Detection of coastal polynyas and ice production in the antarctic and okhotsk seas from SSM/I

An algorithm of Special Sensor Microwave/Imager that detects a new thin ice, ice shelf, and landfast ice has been developed. The algorithm, in which 37 and 85 GHz brightness temperature data are used, was made by comparison with the ice thickness estimation from AVHRR data. Using thin ice thickness distribution derived from this new algorithm and ERA-40 surface input data, heat flux calculation is performed on a daily basis in 1992-2001 over the coastal polynyas in the Antarctic and Okhotsk Seas. The highest ice production area in the Antarctica ocean is the Ross Ice Shelf Polynya, which is consistent with the production area of Antarctic Bottom Water with the highest salinity. The highest ice production area in the Okhotsk Sea is the northwest shelf polynya, which is considered to be the main formation area of dense shelf water, the ventilation source of North Pacific Intermediate Water. Keywords-component; SSM/I; coastal polynya; sea ice; fast ice

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