Smith
Madison M.
Smith
Madison M.
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ArticleOverview of the Arctic Sea state and boundary layer physics program(American Geophysical Union, 2018-04-16) Thomson, Jim ; Ackley, Stephen ; Girard-Ardhuin, Fanny ; Ardhuin, Fabrice ; Babanin, Alexander ; Boutin, Guillaume ; Brozena, John ; Cheng, Sukun ; Collins, Clarence ; Doble, Martin ; Fairall, Christopher W. ; Guest, Peter ; Gebhardt, Claus ; Gemmrich, Johannes ; Graber, Hans C. ; Holt, Benjamin ; Lehner, Susanne ; Lund, Björn ; Meylan, Michael ; Maksym, Ted ; Montiel, Fabien ; Perrie, Will ; Persson, Ola ; Rainville, Luc ; Rogers, W. Erick ; Shen, Hui ; Shen, Hayley ; Squire, Vernon ; Stammerjohn, Sharon E. ; Stopa, Justin ; Smith, Madison M. ; Sutherland, Peter ; Wadhams, PeterA large collaborative program has studied the coupled air‐ice‐ocean‐wave processes occurring in the Arctic during the autumn ice advance. The program included a field campaign in the western Arctic during the autumn of 2015, with in situ data collection and both aerial and satellite remote sensing. Many of the analyses have focused on using and improving forecast models. Summarizing and synthesizing the results from a series of separate papers, the overall view is of an Arctic shifting to a more seasonal system. The dramatic increase in open water extent and duration in the autumn means that large surface waves and significant surface heat fluxes are now common. When refreezing finally does occur, it is a highly variable process in space and time. Wind and wave events drive episodic advances and retreats of the ice edge, with associated variations in sea ice formation types (e.g., pancakes, nilas). This variability becomes imprinted on the winter ice cover, which in turn affects the melt season the following year.
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ArticleShear turbulence in the high-wind Southern Ocean using direct measurements(American Meteorological Society, 2022-09-19) Ferris, Laur ; Gong, Donglai ; Clayson, Carol A. ; Merrifield, Sophia T. ; Shroyer, Emily L. ; Smith, Madison M. ; St. Laurent, Louis C.The ocean surface boundary layer is a gateway of energy transfer into the ocean. Wind-driven shear and meteorologically forced convection inject turbulent kinetic energy into the surface boundary layer, mixing the upper ocean and transforming its density structure. In the absence of direct observations or the capability to resolve subgrid-scale 3D turbulence in operational ocean models, the oceanography community relies on surface boundary layer similarity scalings (BLS) of shear and convective turbulence to represent this mixing. Despite their importance, near-surface mixing processes (and ubiquitous BLS representations of these processes) have been undersampled in high-energy forcing regimes such as the Southern Ocean. With the maturing of autonomous sampling platforms, there is now an opportunity to collect high-resolution spatial and temporal measurements in the full range of forcing conditions. Here, we characterize near-surface turbulence under strong wind forcing using the first long-duration glider microstructure survey of the Southern Ocean. We leverage these data to show that the measured turbulence is significantly higher than standard shear-convective BLS in the shallower parts of the surface boundary layer and lower than standard shear-convective BLS in the deeper parts of the surface boundary layer; the latter of which is not easily explained by present wave-effect literature. Consistent with the CBLAST (Coupled Boundary Layers and Air Sea Transfer) low winds experiment, this bias has the largest magnitude and spread in the shallowest 10% of the actively mixing layer under low-wind and breaking wave conditions, when relatively low levels of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in surface regime are easily biased by wave events.
