Author(s): Takenobu Toyota; Shinya Takatsuji; Kazutaka Tateyama; Masashige Nakayama; Kazuhiro Naoki; Kay I. Ohshima
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Abstract: In order to investigate the features of relatively thick ice existing in the southern Sea of Okhotsk, an ice sampling method with a basket was developed for the 2003 winter observation for the first time in this region. This method enabled us not only to efficiently collect thick ice samples, but also to directly examine the properties of overlying snow. The number of sites amounted to 16 and 12 points for ice sampling and snow observation, respectively, during about one week cruise. With ice samples, the profiles of temperature, density, salinity, textural structure, and stable isotopic composition (δ18O) were investigated. From analysis it is found that for ice samples (Hi > 40 cm) frazil ice occupies much more fraction (59%) than columnar ice (30%) and layered structure (averaged unit thickness 9.1cm) is prominent, and that depth hoar and solid-type depth hoar are dominant (69%) for overlying snow. The former result almost coincides with the results for relatively thin ice obtained from 1996 to 2000 and shows that the dynamic processes by rafting/ridging are almost similar to that for thinner ice in this region. The latter is similar to the result obtained in the Antarctic SIZ.
Year: 2004