Cecilia Bitz

University of Washington

Arctic sea ice this September was over one million square kilometers
more extensive than in 2007. Yet the minimum reached this summer is the third lowest on record, and observations and models indicate the sea ice this decade is far thinner than anytime in the instrumental
record. Through analysis of observations, simple models, and global
climate models, I will discuss persistence time scales of sea ice area
and volume and how we can expect the Arctic perennial ice to
shift towards summer ice-free conditions. While sea ice is simply
frozen sea water, it exists in a variety of forms. The brine
inclusions in sea ice host algal and bacterial communities, which are
connected to other Arctic Ocean ecosystems. I will recount how the
microphysics and biogeochemistry of sea ice is coupled to the Arctic
climate and accurately modeling these interactions is critical for
predicting future change.