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A research paper authored by experts at the University of Manitoba is projecting Arctic sea ice to enter the North Atlantic Ocean more often in the years to come.
Sea ice, which is normally found in the Arctic, could end up drifting towards routes used by shipping and fishing companies, as well as ferries. In the months of May and June last year, a sudden surge of Arctic ice clogged the normally open areas of ocean around Newfoundland. This phenomenon trapped many unsuspecting ships, and even led to the sinking of several vessels.
The Maritime Executive additionally reported that, last year, the ice was much thicker than usual. In some cases, the ice was up to eight metres thick.
Last year’s events could happen more often in the future, the study’s authors warn, especially as temperatures in the Arctic continue to rise.
“This is something we need to better prepared for in the future, because we expect this phenomenon to go on for at least a couple more decades as we transition to an ice-free Arctic in the summer,” said University of Manitoba Arctic climate researcher David Barber, who co-authored the paper.
Ice arches – such as those that form in narrow Arctic channels such as Lancaster Sound and the Nares Strait – are natural dams that normally prevent sea ice from drifting into known seafaring lanes. But even the arches are failing in the face of warming temperatures; previous research found that the arches failed to form in the Nares Strait in 2007, which led to a record amount of sea ice flowing south that year.
The same issue happened last year, the University of Manitoba paper found. According to researchers, the sea ice around Newfoundland had features typically observed in Arctic ice. Experts believe the ice likely formed in the Lincoln Sea, just north of Greenland, about 3,000 north of Newfoundland.
In conclusion, the paper’s authors said that climate change is making the formation of ice arches more difficult every winter, leading to more sea ice drifting southward. They also said that warming temperatures are also changing ocean and atmospheric circulation in the Arctic, which makes sea ice more mobile.
