ENVIRONMENTAL PHENOMENA OF THE BEAUFORT SEA OBSERVED DURING THE LEADSEXPERIMENT

This paper describes unique environmental phenomena observed during LE ADEX (Leads Experiment), a multidisciplinary investigation Staged from an ice camp in the Beaufort Sea during March and April 1992. The pape rfocuses on phenomena observed by NOAA, DMSP, and the European ERS-1 s atellites. The opening and closing of a lead is studied using the synt hetic aperture radar (SAR) data aboard ERS-1. With a mesoscale model, the authors examine the three-dimensional nature of meteorological phe nomena and their effect on the opening and closing of leads and show t hat this model is extremely useful for interpreting structures evident in satellite and in situ observations along northern Alaska. Storms o r wind events, which result in leads and fractured ice, also cause ice flees to rotate; the authors document this rotation with automated we ather stations anchored to the flees. Finally, the authors describe un ique thermal streaks that appeared over a large area of the Beaufort S ea during strong northeasterly winds and explore their nature using mu ltichannel satellite data.