SCICEX Ice Thickness Distribution Test

该项目涉及美国海军核潜艇的民用和军用双重用途，用于多机构项目SCICEX(科学实验)。SCICEX研究人员将使用向上俯视的声纳来检查北极浮冰的底部，以确定波弗特海冰层厚度的可变性。厚度信息将在一个大型跨学科研究项目--北冰洋表面热量平衡的现场收集。雪巴冰层厚度的可变性以及对冰、大气和海洋的测量将被用于测试一个模型，该模型将允许根据卫星测量来预测海冰厚度，以便可以将结果外推到整个北冰洋。该项目对一系列研究工作做出了非常重要的贡献，这些研究工作旨在确定拟议中的全球变暖是否会影响北极冰盖的厚度和分布。全球环流模型表明，冰层可能不是一个永久性的特征，该项目将提供验证和改进模型所需的测量数据。

ABSTRACT OPP-9617343 ROTHROCK, David University of Washington This project involves the dual civilian-military use of a US Navy nuclear submarine for the multi-agency project SCICEX (Science Experiment). SCICEX researchers will use an upward looking sonar to examine the underside of the Arctic pack ice to determine the thickness variability of the ice in the Beaufort Sea. The thickness information will be gathered at the site of a large, interdisciplinary research project, Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) Ocean. The variability of the ice thickness in conjunction with the ice, atmosphere, ocean measurements for SHEBA will be used to test a model that will allow the prediction of sea ice thickness from satellite measurements so that the results may be extrapolated to the entire Arctic Ocean. The project is a very important contribution to a wide array of research efforts to determine if a proposed global warming will affect the Arctic ice pack thickness and distribution. Global Circulation Models suggest that the ice pack may not be a permanent feature and this project will provide measurements that are necessary to validate and improve the models.