Analysis of first-year and old ice ridge characteristics

A study has been carried out on the morphological characteristics of arctic and subarctic ice ridges, with an emphasis on the differences between first-year and second- or multi-year ice ridges. This work builds on the catalogue of ridge shapes created by Timco and Burden in 1995. Sail height, keel depth, and total ridge thickness are investigated, focussing on the differences between first-year and old ridges, and considering the effect of grounding. The consolidated layer thickness and width and overall dimensions of ridges are also examined. Comparisons are made for arctic and temperate ridges. The arctic regions include the Barents and Norwegian Seas, and the Beaufort Sea and Canadian/American Arctic. Temperate regions include the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Gulf of Finland, Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Labrador Coast, and Canadian Maritimes. Relationships between sail height and keel depth are developed, and the findings of this study are evaluated against existing statistics and formulae.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye