Sea Ice Properties Driving Near-Surface Atmospheric Dynamics During Arctic Summer Melt
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
Lay summary
The ongoing Arctic sea ice decline transforms the polar region and affects global climate. As part of the international CONTRASTS expedition aboard the research vessel Polarstern in summer 2025, our team will investigate how Arctic sea ice interacts with the atmosphere during the summer melt season.
Our project will deploy innovative measurement techniques across melting ice surfaces, including a setup using a thermal infrared camera pointing at synthetic screens that can visualise two-dimensional air temperature dynamics with unprecedented detail. Using both ground-based and airborne measurements, we will study how melt ponds – pools of melt water that form on sea ice – and leads (gaps in the sea ice) affect the exchange of heat between the ocean, the ice, and the atmosphere.
These detailed measurements will help answer the following questions: 1) What are the relevant near-surface atmospheric heat exchange processes over heterogeneous Arctic summer sea ice? 2) How do these atmospheric processes influence sea ice melt? By collecting repeated measurements during the summer in three distinct Arctic regions, we will also capture the spatial and temporal variability of the different sea ice regimes in today’s Arctic.
Our findings will contribute to more accurate climate models that can better predict future Arctic sea ice coverage. This research builds upon the MOSAiC expedition by adding crucial spatial context to existing time-series data and represents an important collaboration between Swiss researchers and international partners.
This research advances our understanding of Arctic climate dynamics—knowledge that has implications for weather patterns, marine ecosystems, and coastal communities worldwide.
Details
| Regional focus | Arctic |
| Location | marginal ice zone, first- and multiyear ice in the Transpolar Drift, Last Ice Area |
| Funded amount | 20,000 CHF |
| Project dates | 1st June 2025 – 31st October 2025 |
| Category | Polar Access Fund |