Angelopoulos, H. Jakob Belter, Vladimir Bessonov, Ellen Damm, Klaus Dethloff, Jari Haapala, Christian Haas, Carolynn Harris, Stefan Hendricks, Jens Hoelemann, Mario Hoppmann, Lars Kaleschke, Michael Karcher, Nikolai Kolabutin, Ruibo Lei, Josefine Lenz, Anne Morgenstern, Marcel Nicolaus, Uwe Nixdorf, Tomash Petrovsky, Benjamin Rabe, Lasse Rabenstein, Markus Rex, Robert Ricker, Jan Rohde, Egor Shimanchuk, Suman Singha, Vasily Smolyanitsky, Vladimir Sokolov, Tim Stanton, Anna Timofeeva, Michel Tsamados, and Daniel Watkins
The Cryosphere, 14, 2173–2187, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2173-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2173-2020, 2020
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In October 2019 the research vessel Polarstern was moored to an ice floe in order to travel with it on the 1-year-long MOSAiC journey through the Arctic. Here we provide historical context of the floe's evolution and initial state for upcoming studies. We show that the ice encountered on site was exceptionally thin and was formed on the shallow Siberian shelf. The analyses presented provide the initial state for the analysis and interpretation of upcoming biogeochemical and ecological studies.
Jutta E. Wollenburg, Morten Iversen, Christian Katlein, Thomas Krumpen, Marcel Nicolaus, Giulia Castellani, Ilka Peeken, and Hauke Flores
The Cryosphere, 14, 1795–1808, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1795-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1795-2020, 2020
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Based on an observed omnipresence of gypsum crystals, we concluded that their release from melting sea ice is a general feature in the Arctic Ocean. Individual gypsum crystals sank at more than 7000 m d−1, suggesting that they are an important ballast mineral. Previous observations found gypsum inside phytoplankton aggregates at 2000 m depth, supporting gypsum as an important driver for pelagic-benthic coupling in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean.
Christian Katlein, Stefan Hendricks, and Jeffrey Key
The Cryosphere, 11, 2111–2116, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2111-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2111-2017, 2017
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In the public debate, increasing sea ice extent in the Antarctic is often highlighted as counter-indicative of global warming. Here we show that the slight increases in Antarctic sea ice extent are not able to counter Arctic losses. Using bipolar satellite observations, we demonstrate that even in the Antarctic polar ocean solar shortwave energy absorption is increasing in accordance with strongly increasing shortwave energy absorption in the Arctic Ocean rather than compensating Arctic losses.
M. Fernández-Méndez, C. Katlein, B. Rabe, M. Nicolaus, I. Peeken, K. Bakker, H. Flores, and A. Boetius
Biogeosciences, 12, 3525–3549, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-3525-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-3525-2015, 2015
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Photosynthetic production in the central Arctic Ocean is controlled by light availability below the ice, nitrate and silicate concentrations in the upper ocean, and the role of sub-ice algae that contributed up to 60% to primary production in summer 2012 during the record sea-ice minimum. As sea ice decreases, an overall change in Arctic PP would be foremost related to a change in the role of the ice algal production and nutrient availability.
M. Nicolaus and C. Katlein
The Cryosphere, 7, 763–777, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-763-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-763-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Research History: Marine Sciences
New Zealand's first gauge-based sea level measurements
HMS Challenger and SMS Gazelle – their 19th century voyages compared
Glen H. Rowe
Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 14, 77–92, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-14-77-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-14-77-2023, 2023
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New Zealand’s first tide-gauge-based sea level measurements were made in 1773 during James Cook’s second voyage of discovery to the South Pacific. The paper examines the quality of those measurements by comparison with tide predictions based on modern information from locations close to the sites of the 1773 observations. The results show that the quality of their work was of at least a high standard. Whilst of little scientific value today, these measurements are historically significant.
W. John Gould
Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 13, 171–204, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-13-171-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-13-171-2022, 2022
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The paper compares the historical context, organization, personnel, conduct, and scientific innovation of the voyages of HMS Challenger (1872–6) and SMS Gazelle (1874–6). Though the expeditions were in many regards similar, the Challenger expedition became famous and is regarded as marking the start of global marine science, while the Gazelle voyage remains almost unknown. Why? A surprising factor may be what we now know as "health and safety" issues.
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Short summary
Poor visibility on the 3 d prior to the sinking of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s vessel, Endurance, during November 1915, hampered navigator Frank Worsley’s attempts to record its position. Thus, whilst the wreck was located in the Weddell Sea in March 2022, the drift path of Endurance during its final 3 d at the surface remained unknown. We used data from a modern meteorological model to reconstruct possible trajectories for this unknown portion of Endurance’s journey.
Poor visibility on the 3 d prior to the sinking of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s vessel, Endurance,...