Field data on sea ice restoration by artificial flooding.

Area of Science:

• Arctic Research
• Sea Ice Physics
• Glaciology

Background:

• Sea ice restoration is crucial for Arctic ecosystems.
• Artificial flooding is a potential method for sea ice thickening.
• Understanding ice growth under snow cover is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate physical processes of sea ice growth and melting after artificial flooding.
• Analyze the impact of snow cover on artificial sea ice thickening.
• Provide data for validating and developing sea ice and flooding models.

Main Methods:

• Field campaign in Vallunden lagoon, Spitsbergen.
• Deployment of thermistor strings, radiation sensors, and anemometers.
• Collection and analysis of 88 ice cores for temperature, density, and salinity.

Main Results:

• Collected comprehensive data on sea ice before, during, and after artificial flooding.
• Enabled analysis of ice growth, snow ice formation, and melting dynamics.
• Provided insights into short-term salt migration within the ice.

Conclusions:

• The dataset supports validation of sea ice growth and melting models.
• Improved understanding of melt-water drainage and artificial flooding simulations.
• Data facilitates further development of models for snow-covered sea ice management.