General Course Info
The class material (including lecture slides, textbooks, literature, videos, etc) is made available online as the course progresses. The static course material (lecture slides, literature, etc) is available on Dropbox here. Recorded lectures are available on this YouTube channel. Content on both links will evolve through the semester.
This class will not use Brightspace.
The class is structured by "weeks" where each week covers a particular topic via approx. 1.5 hours of recorded lectures (think of these as happening on a Thursday, but really you can watch them whenever you like), the assigned paper for reading being provided, and a 1.5 hour discussion session via Zoom (each Tuesday). So, each "class week" will start in the middle of the calendar week with the availability of the lecture to view and paper to read, and end in the middle of the following calendar week after the corresponding discussion session.
Week 1 (Jan 6-12): Welcome and physical oceanography review
Lecture 1: Welcome (slides)
Lecture 2: Physical Oceanography Review (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Timmermans, M. L., & Marshall, J. (2020). Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125(4) (pdf)
Week 2 (Jan 13-19): Sea ice composition and structure
Lecture 1: Composition (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Phase Diagram (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Structure I (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Structure II (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Ito, M., Fukamachi, Y., Ohshima, K. I., & Shirasawa, K. (2020). Observational evidence of supercooling and frazil ice formation throughout the water column in a coastal polynya in the Sea of Okhotsk. Continental Shelf Research, 196, 104072 (pdf)
Week 3 (Jan 20-26): Properties of sea ice and snow
Lecture 1: Properties I (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Properties II (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Properties III (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Snow (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Weeks, W. F., & Anderson, D. L. (1958). An experimental study of strength of young sea ice. Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 39(4), 641-647 (pdf)
Week 4 (Jan 27-Feb 2): Growth models and sea ice salinity
Lecture 1: Ice Growth Basics (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Thin Ice Model (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Thick Ice Model (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Sea Ice Salinity (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Maykut, G. A., & Untersteiner, N. (1971). Some results from a time‐dependent thermodynamic model of sea ice. Journal of Geophysical Research, 76(6), 1550-1575 (pdf)
Week 5 (Feb 3-9): Sea ice dynamics I: Free drift
Lecture 1: Introduction to Sea Ice Dynamics (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Sea Ice Momentum Balance (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Free Drift I: Steady State (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Free Drift II: Unsteady Flow (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Thorndike, A. S., & Colony, R. (1982). Sea ice motion in response to geostrophic winds. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 87(C8), 5845-5852 (pdf)
Week 6 (Feb 10-23): Sea ice dynamics II: Drift with internal stress
Lecture 1: Sea Ice Mechanics (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Drift With Internal Stress (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Flow Along a Boundary (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Steele, M., Zhang, J., Rothrock, D., & Stern, H. (1997). The force balance of sea ice in a numerical model of the Arctic Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 102(C9), 21061-21079 (pdf)
Week 7 (Feb 24-Mar 4): Student Project Presentations
Week 8 (Mar 4-9): Sea ice observing methods
Guest lecture by Dr. Clark Richards, Bedford Institute of Oceanography: Sea Ice Observing Methods (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Lindsay, R., & Schweiger, A. (2015). Arctic sea ice thickness loss determined using subsurface, aircraft, and satellite observations. The Cryosphere, 9(1), 269-283 (pdf)
Week 9 (Mar 10-16): Introduction to polynyas
Lecture 1: Introduction to Polynyas (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Conservation of Mass (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Polynya Types and Physical Processes (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Smith, S. D., Muench, R. D., & Pease, C. H. (1990). Polynyas and leads: An overview of physical processes and environment. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 95(C6), 9461-9479 (pdf)
Week 10 (Mar 17-23): Modelling polynyas and sea ice
Lecture 1: Ice and Brine Production in Polynyas (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Sea Ice Thickness Distribution (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Sea Ice Modelling (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Sansiviero, M., Maqueda, M. M., Fusco, G., Aulicino, G., Flocco, D., & Budillon, G. (2017). Modelling sea ice formation in the Terra Nova Bay polynya. Journal of Marine Systems, 166, 4-25 (pdf)
Week 11 (Mar 24-30): Indigenous perspectives on sea ice
Guest lecture by Prof. Claudio Aporta, Marine Affairs, Dalhousie University: Inuit and Sea Ice (video, slides)
Assigned reading:
Week 12 (Mar 31-Apr 6): Biogeochemistry of sea ice
Guest lectures by Benjamin Richaud, Dept. Oceanography, Dalhousie University:
Lecture 1: Carbon cycle and carbonate system (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Carbonate system in sea ice (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Brine drainage and sinking (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Biology in sea ice (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Lannuzel, D., Tedesco, L., Van Leeuwe, M., Campbell, K., Flores, H., Delille, B., ... & Wongpan, P. (2020). The future of Arctic sea-ice biogeochemistry and ice-associated ecosystems. Nature Climate Change, 10(11), 983-992 (pdf)
Project Ideas
The class material (including lecture slides, textbooks, literature, videos, etc) is made available online as the course progresses. The static course material (lecture slides, literature, etc) is available on Dropbox here. Recorded lectures are available on this YouTube channel. Content on both links will evolve through the semester.
