Tag Archives: Swedish Antarctic Expedition

2 Comments

Just noticed this on the MODIS  sensor on the TERRA satellite image from 10 September 2016.  (Tile Antarctica_rc05c01 if you are interested in that sort of thing)

Antarctic Sound on the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula 10 Sept 2016
Antarctic Sound on the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula 10 Sept 2016

The Antarctic sea ice ice extent map for 10 September 2016 shows an interesting and large low concentration right at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula

The sea ice extent around Antarctic 10 September 2016. Yellow box is roughly where the MODIS image is, and Antarctic Sound is labelled. Data from DMSP SMMI
The sea ice extent around Antarctic 10 September 2016. Yellow box is roughly where the MODIS image is, and Antarctic Sound is labelled. Data from DMSP SMMI

So why the missing sea ice at the top of the Peninsula?  It could be a storm, or could be heat from the ocean keeping the area ice free. I'll have a look at the data when I've time, but for now I would bet on the ocean.

Interestingly historically it has been a bit of a tough place. Otto Nordenskjöld navigated the sound in December 1902 on the Swedish Antarctic Expedition before their ship, the Antarctic was crushed and lost. They were stranded for two years...