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ArticleEffects of increasing the category resolution of the sea ice thickness distribution in a coupled climate model on Arctic and Antarctic sea ice mean state(American Geophysical Union, 2022-09-29) Smith, Madison M. ; Holland, Marika M. ; Petty, Alek A. ; Light, Bonnie ; Bailey, David A.Many modern sea ice models used in global climate models represent the subgrid‐scale heterogeneity in sea ice thickness with an ice thickness distribution (ITD), which improves model realism by representing the significant impact of the high spatial heterogeneity of sea ice thickness on thermodynamic and dynamic processes. Most models default to five thickness categories. However, little has been done to explore the effects of the resolution of this distribution (number of categories) on sea‐ice feedbacks in a coupled model framework and resulting representation of the sea ice mean state. Here, we explore this using sensitivity experiments in CESM2 with the standard 5 ice thickness categories and 15 ice thickness categories. Increasing the resolution of the ITD in a run with preindustrial climate forcing results in substantially thicker Arctic sea ice year‐round. Analyses show that this is a result of the ITD influence on ice strength. With 15 ITD categories, weaker ice occurs for the same average thickness, resulting in a higher fraction of ridged sea ice. In contrast, the higher resolution of thin ice categories results in enhanced heat conduction and bottom growth and leads to only somewhat increased winter Antarctic sea ice volume. The spatial resolution of the ICESat‐2 satellite mission provides a new opportunity to compare model outputs with observations of seasonal evolution of the ITD in the Arctic (ICESat‐2; 2018–2021). Comparisons highlight significant differences from the ITD modeled with both runs over this period, likely pointing to underlying issues contributing to the representation of average thickness.
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ArticleA warm jet in a cold ocean(Nature Research, 2021-04-23) MacKinnon, Jennifer A. ; Simmons, Harper L. ; Hargrove, John ; Thomson, Jim ; Peacock, Thomas ; Alford, Matthew H. ; Barton, Benjamin I. ; Boury, Samuel ; Brenner, Samuel D. ; Couto, Nicole ; Danielson, Seth L. ; Fine, Elizabeth C. ; Graber, Hans C. ; Guthrie, John D. ; Hopkins, Joanne E. ; Jayne, Steven R. ; Jeon, Chanhyung ; Klenz, Thilo ; Lee, Craig M. ; Lenn, Yueng-Djern ; Lucas, Andrew J. ; Lund, Björn ; Mahaffey, Claire ; Norman, Louisa ; Rainville, Luc ; Smith, Madison M. ; Thomas, Leif N. ; Torres-Valdes, Sinhue ; Wood, Kevin R.Unprecedented quantities of heat are entering the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean through Bering Strait, particularly during summer months. Though some heat is lost to the atmosphere during autumn cooling, a significant fraction of the incoming warm, salty water subducts (dives beneath) below a cooler fresher layer of near-surface water, subsequently extending hundreds of kilometers into the Beaufort Gyre. Upward turbulent mixing of these sub-surface pockets of heat is likely accelerating sea ice melt in the region. This Pacific-origin water brings both heat and unique biogeochemical properties, contributing to a changing Arctic ecosystem. However, our ability to understand or forecast the role of this incoming water mass has been hampered by lack of understanding of the physical processes controlling subduction and evolution of this this warm water. Crucially, the processes seen here occur at small horizontal scales not resolved by regional forecast models or climate simulations; new parameterizations must be developed that accurately represent the physics. Here we present novel high resolution observations showing the detailed process of subduction and initial evolution of warm Pacific-origin water in the southern Beaufort Gyre.
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ArticleA database of snow on sea ice in the central Arctic collected during the MOSAiC expedition(Nature Research, 2023-06-22) Macfarlane, Amy R. ; Schneebeli, Martin ; Dadic, Ruzica ; Tavri, Aikaterini ; Immerz, Antonia ; Polashenski, Chris ; Krampe, Daniela ; Clemens-Sewall, David ; Wagner, David N. ; Perovich, Donald K. ; Henna-Reetta, Hannula ; Raphael, Ian ; Matero, Ilkka ; Regnery, Julia ; Smith, Madison M. ; Nicolaus, Marcel ; Jaggi, Matthias ; Oggier, Marc ; Webster, Melinda A. ; Lehning, Michael ; Kolabutin, Nikolai ; Itkin, Polona ; Naderpour, Reza ; Pirazzini, Roberta ; Hammerle, Stefan ; Arndt, Stefanie ; Fons, StevenSnow plays an essential role in the Arctic as the interface between the sea ice and the atmosphere. Optical properties, thermal conductivity and mass distribution are critical to understanding the complex Arctic sea ice system’s energy balance and mass distribution. By conducting measurements from October 2019 to September 2020 on the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition, we have produced a dataset capturing the year-long evolution of the physical properties of the snow and surface scattering layer, a highly porous surface layer on Arctic sea ice that evolves due to preferential melt at the ice grain boundaries. The dataset includes measurements of snow during MOSAiC. Measurements included profiles of depth, density, temperature, snow water equivalent, penetration resistance, stable water isotope, salinity and microcomputer tomography samples. Most snowpit sites were visited and measured weekly to capture the temporal evolution of the physical properties of snow. The compiled dataset includes 576 snowpits and describes snow conditions during the MOSAiC expedition.