This class will not use Brightspace.
The class is structured by "weeks" where each week covers a particular topic via approx. 1.5 hours of recorded lectures (think of these as happening on a Thursday, but really you can watch them whenever you like), the assigned paper for reading being provided, and a 1.5 hour discussion session via Zoom (each Tuesday). So, each "class week" will start in the middle of the calendar week with the availability of the lecture to view and paper to read, and end in the middle of the following calendar week after the corresponding discussion session.
Week 1 (Jan 6-12): Welcome and physical oceanography review
Lecture 1: Welcome (slides)
Lecture 2: Physical Oceanography Review (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Timmermans, M. L., & Marshall, J. (2020). Understanding Arctic Ocean Circulation: A Review of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125(4) (pdf)
Week 2 (Jan 13-19): Sea ice composition and structure
Lecture 1: Composition (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Phase Diagram (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Structure I (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Structure II (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Ito, M., Fukamachi, Y., Ohshima, K. I., & Shirasawa, K. (2020). Observational evidence of supercooling and frazil ice formation throughout the water column in a coastal polynya in the Sea of Okhotsk. Continental Shelf Research, 196, 104072 (pdf)
Week 3 (Jan 20-26): Properties of sea ice and snow
Lecture 1: Properties I (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Properties II (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Properties III (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Snow (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Weeks, W. F., & Anderson, D. L. (1958). An experimental study of strength of young sea ice. Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 39(4), 641-647 (pdf)
Week 4 (Jan 27-Feb 2): Growth models and sea ice salinity
Lecture 1: Ice Growth Basics (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Thin Ice Model (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Thick Ice Model (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Sea Ice Salinity (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Maykut, G. A., & Untersteiner, N. (1971). Some results from a time‐dependent thermodynamic model of sea ice. Journal of Geophysical Research, 76(6), 1550-1575 (pdf)
Week 5 (Feb 3-9): Sea ice dynamics I: Free drift
Lecture 1: Introduction to Sea Ice Dynamics (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Sea Ice Momentum Balance (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Free Drift I: Steady State (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Free Drift II: Unsteady Flow (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Thorndike, A. S., & Colony, R. (1982). Sea ice motion in response to geostrophic winds. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 87(C8), 5845-5852 (pdf)
Week 6 (Feb 10-23): Sea ice dynamics II: Drift with internal stress
Lecture 1: Sea Ice Mechanics (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Drift With Internal Stress (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Flow Along a Boundary (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Steele, M., Zhang, J., Rothrock, D., & Stern, H. (1997). The force balance of sea ice in a numerical model of the Arctic Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 102(C9), 21061-21079 (pdf)
Week 7 (Feb 24-Mar 4): Student Project Presentations
Week 8 (Mar 4-9): Sea ice observing methods
Guest lecture by Dr. Clark Richards, Bedford Institute of Oceanography: Sea Ice Observing Methods (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Lindsay, R., & Schweiger, A. (2015). Arctic sea ice thickness loss determined using subsurface, aircraft, and satellite observations. The Cryosphere, 9(1), 269-283 (pdf)
