Sea-ice flux in the East Greenland Current

The sea-ice export out of the central Arctic through the Fram Strait is a k ey variable in the Arctic climate system. Satellite data provide the only b asis for mapping ice features with a high spatial and temporal resolution i n polar regions. An automatic drift algorithm has been employed and optimiz ed to monitor the sea-ice drift velocity in the Greenland Sea with AVHRR da ta. The combination of the ice drift and the spatial ice distribution provi des an insight into the ice transport processes along the coast of Greenlan d. The combination with sea-ice thickness measurements allows an estimation of the spatial distribution of the sea-ice mass flux. The seasonal and spa tial variability of the mass flux allows further predictions of the meridio nal melting and freezing processes along the East Greenland Current. This i nvestigation covers the years 1993 and 1994. Seasonal and spatial distribut ions of the sea-ice drift were derived. The derived absolute values in this study are in good agreement with estimates proposed by other authors. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.