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ArticleSea-ice production and air/ice/ocean/biogeochemistry interactions in the Ross Sea during the PIPERS 2017 autumn field campaign(Cambridge University Press, 2020-06-11) Ackley, Stephen ; Stammerjohn, Sharon E. ; Maksym, Ted ; Smith, Madison M. ; Cassano, John ; Guest, Peter ; Tison, Jean-Louis ; Delille, Bruno ; Loose, Brice ; Sedwick, Peter N. ; De Pace, Lisa ; Roach, Lettie ; Parno, JulieThe Ross Sea is known for showing the greatest sea-ice increase, as observed globally, particularly from 1979 to 2015. However, corresponding changes in sea-ice thickness and production in the Ross Sea are not known, nor how these changes have impacted water masses, carbon fluxes, biogeochemical processes and availability of micronutrients. The PIPERS project sought to address these questions during an autumn ship campaign in 2017 and two spring airborne campaigns in 2016 and 2017. PIPERS used a multidisciplinary approach of manned and autonomous platforms to study the coupled air/ice/ocean/biogeochemical interactions during autumn and related those to spring conditions. Unexpectedly, the Ross Sea experienced record low sea ice in spring 2016 and autumn 2017. The delayed ice advance in 2017 contributed to (1) increased ice production and export in coastal polynyas, (2) thinner snow and ice cover in the central pack, (3) lower sea-ice Chl-a burdens and differences in sympagic communities, (4) sustained ocean heat flux delaying ice thickening and (5) a melting, anomalously southward ice edge persisting into winter. Despite these impacts, airborne observations in spring 2017 suggest that winter ice production over the continental shelf was likely not anomalous.
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ArticleObservations of ocean surface wave attenuation in sea ice using seafloor cables(American Geophysical Union, 2023-10-13) Smith, Madison M. ; Thomson, Jim ; Baker, Michael G. ; Abbott, Robert E. ; Davis, JakeThe attenuation of ocean surface waves during seasonal ice cover is an important control on the evolution of Arctic coastlines. The spatial and temporal variations in this process have been challenging to resolve with conventional sampling using sparse arrays of moorings or buoys. We demonstrate a novel method for persistent observation of wave-ice interactions using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) along existing seafloor fiber optic telecommunications cables. DAS measurements span a 36-km cross-shore cable on the Beaufort Shelf from Oliktok Point, Alaska. DAS optical sensing of fiber strain-rate provides a proxy for seafloor pressure, which we calibrate with wave buoy measurements during the ice-free season (August 2022). We apply this calibration during the ice formation season (November 2021) to obtain unprecedented resolution of variable wave attenuation rates in new, partial ice cover. The location and strength of wave attenuation serve as proxies for ice coverage and thickness, especially during rapidly evolving events.
