Evaporation from Arctic sea ice in summer during the International Geophysical Year, 1957-1958

Abstract

Measurements of pan evaporation were made during the summers of 1957 and 1958 on an ice station drifting between 80° and 86°N. Using weather reports, measurements were either screened for absence of precipitation (to obtain evaporation, E) or not screened (to obtain P-E). Applying the screened data either to the entire month or only to the days without precipitation results in upper and lower limits to E. Monthly average values of E are positive in June and July, 3-5 and 5-8 mm/month, within the range of prior estimates, but are negative in August and September, indicating net deposition of frost or dew, at variance with prior estimates. The monthly averages of latent heat flux are small, 2-10 W m -2, by comparison to the individual components of net radiation, each on the order of 100-300 W m -2. Copyright 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.