Variability of Sea Ice Drift through Nares Strait, Nunavut, Canada

One of the greatest indicators of climate change is the state of the Arctic sea ice cover, whose extent is declining at an unprecedented rate due to both melt of sea ice and advection out of the Arctic Ocean. Nares Strait is an important conduit for the export of sea ice from the Arctic Ocean to sub-Arctic seas. Buoy trajectories for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014 were analyzed to evaluate the drift of sea ice through Nares Strait. Wind and ice concentration data were correlated with drift speeds to evaluate their influence on sea ice drift in this region which showed generally weak to moderate correlation coefficients. Drift speeds were highly variable spatially, seasonally and interannually. Smith Sound had the most spatial variability and the fastest drift speed (45 km/d). Drift through late summer showed high variability. It is believed that internal ice stress and ocean stress must play an integral role in ice dynamics in the strait but could not be quantified here. Further observations are required to more comprehensively understand sea ice dynamics in Nares Strait