The surface-energy budget of the Arctic Ocean depends on the distribution of
various sea-ice features that form by both mechanical and thermodynamic
processes. Melt ponds, new ice and open water greatly affect the
determination of surface albedo. However, even basic measurements of some
surface-feature characteristics, such as areal extent of melt ponds, remain
rare.
A method has been developed to assess the areal coverage of melt ponds, new
ice and open water using video data from the Beaufort and Arctic Storms
Experiment (BASE). A downward-looking video camera mounted on the underside
of a Hercules C-130 aircraft provided clear images of the surface. Images
acquired over multi-year ice on 21 September 1994 were analyzed using a
spectral technique to determine the areal coverage of melt ponds, new ice
and open water. Statistics from this analysis were then compared to previous
field studies and to the Schramm and others
(in press) sea-ice model.