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• ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Sea State and Ice Conditions in the North-
West Barents Sea, Barents Sea Opening,
Greenland Sea and in the Arctic Ocean to the
North of Spitsbergen
To investigate the sea state and ice conditions in the
North-West Barents Sea, Barents Sea Opening, Greenland
Sea and in the Arctic Ocean to the north of Spitsbergen,
WP1 researchers focused on the area of the North-West
Barents Sea. They centred on the analysis of the charac-
teristics of surface currents and drift ice and numerical
modelling of the thermodynamic consolidation of drift ice
ridges. For the analysis, WP1 used ice tracker data from
Oceanetic Measurements, Canada and surface drift-
ers deployed in 2008-2015 from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the U.S. Department
of Commerce. By using these data, WP1 researchers
could construct trajectories of ice drift from the North-
West Barents Sea to the region of Bjørnøya. In addition, by
using the archive from National Centers for Environmental
Prediction and National Centre for Atmospheric Research
(NCEP/NCAR), WP1 researchers were able to reconstruct
water and air temperature along the trajectories for the
period February to May 2015.
The Arctic Technology Department has launched a new
course AT-334 in Arctic Marine Measurements Techniques,
Operations and Transport. Module I is completed. For two
weeks students studied different sea ice environments and
worked in the University in Svalbard UNIS ice laboratory
where they modelled processes of level ice formation and
growth and ice ridge thermodynamic consolidation.
Consequently, the researchers used these data to formu-
late the boundary conditions in a finite element model
of thermodynamic consolidation of drift ice ridges. 3D
simulations performed in Comsol Multiphysics 5.0 demon-
strated synchronous consolidation of ice rubble filling
ridge keels and melting of the ridge keels from below. A
3D Finite Element (FE) model of thermodynamic consolida-
tion of ice ridges was constructed in Comsol Multiphysics,
and numerical simulations were performed for the model-
ling of drift ice ridges in the North-West Barents Sea and
Barents Sea Opening.
Figure WP1_1. Drift ice ridges trajectories: North-West Barents Sea a), Barents Sea opening
c). Thermodynamic evolution of ice ridges, b) & d) during the two months drift along the trajectories.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Figure WP1_1. Drift ice ridges trajectories: North-West Barents Sea a), Barents Sea opening c).
Thermodynamic evolution of ice ridges, b) & d) during the two months drift along the trajectories.
Consequently, the researchers used these data to formulate the boundary conditions in a finite element
model of thermodynamic consolidation of drift ice ridges. 3D simulations performed in Comsol
Multiphysics 5.0 demonstrated synchronous consolidation of ice rubble filling ridge keels and melting of
i
a)
b)
c)
d)
Figure WP1_1. Drift ice ridges trajectories: North-West Bare ts Sea a), Barents Sea opening c).
Thermodynamic evolution of ice ridges, b) & d) during the two months drift along the trajectories.
Consequently, the researchers used these data to formulate the boundary conditions in a finite element
model of thermodynamic consolidation of drift ice ridges. 3D simulations performed in Comsol
Multiphysics 5.0 demonstrated synchronous consolidation of ice rubble filling ridge keels and melting of
the ridge keels from below. A 3D Finite Element (FE) model o thermo ynamic co solidatio of ice
a)
b)
c)
d)
Figure WP1_1. Drift ice ridges trajectories: North-West Barents Sea a), Barents Sea opening c).
Thermodynamic evolution of ice ridges, b) & d) during the two months drift along the trajectories.
Consequently, the researchers used th se d ta to formulate the boundary conditions in a finit lement
model of thermodynami consolidation of drift ice ridges. 3D simulations performed in Comsol
Multiphysics 5.0 demonstrated synchronous consolidation of ice rubble filling ridge keels and melting of
a)
b)
c)
d)