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ArticleThin and transient meltwater layers and false bottoms in the Arctic sea ice pack-Recent insights on these historically overlooked features(University of California Press, 2023-09-07) Smith, Madison M. ; Angot, Helene ; Chamberlain, Emelia J. ; Droste, Elise S. ; Karam, Salar ; Muilwijk, Morven ; Webb, Alison L. ; Archer, Stephen D. ; Beck, Ivo ; Blomquist, Byron W. ; Bowman, Jeff S. ; Boyer, Matthew ; Bozzato, Deborah ; Chierici, Melissa ; Creamean, Jessie M. ; D’Angelo, Alessandra ; Delille, Bruno ; Fer, Ilker ; Fong, Allison A. ; Fransson, Agneta ; Fuchs, Niels ; Gardner, Jessie ; Granskog, Mats A. ; Hoppe, Clara J. M. ; Hoppema, Mario ; Hoppmann, Mario ; Mock, Thomas ; Muller, Sofia ; Muller, Oliver ; Nicolaus, Marcel ; Nomura, Daiki ; Petaja, Tuukka ; Salganik, Evgenii ; Schmale, Julia ; Schmidt, Katrin ; Schulz, Kirstin M. ; Shupe, Matthew D. ; Stefels, Jacqueline ; Thielke, Linda ; Tippenhauer, Sandra ; Ulfsbo, Adam ; van Leeuwe, Maria ; Webster, Melinda ; Yoshimura, Masaki ; Zhan, LiyangThe rapid melt of snow and sea ice during the Arctic summer provides a significant source of low-salinity meltwater to the surface ocean on the local scale. The accumulation of this meltwater on, under, and around sea ice floes can result in relatively thin meltwater layers in the upper ocean. Due to the small-scale nature of these upper-ocean features, typically on the order of 1 m thick or less, they are rarely detected by standard methods, but are nevertheless pervasive and critically important in Arctic summer. Observations during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition in summer 2020 focused on the evolution of such layers and made significant advancements in understanding their role in the coupled Arctic system. Here we provide a review of thin meltwater layers in the Arctic, with emphasis on the new findings from MOSAiC. Both prior and recent observational datasets indicate an intermittent yet long-lasting (weeks to months) meltwater layer in the upper ocean on the order of 0.1 m to 1.0 m in thickness, with a large spatial range. The presence of meltwater layers impacts the physical system by reducing bottom ice melt and allowing new ice formation via false bottom growth. Collectively, the meltwater layer and false bottoms reduce atmosphere-ocean exchanges of momentum, energy, and material. The impacts on the coupled Arctic system are far-reaching, including acting as a barrier for nutrient and gas exchange and impacting ecosystem diversity and productivity.
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ArticleSea ice mass balance during the MOSAiC drift experiment: Results from manual ice and snow thickness gauges(University of California Press, 2024-07-09) Raphael, Ian A. ; Perovich, Donald K. ; Polashenski, Christopher M. ; Clemens-Sewall, David ; Itkin, Polona ; Lei, Ruibo ; Nicolaus, Marcel ; Regnery, Julia ; Smith, Madison M. ; Webster, Melinda ; Jaggi, MatthiasPrecise measurements of Arctic sea ice mass balance are necessary to understand the rapidly changing sea ice cover and its representation in climate models. During the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition, we made repeat point measurements of snow and ice thickness on primarily level first- and second-year ice (FYI, SYI) using ablation stakes and ice thickness gauges. This technique enabled us to distinguish surface and bottom (basal) melt and characterize the importance of oceanic versus atmospheric forcing. We also evaluated the time series of ice growth and melt in the context of other MOSAiC observations and historical mass balance observations from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) campaign and the North Pole Environmental Observatory (NPEO). Despite similar freezing degree days, average ice growth at MOSAiC was greater on FYI (1.67 m) and SYI (1.23 m) than at SHEBA (1.45 m, 0.53 m), due in part to initially thinner ice and snow conditions on MOSAiC. Our estimates of effective snow thermal conductivity, which agree with SHEBA results and other MOSAiC observations, are unlikely to explain the difference. On MOSAiC, FYI grew more and faster than SYI, demonstrating a feedback loop that acts to increase ice production after multi-year ice loss. Surface melt on MOSAiC (mean of 0.50 m) was greater than at NPEO (0.18 m), with considerable spatial variability that correlated with surface albedo variability. Basal melt was relatively small (mean of 0.12 m), and higher than NPEO observations (0.07 m). Finally, we present observations showing that false bottoms reduced basal melt rates in some FYI cases, in agreement with other observations at MOSAiC. These detailed mass balance observations will allow further investigation into connections between the carefully observed surface energy budget, ocean heat fluxes, sea ice, and ecosystem at MOSAiC and during other campaigns.