The SIMMS program: a study of change and variability within the marine cryosphere

Abstract

Describes the scientific context of an experimental program for an eight year study of change and variability within the marine cryosphere in the Canadian Arctic and summarizes the field program since its inception in 1990. The focus is on understanding the process linkages between the atmosphere, cryosphere and ocean at the sea ice interface and in establishing a method by which these processes can be modeled numerically. A conceptual spatial signature of an icescape is proposed as the basis for integration of these processes and the paper illustrates how remote sensing data can be used to identify these functional signatures. -from Authors