Week 9 (Mar 10-16): Introduction to polynyas
Lecture 1: Introduction to Polynyas (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Conservation of Mass (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Polynya Types and Physical Processes (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Smith, S. D., Muench, R. D., & Pease, C. H. (1990). Polynyas and leads: An overview of physical processes and environment. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 95(C6), 9461-9479 (pdf)
Week 10 (Mar 17-23): Modelling polynyas and sea ice
Lecture 1: Ice and Brine Production in Polynyas (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Sea Ice Thickness Distribution (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Sea Ice Modelling (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Sansiviero, M., Maqueda, M. M., Fusco, G., Aulicino, G., Flocco, D., & Budillon, G. (2017). Modelling sea ice formation in the Terra Nova Bay polynya. Journal of Marine Systems, 166, 4-25 (pdf)
Week 11 (Mar 24-30): Indigenous perspectives on sea ice
Guest lecture by Prof. Claudio Aporta, Marine Affairs, Dalhousie University: Inuit and Sea Ice (video, slides)
Assigned reading:
- Inuksuk, A. (2011). On the nature of sea ice around Igloolik. The Canadian Geographer/Le Géographe canadien, 55(1), 36-41 (pdf)
- Aporta, C., & MacDonald, J. (2011). An elder on sea ice: an interview with Aipilik Inuksuk of Igloolik, Nunavut. The Canadian Geographer/Le Géographe canadien, 55(1), 32-35 (pdf)
- Aporta, C., Kane, S. C., Chircop, A., & Coronation Gulf, N. (2018). Shipping corridors through the Inuit homeland, Limn Journal, 10, 50-65 (link, pdf)
- It is also suggested to browse through the Inuit Siku Atlas. Among other things, there are sections on sea ice terminology (including descriptions, photos, videos - definitely watch the Life of a Polynya video) and maps around a number of communities shown. (link)
Week 12 (Mar 31-Apr 6): Biogeochemistry of sea ice
Guest lectures by Benjamin Richaud, Dept. Oceanography, Dalhousie University:
Lecture 1: Carbon cycle and carbonate system (video, slides)
Lecture 2: Carbonate system in sea ice (video, slides)
Lecture 3: Brine drainage and sinking (video, slides)
Lecture 4: Biology in sea ice (video, slides)
Assigned reading: Lannuzel, D., Tedesco, L., Van Leeuwe, M., Campbell, K., Flores, H., Delille, B., ... & Wongpan, P. (2020). The future of Arctic sea-ice biogeochemistry and ice-associated ecosystems. Nature Climate Change, 10(11), 983-992 (pdf)
Project Ideas
- Look through literature folders on Dropbox
- Ice crystal structure: See Chapters in Weeks or Shokr & Sinha textbooks.
- Ice growth: Maykut and Untersteiner 1969, 1971, Maykut 1978, Curry and Ebert 1993 which extends the earlier models
- Dynamics:
- Inertial motions
- Dynamical links between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans
- Brine drainage
- Notz, D., & Worster, M. G. (2009). Desalination processes of sea ice revisited. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 114(C5), and
- Shokr & Sinha Section 2.3.3 Salinity loss during ice growth
- Ice mechanics
- Feltham (2008) Sea ice rheology
- Landfast ice, see papers by Jean-Francois Lemieux (notably the 2015 paper that outlines the landfast ice model parameterisation)
- Ice bridge formation e.g.
- Rallabandi, B., Zheng, Z., Winton, M., & Stone, H. A. (2017). Formation of sea ice bridges in narrow straits in response to wind and water stresses. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 122(7), 5588-5610.
- Dumont, D., Gratton, Y., & Arbetter, T. E. (2009). Modeling the dynamics of the North Water polynya ice bridge. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 39(6), 1448-1461.
- Measurements and comparisons of internal ice stress, wind stress, and current stress
- Prinsenberg 1997 papers
- Turbull et al. (2017) Relative influences of metocean forcings of the drifting ice pack, JGR
- More to come...
